Scarlet Hawks earn playoff victory after strong regular season 

By Chris Villani

Throughout the first part of the season, Milford High School head girls’ basketball coach Austin Costa was not entirely sure just how good his team was. The Scarlet Hawks scored several victories, but had not yet run into the iron of their schedule.

When that time came, MHS showed it was up for the challenge with competitive games against some of the Hockomock League’s top teams and a close loss in the finals of the Hopkinton Holiday Tournament.

“After all of those games we thought, ‘Alright, we are here, we can compete with these teams,’’’ Costa said.

Milford qualified for the state tournament and hosted a first-round game against Somerville. In front of a charged home court crowd, the Hawks advanced with a 51-42 win.

“The atmosphere was incredible,” Costa said. “It was everything we wanted to see and hoped the girls would have. The girls played a really good game and it was exactly what we preach for Milford basketball.”

The Scarlet Hawks were paced — both in that game and all season long — by their seniors. Ava Baglione averaged more than 18 points per game, the fourth highest total in the league. 

“She was our steady scorer all season,” Costa said. “She was a fantastic leader and she gave us everything we needed on that side of the ball.”

Katelyn Kearnan proved to be a well-rounded player for MHS, averaging nearly 12 points per game to go with six rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. She was also a matchup nightmare for the opposition.

“If they put a taller player on her, she is too fast,” Costa noted. “And she is too tall for the smaller guards to keep up.”

Although she was sidelined for most of the year with an injury, Costa added that the leadership of senior Chloe Murdock was invaluable. 

Milford’s season came to an end with a loss at Norwood in the second round, but Costa told the team to focus on what they had accomplished.

“They set the foundation, they set the bar, not only for the underclassmen, but also the youth teams who want to be a part of this someday and achieve the same thing,” he said. “I think this is a new start for Milford girls basketball.”