THE SENIORS were honored before their game on Thursday night. Pictured from left to right with their families are seniors Norah Coyne, Caroline Capistran, Jaime Greatorex and Hannah Butler. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

Published in the February 19, 2019 edition.

By DAN PAWLOWSKI

WAKEFIELD — There are times when being a senior leader means a little bit more.

It’s one of the most difficult things to do in high school sports: to take ownership of a vastly inexperienced group and, especially one year after making a run to a sectional championship game, commit to the future of the program. Captains Hannah Butler and Jaime Greatorex, Caroline Capistran and manager Norah Coyne won’t get to experience the results of their dedication to their teammates this year. Instead, they will leave behind a legacy that the program will build on for years to come.

“They stepped up,” said head coach Jason Pavey of his seniors this year. “Not to dismiss anything that’s happened the last couple of years but it’s easy to lead when you’re successful. It’s a different story when you’re one of four seniors with 11 underclassmen. Some of these kids are coming straight from the WBA so there’s a learning curve and I think our seniors were really patient; they were locked in and they were challenged to set a good example. I’m just really proud of Hannah, Jaime, Caroline and Norah.”

Yes Pavey includes manager Coyne the same way he does Butler, Capistran and Greatorex.

“Norah, she comes to every practice.,” said Pavey. You don’t see that everyday. “She’s as much a part of the team as the kids who wear a uniform.”

The Warrior faithful honored their seniors one last time at the Charbonneau Field House on Thursday night before their game against Burlington.

It was a genuine tribute for a great group.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a storybook ending for captain Greatorex, a key contributor to last year’s sectional run and the leading scorer of this year’s team.

Greatorex was injured on the opening tip and missed the rest of the game.

The Warriors did their best to replace one of their leaders, but fell behind 13-5 after a disjointed first quarter and had to battle all the way back in the second half. Wakefield outscored Burlington 11-4 in the fourth quarter proving their fight but once again, still learning how to finish games, came up short.

Having already suffered three one-point losses this year, Pavey had no choice but to try and look on the bright side after another heartbreaker.

“Well at least it was two points instead of one,” said the coach, the sorrow felt for his seniors overshadowing the hint of levity.

But this season wasn’t about disappointment. Losing close games is always difficult and the Warriors won’t recognize this until the offseason, but the fact they had so many near misses means the program has a bright future and is ahead of schedule.

Captain Hannah Butler, like she has done the entirety of her terrific career, fought hard all game. She scored six points, but like always she really shined defensively, on the glass and most importantly as a leader, constantly seeking out high fives and giving words of encouragement to her young teammates, especially after a mistake.

Butler, Greatorex and Capistran aren’t the type of players to look at box scores, but if they saw the 18 combined points from juniors Kyleigh Flannigan (10 points) and Winnie Mylan (8 points) they would feel confident the program will be in good hands next year.

The Warriors had plenty to work on in the second half.

“Didn’t get off to a good start (with the Greatorex injury) but that’s really not an excuse,” said Pavey. “We got beat so many times in transition in the first half. That doesn’t come down to the last couple of pays, that game could have been won in the first or second quarter.”

The Warriors were down 32-19 in the third and looking for a jump. They closed the quarter strong starting with a nice shot in the lane by Mylan. Freshman Maeve Gaffney had a quick two and Butler converted on a second chance bucket to make it 32-23. Mylan followed with a mid-range jumper to cut it to 34-25 going into the fourth.

Wakefield fans got into it in the fourth as Burlington was starting to feel the pressure. A Flannigan jumper cut the lead to five. The Red Devils had a press that was tough for the younger Warriors who had plenty of turnovers late. Burlington was up 38-32 with two minutes left. Freshman Sophie Brown converted on a jumper to cut it to four and fellow freshman Ashlee Purcell came up with a big steal as she has many times this season and hit two clutch free throws to make it 38-36 as Wakefield called a timeout with 25 seconds left. After a missed Burlington layup, the Warriors had a chance but couldn’t convert.

It was in amany ways a microcosm of the season. A loss will show up on the schedule, but a far more important thing happened. The Warriors, following the lead of their four seniors, grew up. They will remember nights like this during their future successes on the court at the Field House. But most of all, they will remember Jaime Greatorex, Hannah Butler, Caroline Capistran and Norah Coyne.