A new day, a new Oakmont girls' varsity basketball team
By Sean Sweeney Journal Correspondent

"...So while you're here, enjoy the view, keep on doing what you do, hold on tight, we'll muddle through One Day At A Time (One Day At A Time)."

Ever since Jeff O'Neill - the former boys' basketball coach at North Middlesex, St. Bernard's and St. Peter-Marian - took over the Oakmont girls' basketball team last year, it has been a one-dayat a-time thing for the young ladies in the green and gold. Last Friday, the One Day At A Time Gang qualified for the Central Mass. Division 2 Sectional Tournament for the first time in two years with a 59-29 win over Murdock.

The Spartans (10-6) finished 3-17 last season. In 2005, the record wasn't much better, but due to the MIAA's rules that automatically qualify the second-place team in a particular conference, the Spartans qualified but decided against playing in the postseason, O'Neill said.

In 2004, Oakmont qualified for the tournament but only played one game before being eliminated.

"I'm really, really proud of them," gushed O'Neill prior to this past Tuesday's game with Lunenburg, a 61-36 loss. "In two years they've come so far and worked so hard. They've had great senior leadership and camaraderie. They are a team that has come together."

Leading the Spartans this year has been a core group of seven seniors: Tracy Letourneau, Oakmont's vaunted sharp-shooter, Rebecca Robidoux, who led ORHS on Tuesday with 12 points, Stacy Watt, Allie Mohnk, Julia Ham, Kayla Shank, and Emily Mahoney.

"Those girls have done a great job and have assumed a leadership role," said O'Neill. "Tracy, Rebecca, Stacy and Allie have been outstanding, and Julia, Kayla and Emily have been great role players, coming off the bench to spell them."

O'Neill also complimented the play of sophomores Colleen Doherty and Sally Leger; Leger scored 10 points in last Friday's triumph over the Blue Devils.

"Colleen just does her thing; she runs the offense and is just quick as a cat. When you do a lot of pressing, you need quick guards, and she and Stacy Watt compliment each other," he said.

In recent years, Division 2 has been the smallest bracket of all six Central Mass. tournaments. This year looks like it will be status quo, as the Spartans are one of four Division 2 squads that have already qualified for the tournament. That means that as of Tuesday night, all four have tickets punched for the semifinals at WPI.

However, that may change within the next week or so.

Millbury (15-1) and Uxbridge (11-4) of the Southern Worcester County League-Eastern Division are currently the top two seeds. Tonight's opponent, Clinton (10-5), has also reserved its spot in the mid-winter classic. Two other teams - Northbridge and St. Bernard's - are on the cusp of qualifying. Should those two qualify, Oakmont will more than likely play a quarterfinal round game the first weekend in March.

Oakmont will now try to move up in the tournament with four games remaining. After tonight's match-up with the Gaels in Clinton, the Spartans host Division 1 Fitchburg on Tuesday before traveling to arch-nemesis Gardner next Thursday.

They'll wrap up the regular season on Feb. 20 with a home engagement with Division 3 Ayer, then wait three days to find out who they will play in the tournament. O'Neill and the Spartans hope to make their stay in the tournament last a little longer than in previous years.

"Unfortunately, we have a tough road to the end. Hopefully we can manage a few wins to improve our standing in the division. We just have to take it one day at a time; we've gained confidence as the season has progressed. With the confidence we have, we can do anything," O'Neill said.

And with that confidence, O'Neill's charges are out to prove that this isn't it for the 2006-07 season.