Bishop Fenwick is used to competing for state championships. The Crusaders made back-to-back MIAA Division 3 semifinal runs in 2021-22 and 2022-23 (with a 2023 championship appearance). And even when the MIAA banned them from the state tournament in 2023-24, the Crusaders still were a consensus top-five team during the regular season.
That made last winter challenging. Head coach Adam DeBaggis knew it would be somewhat of a rebuilding year. But it never felt like the Crusaders could get on track during a 10-12 season that ended with a Div. 2 Round of 16 loss to top-seeded Medfield.
"It was up and down the whole way. That (consistency) never really came like it does sometimes," DeBaggis said. "Actually, I think that Medfield game was probably our best-played game (and) our toughest, most mentally tough game. That's the one I'm most proud of, because we did have some ups and downs."
Bishop Fenwick is back in Division 3 this year and returns one of the MIAA's dynamic duos. Here's why there's buzz about a leap back to title contention.
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Caitlin Boyle is asserting herself
The big question entering last season was how Bishop Fenwick would move on from the star impact of center Cecilia Kay, now a sophomore at St. Joseph's. Boyle in particular would have a lot on her shoulders given her position in the frontcourt at 6-foot-2.
She lived up to the responsibility, averaging 16.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while shooting 55.2 percent from the floor. DeBaggis also noticed Boyle take on more of a leadership role as a junior on a young team.
"I hear her talking so much on defense — I mean, more than anyone, and she's a quiet person, so it's hard for those kids that are innately quiet to just kind of open up. It's taken years," he said. "The word confidence — it's a proof-of-confidence-type thing. She definitely now knows that this is her team, her and Celia, and that she has to be that person."
Boyle enters senior year with a Division commitment in hand to Stonehill. She can stretch the floor and handle the ball as a forward, but especially in high school, her advantage comes with her size and skill around the basket. DeBaggis wants to see Boyle be more consistently tough, both to dominate inside and to give her team a go-to bucket when needed.
"That might be one small thing she needs to know going forward, is that there might be times where we just need her to score," he said. "I think that happened organically last year — she sort of realized that a few times."
Celia Neilson sets the tone
Boyle's Division 1-caliber teammate, both at Bishop Fenwick and MCW Starz, is the 6-foot Neilson. She's an interesting complement to Boyle; Neilson bullies opponents as the Crusaders' lead guard and can muscle her way to the basket and finish with flair. DeBaggis even compared her to a football player stylistically.
"(What) she's still got to work on, and we've got to watch out for, is her getting in foul trouble, because she'll get offensive fouls just from driving," DeBaggis said. "I don't want to stop her from doing that — it's just something to be careful of, and (she) can't be in foul trouble."
Neilson is likely headed to a mid-major, having recently taken an official visit to Central Connecticut State. She and Boyle will be one of few Div. 1 commits paired up in MIAA this season. Unlike the quieter Boyle, Neilson is a fiery, intense competitive leader in a similar vein to the graduated Kay. DeBaggis worked with Neilson last year on channeling that competitive spirit positively on a young team trying to grow.
"Celia embraced the role of "now this is our team," and I think she might have put a little too much pressure on herself sometimes, but overall, I can't stress enough how great it is to have a player like that with that type of intensity," DeBaggis said. "You just can't teach it, and it's kind of rare for girls to have it, but it's such a positive for her."
Developing the supporting cast
Like last year, Bishop Fenwick's most pressing question is how the supporting cast rounds out behind its two stars. But after a year of growing pains, this roster looks more ready to contend.
Junior Kyleigh Pidgeon stood out during Bishop Fenwick's run to their bracket championship game at the Wally Seaver Invitational in July. Her perimeter shooting and ability to attack off of drives are two important attributes next to Boyle and Neilson.
"She is a budding leader too — another person that talks so much on the court and has zero negatives with her attitude and work ethic," DeBaggis said. "She can shoot outside and score inside a little bit, pretty good passer, pretty good ball-handler."
Pidgeon leads three 2027 players with clear growth potential along with Abby Jenkins and Reese Spurchise. DeBaggis also mentioned senior captain Brittney Figulski as a breakout contributor to watch. With so much changing in the state divisional hierarchy this season following MIAA realignment, Bishop Fenwick looks like a Division 3 frontrunner with Catholic Central League rival Cathedral and others.
DeBaggis knows his teams will defend. But he allowed many of his less experienced players to learn through mistakes during last winter's bumpy ride. The expectation is those lessons will pay off this year.
"Some of those kids that got a lot of playing time — they earned that time, but the goal in leaving them out there through the mistakes is that it'll show fruition during the next year. And that's this year," he said.
