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his week we are unveiling our winter All-City teams to honor the best athletes of this past winter season, officially closing the book until next year.

I figured with spring sports less than a week away, I’d give one final shoutout to some of our winter teams and athletes and provide my final feedback on what we witnessed.

I feel that the biggest story of the winter was the success of our boys hockey teams, as Hendricken and the East Greenwich-Toll Gate teams won titles. Now, I wrote a fairly lengthy column on these two clubs a few weeks back, so I’ll keep it short. 

I feel that the Hawks will be the odds-on favorite next season with much of the same core returning, including both Mason and Cullen Crain. The only position that may get dicey is goaltending, as Avery Picchione and Colin Murray are each set to graduate. Other than that, Hendricken’s transition to next season will be near seamless.

As for EG-TG, the co-op will also be graduating a few key seniors but will be returning a solid core that just experienced championship glory. I am all for keeping this co-op together and in Division II to allow it to defend its title.

Our boys basketball teams were collectively excellent this season despite no championship plaques being hoisted.

Hendricken, despite falling in the finals to La Salle, actually surprised me quite a bit this year.

The Hawks fell in the semifinals last winter and seemed outmatched by Classical. The Rams were the heavy favorite this year and the Purple returned four its five starters. I felt that Hendricken was the clear number three of the bunch, with both Barrington and Central nipping at its heels. I felt the Rams and Purple were on a collision course for the finals.

Well, Hendricken steadily improved each passing game and wound up beating Classical twice in the playoffs. James Caldarella took another step forward to earn All-State honors, while Michael D’Ambra, Will Cary, Deion Ellis-Cipriano and Jakob Reyes were stellar behind him. La Salle proved to be a worthy champion by going unbeaten in the state, but Hendricken surprised me.

Ellis-Cipriano had a breakout playoff run and will be back in the mix along with Cary and D’Ambra. Not sure exactly where I’d rank Hendricken in the way-too-early list, but that trio will give the Hawks a chance to get back to the finals and win it.

Although Pilgrim was disappointed in falling in the DII quarters, this team should be proud of what it accomplished.

Dylan Vale and Carter Clifton were a top-notch 1-2 punch while Jack Cirelli, Jayden Ames and Jack Bannon provided plenty of punch as well. Vale and Clifton will be moving on next season, so the ceiling will be capped, but this Pilgrim program is becoming a steady force in DII.

Finally, Toll Gate got back into the championship mix when it reached the DIII semis and nearly won it. Of the three mentioned boys teams, the Titans will probably have the steepest climb back to the playoffs with Jack Colvin, Liam Leahy and Brayden Healy all graduating.

Damola Oremosu joined the team as a transfer and led it in points, rebounds and blocks. He will be the face of the team next year which will be a nice starting point, but the Titans will have to come up with plenty of answers to repeat its deep playoff run. 

The Pilgrim girls were our best team as they reached the DIII semis and fell in a tight matchup against eventual champion Lincoln School.

My early prediction … Pilgrim will at least reach the DIII finals next season, if not win it.

This team has so many returning players next season that it’s hard not to picture them taking another step forward. Madison Tuirok, Lia Wasilewski, Skylar Hawes are all set to be back with some kids off the bench expected to make a bigger impact as well. Lock Pilgrim in as a favorite to win it all.

I have a strong feeling that Cranston West will be making a big comeback next year after a down winter.

Leading rebounder Saniyya Chase only played in six games before falling to a leg injury to end her season. She will be back along with Kyla Buco, who is an elite shooter and scorer. A few youngsters were thrust into action including Maggie Sjovall, who became a quality starter in the process. Expect the Falcons to reemerge as a high-end DI team.

We had a few state champions on the track, including Toll Gate thrower Vanessa Jones, who also went on the win the New England title and the USA National crown in the weight throw. Track usually flies under the radar, but what Jones accomplished this winter is significant. She cemented her place as the best high school weight thrower in the United States. Coming from a small state, that’s historic. 

Our female wrestlers shined once again as Pilgrim’s Allison Patten and Toll Gate’s Victoria Salinas won their second straight championships, while Patten later took second at New Englands. The sport is continuing to grow in the state and it’s cool to see Warwick residents paving the way.

Another big-time performer this winter was Cranston West’s Gianna Desmarais, who won the gymnastics all-around title. The fact that she did it as a sophomore was incredible, and bad news for the rest of the field for the next two seasons. She has a chance to go down as Rhode Island’s best-ever high school gymnast if she continues on this trajectory. 

Lastly, the Hendricken swim team managed to win an epic state championship as it took until the final second of the final event to get the job done. The Hawks won it all without an individual champion, which shows how deep this team truly is. Tristan Jordan is one of the best swimmers in the state and will be missed next year, but the Hawks got the job done with a fairly young roster. 

That’s all, folks. See you next week as we get back outside.