On the back of Classical’s warmup shirts, the words “Ram Family” stretched across the top. On Saturday night, it certainly felt like one.
Faces smiled and hands clapped as Lynn Classical athletic director William Devin, alongside a few girls basketball players, presented Roseanne Duchane, widow of Paul Duchane, with flowers during the 29th annual Paul Duchane Girls Basketball Jamboree on Saturday.
Nine games, 18 teams, and an important day at Lynn Classical High School – all in honor of Duchane, a longtime Lynn educator and coach who left a lasting effect on the community.
“He was a tremendous teacher and a tremendous coach,” Devin said, who was a student in Duchane’s 10th grade biology class. “I look forward to this event every year.”
The event also collected money for Classical’s girls basketball scholarship fund.
“Any money that is collected at the gate tonight goes towards scholarships for our kids, which is great,” Devin said.
Participating teams were Danvers, Medford, Swampscott, Somerville, Melrose, Marblehead, Saugus, Malden, Bishop Fenwick, North Reading, Billerica, Peabody, English, Hamilton-Wenham, Central Catholic, St. Mary’s, Georgetown, and host Classical.
Classical coach Tom Sawyer, who coordinated the event alongside Devin, reached out to teams in September. When asked why teams return each year, Sawyer said the coaches value competitive play to kick off the season – along with referees and a crowd, he added.
“It’s the closest thing you’re gonna get to a true, game-like atmosphere,” Sawyer said. “And there’s a mixture of teams. You’ve got Greater Boston League teams, Catholic Conference teams… Northeast Conference teams, so you’ve got a number of leagues represented and, you know, it’s just really deep – the vibe in the gym,” Sawyer said.
On the court, Peabody coach Stan McKeen said he got a good look of what’s to come this season, and valued how he could rotate through multiple rotations.
“We’ve been coming here for many years, it’s good preparation for the season,” McKeen said. “We just kind of evened everything off tonight, but it was a good test for us.”
For players, it was a day to hone their skills and lace the shoes back up. For senior Jarielis Perez of English, it was her last jamboree, adding she “just felt good.”
“Everybody coming together… just putting on a show,” Perez said.
There were some more cherries on top. Many student-athletes reunited with their AAU teammates, and Lynn players in particular got to spend time with others throughout the Lynn schools.
Due to the makeup of Classical’s facility, a large curtain cut off a portion of the gymnasium for teams to warm up more casually.
“We have this other auxiliary gym. So the next game, everybody’s warming up over here and then they come and jump in the game,” Devin said.
Devin thanked the officials (who volunteered), his assistant athletic director Cathy Ellis, Paul Duchane’s son Mark Duchane who collected money for the first five games, Rob Smith who managed the game-clock, and trainer Jon Crocker among others.
“There’s a lot of people behind the scenes,” Devin said.
It was a productive, yet, heartfelt day at Classical High as year 29 of the event was another successful one.
