By Noah Tellez
On Tuesday December 19 an enormous step in improving community connections was made in the town of Mashpee. For the first time in the short history of the new Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council headquarters, the Mashpee High School mens and womens basketball teams played a regular season game at the tribal center.
The games were played against Carver for the boys and Sturgis West for the girls. Both teams won by large margins and the atmosphere in the newly finished gymnasium was electric. There were hundreds of fans from all areas of Mashpee that came out to enjoy the game and the refreshments offered by the Wampanoag Youth Council.
On Tuesday December 19 an enormous step in improving community connections was made in the town of Mashpee. For the first time in the short history of the new Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council headquarters, the Mashpee High School mens and womens basketball teams played a regular season game at the tribal center.
The games were played against Carver for the boys and Sturgis West for the girls. Both teams won by large margins and the atmosphere in the newly finished gymnasium was electric. There were hundreds of fans from all areas of Mashpee that came out to enjoy the game and the refreshments offered by the Wampanoag Youth Council.
“It was interesting and cool to be able to play in the government center. And it was a cool way to strengthen the communities' relationship through high school sports,” junior center Sarah McNamara said.
The atmosphere in the gym was much different from the high school, mostly because of the smaller size of the gym. The noise level was incredible, and the girls took off to a near 20 point victory. The girls have started on a tear, with two wins and no losses coming into their third game against rival Nantucket.
As for the boys, they are now 1-1 after beating Carver by 20 plus points. They jumped out the gate fast, never letting Carver even gain a lead. This was lead by senior Anthony Gonsalves, whose first quarter dunk sent the stadium into bedlam. Junior Devaun Ford made his impact as well, when he sent his defender to the floor providing a dribble-crossover and then sinking a deep three point shot.
When asked about the experience, Ford said, “It was a unique experience and I am just glad to be part of history. Great win for us too sending us on the right track for the rest of the year.”
All in all, this seemingly simple pair of basketball games was an significant community outreach. Everyone was welcome to enjoy an exciting event in which victory reigned and relationships were fostered. As stated in a Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Facebook post, the games helped in, “Continuing to strengthen the community,” even going as far as calling it their “‘home court.’” This game came out of a lot of work from Mashpee HIgh School administration and athletic director Matt Triveri as well as Wampanoag Tribe officials. It was a successful event both on and off the court for the Mashpee Community.