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| The Wolcott girls basketball team thrilled their supporters, and themselves, with a first-ever run to the quarterfinal round of the state tournament. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69, 2018 file) |
For the Cinderella story of the 2017-18 Wolcott girls basketball team, midnight came in the form of a formidable East Haven squad.
The second-seeded Yellowjackets (23-3) ran off to a 30-10 lead after one quarter, then rolled to an 85-33 quarterfinal win over the No. 23 Eagles. East Haven has a legitimate shot at winning the Class M state title.
Wolcott reached the semifinal round of the NVL Tournament, then it went further than any previous Eagle squad ever had in the state tournament. The Eagles showed so much heart in state tournament comeback wins over Amistad and Immaculate.
Losing hurts, but Wolcott’s senior class leaves the program knowing it made history. The group also leaves knowing the Eagles are in good hands. Freshmen Emiah Soto, Alison LeClerc and Adriana Ferrucci earned valuable experience, as did sophomores Kailyn Lawlor and Kalani Rodriguez. That experience will only help Wolcott next season.
Raven Cody led the Eagles (14-11) with 11 points. Sam Hickey added five points, Jenna Hoban had three points and Alayna Greene chipped in two. This game was the last for Cody, Hickey, Hoban, Greene and Morgan Kiely. Kiely was out with an injury, but could be seen on the Wolcott bench cheering her teammates on.
The Eagles will never forget their first trip to the quarterfinals of the state tournament, and there are pieces in place for future successes.
