Adams Selectmen Honor Champion Hoosac Girls Basketball Team
Coach Ron Wojcik addresses the Selectmen's meeting with captains Ryley Robinson, Lexie Mercier and Ally Mendel.
The Selectmen honored the entire team before their usual meeting Wednesday and presented the players and coaches with certificates marking their historic 66-49 victory over St. Mary's of Lynn on Saturday.
"I'd like to congratulate you girls for the great victory you brought home to our community," Selectman Joseph Nowak said. "It is an honor to have you here before us tonight to celebrate your great triumph."
Nowak highlighted the season and said the trophy hasn't been brought home to Adams and Cheshire since 1945 when the Adams High boys basketball team won the state championship.
"So ladies, it has been 74 years since we have had a championship come out of our community," he said. "Congratulations. You made history and your hard work will go down in the history books."
Nowak then asked each of the players to come to the front of the room to give each selectman a celebratory fist bump and sign a banner that he said will be hung in Town Hall and then given to the Historical Society.
Each player was also presented with a certificate.
Nowak also said a few words about Ron Wojcik, who he said is more than a coach to the team but rather a "multifaceted" individual who can "motivate his team to believe in themselves."
"Ron you are a shining light leading the way on the basketball court and what you do goes beyond basketball," he said. "What you have passed on to these athletes will be your lasting legacy. The champions sitting before us have gained from your guidance."
The team was also presented with a check donated by an anonymous citizen to purchase championship jackets.
He then said a few words about each of the three captains.
"It has been well publicized that Ally had a health scare late last summer and she found out that she had thyroid cancer," Nowak said about Ally Mendel. "But she got through it because she is strong and because of that her strength continued on through the season."
"She was the go-to gal with her ability to drain three-point shots," Nowak said about Lexie Mercier. "She was not tepid to launch rainbow downtown bombs … from all areas of the court which created many headaches for those girls who defended her."
"She was the heart and soul for of this championship team," Nowak said about Ryley Robinson. "She excelled in all aspects and fundamentals of basketball. She is the real thing. She can score, rebound, dish out assists and take an offensive foul. She does what it takes to get into the win column."
Nowak then asked Wojcik to take the mic and say a few words and Wojcik said it was a great season and lauded his team for how hard they worked.
He thanked the Hoosac Valley administration, youth couches, and the community for their support.
"I have been doing this a long time and it is a really great group of kids," he said. "This is not only for them but for the school, the towns, and the county. The ride back we had the support of the county as we drove through the towns. That was something I will never forget."
Nowak opened the floor up to any players who wanted to speak and Robinson said she was looking forward to next year.
"This was an unforgettable season and I have the best teammates that became my sisters," Robinson said. "I am happy to be able to come back and hopefully get another one."
Before Chairman John Duval read a proclamation from the town, Nowak asked the girls to cherish the moment.
"All of us here are so very proud of you," Nowak said. "It may be something that right now you can't digest but as life continues it will always be something that you will cherish."
Tags: championship, girls basketball, Hoosac Valley, recognition event,
