Gary Larrabee

How do we love this overachieving, never-quit, buzz-saw defending Danvers High boys basketball team?? Let us count the ways — take a deep breath — after their second-half blitzing 62-53 victory over host Peabody Wednesday night in the PHS “dark” house.

• For winning, in their first attempt, the Northeastern Conference Large Division championship with a 13-3 record, edging Lynn English by a single game.
• For winning five of their last six regular season games, all on the road, to finish the regular season an amazing 17-4 — when pre-season prognosticators figured the defending Division 2 state champs, minus their three big men (top scorers and rebounders at 6-10, 6-4 and 6-3) graduated and left the returnees with no one bigger than 6-1.
• For earning the No. 3 or No. 4 seeding in Division 2 North for the Section tourney that gets under way next week, with the Falcons expected to get two home games at the start.
• For turning back a vastly improved Peabody squad that was coming off strong victorious efforts against Somerville and Beverly and hungry for revenge after losing its earlier game at Danvers by 41 points.
• For leading 13-10 after one quarter despite shooting 4-for-18 from the field, 3-for-14 in threes, and aided by causing seven Tanner turnovers while committing only one themselves.
• For leading 25-23 at halftime, keyed by successive three-pointers by reserve launcher Justin Roberto (3 threes for the night) and a blood thirsty ball-hawking defense that created 12 Peabody turnovers to DHS’s four; all the while as top scorers Rudy Francois was shooting 1-for-11 from the floor and Devonn Allen, after swishing his first trey attempt of the game for an early 3-0 lead, was making 1-of-5 while being badgered by a pesky Peabody box-and-1 defense. And, despite the fact the Falcons were at that point 5-for-21 in threes.
• For the phenomenal job Mike Nestor and then Allen, an underrated defender, did guarding Peabody’s top player, 6-3 Junior Estrella, whom they held to four points for the night after he scored 20 in his most recent game against Somerville.
• For responding to a shaky second half start, falling behind 28-25, by running off 12 straight points on three nifty inside power moves by sixth man deluxe Tahg Coakley, plus three-pointers from Francois and Tre Crittendon. Coakley scored a career-high 16.
• For taking command at 41-32 after three quarters, a 16-9 eight-minute stretch in which the Falcons coughed up the ball once to Peabody’s six times.
• For the way the Falcons once again showed a fourth quarter killer instinct — this is getting gloriously routine — never letting the Tanners (11-10) get closer than seven points the rest of the way, much of it the result of Danvers’ smothering, ball-stripping defense engineered by the Superman-like, stamina displayed by Francois, as well as by Crittendon, Coakley and Allen.
• For the beautifullky balanced scoring, from Francois (19) to Coakley (16), Crittendon (9), Roberto (9), Allen (5) and board banger Kieran Moriarty (4).
• For winning the turnover battle 11-21, when it was 7-21 until the final two garbage time minutes.
• For the unwavering mastery of Coach John Walsh, who is now 122-23 in six magical seasons as the man in charge, with five straight NEC titles, four in NEC Small, this one in NEC Large, plus the three state titles, plus the four NEC overall titles before Salem, the NEC Small champs, beat them out this time around.
• For the joyful comments expressed after the game by Walsh, Coakley, Francois and Allen.
• From Coakley: “This is a great feeling. These wins and titles don’t come without a lot of hard work,. Coach makes sure we work hard so that the games don’t seen so tough pressure-wise or stamina-wise. I got a great feeling being able to contribute this way offensively. Their defense gave me room to attack the basket so I took it.”
• From Francois, whose overall brilliance from one end of the court to the other, even during his rare cold shooting streaks, seem to play a huge factor in every game: “They (Peabody) made it hard for us, but this was a must win for us. We never let up. We kept attacking them on defense and it paid off. We also don’t want to let each other down, so we seem to always have more energy than the other team. It’s helped, too, that we’ve stayed healthy this year, like last year. Very fortunate.”
• From Allen, after arguably his finest defensive effort of the year, no matter who he was guarding, but especially when he was handling Estrella: “It’s exciting to win another title. You never get sick of winning games or titles. We were in a little trouble the second half, but we stuck together, we stepped up our defense especially and got results. The offense picked up too (36 points) and we finished them off.”
• From Coach Walsh, who has attained a six-year won-lost record that may never be matched on the North Shore, Greater Boston or the state on the boys side: “I’m happy for the kids. They deserve this title. It’s another nice award for the kids, the program and Danvers High. Tahg was just immense off the bench. The defense got the job done the second half — Peabody shot the ball like a very tired group — and Rashad was just wonderful once again. He leads us all over the floor and seems to be our top player for disrupting opposing offenses.”

Now we wait for the Div. 2 North seedings by the weekend, with the Falcons expected to be awarded two home games, assuming they win the first.

For right now, though, Hail the Falcons — the NEC Large Division champions!!!!!!!!

It’s been one phenomenal regular season for the Danvers High boys basketball team. A 16 and 4 record, a perfect 8-0 home mark (extending the Falcons’ unbeaten DHS fieldhouse win streak to 29). Winning the Holliston High/Keough Tournament over dangerous rivals Natick and Franmingham. And the chance to marvel at the coaching wizardry for a sixth straight year of John Walsh.

But the regular season will not be considered a complete success to many– let’s not try and compare this fascinating group of players to last year’s dream-come-true, 27-0 Division 2 state champions —  unless they defeat 11-10 Peabody Wednesday night in the Tanners’ Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse.

Granted, the Falcons, projected in preseason to be a .500 squad or a tad better than that, have far exceeded expectations, winning eight in a row at one point and losing the four games by a combined 11 points. Their stunning development this winter, despite not playing a cager over 6 feet, one inch tall, is a marvelous tribute to the players and Walsh and his coaches.

But they want very much at Peabody (7 p.m. tap)  to continue an unprecedented championship run and capture their fifth consecutive Northeastern Conference division title. They won the previous four in a row in the NEC Small (as well as four NEC Overall titles). Now, having moved up to the NEC Large with the big boys from Peabody, Lynn Classical and English, Revere and Beverly (with Salem moving down to NEC Small, the changes based on periodic enrollment reviews) they need this game to win NEC Large outright and not have to settle for a shared title with English. The Lynners forced the iossue Tuesday night by staving off visiting Beverly, 72-69. English finishes 12-4 in the NEC Large. Danvers must beat Peabody to finish 13-3.

The Falcons showed a renewed killer instinct in finishing off Natick and Franklin in the fourth quarters and, most recently, host Masconomet in the third quarter Sunday.

And added incentive for the Falcons at Peabody is the likelihood that a win will earn the Falcons two home games when they begin defense of their MIAA Division 2 tournament state title next week. But Peabody, coming off strong wins the last few days against Somerville and Beverly, has major incentive as well. The Tanners are still smarting over the 77-36 pounding they suffered at Danvers in December. It is expected that Peabody, led by Junior Estrella, who had 21 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in a 54-49 non-league win over Somerville Monday, will be a vastly different team than the one that traveled to Danvers two months ago.

The Falcons will be tough to beat. They are 4-1 in their last five, all road games, and have won 12 of their last 13, the lone defeat a blood-curdling 68-66 setback at Beverly two weeks ago in a game the players and coaches know they should have won.

But it’s been a new page turned over ever since, and one doubts any of the sizable contingent of Division 2 North coaches who watched them Sunday at Masconomet have any desire of meeting up with them in the post-season.

The Falcons may be playing the best they have all year these last three games. Devonn Allen and Rudy Francois have carried the offense the last six games. Allen has scored 20 or more in four of them, while Francois has hit the 30-point mark twice. They each have scored at lEast 15 points in all six encounters, five of them wins.

Tre Crtittendon, Mike Nestor, Kieran Moriarty and sixth man Tahg Coakley have all looked sharper of late, while Justin Roberto has become a solid seventh man and sophomore Jon Weimart impressed in a second quarter stint at Masconomet and figures to get more playing time beginning at Peabody.

Most important, Walsh and staff have become happier with the team’s commitment to their nasty, chest-to-chest defense, which sets up a good chunk of their offense.

The Peabody game will be yet another good test for the Falcons, winners of three state titles the last four years. Might they be building for a surprise fourth in five years?

BOXFORD —  There may have been some concern entering Sunday afternoon’s Cancer Awareness benefit game at Masconomet  that the Danvers High boys might look beyond the Chieftains and think about Wednesday night’s huge game at Peabody with the Northeastern Conference Large Division title on the line.

Hogwash. Gibberish. The Falcons, playing possibly their best all-around game of the season against a high valued opponent (Masco is 10-4 in Cape Ann League, 10-9 overall), broke open a close game (34-27) by scoring the final 10 points of the third quarter for a 56-39) advantage and never let up from there.

They were on a 27-5 run when Sean Rooney hit his first of three threes midway through the final quarter and cruised to an 80-51 victory. The victory, the fourth in five straight road games (the one loss a two-pointer at Beverly), improved the Falcons’ record to 16-4 and set the stage for the final game of the regular season Wednesday night at 7 at vastly improved Peabody, who stunned Beverly Sunday to qualify for the Eastern Mass. tournament.

Assuming Lynn English beats Beverly Tuesday, the Falcons will need to beat Peabody to clinch the Northeastern Conference Large Division title by one game over English. The Falcons moved this school year into the NEC Large after winning four straight NEC Small titles and four successive overall NEC titles.

In making 10-of-30 three-pointers, the Falcons got a well balanced offensive output led by junior Devonn Allen’s 21 points, Rashad “Rudy” Francois’ 16 and Tre Crittendon’s 11. In two notable efforts off the bench, sophomore swing man Jon Weimert scored seven points, five straight in a pivotal second period stint, and Rooney, as mentioned, hit three treys.

“Part of the reason to play this game was to give some playing time to a few who don’t normally get much if any,” Coach John Walsh explained after his scintillating six-year record at DHS jumped to 121-23. “And I liked our results with Jon, Sean and others. The more players we can use off the bench, the better it is for us.”

Beyond that, his sensation six rotation players enjoyed an exceptional game, led by the aforementioned three, plus Mike Nestor, Kieran Moriarty and Tahg Coakley.

Their team rebounding was superb at both ends against a team that started two 6-5 frontcourt men, neither of whom played a major role. Moreover, Danvers’ dynamic “deny” defense, as usual, got grand results, leading to 19 Masco turnovers as opposed to the Falcons’ eight.

“The kids played hard, smart ball at both ends and especially in disrupting their offensive plans,” Walsh added. “They really went for the ball off the glass.”

He offered particular praise for Weimert, whose five straight points late in the second session increased a 26-23 advantage to 31-23 on a three-point play layup on a nifty feed from Allen and two free throws.

“Jon was ready to play and played great when his chance came offensively and on defense,” Walsh said. Don’t be surprised if he gets another shot at some serious playing time at Peabody.

But Walsh was pleased with everyone who played. This observer has not seen the team rebound with this much ferociousness all season.

I can attest to one other thing. The sizable group of Division 2 North coaches and scouts who took in the game surely do not want to play the defending state champs until the championship game, if at that.

Since losing 68-66 at Beverly, the Falcons have looked better and better in now winning three straight on the road and hope to win one more Wednesday at Peabody. They clearly look like they are gearing up for a strong run in the tournament. A win Wednesday should assure them of home games the first two rounds of the EMass North II event. They currently ride a 29-game home victory streak.

This group, based on Walsh’s revamped offense that focuses on three-point open shots and finding lanes to penetrate to the basket, just may be a co-favorite, even without a big man. They’re showing ways to contain rival big men and rebound as well as need to to win pressure games. To watch them Sunday almost makes you wonder how they lost four games by a combined 11 points. We saw those games, we know how they lost them, and we know they lost three of those games by 2, 2, and 1 point.

Can’t wait for Wednesday and the beginning of their state title defense next week (after the seedings/pairings come out over the weekend).

How do I love this amazing group of Danvers High boys basketball players, to borrow a famous phrase (partly) from Elizabeth Barrett Browning? Let me count the ways. And there are many.

But the No. 1 way is simple enough, and most evident if you’ve had the chance to watch the defending Div. 2 state champions march to a 15-4 mark as they rest  after winning the Holliston High/Keough Tournament and before they continue their six game road trip to conclude the regular season.

The No. 1 way? They have no conscience; they’re riverboat gamblers every trip up and down the floor, be they on offense or defense. That’s a tribute to Coach John Walsh and his staff and to the players themselves. I state no conscience in complimentary fashion. It’s a quality I believe Coach John Walsh felt he had to instill in his charges in order to get the very max out of their individual and collective talents. After all — and this is a recording — this was a group coming off a perfect 27-0 season that was dominated at both ends of the floor (with the exception of guard/forward Devonn Allen) by 6-10 Peter Merry, 6-4 Devon Harris and 6-4 Vinny Clifford.

This, his sixth super successful DHS baskets squad in as many years, needed a personality of its own and they’ve got it. Thanks to the improved play of all the returnees, namely Allen, Rashad “Rudy” Francois, Tre Crittendon and Mike Nestor, plus newcomers to the rotation like Kieran Moriarty, Tahg Coakley and Justin Roberto, it was easier for these kids to develop this so-called personality, i.e. playing with adequate control but considerable abandon as well.

Simply put, the Falcons have never been shy from the opening tap in Game 1 about firing up three-pointers from pretty much anywhere inside the midcourt line. At the same time, they have never hesitated, at least the primary basket attackers, Francois and Allen, from driving to the basket no matter what kind of defense they faced.

The beauty of it all is that the perimeter weave offense Walsh has maintained over the years has never been more important than this year, what with no regular over 73 inches in height. This controlled offense involves all five players on the floor and is devised to create one of two situations:

1. a clear three-point shot or 2) a glaring seam in the opponent’s defense that invites the Falcon with the ball, ideally Francois or Allen (although also available for the noticeably improved offensive Nestor or Crittendon), to dribble for the hoop, whether he’s in a 1-on-1 situation or not

Walsh has the penetrators and the three-point launchers (Allen, Francois, Crittendon, Nestor, Roberto) that give the shudders to every rival coach. Next up Masconomet Sunday at 3:30 at Boxford, then at Peabody Wednesday night at 7 when a victory earns the Falcons the Northeastern Conference Large Division title in their first year playing in that section. The last four years they’ve won the NEC Small, this year the domain of Salem. As a sidelight, Peabody may need the game to qualify for the Eastern Mass. tournament.

The same “no conscience” approach applies to the Danvers defense, which throughout Walsh’s out-of-this-world tenure (120-23) has been gesred to a nose-to-nose man strategy that wears other teamds down and leads to a huge turnover differential game after game after game with few exceptions, win or lose.

This defensive mindset, based on taking chances, looking to make steals and, most important, the amazing stamina and quickness of his guards and forwards, has paid huge dividends, never moreso than this year because of the team’s lack of size.

Gadzooks, I’ve never seen a powerhouse team from the North Shore, and I’m spanning 45 years of watching, play the productive, pressure defense, halfcourt or full, that delivers the results this group has.

“Sure, we gamble some,” says Walsh. “You need a gambling element and get the most out of a defense that has so little size but a good deal of quickness.”

The most beautiful aspect of this devil-may care (with restraint) approach is that Walsh has given his kids some flexibility/freedom on the floor whether on offense or defense, no matter where they are on the floor.

“These kids are made for this kind of approach,” Walsh noted. “They’re in great shape, they’re athletic and quick and they get results. ”

Let’s hope it continues Sunday at Masconomet, Wednesday at Peabody (that will be six road games in a row) and the start of their Div. 2 state title a few days later in the DHS fieldhouse, where they’ve won 29 straight.

Facing their fourth stern test in six days and their second back-to-back challenge in the same timeframe, the Danvers High boys’ basketball team played one of its best games of the year in defeating Division 1 tournament-bound Framingham, 74-62, Monday night in the title game of the Holliston High/Keough Tournament.

In improving to 15-4, the Falcons got another tremendous scoring effort from their “Big 3.” Rashad “Rudy” Francois scored a career-high 31 points (his second 30-pointer of the season), Tre Crittendon regained his three-point shooting touch with 18 (including four threes) and junior Devonn Allen added 17, also boosted by four treys, despite playing the last four minutes with a gimpy ankle.

The game boiled down to the final three minutes, at which point Framingham had whittled a 50-37 late third quarter deficit to within 61-58. But first Francois hit his fifth three-bagger if the night with 1:r5 left, then Allen hit an even longer range “3” while double teamed as the shot clock wound down to make it 670-58 with 1:15 left.  School was out for Framingham, which had routed host Holliston the night before, 71-44.

It also didn’t hurt the Falcons’ cause that they made seven of eight foul shots in the last 48 seconds to add the icing to the victory cake.

As has been the custom, the Falcons struggled with their three-point accuracy (13-for-32), but made the two huge threes near the end and also hit four straight in the first quarter to wipe out a 9-3 early hole and lead 21-12 after eight minutes. hey led the rest of the way, though the Flyers made several runs at the defending Division 2 state champs.

This win was about so much more than 36 points worth of three-pointers, though. It was about another strong defensive performance against a strong offensive opponent that had outside shooting, reliable penetrators and rugged offensive rebounders.

The Falcons’ mauling man defense, which including some trapping and a little zone, caused 15 FHS turnovers to Danvers’ nine. It also was about another marvelous offensive showing (with four steals added to the mix) by the nearly unstoppable Francois, a rejuvenated Crittendon, who sat for the last six minutes of the first half in foul trouble, of solid defensive and rebounding efforts by Mike Nestor and Kieran Moriarty, and an all-star performance at both ends by junior guard/forward Allen, who has taken his game to a new level in the last week.

This observer feared the Falcons were in serious trouble when Allen got involved with a scramble on the floor for the ball and got up limping badly, favoring an ankle with 4:06 remaining in the third, with DHS leading 43-36. But he walked and ran off the pain, played the last 12 minutes. He canned a three a minute after the mishap and made a strong drive in which he was fouled and made both foul shots.

Allen didn’t take a shot in the fourth quarter until the final three minutes, during which he missed two open three-pointers from the corner. But he made the one that mattered most, as noted, with 75 seconds left as the game clincher.

Moreover, he was reliable handling the ball, defending and rebounding. You’d never have known he’d crunched his ankle halfway through quarter three.

You just have to love this team.  This is a recording. Little size, a mostly guard and small forward lineup, thin support off the bench. But they keep getting the job done while being 11 points away from a possible perfect record.

When the team celebrated its perfect 27-0 NEC and state championship season last April, one wondered how they would stay above .500 losing its three top players, all frontcourt studs in 6-10 Peter Merry, 6-4 Vinny Clifford and 6-4 Devon Harris. But look what they’ve done!

The Falcons are in terrific position to finish 17-4 if they can beat Masconomet Sunday in Boxford (2:30 tip after the girls matchup) and then beat host Peabody Wednesday night, which would also mean a fifth successive NEC Large Division title after winning four Small Division crowns in a row.

Even though Coach John Walsh, unquestionably the best coach in the region, has not appreciated the team’s defensive effort of late, especially last week’s showing at Lynn Classical (a win) and at Beverly (a 2-point setback), there is no doubt the effectiveness of the team defense and the way it produces a bundle of rival turnovers is critical to the team’s success. Add to that the three-point factor — when they make enough of them and at the right time, like tonight versus Framingham — and their ability to attack the basket on 1-on-1 matchups (hello Rashad, Devonn and Trey in particular), this is one slug of a team to beat.

They can now rest as they set their sights on Masconomet, who will be a big underdog Sunday, then really get primed for Peabody with all its championship implications.

One sidelight from the two-day tourney: Mike Scarfo, a member of the 2012 state championship (Div. 3) team, the first of three state title teams Walsh guided at DHS in the last four years, is now an assistant for Framingham as he completes his education at Framingham State.

“Yes, it was a little strange facing my old coach and team,”  Scarfo said, “but that’s alled moving on. I’m glad Coach and the program keeps doing so well, but I wasn’t looking for them to do well tonight. But they deserved it. They’ll be a challenge for anyone facing them in Division 2.”

The vaunted Danvers High boys’ man-to-man defense, after struggling the last two games, cranked it up in the fourth quarter Sunday at Holliston High, overtaking Natick, 66-54, and advancing to the Keough Invitational title game Monday at 5:30 against Framningham.

That was assured after Framingham beat host Holliston in the second semifinal game Sunday, 71-44, earning the victors their tournament-clinching 10th win of the season.

The 14-4 Falcons, whose usually destructive defense showed some leaks this past week in giving up 63 points at Lynn Classical (still won, 68-63) and Beverly the next night (a 68-66 defeat), got their usually efficient man-defense back in gear when it mattered most against a nine-win Natick squad that outshot Danvers, 8-3, from beyond the three-point arc.

Danvers struggled to keep Natick close, trailing the Red Hawks, 44-43, after three quarters, despite the fact they had committed twice as many turnovers at Danvers (18-9) heading into the decisive final eight minutes.

But cranking the pressure defense up a notch, the Falcons forced seven turnovers in the first four minutes, took a 55-49 lead on a Rashad Francois follow-up  after a steal at the same checkpoint and the defending Division 2 state champs never looked.

It was a five-player parlay that created such a major turnaround powered by the defense, and it was primarily a Devonn Allen-Francois combo that carried the offense. Francois finished with 15 points, igniting the fourth quarter charge with an all-the-way steal-layup in the first 10 seconds of the session. Francois followed that with a nifty pass setting up Mike Nestor (11 points, 9 rebounds) for another basket and the Falcons were on the way, starting a fresh win streak after Beverly snapped their eight-gamer Thursday by the narrowest of margins.

It was the multi-talented, junior point/wing/center-jumper Allen who made the biggest impact at crunch time, scoring 11 fourth quarter points and the Falcons’ last nine points in the game. That run of nine, running from 57-51 (following a beautiful floater in the lane by Trey Crittendon (9 points) to the final score with one minute remaining, was supported by the aforementioned Danvers defense that limited Natick to five points and no field goals over the final five  minutes.

Welcome back, the Falcons’ stingy when-it-counts-most defense.

“The defense was certainly better than our last two games,” a smiling coach John Walsh conceded afterward. “We had our most success just playing straight up man-on-man, so we may have to rely on that pretty much from here. And we;ll need to be better than this tomorrow night after watching Framingham beat Holliston but good.”

But let the Falcons enjoy this one at least until they awaken Monday and eventually climb on the bus for the 85-minute trip to Holliston for Game 19 Monday.

This was a terrific bounce back game after Thursday’s heartbreaking defeat at Beverly. Though they suffered another horrendous three-point shooting nine (4-23), there were plenty of big offensive plays.

Start with a strong opening quarter in which they led 15-6 before Natick hit a trey six seconds before the buzzer. It was 18-10 early in the second before the Falcons seemed to go into an offensive funk, going nearly five minutes without a field goal until Kieran Moriarty, playing one of his best defensive games, put in a rebound off a Nestor miss and super shooting sub Justin Roberto swished a trey with 11 seconds left.  That kept the Falcons within two at the half, 31-29, but still looking vulnerable to an upset.

The Falcons struggled again in the third, and after Natick hit its seventh three to lead 39-33, things did indeed look shaky.

But after shooting 2-for-13 to begin the third, the Danvers offense woke up. The Falcons scored four field goals on four shots, two of those buckets on beautiful Francois penetration moves, another on an Allen three from deep left (assist to Francois) and the other a Nestor fastbreak layup off a steal. Despite shooting 3–20 in threes to this point, Danvers trailed by only one 44-43 entering the last quarter.

And then it was all Danvers as noted previously.

“A tremendous game for Devonn,” Walsh said. “Rudy (Francois) always is making good things happen. Hopefully we can do it Monday just like today. But Framingham looked awfully good. We’ll see.

If there was one negative from the affair, it was the moment your loyal blogger was wiped out by Allen as he tried saving a loose ball that went out of bounds in the second quarter while he was on defense. He dove into the stands for the ball and plowed into yours truly. Thankfully, both of us were able to resume our respective duties during the game, Devonn as a true hero, yours truly as a note-taker.

Two minutes into Thursday night’s highly anticipated rematch at Beverly, the Danvers High boys basketball team led 11-2 after making its first four shots, three of them from three-point land. But as had been the case in its three prior losses, one by two points another by one, their three-point game went cold at the wrong time, finishing 8-for-28, 5-for-16 in the second half. Win by the sword and sometimes lose by the sword, in this case a heavily accented three-point shooting offense.

Combine that factor with Beverly’s significant edge with its inside power game and shooting guard Sam Traicoff’s 26 points (though he got plenty of help), the host Panthers (13-5) were able to win its seventh in a row while snapping Danvers’ eight-game win streak, 68-66, before an enthusiastic crowd.

Most important, the Falcons (13-4, 12-3 in the NEC Large) may have to wait until their one remaining Conference game at Peabody February 24 to clinch their fifth successive Division title, this the Large after winning the last four NEC Small titles.

“Tell Danvers we wont make them wait that long,” a rather happy Beverly coach Scott Lewis said afterward, grateful his squad could make up for its frustrating 53-49 loss at Danvers a few weeks ago. “We’ll beat (second place) Lynn English (with 4 losses, while Beverly has five after a rocky start to the season) for them on the 23rd.”

The fact is the Falcons could have stolen this one just like Beverly could have stolen the meeting in Danvers.

“We played terrible,” Danvers coach John Walsh said as his dejected team walked through the Henry Cabot Lodge Field house on the way to its bus for as thankfully short ride back to DHS. It was pretty obvious how Walsh meant “terrible.”

First and foremost for giving up 68 points, though they gave up 63 in turning back host Lynn Classical the night before, 68-63. It wasn’t for a lack of effort. Playing their standard tight man defense with some double teaming thrown in, the same defense used by Beverly, the superbly conditioned Falcons still had to be sucking a little wind down the stretch.

Walsh went pretty much with his first five all night, required in part because super sub Tahg Coakley was sitting on the bench in street clothes unavailable for action after playing a fine game off the bench at Classical.

After the team’s topo four scorers scored either 16 points or 15 at Lynn, Rashad Francois (28) and Devonn Allen (24) carried the offense and it wasn’t enough. The usually reliable Tre Crittendon was held to nine points on 3-for-8 shooting, hitting three threes.

Mike Nestor a marvelous two-way standout at Lynn, did his usual fierce battling on defense and on the boards but was shut out on the scoreboard, shooting 0-for-6).

After Beverly recovered from Danvers’ dazzling start and a ctually took the lead, 18-16, after one quarter, the Falcons played catchup for much of the rest of the game.

They showed wonderful determination in cutting a 34-26 halftime deficit to within 34-31 early in the third quarter, then turned a 43-31 disadvantage into a 51-50 game after three quarters, sparked by Rashad’s 11 points on four highlight film spin drives to the basket and a three-pointer for the final points of the session.

“Rashad was just terrific,” Walsh said. “He carried us again (as he did with 30 against Lynn English last week). “I’m very proud of him.”

It was anyone’s game in the finale, with  ties at 51, 53 and 56 on matching treys from Francois and Traicoff. But then the Falcons missed six shots in a row, fell back 65-58 with 2:20 when Traicoff hit another three, and the visitors looked dead.

But Francois pulled off another penetration spin-drive layup (now down 5) and Allen converted a three-point play on a gorgeous baseline drive reverse layup  with 1:34 left (after missing two foul shots 22 seconds earlier). Traicoff missed a mid-range jumper with 33 seconds left and the Falcons had a golden opportunity to tie or go ahead on the next offensive sequence, but Crittendon missed an open trey and Allen missed a put-back when it appeared he was fouled.

Two Beverly foul shots made it 67-63 with 18 seconds remaining, Allen missed two deep threes at the other end and the win streak was over.

“We always give great effort with great energy,” Walsh said, “but tonight we definitely were not mentally tough enough and we lacked proper leadership on the floor. We didn’t box out their big men well enough.

The three-point shots were there and the deliberate Danvers offense led to countless successful penetrations through Beverly’s man defense, but too many of those were missed as well, despite the many that Rashad and Devonn converted.

“They’re an extremely difficult team to defend,” Lewis said of Danvers. “We were fortunate tonight by playing pretty much an honest man defense, though they almost beat us with a combination outside/inside offense.

“At the same time we were happy to score as many inside points as we did to go along with some fine outside shooting. A great game both teams deserved to win. And No. 1 (Francois) almost won it single handedly for them.”

So the Falcons have now lost four games by a total of 11 points. They next play in the Holliston tournament Sunday at 1 against Natick and hopefully Monday (if successful Sunday) in the title game (time to be determined) against the Holliston-Framingham winner.

This loss does little to tarnish what has been to this stage a sensational Danvers season. Win the next two at Holliston, beat Masconomet February 21 and get fired up for Peabody. Then comes tourney time. So much to look forward to with this crew of dedicated Falcon players.

After an eight-day forced layoff caused by two snowstorms, thus two postponements, the surging Danvers High boys basketball team started a six-game road trip to end the regular season with a tense, always-in-doubt 68-63 victory Wednesday night at Lynn Classical.

Keyed by balanced scoring from the “Big 4” — Tre Crittendon and Mike Nestor 16 each, Devonn Allen and Rashad Francois 15 apiece — the Falcons notched their eighth straight victory and improved to 13-3 overall, 12-2 in their debut season in the Northeastern Conference Large Division.

As a result, the Falcons, who won the NEC Small and the overall NEC titles the last four years before making the divisional move because of changed enrollment, have cinched a tie for the NEC Large crown and can win the title outright with a win Thursday night at 12-5 Beverly, owner of a six-game win skein. Second place Lynn English has four NEC losses and Classical now six. Beverly is now in third place in the NEC Large and can spoil the Falcons’ intentions after our favorites outlasted BHS by only 53-49 at Danvers earlier in the season. It was a narrow escape and the host Panthers will try and gain revenge Thursday night at 7.

This was a terrific team win at Classical, a squad the Falcons led throughout but could not put away until the final horn. Matters looked promising after a 21-12 opening quarter, not as much so with a 31-26 advantage at halftime, then a tad  better with a 50-42 cushion after three sessions. After a dazzling penetration drive layup by Allen made it 57-42 with 5:55 left, it appeared the Falcons were home free. But a frantic comeback powered by Erik Solis (15), Dyrrell Rucker (15) and an assorted cast of contributors, drew the Rams within 62-57 with 1:34 remaining and Crittendon having just fouled out for the first time this season.

But Allen snuck away from a Ram fullcourt press on a nice lead pass from Francois for a layup (64-57), Rashad drove to the basket for an uncontested layup against a tired Classical trapping defense (66-59, 47 seconds left), and Nestor, who made some huge rebounding/keep the ball alive at the offensive end plays, sank two clinching foul shots with 4.5 second left. Game time.

The only negative was the facial injury Francois suffered with 6.6 seconds left, apparently a bloodied lip and a woozie head, as Classical attacked the basket. He did not return for the final few seconds and was attended to by the Classical trainer and others before heading to the Danvers locker room. His status for Thursday night will not be known until sometime Thursday to determine the overnight swelling or otherwise.

It was far from an artistic triumph, but committing only 11 turnovers was a huge improvement from the 36 committed in the 10-point home win over Classical a few weeks ago. Moreover, each of the “Big 4” made clutch shots to keep the Rams at bay, as well as sixth man Tahg Coakley and seventh man Justin Roberto. Classical committed twice as many turnovers.

When one recalls that the Falcons’ prospects were unknown on the opening day of practice in late November after losing to graduation their “Big 3” of last year’s 27-0 Division 2 state champions, the Falcons have had an outstanding season to date, losing three games by a total of nine points. They should be proud, though they are hungry for much, much more.

They can begin satisfying that hunger Thursday at Beverly, followed by the Holliston tournament Sunday (1 p.m. versus Natick), Monday’s game to be determined, followed by a non-leaguer at Masconomet on Sunday the 21st at 2:30, then the regular season finale at Peabody on February 24.  That’s 21 games. The Fakcons would love to win at Beverly and make the Peabody game meaningless at least in terms of title implications.

The Falcons could win out for a 13-game win streak and an 18-3 mark or stumble somewhere, most likely, if at all, at Beverly.

No matter. The Falcons and coach John Walsh have put together a phenomenal regular season. Let’s hope it continues Thursday night at Beverly.

The Falcons were a disappointing 7 for 25 from three-point land after a 4-for-6 start. Coakley finished with four personals and played most of the fourth quarter without getting nabbed for the No. 5 disqualifier.

Walsh’s record at DHS is an out-of-this-world 118-22.

With his mom, Wilda, in the stands for the first time this season and sole possession of first place in the Northeastern Conference Large Division at stake, Rashad “Rudy” Francois staged a career performance Tuesday night, scoring 30 points, 20 in a  31-11 first quarter, as the Danvers High boys routed Lynn English, 91-65, to move two games ahead with three NEC games remaining.

“We knew how much was at stake tonight,” Francois said after the 12-3 Falcons posted their seventh straight victory and 29th straight home win overall, “especially after we lost by two at their place way back at the start of the season. It meant even more to me because my mom, who’s usually working when I play, was able to come to the game. I’m sure glad she got to this one.”

In a fitting way to celebrate Senior Night, the Falcons’ last home game (9-0 at home) before the state tournament, the Falcons hammered the visiting Bulldogs, playing without their star guard-forward, 6-2 Anthony Silfa. It was 19-3 after five minutes, the Bulldogs getting shots off (2) on only one possession as the Falcons’ nasty man defense smothered English (9-4 in the NEC) from the get-go and never gave them a chance.

Danvers made a stunning eight three-pointers in the opening quarter, four by Francois, three by Tre Crittendon and one by Mike Nestor. The masterful way the Falcons played at both ends of the court, this observer doubts that Silfa’s presence would have made a difference anyhow.

Stretching the lead to 26 at halftime by scoring a team record 54 points, Danvers coasted the second half as the Falcons’ “Big Three” enjoyed a wonderful night; Francois with his career-high 30, Devonn Allen with a slump-breaking 25 and Crittendon with a routine 17 on five threes. Francois finished with six threes, Allen with three and Nestor with two.

Danvers may be the only member of the Boston Globe Top 20 (No. 19) whose offense emphasizes the three-point field goal, but they get results, as their 16 “treys” against English attest.

As the Golden Age of Danvers High boys basketball continues for a sixth year under coach John Walsh, Danvers moves to 11-2 in NEC Large, with English now 9-4. With three NEC games left, the Falcons can clinch a division title tie with a win Friday night at Peabody, after which comes road games at Lynn Classical Monday and Beverly Thursday. The two-day Holliston tourney follows on February 14 and 15 and the regular season ends on the 21st at Masconomet.

“The kids really picked it up tonight,” said Walsh. “They played hard from one end to the other, shot real well and didn’t let up. I hope down the road I can say that we took our game to a new level with this one and kept it up the rest of the way, but we’ve got a lot of games left. I was just so happy for all the kids who had big games, from Rashad to Devonn to Tre and Mike (Nestor).

It was the Falcons’ first 90-point effort of the season, their first since a 94-49 win at Revere a year ago.

After losing their three big men (6-9, 6-4, 6-3) to graduation and the college ranks, the team with no big man this year is enjoying a spectacular year, having lost three games by a total of nine points, a one-pointer to Malden Catholic, a two-pointer to English and as six-pointer at Salem.

It doesn’t seem to matter what kind of group he has to coach, Walsh gets tremendous results, this time for a fifth straight year.

Walsh is now 117 and 22 in five-plus seasons at the helm. Time to start collecting money for a statue?????

The four-time defending Northeastern Conference Danvers High boys basketball team, boasting a 26-game home win skein, finds itself in first place in its first season in the NEC Large Division with four NEC contests remaining, starting at home Tuesday night (7 p.m.) against Lynn English.

This rematch holds a great deal of meaning for both squads. Danvers leads the division with a 10-2 record, with Lynn English (9-3) close behind. Lynn Classicval is third at 8-5The Falcons hold their fate in their own hands since they win the division if they win out, but that will be a major task.

After hosting Lynn English, a 54-52 victor in Lynn in their first meeting, Danvers’s’ second game of the season, the Falcons play three straight road games, all toughies, even though they beat all three opponents the first time around: Peabody Friday (77-36 at Danvers), Lynn Classical next Monday (68-58 at Danvers) and Beverly (53-49 at Danvers) Thursday February 11.

“It’s a great challenge for us but there’s no reason we can’t measure up to every one of those challenges, as long as we take one game at a time and keep playing as hard as we have,” coach John Walsh said. “It will also help us if we keep improving game to game.”

The Falcons, 11-3 overall, have played solid chest-to-chest defense all season and they’ll need to maintain the energy level they’ve shown all season to continue their successful defensive results.

Equally important, the Falcons will need to continue their impressive three-point shooting of the past two games. Coincidentally, sophomore guard Justin Roberto’s three-point game has played a major impact in the Falcons’s last three wins, which have boosted their current win streak to six games.

Three three-point shot has been a vital part of the Danvers offense in every game this year because of their guard-heavy rotation. With Roberto a clear threat to opposing defenses, the Falcons now have four dangerous three-point bombers with Devonn Allen, Rashad Francois and Tre Crittendon.

Simply put, the Falcons have little or no size except for6-2 Kiernan Moriarty, and with rivals zoning the Falcons most every night, it’s often win or lose based on their three-point accuracy. Their long-range shooting went cold in the fourth quarter at Lynn English, leading to a two-point defeat after leading by 11 entering the fourth quarter. It didn’t help that Allen fouled out with four minutes remaining. The Falcons had a last-possession chance to force overtime or win in regulation but its bid fizzled.

Speaking of Allen, the junior point guard did not look his sharpest in his return to action Friday night against Revere after missing two games with a shoulder bruise, but this observer anticipates a big game from Devonn against English.

Danvers’s incentive in this one is significant, besides needing the win to protect its first place position. The Falcons also bring a 26-game home win streak into the game. Their last home loss, including post-season matchups? January 28, 2014 —   71-66 — to Lynn English. The Bulldogs would like nothing better than to shatter the streak Tuesday and boost their chances for successfully defending their NEC Large title.

The Falcons’s overall home record the last four-plus seasons under Walsh?

Do you believe ———  50 and 1?

“We seem to always get the job done at home,” says Walsh. “We obviously like our home floor and the great support we get from our fans especially at home. But we’ve got to play good every night to win, in particular against a quality team like English. We’ve got to play at our best.”

No matter what happens Tuesday, the Falcons will have another battle on their hands Friday at Peabody. They toyed with the vastly improved (8-5) Tanners when they came to Danvers, but the Tanners have been playing well of late, most recently a 72-66 overtime win over English.

After Peabody, Danvers travels to Classical Monday, another team the Falcons pretty much had their way with at home before the Rams came on too late in the fourth quarter while losing by 10. Then the last NEC date is at Beverly, 9-4 and a real strong home team. The Panthers fell at Danvers by only 53-49 and had plenty of chances to steal that one.

But it all begins Tuesday for the Falcons, the NEC kingpins the last four years and full of intentions to continue that way, at least in the Large Division.

Also keep in mid that English and Classical do not face each other the rest of the way.