LAWRENCE – Sam Guertin and the Central Catholic girls already had plenty at stake in the girls division of the upcoming Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic.
For all the greatness the Raider program has attained over the years, they’ve somehow never come home with a Christmas title in this event. So, yeah, it matters.
But things amped up incredibly in the preseason when the Raiders lost senior guard Shea Montague to injury.
Not only were her first two chances — like all members of the current senior class — lost to COVID, but her last was taken away as well.
It hit Guertin hard.
“It would feel really special, all the seniors feel like it’s special, but we want to do it for Shea,” said Guertin, the sharp-shooting guard from Haverhill. “Especially last year. Shea played so well in the Christmas tournament. She’s just really special. Since she has been hurt, she’s been so positive. She’s picked us up so much in practice, bringing the energy to practice every day.”
A four-year varsity player, Guertin has put the work in for her senior campaign. As she’s shown in spurts, knocking down threes is her specialty. Last year in the Christmas tourney, she averaged 10.7 points a game.
Scoring – namely the long-range game – is not by accident.
“Sam’s form is consistent. She shoots her shot the same way every time. She’s got good rhythm, and her shot is very fluid,” said the region’s shooting guru, Jeff Nelson, who has been working with Guertin since grade school. “The best thing about her is that she has a short memory. You won’t see bad body language. She just takes her shot and make or miss, it doesn’t affect her play. Her attitude on the floor is always positive.”
Shooting has always been Guertin’s game, since she first picked up a basketball.
“It’s probably my most favorite thing to do. I’ve always been a shooter, but it doesn’t come from my parents,” she joked.
Her older brother Zach, who played both hoop and baseball at Haverhill High, has helped a lot, too.
Like so many of her relatives, Guertin is an impact performer. Dad, Mike, was a multi-sport star at Central.
Her aunts Tricia and Keri were key cogs in the Haverhill High hoop dynasty years.
And more recently, her cousins, Luke and Mike have represented the Raiders quite proudly in their various sports.
Sam has plans to continue on the court at Johnson & Wales next year, but first, there is work to do.
“We’ve been preparing, and we feel like we have a really good chance in the tournament,” said Guertin. “The Christmas tournament has been really big for a long time. Just being there, in the moment, playing in that environment, you feel like a big part of such a great thing.”