Those unfamiliar with the Masconomet and St. Mary’s boys basketball squads might look at the teams standing at attention for the National Anthem and miss arguably the best player on the floor.
That’s Chieftain senior captain Jimmy Farrell, who was undoubtedly the best player in the first meeting between these teams with 26 points this past January.
The sublime and talented point guard doesn’t stand out with sheer size or impressive thick muscles, and his presence can appear unassuming (yet quietly confident). His game, and his jump shot, are as loud as the jam-packed Chieftains’ student section, though, and he’ll need to be his best if Masconomet is to claim its first-ever state championship Friday at Tsongas Center (8 p.m.) against the top-seed Spartans (23-2).
“Because of the way he looks, Jimmy can be overlooked. But I think he’s one of the best guards in the entire MIAA,” said Masconomet head coach Jaycob Morales. “I’m not sure there’s anybody with a better jump shot.”
Third-seeded Masconomet (21-3) earned its trip to the Division 2 state final with a 50-48 come-from-behind win over No. 2 Pope Francis Tuesday night. It was a patented pull-up by Farrell that delivered the final lead change of an incredibly exciting fourth quarter … and it’s not a spoiler or a free scouting report to St. Mary’s to note that it came from Farrell’s bread-and-butter spot on the floor.
“It was the same shot I scored my 1,000th point on,” noted Farrell, one of three boys in Masconomet history to hit quadruple digits. “I set it up, looked like I had the lane to go baseline, and then pulled up and hung in the air … I knew it was going in when it left my hands.”
In leading Masconomet to back-to-back Final Fours as a two-year captain, Farrell has embraced leadership both on and off the floor. He’s been crashing the boards like a demon in this year’s playoffs while also distributing and defending at an All-State level.
With 1,200-plus career points, Farrell is likely to graduate second on Masconomet’s all-time scoring list. He has well-earned pride in the growth he’s shown over his high school career, going from relatively unknown on a middling team as a sophomore to a slam dunk All-Eastern Mass. pick.
“I love seeing hard work pay off. I’ve worked on my game so much … there’s nothing I’ve worked on my life as hard as getting better at basketball,” said Farrell. “I didn’t even start on my first travel team, but basketball was always my favorite sport and I worked at it.”
Morales, Masconomet’s second-year coach, came to the Tri-Town intent on building a culture that would sustain itself for years to come. Playing with passion, belief and supporting each other are among the core tenets, and Morales found two players that perfectly embodied his vision in Farrell and junior captain Thomas Denton (a double-double machine in these playoffs and maybe the most underrated player in all of Division 2).
“Great players and better kids,” Morales said of his captains. “I wouldn’t trade them for the world because of their leadership. They way they are both on and off the court … they always lift us up in the big moments.”
The Spartans, going for their first state title since 2022, won a battle of unbeatens against Masconomet by a 75-61 score on their home floor just about six weeks ago. That night, St. Mary’s shot very well from 3-point land and had four players in double figures including Rolky Brea Arias, John Chareas and Jake Fortier.
The Chieftains are getting senior defensive specialist Ryan Richardson back for the state final and have received great spot-up D from senior Cal Weidman, Matteo Stefanelli and others in these playoffs. That trend will need to continue against the always dangerous Spartans, with Rowan Merryman being another name to keep an eye on.
“Defensively, we’ve done an excellent job across the board (in the playoffs),” Morales said. “We have to play with confidence and play for each other.”
An exceptionally deep team, Masconomet frequently plays as many as 10 guys to keep legs fresh. Spot-up shooters Colin Doherty and Jack Arnold can certainly do damage, while freshmen Ben Linehan and Owen Hannigan have also earned major playoff minutes.
The Spartans, like Masconomet, can play a variety of styles. They beat Plymouth South in a 38-35 rock fight in the state semifinals Monday and got by Chicopee by a point in the quarters; they certainly have the offensive flair and athleticism to run the floor and win a high scoring game, too.
“As soon as that first game ended, we circled this and told St. Mary’s we hoped we’d see them again in the finals,” said Morales. “I have a lot of love for Josh (Kielty, St. Mary’s head coach) and what he’s done. He has a lot of kids I’ve either coached in AAU or know from seeing them grow up.
“We’re really excited to play. This is something we’ve been waiting for — and our boys will be ready to go.”