PEABODY — Bishop Fenwick’s girls basketball team is in hot pursuit of what it hopes will culminate with the Crusaders’ second state championship in the history of the program.
The top-ranked Crusaders need just one more win. They defeated No. 4 Medway in the semifinals and will battle No. 2 Pittsfield in Sunday’s Division 3 state championship game, slated for 4 p.m in Lowell’s Tsongas Center.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Fenwick’s first state title, which was also helmed by current coach Adam DeBaggis. The 2016 team featured a rotation that included senior captains Colleen Corcoran, Ellen Fantozzi, and Sydney Brennan; seniors Melissa MacKenzie and Hannah Hollow; juniors Sam Mancinelli, Camille Tache, Sam Gulla, and Mikayla Porcaro; sophomores Fredi DeGuglielmo and Jennie Meagher, as well as freshmen Jaxson Nadeau and Sammi Gallant.
Many went on to play college basketball: Corcoran at Le Moyne University; Brennan at Regis; Mancinelli at Roger Williams; Gulla at Endicott; Gallant at Franklin Pierce; and Nadeau at St. Michael’s.
Corcoran was tough as nails, often taking on players who were bigger and taller. She said her knees still hurt and remembers giving her parents “plenty of heart-attack moments” when she hit the deck and everyone wondered if she was down for the count.
An assistant coach of Cornell’s women’s basketball team, she said winning the state title was one of the “top highlights” of her career.
“There’s no way it’s been 10 years since we won,” she said. “I’ve always been passionate about the game. We knew how hard we worked and we believed in ourselves. We just weren’t going to be denied. The effect Adam has on us with his passion was undeniable. The sense of sisterhood we had sticks with me to this day.”
Fantozzi was a defensive specialist. The Boston College graduate now lives in Boston and works in Wellington Management’s HR team. She said the 2016 season “still holds a fond place in my heart.
“Everyone played a special role and all of the different pieces of the puzzle made all of us better,” she said. “I loved the spot I played. I wasn’t putting points on the board, but helped keep the other team off the board on defensive stops. We had such a strong sense of community. We all bought into Coach DeBaggis’ vision, even though we really were an underdog and not on the radar. What I love is we proved everyone wrong.”
Mancinelli was the Crusaders’ point guard and a 3-point specialist. She is an associate head coach at Tufts — one of the top Div. 3 programs in the nation. She said the 2016 team was driven from the get-go.
“What really stands out for me is we had a set-the-date mentality. We wanted to know exactly when our last practice and game were and were so focused on making that last game be the state title game,” she said. “I don’t remember too many exact moments of the game; I just remember celebrating and having a police escort back at the school. I never felt we would lose. The first day back at school, I couldn’t focus because all I thought about was the game.”
DeBaggis said he isn’t surprised that some of those players have gone on to coach the game.
“I would not be surprised if you told me that they would eventually be coaches,” he said. “They made us so successful because they thought through the game so well. They always played hard and executed the game and were leaders. I always tell my teams that the best teams are always player-led. That if I missed a game, they would still succeed.”
DeBaggis isn’t surprised with the Crusaders’ current run either.
“Caitlin (Boyle) and Celia (Neilson) were freshmen on the team that lost in the state final in 2023 and are still around. Both are 1,000-point scorers, but have been through a lot. They are definitely hungry to get back there again.
“I’m always very hopeful and have been fortunate to have some great seasons, like we did 10 years ago, and honestly, this year, I saw it coming,” he said. “We’re not as deep as the 2016 team, but it’s eerily similar.
“Caitlin is mild-mannered compared to Colleen, but has so much natural skill. Celia is the one most like Colleen. Colleen drew 20-25 charges that year and Celia probably has at least that many. They both have that toughness. Freshman Taisha Castillo reminds me of Jaxson and Reese Spurchise is a lot like Ellen — not a real basketball player, but a great role player. Brittney Figulski, also, is similar to Ellen, just a hustler and great defender with a great voice.”
Fantozzi and Mancinelli believe this year’s team has what it takes to win it all.
“The girls, this year, have an opportunity to have a special season like we did,” Fantozzi said. “That was especially the case for the seniors that year when we won and I only wish that and more for them this year.”
“This is the year to go all the way — with Caitlin and Celia, who have such high IQs as well as skillsets,” Mancinelli said. “I think they can definitely make some noise and have a great shot at doing what we did.”
