The student section poured over into the aisles of the stands, full of students showing their school spirit and supporting their fellow Riverhawks. Students dressed in white for the whiteout themed game and waved light up sticks in the air to show their support. This display of community set the tone for the rest of the night.
This season marks Coach Archambault’s second season as the Varsity Boys Basketball coach at Farmington High School (FHS). After coaching at Canton for 12 years, Archambault made the switch to FHS.
“Before coming to coach at Farmington, I had heard about the Farmington-Avon Taft Cup rivalry, but I didn’t realize just how big it was until coaching in my first Taft Cup game last season,” reflected Archambault. “Rivalry games are always a blast to be a part of, but more importantly, the game had a lot of implications for our team and for our season. I was proud that the boys played well and retained the Taft Cup for the 9th straight time.”
The Taft Cup game is one of the most highly anticipated games of the season. The team not only wanted to leave the court with the trophy, but also wanted to guarantee their spot in the CCC tournament.
“We needed the game to clinch a spot in the CCC Tournament as well as improve our seeding for the state tournament. Our strategy was to continue to play good team basketball, winning the rebounding and turnover war, and playing smart for 32 minutes – which we did,” said Archambault.
The boys started the game off being neck and neck with Avon, both teams fighting for the lead. The team solidified their lead in the third quarter of the game. Senior Angelo Maccarone had a breakaway down the court that resulted in a basket which was followed up with Sophomore Chase Becker’s shot. These monumental back to back plays solidified FHS’ lead. The bench exploded, players and fans alike cheering for their team’s success.
At the final buzzer, the scoreboard read 63-48 and the gym exploded with fans running onto the court to congratulate the team. This game was special not just because of the rivalry, but also because it was the team’s Senior Night. Maccarone, the sole senior, lifted the Taft Cup, solidifying his legacy on the Boys Basketball team. Maccarone had 32 points, his career high and also had his first in-game dunk.
“I am most proud that our one Senior, Angelo Maccarone, got to play possibly his final home game and Taft Cup game in front of a crowd like that. His performance was arguably the single greatest individual senior night performance in FHS history and certainly one that I have not seen before,” shared Archambault.
