By Keshawn Dodds
The Springfield Central High School Women’s Basketball Team Took Home the Division 1 State Championship with a 43 – 40 Win Over #1 Seed Andover High School.
3-2-1 … the last second half court heave from the Andover player falls short of the basket. The clock hits 0:00, and score reads 43-40. The Lady Golden Eagles are the 2022 Massachusetts State Champions.
In the new MIAA Basketball State Championship format, the Lady Golden Eagles had one of the toughest brackets with five games all against some of the tops teams in the state. First up was the no. 30 seed Lexington, which Central handled with a 58-25 win. The Lady Eagles went on to defeat 14th seed Hingham 58-47, then defeated 6th seed Franklin 61-42, giving them the birth to the Final Four. In a tough fought game at Worcester State University, the Lady Golden Eagles pulled out a victory over 2nd seed Wachusett with a score of 45-36. Hoisting the Final Four trophy, these young ladies had their hearts set on finishing what they started with a State Championship.
Getting off of the bus and entering the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, the Lady Golden Eagles were all about business, focused and ready for game day. If they were nervous, it didn’t show. These young ladies walked into the arena like a prize fighter, hungry for the championship fight. Led by their Head Coach James Gee and Assistant Coaches Michael Anderson, Jasmine Lovejoy, Ashley Liana, Arielle Ward, and Ray Dandurand, you could see that the team embodied their energy, stay poised and win every possession and you will be champions.
From the tip off, the Lady Golden Eagles stormed out of the blocks like a 100 meter sprinter in the Olympics. Outpacing the Lady Golden Warriors, ending the first quarter with a 20-2 lead. Andover settled in and began to work their offense, ending the first have with 15 points, but the Lady Golden Eagles still held a solid 13 point lead, ending the half with the score being 28-15.
In the 3rd quarter, Andover pulled a little closer and outscored Central 15-11, taking their team into the 4th quarter with the Lady Golden Eagles holding on to a 39-30 lead. The game tight and the championship would have to be earned, and that’s what was expected.
“We’ve been in tough spots facing adversity before,” Head coach James Gee said. “We were down 11 at the half earlier in the tournament, down double figures in the St. Mary’s Lynn tournament. Our girls know how to respond when opposing teams make a run.”
With a 4th quarter push, the Andover Lady Golden Warrior’s fought back to cut Central’s lead to 40-43 with 1:20 left. Working against Andover was time and the stifling defense from the Lady Golden Eagles. With the clock ticking down, the Andover Lady Golden Warrior’s know that the three point lead was just too much for them to overcome.
At the Buzzer, the Springfield Central High School, Lady Golden Eagles, with their coaches were seen jumping for joy, celebrating the culmination of an amazing season. The icing on the cake had been placed and the young ladies are the 2022 State Champions.
“This season was filled with lots of ups and downs,” assistant coach Michael Anderson said. “I had the pleasure of watching a group of young women from our community come together and work for one another and accomplish a common goal. Watching these young ladies overcome every obstacle put in front of them was amazing. It made this victory that much more rewarding.”
After the game, and giving the girls a few days to soak in their accomplishments, I was able to ask the ladies how they felt bringing another State Championship back to the city of Springfield and for their school. Here are a few quotes that came in.
“It was a once in a lifetime feeling of excitement and happiness,” guard Amany Lopez said. “I am glad that I got to experience this moment with my team and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”
“It’s a dream come true,” guard/forward Heaven Morris said. “Not many people will get to say they were/are state champs in their lifetime. It was not easy, but well deserved. I’m happy that I got to do it with my peers and friends.”
“It was the best feeling in the world once the buzzer went off,” senior guard, Amani Smith said. “Since day one, it was a goal we had and we made it happen. All of the hard work we put in during the season paid off at the end. It was the best way to end the season, being a senior.”
“Winning this championship felt amazing! I’ll never forget it,” guard, Brooklyn Oliverio said. “The best part was being able to enjoy the moment with my friends, coaches and parents. We are a talented team, we all have our own qualities that we bring together to compete and win, and as a team, we did.”
“I feel like the luckiest freshman in the world,” center Angela Hector said. “To have been part of a State Championship team full of girls that go really hard is amazing.”
“Winning the State Championship was a well-deserved victory for us,” center Julie Bahati said. “We fought hard since the beginning of the season, pushed ourselves in practice and always stayed focused on our goals, which was to bring the trophy home. I think that this should be an example to every kid out there with a ball and a dream. Hard work does in fact pay off.”
“Winning a State Championship is such an unreal feeling,” guard/forward Jordyn Robinson said. “All I kept thinking was wow, we really won! We’ve worked so hard for this, that final buzzer going off confirmed that everything we’re worked for in practice and coming together as a team finally counted.”
“It means a lot to me and the girls winning the state championship,” guard Sydney Dodds said. “The recognition that we are receiving is also very important to us. It shows that our hard work isn’t going unrecognized. We’ve worked so hard for this since we were so young, so it means even more that our hard work finally paid off.”
Side Note…
As the father of Sydney Dodds, this moment for her and our family is bigger than just the win. In March of 2021, Sydney tore her ACL and meniscus while at the Springfield Ballers AAU practice. She ended up missing the entire spring, summer and fall season, but still traveled to support her friends and teammates. Becoming the consummate teammate, cheering and coaching from the sidelines, Syd never lost her love for the game.
Her mother Tami Dodds and I supported Syd through the months, going through rehab, and moving out of the knee brace, to learning how to walk to run again. By July 31st, Syd was cleared to play golf again, and it helped keep her mind clear as she worked to get back onto the basketball court. Missing the beginning of the basketball season, Syd was finally fully cleared to step back onto the basketball court on January 3, 2022. Each practice and game, she become stronger and more confident in herself. Her faith and strength stayed strong, and she was willing to do whatever it took to get back to helping her team win.
“This championship was even more special for Keshawn and I because this journey for Syd has come full circle,” Tami Dodds says speaking on Sydney’s ACL surgery. “Sydney is a true testament of overcoming adversity. We are beyond proud of how she has handled this. Through it all, she maintained a positive attitude. Additionally, the way her teammates always encouraged and cheered for her, knowing what she’d been through, truly meant so much. To see her joy and happiness after the win was something I’ll never forget. I told her before she left for the game that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Many always hope and dream for this, but never have the chance because I was once one of those student athletes. I also told her to have fun and enjoy every moment.”
For Tami and I to see Syd make an impact in the biggest game of her young life, and to also see her celebrating with her team as the new State Champions has brought us tears of joy. God has blessed this young lady with an amazing story to be told to all young kids who may face adversity in life. As long as you believe in yourself and keep God in your corner, all things are possible.
Congratulation to the Springfield Central High School Lady Golden Eagles. You’re names will be remembered as the 2022 Massachusetts High School Basketball State Champions.
