WORCESTER — Sydney Lewandowski attended her grandmother’s wake and funeral the day before the state championship game.
Arlene Lewandowski passed away March. 10 from lung cancer. Sydney Lewandowski and her Northampton girls basketball teammates won the Western Massachusetts championship hours before.
“I did not get to tell her. At that moment she was at, she was very non-responsive,” Lewandowski said. “If she heard, she heard. My dad did get to see her.”
The wake and funeral were scheduled for Friday in Chicopee. She told her teammates she was going to miss school that day because of it. Friday was also the day of the MIAA State Championship Breakfast. Northampton coach Perry Messer sent the team’s freshmen to the breakfast while the rest of the team and coaching staff attended the wake.
“We felt like even though there was the breakfast, that was unimportant compared to being there for Sydney,” Northampton senior Kolbie Jones said.
Lewandowski bawled when her team showed up at the wake.
“We’re family. (Basketball) is going to end for these guys, but they’re still family,” Messer said. “Anything they need in life, they know I’m going to be there for them.”
The state championship game was Saturday against Pentucket. It was Lewandowski’s decision whether or not to play. It was a simple call.
“My babci was a hard-ass, so I went into this day channeling her energy,” Lewandowski said. “She wouldn’t have wanted me to quit.”
Lewandowski is Polish, so she called her grandmother babci.
She went at Pentucket full force. Lewandowski scored five points and made a huge block in the fourth quarter that led to a Northampton fast-break layup.
“I was so proud to see Sydney playing to her ability and not letting it get to her,” Jones said. “She’s really resilient.”
Even though Northampton lost 43-26, Lewandowski knew her babci was smiling down on her.
“I know no matter what happened she would have been very proud of me,” Lewandowski said. “She probably is very proud of me.”
CONFLICT FOR ELSON — State championship Saturday pulled Northampton athletic trainer Gary Elson in three directions.
On the one hand he was the Blue Devils’ trainer all season and emotionally invested in their success against Pentucket in the Division 2 championship. But he also graduated from Pentucket and harbored affection for the Sachems, too.
“I’ve followed their program from a distance. It’s bittersweet, right?” Elson said. “I root for them the other days of the year, but for this one day I’m rooting for us.”
While Northampton played Pentucket, Elson’s daughter Emma played for Hopkins Academy in the Division 4 state championship game against Boston Cathedral.
“I was torn between the two, obviously I’d love be able to watch my daughter and support,” he said. “My job, athletic trainer, they need me.”
Elson teaches in Ludlow and is employed by Cooley Dickinson Hospital to be Northampton’s athletic trainer.
OFFENSE SPUTTERS — Northampton’s scoring output was its lowest of the season. The Blue Devils scored at least 40 points in every game this year. They last had so few points in a Feb. 3 loss against Minnechaug.
“They were a better defensive team than us tonight,” Messe said. “I’m proud of our defensive effort.”
3-POINTER IMBALANCE — Pentucket made nine 3s in the state final. Northampton didn’t hit any.