SOUTH HADLEY — Paul Dubuc met with his senior captains – Ava Asselin, Caitlin Dean, CC Gurek and Maddie Soderbaum – prior to the start of the season back in late November. The South Hadley girls basketball head coach and his Tigers were coming off the program’s first-ever state championship appearance, where they lost to Cathedral in the Division 4 title game.

It was no secret that South Hadley had all the tools to get back there, graduating only one player and retaining everybody else from a year ago. So in Dubuc’s meeting with four of his half-dozen seniors, they were likely expecting him to say that in order for the Tigers to get back to the promised land, they, as veterans, would have to carry the load.

He instead told them the opposite. South Hadley had a pair of sophomores destined for stardom in Kate Phillips and Cara Dean, and a freshman with talent well beyond her years in Olivia Athas. The best route to another state final would be through the underclassmen trio, of course coupled with the large help from the four captains.

Dubuc said his seniors didn’t bat an eye. Their personal goals weren’t nearly as important to them as winning a title. They were willing to do whatever Dubuc asked if it gave the Tigers the best shot at raising a trophy at the end of the year.

“The older girls, when we met before the season in-person, they said, ‘We know [the underclassmen] are good,’” Dubuc recalled. “The seniors knew that in order for us to make it this far, the younger girls were going to have to play a really big part in that. They learned that they had to sacrifice. We had our goals from the beginning, and we’re here because of that sacrifice. That’s not easy for an upperclassman to do, and they’ve all done it. I can’t say enough about them.”

South Hadley’s back-to-back trips to the D4 championship has been years in the making. When Caitlin Dean, Asselin, Gurek and Soderbaum were playing for St. Pat’s CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) as fifth and sixth graders, Phillips and Cara Dean always played up with them despite being several years younger.

As far as their basketball memories go back, all they can remember is playing alongside each other. The older group eventually reached high school and had to put playing with the youngsters on hold, but they picked up right where they left off last season when Cara Dean and Phillips re-joined the bunch as freshmen. Now with a year under their belts at the varsity level, the Tigers are geared up for another shot at No. 1 Cathedral in the Division 4 final.

“The younger girls have played with Caitlin, CC, Maddie and Ava since they were in third grade or second grade down at St. Pat’s, they were always playing up because Caitlin and Cara were sisters,” Dubuc said. “They know each other really well and know what each other does on the court. They’ve played together for so long, they have the chemistry.”

Phillips believes South Hadley’s near-decade long connection on the court is a considerable advantage to the Tigers as well.

“I think it just comes with the experience we have playing together,” Phillips said. “We’ve been playing together for as long as we can remember. We know each other so well. We know how to get each other open and it’s just about getting it to who’s on that day and the good thing about us is that it can be anybody that day.”

The lone senior that graduated in 2024 was Drew Alley, and she provided a toughness at the point-guard position that proved valuable for the Tigers. She was expected to be someone South Hadley would deeply miss. And while the Tigers wish they still had Alley, freshman Olivia Athas has come in and been the perfect replacement. She can handle the ball, knock down 3s and attack the basket with the best of them despite just wrapping up her rookie season.

Athas made the long trip to UMass Lowell’s Tsongas Center to watch South Hadley in the championship almost exactly 365 days ago. When she treks out east this time around, she’ll be on the bus wearing a jersey.

“It feels amazing to be a part of it, because last year I watched it, and now I get to be a part of it,” Athas said. “It feels great. I look forward to [playing in a state championship].”

Dubuc used the word ‘sacrifice’ religiously before the season, and he used it again while showing emotion when asked about his senior class’ impact on the South Hadley program.

That sacrifice was on full display during Wednesday’s state semifinal between the No. 3 Tigers and No. 2 Millis. Cara Dean, Phillips and Athas combined for nine of South Hadley’s 13 first-quarter points (Caitlin Dean scoring the other four) and scored all 11 of the team’s points in the second. Asselin tossed in five huge points in the third while Athas drilled a 3 to set the stage for the final eight minutes.

Phillips scored nine of her game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter, including the eventual game-winning and-one to turn the Tigers’ two-point deficit to a one-point lead with just under 30 ticks remaining. Two minutes prior to that, with South Hadley trailing by three, Cara Dean connected on a deep 3 from the top of the key to tie the game at 40. Those 12 points were all South Hadley would need to pull out the thrilling 45-42 win.

Clutch shot after clutch shot, the Tigers’ youth delivered.

And after the game, the first words they uttered were about their seniors – and how the only reason South Hadley has had this kind of success all season is because of their experience and selflessness.

“The [seniors are] really nice girls and they’re really good players,” Phillips said. “They’re the best teammates, the best captains.”

“We’re going to miss them next year,” Athas added.

South Hadley (22-3) is hoping it can pull off the massive upset over Cathedral – a team in search of consecutive state title No. 3 – to send its group of six seniors (Asselin, Caitlin Dean, Gurek, Soderbaum, Tahlia Asarese and Sophia Butler) out in style.