The Westport basketball team out hustled, out quicked and out muscled West Bridgewater, 70-52, for the Mayflower Athletic Conference Championship in front of a small crowd of parents and media at the high school on Tuesday night. A grand performance for Cariglia gymnasium’s last high school basketball game as the students will move to the new school next year. 

“A championship victory for the last game in this gym, It’s a great experience. Something that everyone will remember,” said Wildcats senior co-captain Aidan Viveiros.

Four Wildcats scored in double digits, in a total team win as they blazed out to a 18-9 first quarter lead, stretched it to 37-24 at halftime and 54-39 after three quarters. But it was their high intensity, press and trap defense inducing 25 turnovers, that frustrated and stymied the bigger, taller and more athletic West Bridgewater team.

“We played our best game of the year, period,” said Westport head coach Scot Boudria. “It wasn’t one or two players, it was nine guys who played really well. It took everyone to really come together and they all did.”

“Coach said that we are the first team in Westport history to end on a win. It was cool for us seniors,” said Viveiros. “I’m kind of speechless right now. It was a crazy victory.”

Junior forward Domanick Vitorino led the team with 13 points, 10 in the first half. Senior forward Max Powers scored 11, all in the second half and was a monster on the boards with 11 rebounds. Junior Aidan Rock netted 12 points with two threes and Sophomore point guard Hunter Brodeur scored 10 with two threes.

“I don’t know who’s going to be the high scorer any given night,” said Coach Boudria. “That’s not how we roll and that’s what makes us really tough too. You got to worry about the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th guy.”

Red hot first quarter

Westport started the game red hot and ran out to a 12-0 lead in the first three minutes of the game. Senior guard Aidan Viveiros scored for Westport on their first possession, pulling up while driving the lane and hitting a short jumper from the paint to give Westport a 2-0 lead.

“Aidan is a barometer for us,” said Coach Boudria. “When he plays well, we are really tough to beat.”

On West Bridgewater’s possession, guard Ryan Hulme drove in for a layup, but was met by senior forward Max Powers and Viveiros. Powers got a piece of the ball and it bounced off the rim into the hands of Wildcats sophomore point guard Hunter Brodeur. The smaller guard had boxed out West Bridgewater football star Ben Skinner, a tall muscular forward, grabbed the rebound, looked up court and made a Tom Brady-like pass to forward Domanick Vitorino streaking to the West Bridgewater basket. Vitorino caught the pass in stride and sunk an easy layup for a 4-0 lead.

On defense, Westport’s full court press gave West Bridgewater fits. Once they inbounded the ball, the Wildcats attacked like gremlins. Often coming up with a steal or forcing a turnover.

“Our pressure defense was awesome,” Coach Boudria said, “It’s something that we work on continuously. A lot of planning went into this game and the players were great.”

Athletic junior forward Aidan Rock pulled down a defensive rebound for Westport and he dished it over to Brodeur. The point guard dribbled up court handed the ball to Viveiros who passed to Rock at the top of the key. Rock paused, then decided to drive the lane and take on West Bridgewater twin towers, Skinner and Chris Ryan. Rock got hammered. The ball hit the floor. Brodeur instinctively dove to the floor and pounced on the ball which was tangled in the legs of the two behemoths. From his knees, Brodeur passed the ball out to Rock, suddenly standing at his spot on the three point line. Rock took the pass and drained a three. The small crowd and the Wildcats bench erupted as he gave Westport a 9-0 lead with 5:45 to play in the first quarter.

On West Bridgewater’s next possession, Skinner, a football prodigy, decided to take matters into his own hands. The brawny forward backed Vitorino down on the post, switched the ball from his right hand to his left. Vitorino stuck to him like glue. Skinner took too much time as Viveiros and Rock now had him surrounded. Still the mighty Skinner knowing his team needed a score, went hard to the basket. The athletic Vitorino out jumped him and blocked the shot. The ball fell to Rock and he dribbled up court. The crowd went wild.

“Dominic has been playing well for the past ten games. I mean he’s playing awesome,” said Coach Boudria.

On West Bridgewater’s next possession, Hulme tried to drive in on Vitorino and he stuffed him too. Brodeur grabbed the board, sped up court, stopped at the three point line and launched a three. Swish, all net, for a Westport 12-0 lead, with 5 minutes to go in the first quarter. 

West Bridgewater finally got themselves off the ropes when forward Ryan McGrath finally pulled down an offensive rebound and put it back from the paint to cut the lead to 12-2.

The Wildcats didn’t blink. Viveiros hit a jumper to extend the lead to 16-4, with 1:58 to play in the first quarter. West Bridgewater’s Tom Perna attempted a three pointer over Brodeur. The point guard leaped, got a piece of it and the ball came down in his hands. He sped up court, drove into the paint and dished to Powers on the right post. Powers wheeled and took a jumper. It bounced off the rim and Vitorino snared the rebound. He instantly drove in for a layup to stretch the lead to 18-4, with under a minute left in the first quarter.

West Bridgewater closed the quarter with five straight points to cut the lead to 18-9. But they couldn’t stop the Wildcats onslaught.

Second team

During the regular season Coach Boudria and his two assistants Loyd Aurora and Art Goyette due to Covid, had played all varsity players during the games. He had said that his team’s happiness was greater than winning a basketball game. The one caveat was playing everyone enabled the team to play all out, allowing the Wildcats to virtually press all game long. “No team likes that,” said Coach Boudria at the time. The team finished the season at 10-1.

In the second quarter Coach Boudria subbed in Luke Parker, Ben Boudria, Owen Boudria and Donjae Raiche. The Wildcats second teamers playing with Rock, Vitorino and Brodeur at times, turned up the head on defense and offensively, scored 19 points for a 37-24 lead. Raiche, a senior played big under the boards and scored 6 points.

“Donjae had his best game,” Coach Boudria said. “Defensively, he cleaned up rebounds.”

Parker took over for Brodeur at point guard and got to the line twice, netting all five free throws for 5 of his 9 points in the second quarter. 

Ben Boudria scored 3 points, drew a charge and made four steals, but his brother Owen had the steal of the night.

Skinner had grabbed a rebound and dashed down the court. Owen Boudria took off after him. He caught the speedy forward, poked the ball loose in the paint and stole the ball. Boudria raced back up court and passed to Rock in position on the arch. Rock torpedoed a three to give Westport a 28-13 lead with 5:32 to go in the second quarter.

In the third quarter, West Bridgewater cut the lead to 11, 40-29, with 5:47 to go in the third quarter. But a Brodeur three-pointer halted their run and boosted Westport’s lead to 43-29.

Max Powers scored all of his 11 points in the second half and protected the boards all game long. The tall sinewy forward muscled in a lefty layup to make the score 58-41 with 6:33 to play. The Wildcats defense no matter who subbed in, never stopped their relentless pursuit of the ball.

“It was a tough year for everyone,” said Powers a co-captain, “But we really brought it together in the end. There was really no drop off. We all played amazing. It was a great win.”

Brodeur who scored 7 of his 10 in the second half brought the bench to their feet as he drove the lane and was fouled with 4:36 to play in the fourth quarter. He made both free throws to give Westport a 67-49 lead. The gym exploded and West Bridgewater called a time out. 

Westport continued their frenetic play even after Coach Boudria called a time out to slow the team down.

When the buzzer sounded and the game was over, there wasn’t a lot of grandeur, just hugs. Rock and Vitorino embraced Powers. Coach Boudria gathered the team and spoke to them quietly in a group hug.

The Wildcat had won the championship. No small feat for the team with the most heart.

Scoring:

Domanick Vitorino led the team with 13 points, Aidan Rock scored 12, Max Powers scored 11, Hunter Brodeur scored 10, Luke Parker scored 9, Aidan Viveiros scored 6, Donjae Raiche scored 6, Ben Boudria scored 3.