HOLDEN — No one need remind Wachusett Regional High School junior Mary Gibbons that determination, tenacity and just plain old-fashioned hard work are what it takes to be successful in her chosen sport of basketball. They all come together quite viscerally thanks to her commitment to the game, coupled with bountiful influence from within her home. Today she is arguably one of the best, the real deal, and a fan favorite at games both home and away.
“What I tell everyone is that basketball is kind of like the family business,” said Gibbons, smiling. “My grandfather (Bill Gibbons) was a coach; he coached my dad and my uncle, and my parents played. Everyone in my family either plays or coaches, so I was heavily influenced when I was a little kid. I knew that I loved the game and wanted to play it for the rest of my life.”
Gibbons is the daughter of WRHS boys’ varsity basketball head coach Tom Gibbons, widely considered one of the best in the business, and mom Amanda, herself a former multisport athlete. His tutelage to his three daughters (Sophie, a freshman on the varsity team, and youngest daughter Lucy, who competes at the middle school level) provides invaluable coaching at home, allowing the girls to better grasp the nuances and fundamentals of the sport.
“My dad’s been my coach ever since the third grade, and he’s been such a big impact on my life, pushing me to come shoot with him,” said Gibbons, who hails from Holden. “He’s always supported me regardless of what the situation was. Recruiting can be so stressful, and he’s been a big support system for me. He’s always been by my side. I always had him to talk to, and he gives the best advice.”
That advice has recently been put to sound use, as earlier this year Gibbons received an offer to compete for the U.S. Naval Academy. She will finish her high school career at Wachusett in 2024 and head to Annapolis shortly thereafter.
“Right at the beginning of school, we got a Zoom call from the (Navy) head coach, and he offered me a position on the team,” Gibbons said. “It was so amazing, so cool, and I was in shock. That was one of the best moments of my life, to get a verbal offer. I couldn’t picture myself at any other school. I knew that I could be recruited by other schools, but I didn’t want to go anywhere else. My family and I talked it over, and we agreed that I would commit.”
In late January/early February she did just that.
“It’s just been amazing. I consider myself a leader on the court and off the court. The Naval Academy is one of the most prestigious schools in the country, where I can be a leader academically, on the court and also in general as a person. A major factor looking into it is that I want to become a leader. I love that role and being surrounded by people like me with the same mentality.
“Selecting the Naval Academy was the toughest decision of my life, and it was very emotional to me when I had to call the Army coach.” Gibbons had received an offer to commit to Army as well. “When you’re being recruited, you create so many strong relationships with these coaches. Definitely one factor in the decision was that part of my family lives 15 minutes from the school. Also, the location is beautiful, and the people there are so fantastic. That’s what made the decision.”
Among Gibbons’ accomplishments and achievements include being the Central Mass. Division 1 leading scorer in her 20202021 freshman season, a Worcester T&G Super Team all-star, and a summer 2021 USA Basketball All-American. As a sophomore, she helped lead Wachusett to a 23-1 record and was the leading Division 1 scorer, averaging 16.9 points per game, and was named Mid Wach A League MVP. In 2022, she was named a T&G Super team all-star and topped it off by being selected as one of the Worcester County people to watch in that same year. She currently leads all Mid-Wach A scorers with 18.4 points per game average, which includes an astounding 36 three-pointers as of this writing.
“Mary’s right up there with some of the best shooters we’ve had here,” said Oxford. “She’s tremendous as a shooter, but her game has gotten better with driving to the basket. She’s now not just a shooting threat, but she’s going to take it to the rim as well. She’s a great defensive rebounder and a really smart kid who has a great attitude. Mary’s a great teammate, very positive. Her presence on the court makes us better.”
“I’m a very hard worker, and I feel that was important. Some aspects of the game came easy to me,” she explained. “I feel like I’m a pretty fast player, but my shooting, my defense and all the other aspects came from being in the gym for countless hours. It didn’t come easy. I had to put in a lot of time and effort. I was always at my dad’s practices for high school, and I was always on the side courts shooting with my sisters. Basketball has surrounded all aspects of my life.
“I really love that I’m able to play this game at a higher level. Once I knew that I loved the game and wanted to play, I knew I had to take that massive step and get better if I wanted to accomplish that goal. High school is so much different than AAU (she began playing on AAU teams beginning in third grade), where you travel all across the country. You see all these really good players, and it’s cool to see so much talent from across the country. It’s humbling at some points, but then I realize that I can be like that if I keep pushing myself to be what I want to be.
“I get an adrenaline rush when I first take to the floor for games. I tell myself I’m ready for this. I have to remind myself that I can’t be nervous. I’m hungry to play this game and I’m going to be the best player on the court. I remind myself that I’m at the same level as these other girls. I have like a tiger mentality. I just want to go out and win.
Gibbons knows that the physical side of the game must be balanced with the mental.
“People don’t always look at the mental part of it. You have to be tough, but a major part of basketball is that you have to be mentally tough as well, and I feel like that gets brushed to the side sometimes. You can’t let it get in your head. You can’t be a shell of yourself, because that can affect your play on the court.”
Gibbons, a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society, is also a championship level Irish step dancer. She closed this interview with a sense of deep pride to have been a Mountaineer for her entire high school career.
“I’m so proud to go to this school, and I’m proud to be coached by Ox (head coach Jim Oxford) and the other coaches. This is a great program to be a part of, and I’m proud because we’ve helped build a winning program.
“I’m so proud to put on the Wachusett jersey. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now.”
