By Lorenzo Recupero
The 2019-2020 winter sports season at Everett High School was one of the best on record.
Although none of EHS’ teams won a division or state title, three made it to the MIAA postseason and two earned league championships for stellar play during the regular season.
In any case, all three teams showed major improvements from a year ago.
Boys’ hockey, led by second-year head coach Alex Naumann, had the most glaring improvement. After missing out on the postseason for consecutive years, Naumann finally had the team playing up to its potential. They picked up 7 more wins than they did a season ago and earned a playoff bid for the first time in four years. They finished overall 12-8-1 (lost 12-0 to Boston Latin in first round of playoffs), a vast improvement from a 5-14-1 record last year. The winning season does more than the record could project, too. The confidence from a playoff berth might’ve set the foundation for more wins moving forward.
Girls’ basketball at EHS got off to one of the best starts in program history, winning 8 straight games in convincing fashion before their first loss. The fiery start led to a 16-win season, the most by any EHS team led by 13-year head coach Tammy Turner. The overall 16-5 record (lost to Reading 78-52 in first round of playoffs) will go down as one of the best in girls basketball history at the school and marked an improvement from a season ago when they finished 14-6 overall. The 16-win campaign earned the Lady Tide the Greater Boston League championship.
Boys’ basketball, under the tutelage of second-year head coach Stanley Chamblain, is on pace to find itself back in the state title game as they were a couple seasons ago. The overall 17-5 record (lost to Cambridge Rindge & Latin 65-52 in quarterfinals of playoffs) will show an improvement of 3 more wins than their record from last year (14-7 overall). The 17 victories are the most in Chamblain’s head coaching career and helped earn the Tide the GBL title. Should history continue to repeat itself, Chamblain will lead the Tide back to the big game sooner than later. In his two seasons as coach, the team has an overall of record of 31-12, made it to the postseason twice — going deeper into the tourney the second time around — and own their league championship.
Winter was a success at EHS, now let’s see what growth spring will bring.