That’s a wrap on the winter high school sports season — at least here on Cape Ann, that is.
In somewhat surprising fashion, it was the Rockport boys hoop team (9-14) that caught fire down the stretch, largely exceeding expectations to advance all the way to the Division 5 Elite Eight. Their journey, the longest of any local squad, came to a halt against a hot-shooting Westport team on the road this past Saturday, but they didn’t go down without a fight.
Led by 1,000-career point scorer Josiah Whitley, the Vikings won at least two playoff games for the first time since 1998. It was a remarkable run for the smallest school in the Cape Ann League.
In Division 4 boys basketball, Manchester Essex (16-6) won its tournament opener at home over Wahconah Regional before coming up short in the Sweet 16 at Lynn Tech. Gloucester (12-10) impressed as well, advancing to the Round of 16 in Division 3 where it gave No. 6 seed Taconic — which played in the Final Four on Tuesday evening — all it could handle before succumbing in the final seconds of a 54-49 loss. Both programs had successful campaigns, and the Hornets in particular should be thrilled about their returning core next winter which includes their entire starting lineup.
On the girls hoop front, Manchester Essex (9-13) dominated its Division 4 preliminary round tilt against Sturgis Charter West before falling to Frontier Regional in the Round of 32. Lily Oliver turned forth another tremendous season for the Hornets and will be back in the fold for her farewell run next year.
The Rockport girls finished with 14 wins and won their D5 playoff opener at home over Abbey Kelley Foster Regional Charter. First-year head coach Jordan Fears did a tremendous job with her group, and if it wasn’t for two of her best players — senior captain Allie George and freshman standout Sunny Gallagher — both fouling out in the Round of 32 at Narragansett Regional, they would’ve had a great chance to move on.
On the ice, the Gloucester boys (10-9-2) had their moments this winter, finding their way back into the Division 2 playoff mix despite an overall inexperienced, youthful group. The Fishermen suffered a tough loss at rival Newburyport in Round 1, but still finished with a winning record and will return plenty of talent for 2025-26.
The Fishermen girls hockey team (8-11-1) narrowly missed out on a playoff opportunity, as did the Gloucester girls hoop team. But both made valiant pushes down the stretch to qualify before ultimately landing just on the outside looking in in their respective brackets.
The GHS girls squad relied heavily on underclassmen and middle-schoolers and still managed to compete with some of the more seasoned programs around. Head coach Rob Parsons’ group undoubtedly gained valuable experience as they look to get back into the postseason next winter.
And for the girls hoop team in Gloucester, Jordan Perdue-Deltorchio was as good as any player in the area, averaging a monster double-double for the season. She’ll return — as will every player on the roster not named Taiya Mano (a reliable leader and starter) — next season with a chip on their shoulders.
Sports Editor Nick Giannino may be contacted at 978-675-2712 or ngiannino@northofboston.com.