Three high school sports takeaways as Bob Crooks retires as Braintree boys' basketball and golf coach

Boston Globe

21-03-2025

'I was pretty sure I was going to be done this year,' said Crook. 'But I wanted to wait until everything was done.'
Related
:
So after the team banquet Thursday night, Crook was ready to call it a career, one that included 431 wins and induction into the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.
'There's a lot of big games and stuff, but to be honest it was the connections I made with the players and coaches,' Crook said of what memories he'll carry forward. 'I've heard from so many of them over the last year or so, probably over 100 former players. The games are great and I have lots of memories of those, but I think the lasting ones will be of those kids.'
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
Of course, there were plenty of memorable games. Crook led Braintree to the 1993 Bay State Carey Division title, the 2007 Division 1 South championship game, and a near-upset of top-seeded Catholic Memorial in the 2016 tournament.
Related
:
Advertisement
Crook's son,
Cam
, was one of 11 seniors on this year's team, which went 19-4 and reached the quarterfinals of the Division 1 tournament before falling to eventual finalist Newton North. His daughter,
Caroline
, is a student at Vermont, and he thanked his wife,
Lauren
, for providing him the opportunity to coach.
'She's been an unbelievable support,' he said. 'She reminded me [Thursday] night before our banquet, she's probably been to over 500 basketball games.'
Bob Crook grew up in the game, the son of
David Crook
, who coached Braintree basketball for eight years before retiring in 1981 to assist his handicapped wife. When Bob Crook graduated from Maine, where he played alongside
Rick Carlisle
after a standout career at North Weymouth, he became the JV coach under
Don Fredericks
. After seven years as JV coach, Crook was promoted in 1990.
Related
:
Advertisement
'He really prepared me to be a head coach,' Crook said of Fredericks, who was also a Hall of Fame baseball coach for the Wamps. 'I learned more in my first year than I expected.'
2. Collecting Cowens awards
A pair of record-setting forwards were honored with the Dave Cowens award earlier this week in a ceremony at Greater New Bedford.
The annual awards, which go to the top senior basketball players from 17 South Coast schools, were accepted by
Cheesebro, the fourth Dartmouth girls' player to win the award, finished her career as the all-time leading scorer in Dartmouth history with 2,058 points. As a senior, she averaged 27.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 3.4 steals per game while leading the Indians to a second straight Southeast Conference championship and a spot in the Division 2 quarterfinals.
Dartmouth's Kat Cheesebro is the 2025 Dave Cowens Award winner for girls basketball
— SouthCoast Varsity (@SC_Varsity)
Reynolds finished his four-year career with more than 1,600 points, a Bourne record. He helped the Canalmen reach the 2024 Division 4 championship game and was named South Coast Conference MVP for a second straight season. He is the third male recipient from Bourne.
Bourne's Nate Reynolds is the 2025 Dave Cowens Award winner for boys basketball
— SouthCoast Varsity (@SC_Varsity)
3. Drawing a flag
Three Bay Staters have been selected to the USA Flag Football Junior National Teams.
Nahant wide receiver/defensive back
Kaileigh Patterson
and Newton wide receiver/rusher
Madison Holman-Rodriguez
were named to the initial 18-athlete roster for the 15U girls' team, while Lynn wide receiver/defensive back
Jadiel Ortega
was named to the initial 17U boys' roster.
Related
:
Patterson, Holman-Rodriguez, and Ortega will compete for the opportunity to represent the United States in July at the Junior International Cup in Los Angeles, where the US team will face Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Panama, and South Korea.
Advertisement
Next up is training camp, held April 3-6 at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, the Vikings' practice facility in Eagan, Minn. After training camp, the final 12-athlete rosters will be announced.
Brendan Kurie can be reached at