The girls basketball team at Cambridge this year treated everyone, who had the pleasure of watching this group, to a very special winter season.  Friday morning their season came to a close, and now it’s time to show appreciation.

Basketball, when played the right way is a beautiful thing to see.  Harmonious player and ball movement with five working as one.

Watching Cambridge on the floor we were reminded of this.  Whether it was their transition game with lanes filled and the ball unselfishly finding the player with the best look at points, or running their sets crisply with screens and cuts, freeing someone for a scoring chance.  

The same goes at the defensive end where quick feet and active hands of the Cambridge Five were the cornerstones of an opportunistic defense that turned teams over and fueled the Indians fast break.

Adding to this Cambridge also had something else that made them so successful and a joy to watch.  Playmakers.

Individuals with advanced skill sets that finished, or many times, created plays that impacted the game.  Whether it was ball handling prowess, the ability to bottom shots from deep, drop step and score inside, or step in the passing lane for a key steal, many on the Indians roster were best described not as guard, forward, or center but simply playmaker.

And while any great team without question needs talent, Cambridge realized that in conjunction with skill you need the equally important concept of teamwork, where everyone works together towards a common goal.

The Indians started three freshman this season and that trio led Cambridge in scoring throughout the campaign.  Ninth graders playing in front of upper classman can many times create problems.  Everyone wants playing time, and parents want to see their daughter on the floor come game night.

I remember one year when my JV coach was starting a seventh-grader.  The school superintendent called the coach with the suggestion of bringing the seventh-grader off the bench as he was hearing complaints from some of the parents.  Incredible but true.

From my outsider’s vantage point it looked to me that the Cambridge squad cared simply about team success.  That’s a credit to all involved, from the parents, the upper classmen coming off the bench, the freshman trio, and head coach Tony Bochette for creating a culture where egos were checked at the door and everyone pulled the rope in the same direction.

So congratulations to the Indians who finish a remarkable season at 25-2 with sectional and regional titles, as well as a state final four appearance. Beyond impressive for all to see, where this group used their outstanding basketball skills in the framework of team unity to produce a winter season that will be discussed as long as they play the sport in Cambridge.