The IAABO 95 Greater Lowell Holiday Basketball Tournament has a brand new residence.
This 12 months’s subject will compete for titles at Lowell High School’s model new gymnasium. The match will run from Dec. 27-29 and can characteristic host faculty Lowell and Westford, each of whom have been within the subject because the starting in 1977.
The remainder of the sector consists of Haverhill, Groton-Dunstable in addition to a quartet of New Hampshire colleges: Windham, Londonderry, Pinkerton and Pelham. The motion begins Dec. 27 as Groton-Dunstable takes on Windham at 2 p.m., adopted by Westford Academy-Londonderry, Haverhill-Pinkerton and Lowell-Pelham. Semifinals shall be performed the next day, with the championship slated for 7:15 p.m. on Dec. 29.
“We are excited to be one of two teams who have been in it since the first day,” stated Lowell Athletic Director David Lezenski. “We are proud to be part of this great tournament and proud to partner with IAABO 95.”
It began because the Greater Lowell Holiday Basketball Tournament in 1977 because the brainchild of Greater Lowell IAABO 95 Secretary Treasurer George (Pete) Sheehan, Rules Interpreter Larry Cavanaugh Sr., and members Tony Romano Sr. and Larry Kelleher. At the time, Romano was the top males’s basketball coach on the University of Lowell and Kelleher was his assistant. The preliminary match residence was the Costello Gymnasium at ULowell, now UMass Lowell.
“It was a great opportunity to showcase our campus to high school athletes,” stated Kelleher, who served because the MIAA North basketball match director for years. “A packed Costello gym was like a Celtics game for many of the kids, it really wowed them. The gym was packed and when it rocked it was a fantastic atmosphere.”
At the onset, Lowell and Westford had been among the many native groups and the lure of the match was so sturdy it was capable of land groups all through the Northeast. Some of these out-of-state groups had been Holy Cross (NY), Providence Central (RI), South Portland (Maine), Bishop Hendrickson (RI), Windsor (Conn.) and St. Peter’s (NJ).
“The visiting teams, especially the Metropolitan New York City teams generated a ton of interest in the tournament,” Kelleher stated. “Lowell and Lawrence were the only two Holiday Tournaments in the area at the time and the visiting teams generated tremendous fan interest. It was great for the kids, great for IAABO, great for ULowell and great for the game of basketball.”
As the match advanced, the venue moved from the Costello Gymnasium to a number of native venues together with the Tsongas Arena. John Rafferty, the present IAABO 95 Rules interpreter and Holiday Tournament chairperson for the final 15 years, and the late Alex Robinson christened the primary basketball recreation within the Tsongas Arena in a first-round Holiday Tournament Game. It was Rafferty who was instrumental in transferring the match again to the college setting at Costello Gymnasium.
“We had a great five years at Costello,” Rafferty stated. “But when UML advanced to Division 1, the NCAA rules prohibited us from playing in-season high school games at a Div. 1 venue. It was sad to leave, but we found a great new home at Lowell Catholic.”
Lowell Catholic had simply opened the Keith Gymnasium and the small faculty division was returned to the match. IAABO 95 and the Holiday Tournament donated a scoreboard for the venue, and an amazing seven-year 12 months run ensued. As was the case with many tournaments on the time, the COVID pandemic precipitated a drop in officers, volunteers, and workforce curiosity.
Lowell Catholic then maintained its personal small faculty match, and a big faculty eight-team format moved on to Westford Academy for 2 seasons, earlier than Lezenski and Lowell High stepped in and provided to host. Lezenski was instrumental in bringing in 495 Dodge/Chrysler Jeep because the match sponsor, together with Adidas because the outfitting sponsor for the match.
“I am thrilled to partner with these great companies to help bring more exposure to the student athletes,” Lezenski stated. “I hope that these sponsors and the new venue will go a long way in bringing in new fans to the time-honored tradition of the tournament. We are looking forward to a bright new future.”
Rafferty is worked up about what he hopes is a venue which is able to stay because the host faculty for years to come back.
“I think the new Lowell High School Gym, the new sponsorships, and the tireless efforts of Dave Lezenski will lead the tournament into a new era of prosperity,” stated Rafferty, who factors out the very fact the match has raised greater than $120,000 towards scholarships to graduating seniors. “I am honored to carry on the legacy of those who started this tournament, and I think our move to the new Lowell High School gymnasium will be a bridge to the future of this tournament.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com
