FIDELITY HOUSE AAU MAINE RECAP- The Fidelity House Kings AAU program went up to Portland, Maine this past weekend to participate in the Maine Hoops Invitational.The teams ranged in age group from 13u-17u, with the 15u and 16u participating in the same age bracket.On Saturday, the 16s and 13s kicked off the day with an early wakeup call and a 9am game in Portland.The 13s showed no ill effects of the long drive from Arlington, cruising past the Maine Knights, 67-43.Ring Ring Ador and John Mattera really pushed the pace against the Knights, and got their teammates involved in the action.The 16s did have some difficulty with the travel, dropping a game to the MBNation while a few of their players were en route to Maine.Corey Gregory and Miles Powell picked up the slack, but the Kings wilted down the stretch, 80-71.
The 14s had a quick turnaround for their next game, taking on MidCoast Hoops from Maine.Their great play from the first game carried over into their 2nd game, and they had another 63-41 win.In this game, Bobby Wesoloski and Shawn Pierre-Louis really exerted themselves on the interior while Kevin Randolph and Mike Cherelli were the aggressors on the perimeter.At the same time, the 15s played the home town MBNation squad.The rim looked to have a lid on it, as the 15s had some trouble putting the ball in the hole in the first half.The boys did play their trademark defense, as Rylan Spence and Emmett Lyons did a good job applying pressure while Adam Zakaria, Kiernan Connors and Nick Gonchar closed down the middle.In the 2nd half, FiHo closed the gap, but weren’t able to pull out the win.The day was half gone, but the Fidelity House Kings program was just getting going.
With the 14s back at the hotel pool, celebrating a 2-0 day, the 13s and 16s took to the court for their respective games.The 13s were playing their first out-of-state tournament, and the Maine Hoops squad they played got the brunt of their nervous energy.The boys scored the first 12 points of the game, 10 from Marcus Faison, and really took it to their opponent, leading 35-5 at the half.In the 2nd half, the boys kept up the defensive play but worked more on their offense and taking good shots, while still walking away with a 45-15 win.John Harris was the offensive star of the game, draining two of his patented three point bank shots.Bobby Cassidy and Sean Cronin did a nice job inside, while Aaron Swenson and Matt Woods directed the squad.The 16s took on the SST Basketball Evolution, looking to improve on their earlier loss.The defensive intensity was there from the start, as the full court traps were converted into fast break points and a 50-29 lead at the half.Greg Moulton and Peter Mattera were causing havoc in the backcourt, while Andy Langone and Connor Kenneally finished some tough shots on the break.In the 2nd half, the Cougar line out performed the Ponder line, and the boys finished with a 100-64 win.The 16s retreated back to the hotel for some rest and food, knowing that Sunday may bring home some championship shirts.
The 17s got to get on the board for their first game of the day, against the host MBNation.With their players coming in from the day’s travel, the boys got off to a rough start.Peter Gonchar and Tom Shea carried the load on the offensive end, while Brandon Anderson and Adam Russo did some work on defense.In the second half, Joe Wesoloski picked up the slack with help from Shawn Secondini, but in the end, MBNation finished with a sweep of the older Kings teams.The 15U Kings team squared off on the main court against the SST Basketball Evolution in their last game of the day.Both teams came out of the gates firing, with SST connecting on 9 first half three pointers.The Kings looked to be in trouble, until they broke out the full court pressure, turning SST over and converting those buckets.The Kings took their first lead of the half, on a nice pass from Rylan Spence back to Pat Connaughton, who flushed the ball with a nice two handed dunk, the first of his young basketball career.This moment seemed to spark the Kings, as they turned a 50-50 halftime tie into a 102-83 win.Kiernan Connors was a blur in transition, beating his man down the court for 26 points.Connaughton led the way with his dunk, as well as 44 other points.The 15s went back to the hotel to let the 16s know they had the day’s highest point total.
The 17s had to face a gutsy CMAC team, based out of the Worcester area.This was a high intensity game, as both teams used an up-tempo style right from the tip.The team used an energy infusion from Patrick Connaughton as well as some great transition play from Chris Lantagne to hang in the first half.In the 2nd half, Wesoloski took over down the stretch, using the baseline to his advantage and scored a game high 27 to lead the Kings to a win.The last game of the day, put the 13s against the host MBNation team, and the 13s responded with yet another big effort on the defensive end.They held their opponent to single digits in the first half again, while being opportunistic on offense.Justin Dall and Kevin Connors led the charge offensively in the first half, while Owen Healey and John Roop covered the court defensively.In the 2nd half, MBNation started to turn it on offensively, cutting into the Fidelity House lead, when Connor Burke stepped up and calmly swished a three pointer to give Fidelity House some breathing room.At the end of the day, the Kings combined for a 7-3 record heading into Championship Sunday.
To get to the Championship game, the 15s and 16s had to square off with each other early Sunday morning, in a match-up we’ve seen plenty of times in practice but yet to see in a game.The 15s were hurt by the ankle injury to Rylan Spence, who was a big factor in their successful season.The 16s showed up with a little bit of over-confidence, letting the 15s hang around in the first half.Christian Backus and Ben Adams-Keane were instrumental in the strong play of the 15s in the first half.In the 2nd half, the 16s used their experience and depth to overwhelm their younger buddies.Eric Barton and Brian Shea were a big part of the 2nd half surge, while Eddie Woods gave the 15s a big energy lift in the 2nd half.Fidelity House now had 4 teams playing for Championship t-shirts, later in the day.
The first team to bring home the shirts was the 14s, who took on a combination of a 14u Maine team and a 15u Maine team.The Kings struggled early, falling behind 17-12.Coach Mattera took a time out to re-focus the boys, and they responded big-time.Bob Wesoloski, John Mattera and Ring Ring Ador were the catalysts for a 25-5 run to end the first half.In the 2nd half, Kevin Randolph, Max Dobrushkin and James Cruz kept up the intensity as FiHo ran away with the 14u championship.The 17s played Maine Hoops-Holmes in the championship game of their bracket.Brandon Anderson and Shawn Secondini got the Kings off to a great start with strong play on both ends of the floor. Peter Gonchar, Adam Russo and Joe Wesoloski really neutralized the Maine Hoops height advantage with good defensive intensity.In the 2nd half, the boys lost their rhythm offensively and Maine Hoops took advantage, giving them the 17u championship by a score of 77-63.
The 16u Kings took on the host MBNation, looking to avenge their tournament opening loss.You could tell from the opening tip that the boys were focused and ready to go, as they rattled off the first 12 points of the game.Using their speed and quickness against the bigger MBNation team, Fidelity House turned them over 12 times in the first half.On the offensive end, everything seemed to be clicking as they pushed the ball in transition and made the extra pass against the team’s defense.When the dust settled, FiHo had a 34-12 lead at the break and MBNation had only made 2 field goals the whole game.In the 2nd half, it was more of the same as Fidelity House pushed the lead up to 35 points.This was a total team effort as all 11 guys contributed evenly throughout this game, this tournament and all year long.Patrick Connaughton led the way with an unofficial triple double, 26 points, 17 rebounds and 11 blocked shots.Zach Lee, Greg Moulton, Andy Langone, Peter Mattera, Miles Powell and Jared Murphy all scored 8 points or more to balance out the team’s scoring.
The last game of the day was initially a disappointment, as the 13s won the championship due to a forfeit.All was not lost, as there was a worthy opponent in the gym, licking their chops to get at the 13u Fidelity House Kings.The boy’s parents, coaches and siblings wanted a piece of the action.The game appropriately played on Father’s Day, showcased the talents of everyone on the court.In a controversial finish to the game, the 13s won on a deep buzzer-beating three pointer by honorary team member Pat Connaughton.Their elders swear there was some scoring inaccuracies as well as a clock malfunction, but the final result stood.
Thanks to all the players, parents and supporters of the Fidelity House Kings AAU basketball team.There was a lot of fun had this spring, as well as some great results in tournament play.Maine was a blast and a great way to finish off the season.Congratulations and see everyone back here next March.
Not necessarily a 'highlight' reel, unless you're Miles Powell
CONGRATULATIONS TO FIDELITY HOUSE AAU
RAFFLE WINNERS
1ST PRIZE WINNER- $250 PRIZE- TERENCE MANIGAT, SOLD BY MARCUS FAISON
2ND PRIZE WINNER- 4GB iPOD NANO- FRED HARRIS, SOLD BY JOHN HARRIS
3RD PRIZE WINNER- $50 PRIZE- ANTHONY TALIERI, SOLD BY COREY GREGORY
THANKS TO ALL THE BOUGHT AND SOLD RAFFLE TICKETS, IT WAS A GREAT HELP TO THE AAU PROGRAM
Congratulations to the 15u Fidelity House Kings, who finished 3rd out of 28 teams this past weekend in the NEAAU Super Regional. It was a total team effort as the boys had to endure 5 games in a 48 hour span. The 15u Kings finished 4th in the New England Regionals Silver bracket this past weekend, finishing 2-2.
13u Kings roll to their 2nd tournament win, defeating the host Warriors this past Sunday to run their record to 7-0. The boys won the Boston Jamfest at Wentworth the weekend before. After a rough State Tournament, the 13u Kings redeemed themselves with the Silver Bracket Championship at the New England Regionals. The team came from behind against Mass Premier in the championship game.
The 14u Kings had an impressive showing the 2008 Massachusetts State Tournament. The boys finished in 6th place, with both of their losses coming to semi-finalists. The boys look to use this momentum to propel them the rest of the way. The Kings were knocked out by finalists, Mass Destruction. Both of the Kings state wins came over the Boston Warriors organization. The 14u Kings gutted out three games shorthanded in the New England Regionals, losing to finalists North Central Blaze.
The 16u Kings finished in 6th place in the 16u State Tournament, bowing out in the quarter-finals to CMAC, 68-63. The Kings went 2-2 over the two weekends, with both losses coming to the eventual finalists (CMAC and M.A.D.), each of the losses by 5 points or less. The team defeated the Bay State Magic and Metro Heat for their 2 wins. The 16u Kings took home the silver medals in the Silver Division, going 4-1 for the weekend at the New England Regionals. Wins over Mass Premier (Stone), Middlesex Magic, South Shore Patriots and Mass Bearcats (Gustus) highlighted the tournament, but the boys were not able to deliver against a well-coached Mass Premier (Gordy) squad.
Attention Fidelity House Kings/Royals,
Players birth certificates need to be on file at Fidelity House this week. Please bring a copy to your next practice, or we can make a copy at FiHo if you have the original. These are needed for participation in Super Regionals and State Tournaments.
Thanks,
FiHo Staff
Fidelity House AAU Practices
17U KINGS (O'Cal/Aiello)
PLAY MORE HOOP!
16U KINGS (Woods/Connaughton)
State Quarterfinalists (6th place)
NE Regional Silver Medalists
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15U KINGS (Coyne/Connaughton/Mitropolous)
NEAAU Super Regional Semi-Finalists (3rd place)
NE Regionals Semi-Finalists
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14U KINGS (Mattera/Mello)
State Quarterfinalists (6th place)
PLAY MORE HOOP!
13U KINGS (Woods/Cusick)
BOSTON JAMFEST CHAMPIONS/ WARRIORS SPRING BREAKOUT CHAMPS
NE Regionals Gold Medalists (Silver Bracket)
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U13 ROYALS (Clements)
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U12 ROYALS (Brady)
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U12 ROYALS (Robb)
PLAY MORE HOOP
March 6, 2008
2008 Season Accomplishments
Brian Emerson-The Arlington High School Center led the Spy Ponders to another MIAA State Tournament bid. In the process, Emerson became the all-time leading scorer in AHS history. Brian will take his game to Williams College next year. Joining Emerson on the Ponders are Mark Regan, Greg Moulton, Miles Powell, Zach Lee and Rylan Spence all current FiHo Kings.
The Arlington Catholic Cougars had a distinct Fidelity House presence with Joe Granato, Dennis Woods and Devin Lally-McGurl leading them into the tournament. Granato eclipsed the 1,000 point barrier this season, while Woods and Lally-McGurl put up all league seasons. Joe Wesoloski led the team in scoring while Peter Mattera brought defensive intensity to the starting lineup. Off the bench, Tom Shea, Travis Stanley and Peter Gonchar all play for the Kings in the Spring.
Down the road at Malden Catholic, the Lancers made the State Tournament for the first time since 2001. Former Kings Corey Ryser and Cliften Bonner-Desravines led the way this season. Ryser eclipsed the 1,000 point mark in the 17th game this season. These two were atop the scoring charts for the highly competitive Catholic Conference for the 2007-08 season. Ryser will take his game to UMass-Lowell next year, while Bonner-Desravines is still exploring options. The Lancers staff had a Kings flavor, as head coach Mike Paladino has contributed to Fidelity House for years and assistants Tom Ryser and Jack Woods coached teams last Spring.
Former King Brian Mahoney is captaining BC High this season, as the Eagles try to repeat as Division 1 State Champions. Mahoney will take his game to Connecticut College next season.
Other Kings making their mark on the varsity courts this past year were Patrick Connaughton, who had a stellar freshmen campaign for St. John’s Prep. Tony Michel played a pivotal role for the Everett Tide as they made the D1 North semi-finals. The Sachems of Winchester were captained by a pair of Fidelity House alumni, Matt Gaither and Chris Cleary led their school to another trip to the D2 State Tournament and battle hard in the Middlesex League this year. Another former King tore up the Middlesex League, Kyle Pierce led the Burlington Red Devils to a great year on the hardwood.
Kings Alumni Playing Collegiately
Class of 2009
Fran Cusick- Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
Tim Graham- Fitchburg State, Fitchburg, MA
Mike Walsh- Salve Regina Newport, RI
Class of 2010
Heman Honore- Merrimack College, Andover, MA
Mike Paladino, Jr.- Trinity College Hartford, CT (football)
Tom Lang- Rutgers University, New Jersey (football)
Class of 2011
Chris Hurley- St. Michael’s College, Vermont
Brad Tramontozzi- Hobart College, New York
Ralph Celestin- Castleton State, Vermont
Derek Brown- Regis College Weston, MA
Class of 2012
Brian Emerson- Williams College Williamstown, MA
Corey Ryser- Umass-Lowell, Lowell, MA
Brian Mahoney- Connecticut College, Connecticut
Andrew Van Nest- Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Nick Halloran- Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA (football)
Anyone interested in trying out for any of the Fidelity House Kings teams, but is unable to make tryouts, please contact us @ 781-648-2005 or email us @ fidelityhousesports@hotmail.com
PLAY MORE HOOP!
FIDELITY HOUSE AAU
2007 HIGH SCHOOL ACCOLADES
CURRENT KINGS
Brian Emerson, GLOBE SUPER TEAM
Arlington Center, Jr.
Emerson is one of the most versatile centers around. The 6-7 junior averaged 20.6 points and 13 rebounds per game for the Spy Ponders; including a 41-point, 21-rebound, 5-block performance in a win over Cambridge Jan. 19. Emerson already has more than 1,000 career points. He is a legit big man and could easily be back in this spot next season. He has received heavy interest from Holy Cross.
BRIAN EMERSON ARLINGTON HERALD ALL-SCHOLASTIC A three-year starter, the 6-foot-7 junior forward had another terrific season in leading the Spy Ponders to the postseason. An All-Greater Boston League performer, Emerson averaged 20 points and 14 rebounds a game, going over the 1,000-point mark this season. An honor roll student, Emerson plays for the Fidelity House Kings in the offseason.
MIKE PALADINO, JR. -- BB&N '07 -- ALL LEAGUE -- INDEPENDENT SCHOOL LEAGUE
PETER GEORGAKAS -- BCD '08 -- ALL LEAGUE -- EASTERN INDEPENDENT LEAGUE
BRAD TRAMONTOZZI -- CSW '07 -- MOST VALUABLE PLAYER -- MASS BAY INDEPENDENT LEAGUE
ZANDY BARD -- CAMBRIDGE '07 -- ALL LEAGUE -- GREATER BOSTON LEAGUE
DENNIS WOODS -- AC '08 -- ALL LEAGUE -- CATHOLIC CENTRAL LARGE
COREY RYSER -- MC '08 -- ALL LEAGUE -- CATHOLIC CONFERENCE
CLIFTEN BONNER-DESRAVINES -- MC '08 -- ALL LEAGUE -- CATHOLIC CONFERENCE
FORMER KINGS PLAYERS
Chris Hurley, BC High GLOBE SUPER TEAM Guard, Sr.
Was any player more able to step up in pressure situations than Hurley? The 5-7 Hurley, almost always the smallest player on the floor, usually had the biggest impact as BC High won its first state title since 1917. He averaged 10 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals per game and made his teammates' jobs much easier. Hurley, also a two-time all-star in soccer, is headed to St. Michael's.
CHRIS HURLEY BC HIGH HERALD DREAM TEAMThe maestro behind BC High's run to its first basketball title, the senior point guard averaged 11 points, seven assists and three steals a game. In the finals against Holy Name, Hurley had 18 points, eight steals and seven assists. A soccer All-Scholastic, Hurley was a member of the Student Council and a Senior Mentor. Hurley will attend St. Michael's on a basketball scholarship.
DEREK BROWN -- MATIGNON '07 -- ALL LEAGUE -- CATHOLIC CENTRAL SMALL
JASON ARTY -- WINCHESTER '07 -- ALL LEAGUE -- MIDDLESEX LEAGUE
JOE SHEEHAN -- BURLINGTON '07 -- ALL LEAGUE -- MIDDLESEX LEAGUE
JOE GRANATO -- AC '08 -- ALL LEAGUE -- CATHOLIC CENTRAL LARGE
February 15, 2007
FIDELITY HOUSE ROYALS
AAU Girls Basketball 2007
For more information please call:
Fidelity House 781-648-2005
Coach Dave Brady (Arlington) 617-645-3054
Coach Doug Clements (Reading) 781-942-9612
Three Fidelity House Kings' Players Go Over 1,000
Congratulations go out to three former/current Fidelity House Kings players for scoring their 1,000th points this past high school season. Peter Georgakas '07, Brad Tramontozzi '07 and Brian Emerson '08 join Heman Honore '06, Mike Paladino Jr. '07 and Andrew Van Nest '08 as the only Kings players to reach that plateau.
January 7, 2007
Fidelity House Kings' player BRIAN EMERSON featured in Sunday's Boston Herald for leading the Arlington Spy Ponders to a 6-0 start.
Click here for the Boston Globe's take on the Ponders fast start
Fidelity House is dedicated to meeting the needs of our community by providing flexible, diverse and quality programs for all ages. Youth development is the primary purpose of the center. Our mission is the promotion of good citizenship, increasing self-reliance and furthering the social, physical and emotional growth of the individual. Fidelity House is celebrating their 50th year in existence with basketball being an integral part of the organization.
The Fidelity House Kings boys AAU program has been around for 6 years, with teams ranging from 14U to 17U. The Fidelity House Royals girls AAU program is entering their 3rd season and looking to expand. Besides AAU, Fidelity House has been a longtime participant in local CYO leagues, travel programs and in house recreational leagues for all ages.
FIDELITY HOUSE NATIONAL QUALIFIERS 2008 15U Kings
DI Nationals Qualifier (3rd in NEAAU Super Regional)
2007 15U Kings
DII Nationals Qualifier (Top 16 in State Tournament)
2006 17U KINGS
AAU Division I Nationals Participants
Orlando, Florida July 2006
NEAAU Super Regional Semi-Finalists (3rd Place)
2006 16U KINGS
AAU Division I Nationals Qualifier
NEAAU Super Regional Semi-Finalists (3rd Place)
2005 16U KINGS
AAU Nationals Participant
New Orleans, LA July 2005
NEAAU Super Regional Finalists
2004 16U KINGS
AAU Division II Nationals Qualifier
Quarterfinalists in Massachusetts State Tournament
2004 15U KINGS
AAU Nationals Participant
Clarksville, TN July 2004
NEAAU New England Championship Finalists
2004 14U KINGS
AAU Nationals Qualifier
Quarterfinalists in Massachusetts State Tournament
Welcome 
Fidelity House is dedicated to meeting the needs of our community by providing flexible, diverse and quality programs for all ages. Youth development is the primary purpose of the center. Our mission is the promotion of good citizenship, increasing self-reliance and furthering the social, physical and emotional growth of the individual. Fidelity House is celebrating their 50th year in existence with basketball being an integral part of the organization.