The Northeastern Conference girls basketball all-stars were announced and the area was rell-represented across the board.
The NEC Coach of the Year was awarded to Lynn Classical coach Tom Sawyer, who orchestrated the Rams to a 19-1 regular season record and the No. 1 seed in the Division 2 North state tournament. The Rams finished the season undefeated against conference opponents.
“Winning NEC Coach of the Year is an honor for our whole Lynn Classical girls basketball program,” Sawyer said. “It is an honor not just for me but for our entire coaching staff, (assistants) Coach Helen Ridley, Coach Rob Smith and Coach Frank DeLuca. It also means that you have good players, which we did throughout our team. I’m very happy that the entire program is being recognized by this award.”
Revere senior Valentina Pepic, for the third consecutive season, was named the NEC Player of the Year. Pepic, who committed to play Division I basketball at Niagara University, steered the Patriots to a 16-4 record in the regular season and the No. 5 seed in the Division 1 North state tournament. Pepic joined the 1,000-point club at Revere High this season, reaching the accomplishment on the same night as AAU teammate Paris Wilkey of Classical.
The Rams, who won the Northeastern Conference North, placed guard Wilkey, a Division II Franklin Pierce commit, and forward Irianis Delgado on the all-conference team.
Pepic, Wilkey and Delgado are joined on the NEC all-conference team by Alyssa Moreland of Beverly, Yasmeen Gurrier of Everett and Sarah Unczur of Danvers.
Three more Classical players made the North all-star team in guards Jeylly Medrano and Jazzmine Masse, and forward Tyarah Horton. The Lynn English girls basketball team landed two players on the North all-star team in Ely Guity and Julianna Perry.
Others on the North all-star team are Tatianna Iacoviello and Emily DiGiulio of Revere; Hailey Anderson and Tia Bernard of Beverly; Jackie Mcausland-Emmanuel of Everett; MacKenzie Furlong and Tiffany Tortora of Malden; Catherine Manning and Jordan Muse of Peabody; and Emily Clough of Marblehead.
A pair of Saugus Sachems landed on the South all-star team in junior guard Alessia Salzillo and sophomore forward Molly Granara. The two helped lead the Sachems to a 12-8 record in the regular season and the No. 9 seed in the Division 2 North state tournament.
“I’m really happy for both of them,” Saugus coach Mark Schruender said. “Alessia had over 100 steals for a third straight season. She was an all-star last year but had career highs in every stat that we keep this year. Molly is part of our incredible sophomore class. In our seven closest games, our team shot 30 percent and Molly led us by shooting 49 percent in those games. She really stepped up in big moments.”
The rest of the South all-star team consists of Unczur, Siobhan Moriarty, Elizabeth Montanari and Lydia Runnals of Danvers; Melina Pimental and Destiny Augustin of Somerville; Nikki Rosa and Grace DiGrande of Swampscott; Maura Dorr and Francesca Capone of Winthrop; Whitney Schrock and Claire Knowlton of Gloucester; Wildrys Correa of Salem.
The Gloucester girls basketball team won the NEC Sportsmanship Award.
