The 2023-24 season was historic for the Norwell girls basketball team.
After dropping their opening game against Sandwich, the Clippers rattled off 23 straight victories. They surged all the way to their first state championship appearance since 1989, and though they lost 66-43 to a powerhouse in Foxboro, they proved they belong among the state's elite.
"I think all the kids dream about it, and to get there and to see this is doable — the other teama are just other high school girls as well — and we belong in this mix," Marani said. "I think that reality probably didn't set in until it was a little too late in the state finals."
Norwell is out to reach the peak this winter. The top six players in the rotation have returned, led by a pair of star seniors. Here's what we can expect from the Clippers.
Maddie Oliver and Reagan Dowd have senior synergy
Early in her high school career, Oliver faced the comparisons to her older sister. Grace Oliver, now a freshman at Colorado, dominated at Norwell for three years before reclassifying and transferring to Nobles in 2022. But Maddie Oliver has since carved her own legacy as one of the best players in program history, eclipsing 1,000 points in last year's state championship game.
"It's awesome to hear about the way she talks about basketball, whereas early on it was often all these comparisons to her big sister and what skills she should work on," Marani said. "She just seems comfortable with who she is, the style of basketball she's playing, (and) that she doesn't have to overplay. She can let the game come to her. It's like things are slowed down for her."
Oliver, a 5-foot-11 wing, brings versatility with her combination of handle, strength and shotmaking, particularly when she drives the basketball. The two-time South Shore League MVP averaged 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game last season.
"She's a matchup nightmare," Marani said. "So if they go big on her, she's now a guard, and she can handle like a point guard. If they go little on her, I send her right to the block. The decisions usually come through Reagan, but the game then goes from Reagan to Maddie."
Dowd is the floor general, a 5-foot-8 combo guard generating Division 3 college interest. She flew under the radar up until the state tournament, when she drilled a combined 9 of 14 3-point attempts in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Dowd then turned in a strong AAU summer with MT Ducks Elite.
"She is in charge of your team when they're on the court, and she has taken hold of that role," Marani said. "And I think from a competition standpoint, she plays with such physicality that you're never gonna miss Reagan, and she also makes such good decisions."
Marani has such trust in Dowd that he'll often take her input on in-game adjustments, and they work together to maximize Oliver's impact.
"It's just an ongoing dialogue like she's one of the assistant coaches, and I trust her completely," he said. "Maddie is the one that both Reagan and I think, how can we both take advantage of Maddie's matchup? And Reagan's right there with me figuring it out."
'Holly Chaos'
Behind Oliver and Dowd, the Clippers have other seniors who play important roles. Paige Maguire broke her wrist in the season opener and returned late in the season. Marani called her one of the best athletes on his team, and she's poised for a bounce-back year.
Another senior to watch: Holly Panttila. The star lacrosse player is a high-level all-around athlete who swarms opponents on defense. With sophomore Tess Murray backing up Panttila, Norwell can wreak havoc guarding the perimeter.
"I literally have a defense I call 'Holly Chaos,'" Marani said. "I just have never had a kid who I can just kind of unleash to disrupt while dropping everyone back. I try to keep Maddie and Reagan out of foul trouble, and also keep their legs. So I basically have Holly chase multiple players on a possession, and Tess has the same level of athleticism. When Holly gets tired, Tess is going to replace her, and it would just be one after the other."
The rest of the team includes several young players with upside. Alex Cassidy emerged as a starter as freshman and Marani believes she's poised for a breakout sophomore season. Junior Heidi Warren also earned major minutes and adds another versatile presence as a 6-foot wing. Marani is also excited about the incoming freshman class, which should make winter tryouts even more competitive.
Finishing the job
One key to Norwell's extended win streak: Marani felt his squad reached a new level of consistent practice intensity. During the building years, his team worked hard, but had some missed opportunities. Now they know the effort required to reach a state final.
"You see all these memes of all these coaches in college (saying), 'I don't coach effort. I don't teach that.' Well, in high school, sometimes you have to. You have to teach that; you have to coach that," he said. "Yet I think with this group, they've learned that lesson. They know what it takes. They know how to work in the offseason. They have a drive that they they want to finish it out."
Last year's Division 3 semifinalists — Foxboro, Norwell, St. Mary's and Medway — are the preseason frontrunners, and any of them could emerge as a champion. Marani believes his players are past feeling the pressure of expectations; they have a sense of urgency to win after coming so close last year.
"Honestly, I think we just all think we should be there, so it's not even a topic," he said. "I don't mean to be cliche, but we, we want to win a state title, so to be the best, you've got to beat the best. It was awesome the last couple of years, but both ended in sadness, and they just want to win the whole thing and get the sense of what that feels like."
