High Hopes for a Talented Quabbin Team

BARRE – With a combined record of 26-8 over the last two seasons, Quabbin Regional High School head coach Evan Barringer has high hopes for his Panthers’ squad in the upcoming girls’ basketball season.

“We are coming off an 11-1 campaign having won Pod 6 and we have many returning players so expectations are very high,” Barringer said. “Our goal is to get better every day, win the [Midland-Wachusett] league, and advance in the state playoffs. We also want to do this while having fun.”

However, the Panthers struggled in their first scrimmage of the preseason in a loss against South High School on Saturday. The Panthers naturally are learning how

Senior captain Ashley Leighton

to play without last year’s star forward, Julia Hamel, who graduated and now plays collegiately for Worcester State University. Barringer said the final score of a scrimmage is meaningless as long as his team learns from the experience.

“We don’t care about scrimmage results,” he said. “A scrimmage is a practice.”

Barringer said he is looking to challenge his team by playing the top teams in Central Mass in an effort to improve his team. “We are attempting to have a very tough schedule this year,” he said. “Our league will be difficult, and being in the Westborough Tournament at the end of the year is exciting. We are a division three school trying to play as many division one and two teams as possible, hence why we wanted to scrimmage a high quality well coached South team.”

Barringer still has several good players returning from last season and he is counting on them to make a positive impact on the court this season in order to reach their team goals. “Losing Julia Hamel, who is now playing at Worcester State, is a big loss,” he said. “We missed her against the pressure against South, but we are going to become a more balanced, deeper team than last season.”

Returning to the roster are seniors Ashley Leighton, Hannah Dowd, Jordyn Gillon, and Maddie Leroux; juniors Sydney Giorgi and Olivia Rose; and sophomores Brianna Whitelaw, Meg Doyle, and Rylee Bassett. Leighton, Leroux, and Gillon will serve as team captains.

Sophomore Rylee Bassett

Leighton may be the Panthers’ best offensive weapon this season. She has led the team in scoring the last three seasons. “Ashley Leighton is a college player,” Barringer said. “She is one of the better high post players in central Massachusetts … We did not have any all-stars because of Covid, but Ashley was certainly one of the best players in the Pod last year.”

Barringer said point guard Rose and shooting guard Doyle will also make a solid impact on the backcourt court for the Panthers. “They are amazing,” he said. “[They are] athletes starting to become basketball players.” He also said Gillon will provide “outstanding” three-point shooting.

“Jordyn Gillon has Steph Curry range, and Ryley Bassett is becoming a very good low post player that barely looks like the player she was last year as a freshman,” he said. “Olivia Rose is going to become a standout point guard, and Meg Doyle is the best athlete I have ever coached. At least once a day in practice she does something that turns all of our heads.”

Barringer is also excited with two new additions to the squad. “We have two eighth graders, Mia Ducos and Maddie “MJ” Leighton,” he said. “I never thought I would have eighth graders on a varsity team, but they are both special people and are going to turn into special players.”

The Panthers’ first game of the year will be Friday, Dec. 10 at the Doherty Memorial High School in Worcester at 6:30 p.m.

“We are excited,” said Barringer.