Hazen Wildcat Brendan Moodie (front) heads for the basket as Hunter Clay (center) and Dempsey McGovern (No. 5) try to stop him during action at Hazen Union Friday. Hazen prevailed 52-41.
RANDOLPH – After taking care of Randolph earlier in the week, the Hazen Union boys’ basketball team avenged an early season overtime loss to Thetford Academy to capture the top seed in the upcoming Division III state tournament.
Freshman Jameson Lamarre scored 13 points, hauled in nine rebounds, and dished out four assists to power the Wildcats to a 66-41 road win over Randolph last Wednesday.
Senior point guard Xavier Hill led all scorers with 15 points as Hazen took a 38-20 lead into the break and never looked back.
Fellow senior Gabe Michaud added seven points and nine rebounds and Morgan Michaud complimented with eight points and seven rebounds in the win.
Ethan Davignon knocked down a pair of three-pointers on his way to an 11-point night for Galloping Ghosts as they wrapped up the regular season with a 10-10 record.
Hill scored 10 of his game-high 19 points in a decisive fourth quarter to lead the Wildcats to a pivotal 52-41 home win over Thetford Academy on Senior Night last Friday.
Fellow senior Ryan Morrison celebrated his big night with 14 points and led all players with 11 rebounds.
Dempsey McGovern led the Panthers with 11 points, knocking down a pair of threes to cut a double-digit halftime deficit down to a one possession game midway through the fourth quarter.
Hazen Union’s Gavin Bell (left) looks to pass to Xavier Hill (No. 11) as Dempsey McGovern (right front) looks to steal during play at Hazen, February 16. At right is Panther Mitchell Parkman (No. 12) and Wildcat Ryan Morrison (right).
Brendan Moodie answered with a pair of threes of his own, giving him four the last two games, and Hill added eight rebounds and five assists to his impressive stat sheet to help clinch the win.
Gabe Michaud, Fenton Meyer, and Gavon Bell were all honored, along with Hill and Morrison for their outstanding high school careers in a Wildcat uniform.
“Our senior group this year is one of the most selfless we have ever had. They put team success above all else and support each other in a way that is special. They make me feel proud to be their coach every single day,” said head coach Aaron Hill.
Hill’s resilient squad finished up the regular season at 17-3, with their only divisional loss coming to the Panthers 54-52 on the road in overtime back in January. His senior point guard has had one of the best seasons in the state, leading the team in nearly every offensive category, racking up a program record three triple doubles along the way. Hill captured his 400th career win at Hazen earlier this season and is aiming to take his program to its sixth Final Four in seven years after nearly defending their Division III state title last March.
“This team has grown a lot throughout the season. Our bench has made a huge difference for us. This team has great chemistry and are very connected to each other. We want to focus on playing great defense and execute on the offensive side of the floor,” said Hill.
The Wildcats start their march towards the Barre Auditorium on Wednesday night as they face the winner of the play-down between Peoples Academy and Stowe. If they advance, they will host a quarterfinal match-up between the winner of eighth seeded Randolph and ninth seeded Woodstock on Saturday night.
