SALEM — Around 900 students filled the Salem High School fieldhouse Friday afternoon for a pep rally ahead of the boys basketball team’s trip to the State Championships.
The Salem Witches will face off against Hanover in the Division 3 championship at the Tsongas Center in Lowell at 6 p.m. Saturday, hoping to win the school’s first state championship in 31 years.
After a decisive 68-50 victory against Lynn Classical on Tuesday night in the Woburn High gymnasium, the hype in the school and the community has been building to a boiling point. On Saturday, the Witches could bring home their fourth ever state championship win, 100 years after the school’s first ever championship victory in 1926.
“It’s been buzzing a lot, you can feel the energy in the building,” Salem High athletic director Reilly Christie said. “It’s something that’s well earned and deserved. From their first day coming to Salem High, these kids have worked unbelievably hard, putting in the time, practicing off-season, doing early morning workouts, and it’s such a great, fun group to be around.”
Head coach Tommy Doyle said that the team’s success so far is thanks to a combination of factors — the players’ high quality character, hard work, support from the school community, and leadership from team captains Darren Taku, Elian Rodriguez, and Nate Lane, who he says “set the tone for the whole program.”
“They’ve been at the gym working out at 6 a.m. in the preseason, and staying here late nights, really putting in the time and effort to earn this right that very few high schools in the state get to be a part of,” Doyle said.
Christie said that the combination of exceptional players and great coaching staff has played a huge part in the team’s success.
“We’re extremely lucky to have the coaching staff we have, and we’re extremely lucky to have these kids, because it’s just a great mix that’s really worked well together,” Christie said. “Coach Doyle was a part of a state championship team here in 1990, so he knows what it takes to get to that level as a player, and he’s had some phenomenal seasons here as our head coach.”
And that buzz?
“It’s just a great all-around feeling,” Doyle said. “The support has been amazing from the school and the community. These 14 guys have been through everything this year. They’re stand-up character kids, and doing great things for our school.”
Michael McHugh can be contacted at mmchugh@northofboston.com or at 781-799-5202