Wahconah's Gamberoni, Mount Greylock's McCormack Earn Weekly Honor

The Western Massachusetts high school basketball tournaments get underway on Monday, and this week’s iBerkshires.com/Bedard Bros. Athletes of the Week play for two of the hottest teams around.

 

Freshman Maria Gamberoni has emerged as one of the leaders on a Wahconah squad that has won 11 of its last 12 going into post-season.

 

Wahconah bounced back from its third loss of the season on Feb. 17 with two solid wins last week and owns the No. 6 seed in a highly competitive Western Mass Division 3 field.

 

Gamberoni is averaging 11 points per game while directing the Wahconah offense, and her quick hands on defense are one reason her team is allowing opponents 35 points per game. Wahconah (17-3) has allowed just two opponents to score 50 this winter -- in two of its three losses.

 

Mount Greylock’s boys have won nine straight -- all since the return of Sean McCormack to full-time duty after injuries had him in and out of the lineup in the early going.

 

The Mounties are a different team with and without the dominant big man. They were 5-6 before his return. Now, they are 14-6.

 

And despite the six losses and No. 6 seed in the Western Mass D3 tournament, one Berkshire County coach this week tabbed Mount Greylock as the biggest threat to D3 top seed Monument Mountain. In fact, Mount Greylock handed the Spartans one of their three losses -- with McCormack on the floor -- on Feb. 6. In their first meeting, with McCormack sidelined, Monument Mountain got the win.

 

On Friday, McCormack and his teammate, Sam Dils, were named to play in the March 23 Western Massachusetts Senior High School All-Star Games at the Hall of Fame in Springfield.

 

The iBerkshires.com Athlete of the Week is sponsored by Bedard Bros. Auto of Cheshire.