Lots of changes for the 2023-4 winter team
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—The Melrose High girls’ basketball team begins their 2023-4 campaign next week when they travel to Belmont, and they do so in the midst of change and opportunity. The team lost several seniors in 2022-3 and have a new coach this year that gives the team a chance to create its niche in the league as they hope to put together a state-qualifying season.
Leading Melrose’s transition will be new coach Andrea Razi Thomas, a Melrose resident who whose 10 player team is ready take on the ML best when they open their season next Tuesday, Dec. 12 on the road against the Belmont Marauders.
“It’s a dream come true to have been selected as the new leader of the program,” says Razi-Thomas, a New York born “self-professed gym rat” who was recruited to play basketball at Princeton, where she was a 4-year starting point guard and Academic All-Ivy League and holder of the schools all-time assist record (both women & men). “I’m eager to bring back the energy to the Melrose gym of the early 2000s” says the coach, who holds two masters’ degrees at Smith College and Salem State. Razi-Thomas has been employed at Arlington High School for 17 years with a focus on Social Work and remains their General Education Programs Leader.
She brings experience in coaching on the collegiate level and locally through the YMCA, Melrose Recreation Dept and private clubs like Evolution Basketball. Arriving in Melrose around 2000, she became a fan of the successful MHS girls’ teams. She and her wife Jen have two young daughters who play hoop, so being in the MVMMS gym feels like home in many ways. “I’d love to see the stands packed with young kids in their uniforms and a loud fun environment at both practices and games,” she notes, citing a throw back to the program’s golden days.
She’s in good hands with her team leaders. Serving as captains this season are senior Lily Nolan and junior Scarlett D’Addio. Nolan, the lone senior, brings athleticism to the court. “Lily is a strong outside shooter with speed that makes her a threat to get to the hoop,” says her coach. “She has positive energy and an eagerness to learn and compete.”
D’Addio returns after an ACL tear last season sidelined her most of the season. The return of the multi-year starter is a big relief to the program. “Scarlett is an elite scorer with a high basketball IQ,” notes the coach. “She’s a strong leader and floor general! We are thrilled to have her back in the game.”
Watch out for junior starter Alex Leeman, who will also be a force this year. Says Razi-Thomas, “Alex is an athletic guard who can defend team’s top players. She’s a vocal leader with intense hustle and is really shooting well.”
Junior Sophia DiCalogero is an aggressive and experienced player who will make her mark on the court this season. “Sophia is a standout shooter who will see valuable minutes and be counted on as a scorer with high basketball IQ,” says her coach.
Overall, she’s quite happy with her entire roster. “All ten are hardworking, passionate and a committed group of young women.”
That includes junior transfer Olivia Dellaporta who brings size, elite athleticism with a high work ethic. “She’ll be a force inside for us,” notes her coach. Sophomores Kayla Good and Lara McLucas will lead the underclassmen. “Good brings size and speed, while McLucas brings a speedy first step and great long-range shooting to the table,” says Razi-Thomas.
Some new players from JV with strong potential include junior Milana Noessel and sophomores Ella Callahan and Naomi Breay. “They’ve worked hard this off-season and round out a deep strong bench,” says the coach.
Melrose has three teams, a JV-A team coached by Olivia Dziadyk, and a JV-B team coached by Sayuri Kazeniak, and will see a return of varsity assistant coach Caroline Nolan. “Caroline is a great support to our athletes. Olivia has a passion for basketball that rivals mine and Sayuri is an energetic, passionate and upbeat basketball player.”
On tap to start the season are some heavy hitters in the Middlesex League: Belmont, whom they open against on the road on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., followed by last year’s Elite 8-qualifying Wakefield (away on Friday) and Reading, whom they host in their home opener on Dec. 19 at 6:00 p.m.
“Belmont returns a few strong scorers and we’ll be prepared to limit their shot opportunities,” says the coach. “Wakefield always has a speedy team with a strong press, so we’ll be ready to combat that. Reading has some size that we’ll have to compete with, but we’ll keep our game plans to ourselves. We will be ready to compete in every game and leave it all on the court.”
Melrose is also looking forward to competing in the North Reading High Holiday Tournament over December break.
Melrose was close to a tournament run last season and there is no reason to count them out this year. “We have a goal of making the state tournament this year, so we plan to be playing into mid-February. For this year, I am using the motto, ‘The future starts now’. We will bring pride back to the gym and program name and will win more than we lose. We will compete with sportsmanship. One day at a time we will work ourselves back to being championship contenders. This team will make a noticeable splash this year!”