PITTSFIELD — With a trip to the Western Mass. Class B final on the line, Pittsfield High School and Taconic High School met for a third time this season, adding another chapter to one of the Berkshires’ most consistent rivalries.
As both teams came into the game with one win apiece in the regular season, the third meeting and rubber match delivered once again.
With a tightly contested first half, Pittsfield emerged victorious, sending their fans into a wave of celebration with a 60-44 win. With this win, Pittsfield secured its place in the Western Mass. finals for the third year in a row.
The Generals will play the winner of Monday’s other semifinal between No. 1 Sci-Tech and No. 5 South Hadley in the sectional final, tentatively set for Wednesday at a location to be determined.
While Bri’awn Thompson and Cam Mochon were the two leading scorers for the Generals on Friday, each putting 14 points on the board, it was Braiden Sullivan who truly drove the team’s success. Scoring 11 points, Sullivan was the engine of the game and his energy was everywhere, from key defensive stops to crucial playmaking. Most importantly, his vocal leadership kept the momentum going when the halftime lead hung in the balance.
“Tonight’s game meant everything to us, especially our seniors who I really fought for tonight,” said Sullivan with a smile, as he explained the impact this game had on the team. “This night hit my heart, the family we have took a blow last Friday on senior night when we lost to this team. So having this rare chance at redemption made me happy not only for myself, but more for the seniors, too.”
As the game tipped off, it was clear that Taconic had come ready to play. Kamaris DeWitt and Kalvin Phillips were the leading scorers for Taconic, with DeWitt having 14 and Philips assisting with 8 points.
The two made their presence known fast, Philips scoring six straight as he fought to keep Taconic in the lead with strong defensive and multiple offensive rebounds. DeWitt was the go-to shooter, hitting three big 3-pointers and finishing strong at the rim.
The duo of DeWitt and Philips kept Taconic battling all the way to halftime, evening the score 29-29 in what looked to be a promising second half for Taconic.
As the second half began, Pittsfield’s seniority and history in the tournament began to show in their play style. Picking up the speed, and executing key plays on offense led to the Generals having a massive scoring run of 16-3 in the third quarter, led by Sullivan and Thompson as they lit up the floor with big shots while creating fast break opportunities.
Pittsfield coach Jerome Edgerton has led his program to multiple Western Mass. finals appearances, and this is the Generals’ third in a row. It’s no surprise that when it comes to city rivalry games like this, he and his team are always ready.
“It’s all about heart. I told the boys in a honest way, we blew our senior night, and now we have another chance that not many teams get to make up for it, and we have that chance in playoffs,” said Edgerton. “This is the last time some of them will play in this gym, and that put heart into them, along with strong executions and defensive stops. After that, we started to wake up for sure.”
As the game progressed, the Pittsfield lead continued to increase as the young Taconic team wasn’t able to keep up. In the end it was smart play-making, strong defense and veteran style pacing that drove Pittsfield to the finish line in a dominate second half of play.
Leaving little room for Taconic to come back Pittsfield made sure to keep its foot on the glass, as Quincy Abellie protected the paint only allowing 13 points be scored in the entire second half.
“A big part of that second half was us and the seniors letting it sink in that this was their last home game,” said Sullivan “So I let them know, I’m willing to do any and everything for you, but you all have to be willing to do the same for and this team. After that it was just about getting it done.”
Edgerton expressed that the program has seen tremendous growth each year, and he couldn’t be more proud of the athletes that contribute their energy into the game.
“Of course I understood what redemption meant to the players after last Friday, but what was most important was making it to our third straight (final),” said Edgerton. “This is the program’s third Western Mass, final in a row and that’s been our goal all along. So tonight marks an important milestone reached by my boys who sacrificed a lot of their time and bodies to bring us here. That’s the biggest takeaway for this program.”
