RallyNorth.net

HAVERHILL — After watching his Chieftains outlast Haverhill a week ahead of schedule, Masconomet coach Frank Shea was headed for a place much warmer. Anyone expecting Haverhill to be playing host to Pentucket when they entered the gym yesterday afternoon was surprised instead to see Masconomet warming up — seven days before the two teams were scheduled to play. Not only did Shea’s squad run away with a 72-61 victory, the coach now can make his better half happy with a trip to the west coast and a date with Jeff Probst. A couple years ago, Shea’s wife Amy O’Hara was a contestant on Survivor: Guatemala, finishing ninth according to Shea. “CBS is doing a 10-year reunion next weekend, and my wife wanted me to go out there with her,” Shea said. “They’re flying everybody out there to (Los Angeles), so I had to play Houdini to move games. We were lucky to switch things out. (Haverhill coach) Mike (Trovato) was very cordial and so was Leo Parent at Pentucket.” The Hillies, awaiting two senior starters to return in another week from disciplinary suspension, start three sophomores and a freshman. Only one senior — Dante Perella, who scored 11 points — had playing time against Masconomet. “There are times we look good, and there are times we don’t,” Trovato said. “We don’t have a single kid who played varsity basketball (last year) out there. Until we get those guys back we’re going to have to just fight through it.” The Chieftains (5-1) used an 11-0 run to open a 14-2 lead midway through the opening period. Colin Burke and Adam Bramanti combined for 17 points in the quarter, but Haverhill (0-3) didn’t allow Masco to run away, cutting the deficit to 20-16. In the second period, the team’s combined to make 13 of 21 field goal attempts as the Chieftains took a 37-31 lead at intermission. Masconomet quickly opened a 14-point lead in the third, scoring the first eight points of the period. A 9-0 spurt later gave the Chieftains their biggest lead of the game 56-37 with three minutes remaining. “I think there are chunks of minutes when we play very good basketball,” Shea said. “We showed that again (yesterday). We opened up the game playing very well and we opened up the (second) half playing very well. But then we seem to throw in two or three so-so minutes that allow (opponents) to get back into games.” In the fourth, Haverhill scored 10 of the first 12 points and 17 of the first 21 while closing within seven points at 64-57 midway through the period. Freshman sensation Noah Vonleh scored 13 of his game-high 25 points, leading the Hillies rally. The 6-foot-5 Vonleh also had 10 rebounds. “I’ve heard about him, and obviously he comes as advertised,” Shea said of Vonleh. “He’s got size, and he can handle (the ball) a little bit. He’s going to be a good one — no question about it.” Burke (23 points) and Bramanti (18) led the Chieftains.