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After digging out from the Blizzard of 2026, the Winchester High girls basketball team (13-8, 28th seed) still has a few days to prepare for its Division 1 Round of 32 state tournament game against host South High Community School (17-3, fifth seed).
It will be played at the Worcester school on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 1 p.m. South High plays in the Central Massachusetts Athletic Conference during the regular season.
Coach Sam Mosley’s team won 13 games this year in arguably one of the most competitive leagues in the state. The Red & Black are always battle-tested after going up against these Middlesex League schools, something that their state peers know all too well over the years.
To end the regular season with double digit wins can only be attributed to a talented roster of veterans and youth, and they were awarded for their skills with two all-star nominations, a first for the program since the 2021-22 campaign.
Senior captain Catherine Ryan made the Middlesex League all-star team after averaging seven rebounds and 8.1 points per game. She also shot 67% from the free throw line.
“Her leadership on and off the court is the reason why she was selected as an all-star,” said Mosley. “She is a dominant force under the basket at both ends of the court. We are proud of what she has accomplished in not only this season, but throughout her entire high school career.”
The future also appears to be bright for the program with the emergence of freshman Carolyn Collins, whose consistent exemplary play didn’t go unnoticed among the league coaches. They voted her to the All-League team, which consists of the five best players in the league. They also selected her to the all-star team.
During the regular season, Collins averaged 13.3 points, 7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.2 steals per game, prompting these laudable sentiments by her coach.
“Carolyn has had a great first year on the team, and is looking to build upon (that success),” said Mosley. “She approaches every game with tenacity, and is always looking for the win. She just loves to (put up points), but as the season progressed, she expanded her game on both sides of the ball. (As an example), her long wingspan came in handy to break the record for most blocks in a game (eight against Lexington). Her ability to also spread the (offense) allows her teammates to get better looks at the basket. I’m excited to see how she’s going to build on this start.”
Mosley says she is beyond proud of the hard work that both these players have put in this year to help the program get back on track after last season.
“Their (Ryan and Collins) hard work and dedication have been a difference maker this year, and we now look forward to carrying that momentum into the postseason (that starts again on Saturday in Worcester),” the coach added.
Joe McConnell is a longtime, award-winning sports editor for numerous North Shore publications. He began covering Winchester sports for the News in November 2024 and is currently its Sports Editor. He can be reached at editor@winchesternews.org.
