Mike Masto’s first year as the Natick High boys basketball coach turned out to be a marvelous trifecta.

The Redhawks finished the regular season at 16-4, tied for the Carey Division crown in the Bay State Conference with Newton North and Brookline, and qualified for the Division 1 South Sectional Tournament where it was eliminated by Franklin.

“The 2019-20 team was special,’’ said Masto, who previously was head coach at Walpole High. “The kids were talented and they were eager to learn. Co-captain Alex Cohen was a tremendous leader at point guard. He relied on great instincts and a high hoop IQ.’’

Cohen has graduated along with three other seniors but Masto has nine returnees who should enable the Redhawks to continue as a formidable force in the Carey Division.

“We’ve got experience and we should have more depth than last year,’’ Masto noted. “Our other strengths are players who are athletic, coachable and have height.’’

The captains are all seniors and they include Jake Dunlap (6-foot, guard/forward), Nick Ofodile (6-3 wing), and Joe Connolly (6-5 forward). Dunlap was a BSC honorable-mention all-star last year; Connolly averaged 12 points and 10 rebounds a game; and Ofodile managed eight points per contest. 

 

“Jake is the hardest-working player I have coached or ever seen,’’ Masto said. “He’s extremely coachable, physically and mentally tough, and a very capable all-around player. Nick is a superior athlete who’s a terrific on-ball defender. He’s outstanding attacking and driving to the rim. Joe is very versatile, able to play forward or center. He’s a great rebounder, has a soft shooting touch and can also play on the perimeter. All three are developing solid leadership qualities.’’

Four other seniors bring a variety of assets to the table. They include Eliot Woessner (6-5 center), Sam Gordon (6-2 guard), Tom O’Keefe (5-9 guard), and Anton Bownes-Ciccarelli (6-3 wing).

“Eliot is an amazing person and a hard-worker,’’ Masto said. “Sam is a capable scorer who relies on a slashing style. Tom is a capable shooter who’s disciplined, always following the game plan. Anton is a talented scorer with a high basketball IQ. Able to get to the rim effectively, he returns after missing some games last year because of an ankle injury.’’

Junior Colby LeBlanc (6-4 forward) and sophomore Ryan Mela (6-6 guard) are very capable underclassmen. Mela, a BSC all-star as a freshman, averaged 16 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals a game.

“Ryan can play the point or the wing,’’ Masto said. “His instincts and court vision are excellent and he’s a smart play-maker who’s smooth with the ball. Colby is versatile, athletic and hard-working.’’

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, some sports have been modified to prevent the spread of covid-19. Masto fully understands that the 2021 season will be like no other. He knows that masks must be worn on the court and that social distancing will be required on the bench. Other changes include no locker-room presence, limits on crowd size, no handshakes after games, hand sanitizing, and no jump ball. Also, only four players are allowed in the lane for free throws, and all in-bound plays must be on the sideline. As for post-season tourneys, there will be no Sectional or State playoff games.

“I was glad to see that the modifications don’t drastically affect our sport,’’ Masto said. “There are bigger problems than us not having Sectional or State games. We’re fortunate to be able to do what the town of Natick will allow. This is the most adverse situation we’ve all faced and it’ll be exciting to see how we come through it. The top priority, however, is the health and safety of everyone.’’

The 32-year-old Masto, who lives in Franklin with his wife Lauren and seven-month old daughter (Brooke), has a disciplined competitive philosophy that focuses on the attributes he admires in prospective players. His approach and his desire are to instill top-quality values in his players.

“Three core values I stress are that every situation in life is a learning opportunity,’’ he emphasized. “Also, that it’s imperative to control what’s controllable and that hard work is the price of admission. Attributes I prefer in players are a strong work ethic, resilience, passion and good decision-making. Resilience means reacting to adversity in a positive fashion. I want our team to be successful on and off the court and success occurs when strong relationships are built, when potential is reached and when players enjoy their athletic experience.’’

A reduced schedule will limit Natick’s competition to Carey Division teams and Masto believes his Redhawks will be in a pennant race with Newton North and Brookline. “They’re both traditionally strong and well-coached,’’ he noted. “We’ve got the talent and the attributes to be in the mix and I hope we have some format for a post-season.’’

Assisting Masto will be Alex Giangregorio, who was on his staff at Walpole, and Ben Westerman. A Natick teacher, Ben Maki, will direct the jayvees and Rod Spinazola will coach the freshmen.

Before taking the coaching reins at Walpole, Masto was an assistant for six years at Franklin High where he’s taught health and physical education for 11 years. A native of East Haven, Conn., he was a high school all-star in football and track before enrolling at Springfield College where he earned a bachelors degree in physical education. He has two masters degrees — one from Endicott College in athletic administration and the other from West Virginia University in physical education.

Masto had a very successful first year at the helm in Natick. The 2021 season, however, will be different because of covid-19, but imparting his competitive philosophy and teaching real-life lessons will still be a high priority.

Mike Masto has tremendous perspective and he’s a coach for all the right reasons.