The Reading Rockets Toughed Through a Challenging Season

Anything can happen in high school sports, especially in the highly competitive Middlesex League.

Although the boys' basketball team was picked to win the league by the , the season had its' share of ups and downs—from devastating one-point losses, to an upset of one of the most elite teams in the division.

The Rockets took the court back on Dec. 14, 2010 to take on the Winchester Sachems for their . A one-point overtime win to start off the season is a real morale booster, but a one-point overtime loss can be quite an unpleasant way for a season to get underway.

Reading dropped the contest, 52-51, in front of its' home fans despite making a late comeback to send the game into extra minutes.

Just three days later, the Rockets took the court once again, this time in Watertown to face the . In a heartbreaking turn of events, the outcome was nearly identical to game one: a one-point loss, 63-62.

Not letting the string of bad luck get to them, Reading was determined to pull out on Dec. 21, 2010 back at the Hawkes Field House. Although another close game ensued, this time the Rockets came out on the right side of the final score, 75-71.

The Rockets became no strangers to very close contests, as another three games resulted in Reading victories by a scoring gap of just one to two points. Every matchup in the Middlesex League seemed to result in a dogfight, a testiment to the elite skill level of the players on each and every competing team.

Reading also found themselves in another overtime situation back on Feb. 15, 2011, but this time they wouldn't go home empty handed. They went on a scoring spree in the extra time to secure a 56-49 victory over Wakefield. It was junior forward Jerry Ellis-Williams who came up big in the victory, registering 20 points.

The Rockets were unable find their stride during the season, never able to string together more than two wins at a time. Reading also suffered a three-game losing streak, falling to Woburn, Stoneham, and Winchester mid-season.

Despite their struggles, the Rockets snapped their losing streak in style when they shocked everyone and , 61-52, on Jan. 25, 2011. The Red Raiders were with a perfect 10-0 record before Reading handed them their first loss of the season.

It was Ellis-Williams and Kenny Reed who shined in the win, scoring a staggering 20 points a piece. Watertown's star player, Marco Coppola, scored 30 points on the night, but it wasn't enough to maintain his team's winning ways.

The Rockets closed out the regular season with a record of 9-10, just meeting the minimum requirements to qualify for the MIAA North Divison 2 tournament. Reading (No. 15) took on second-ranked New Mission on Mar. 3, 2011 in the first round.

The Rockets found themselves outmatched, despite a 19-point game by Ellis-Williams, resulting in a tournament stint. Reading's season ended with the 61-43 loss.

Reed (sophomore guard) and Ellis-Williams (junior forward) were constantly the team's scoring-leaders, while senior guard Trey Jones also found himself locking in big numbers for the Rockets.

Jones was "suspended indefinitely" from the team mid-way through the season. Reading coach Paul Morrissey had no comment on the suspension.

Other seniors whose high school basketball careers came to a close this past season include co-captains Brian Bourque and Conor Sheehan, Rob McHugh, Matt Dente, and Phil Bruno.

The Rockets will have to wait until next winter to make another run for a title, but with promising returners like Reed and Ellis-Williams wearing Reading jerseys there will be plenty to look forward to.