RallyNorth.net

When it comes to athletics, Rockport High School is fighting an uphill battle.

Rockport's total enrollment for all of its high school students is routinely less than 400 year-in and year-out, a number that is far less than some of the larger schools that play alongside the Vikings boys and girls basketball teams in the Cape Ann League. Thus, talent and depth is difficult to come by on the hardwood for Rockport, which sits in the basement of the CAL standings in both boys and girls hoops.

The Manchester Essex girls basketball team will be heading into the state tournament on a very positive note.

In their final regular season game against rival Rockport last night, the Hornets rolled to a 53-35 victory and picked up their third straight victory. The win was also the team's sixth in their last seven games. At 12-8, Manchester Essex feels good about its position as it waits for its tourney seeding.

When you play in a conference as tough as the Cape Ann League and you don't have any seniors on your team, odds are there will be some lopsided scores from time to time.

Rockport (2-8, 0-6) continued to experience growing pains as it fell 55-12 to visiting North Andover (6-5, 4-2).

The host Vikings were no match for the powerful Chieftains (5-1, 2-0), arguably the best girls team on the North Shore and one of the top Cape Ann League squads. Masconomet senior center Caroline Stewart (who's headed to Boston University to play basketball) had a game-high 19 points. Rockport (1-4) got strong performances from sophomore guard Rebeccah Tibert (11 points including three 3-pointers) and junior forward and captain Emily Hurst (6 points).

The Rockport girls basketball team will not be going into the holiday break the way they would've like to.

That's because the Vikings happened to catch Amesbury on a night when the Indians played near-perfect basketball en route to a dominating 61-18 victory last night.

Experience is a coveted thing in high school sports.

If you can couple that with talent then you have a deadly combination as the Rockport girls basketball team found out last night. They hosted Cape Ann League Small rival Georgetown, who boasted all five returning starters (although one is out with an injury) from a team that went 14-8 last season. The Royals led from start to finish in an impressive 60-24 win.

Last year's record: 5-16 (lost to New Mission, 65-45, in Division 4 North first round)

Coach: Steve O'Connor

Key returnees: Tia Nelson (Capt.), Jr., center; Emily Hurst (Capt.), Jr., forward; Jess Dunn, Jr., forward; Hannah Evans, So., guard; Lyla Roth, So., guard/forward; Morgan Weir, So., forward.