Fred Hogan has taken the Lynn English High School girls basketball program to heights few could have predicted prior to his arrival seven seasons ago.
There have been three Northeastern Conference championships in four years, two with perfect 16-0 records, the other a 15-1 campaign. English is on a run of six consecutive trips to the State Tournament. Graduates such as Jeanette Anderson are excelling in college.
English won the Boverini Tournament city title and will be among the top seeds in the Division 1 North sectional.
“This has been a great season so far,” said Hogan. “If you had asked me before the season if we would go 19-1, I wouldn’t have thought so. But as the team got better and better, I started to believe they could do it.”
Hogan is looking beyond being perennial kings of the Northeastern Conference. He wants a state championship banner hanging on the wall at the Paul Cavanagh Fieldhouse.
“I think we definitely have a chance to win a state title,” said Hogan following his team’s loss to Woburn in the semifinals of the Spartan Classic. “We faced a good Woburn team who played us very physical and we’ll learn from this game. This is the caliber of team that we’re going to face in the State Tournament.”
Hogan said two excellent captains, Shannon Calnan and Taylor Newhall, have been instrumental in his team’s success. Newhall earned a spot on the Northeastern Conference All-Star team.
Sophomore guard Catherine Stinson was voted the league’s Most Valuable Player. Sophomores Diondra Woumn and Deidra Newson were also selected as NEC All-Stars.
Other major contributors to the team’s success have been sophomore forward Makayla Everett, junior Dolores Latimer, and seniors Tyeisha Lewis and Shadaye Imadiyi. Samantha Holey, the lone freshman on the Lady Bulldogs varsity, has been impressive in stints off the bench.
Hogan and assistant coaches Steve Hill, James Anderson, Angel Deleon and Rachael Bradley will spend the next week preparing their team for the Division 1 North sectional of the State Tournament where defending state champion Andover is the favorite.
“I think we have to make a run in the State Tournament for this season to be really special,” Hogan said candidly. “And I think we are going to make a good run. We know the competition will be steep no matter whom we play, but we’ll be ready.”