Chappell Carries McCann to Win over Franklin
NORTH ADAMS, Mass — After starting the season with five straight losses, the McCann Tech boys' basketball team has almost completed its climb back to the .500 level, and senior forward Mike Chappell has played a big part in that.Chappell, just like his Hornets' teammates, seems to be getting better as the season goes along. He played a huge role in McCann's 52-49 home win over Franklin Tech on Thursday night, scoring a season-high 20 points to go with 10 rebounds and seven assists. Overall, Chappell is leading his team in all three categories this season, scoring 10.4 points, grabbing 7.93 rebounds and dishing out 3.6 assists per game.
Chappell's play, along with a career-high 12 points from senior Brandon Czarnecki, lifted the Hornets (7-8) to a win in a game that remained close throughout. The Eagles held a three-point advantage at halftime, but McCann used a 14-10 scoring edge in the third to take the lead. Justin Kratz's team built that margin up to 11 points with just under three minutes left in the game, but had to hold on tight as Franklin made a furious comeback at the end.
"It was a hard-fought game, close nearly the whole way through" Kratz said. "We were a little short-handed tonight, so it was good to get the win with guys filling in some spots they aren't necessarily used to. We got a up 11 with 2:48 left, and then they made a run right back at us that we were able to outlast. Mike played great, and Brandon is an athletic kid who is starting to get some confidence, so that's nice to see."
Kratz also said senior center Zach Giron, who played very limited minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, had a good game. He did the bulk of his work after halftime, finishing with six points and a team-high 11 boards.
Jake Earl led the Eagles with 13 points, while Justin McCloud added 10.
The Hornets are back in action on Monday night, when they play at Westfield Voc. at 7 p.m.