By Cara Spilsbury
The scoreboard at the end of Friday night's boys basketball game may not have been what Haverhill had hoped for, but before tip off, the night was a celebration for a legend of Hillies basketball.
A 65-52 loss to Central Catholic couldn't dim the luster of the ninth annual Bobby Costello Night.
The Bobby Costello Award and scholarships were given in memory of the former Hillie captain who died of a heart attack nearly 10 years ago, at the age of 49.
This year's winner of the Bobby Costello Award for basketball achievement is Charlie Roche. Roche's name will hang on a banner through the year in the gymnasium and will be transcribed on a plaque in the lobby of the Haverhill High gymnasium.
The scholarships were given to Evan Kelleher, Mike Fantini and Steve Wholley. The scholarships are awarded to Haverhill High graduates who will be or are attending St. Anselm College, Costello's alma mater. This year's scholarship for each student was $6,000.
All the students who received the scholarship thanked the Costello family for their generosity. To date, the fund has raised more than $42,000 for scholarships in Bobby's memory.
Bobby Costello captained the 1968-69 Hillies squad. A 6-foot-1-inch forward, Costello averaged 21 points per game that season. He followed up his Hillies career by playing at St. Anselm, where he was a basketball team captain. Costello graduated from St. Anselm in 1973 and was later inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame.
Nearly half the stands were filled with members of the Costello family and friends of Bobby, as people sat shoulder to shoulder like sardines in the bleachers. Some had traveled clear across the country to be there.
Joseph Hart, Costello's longtime friend, greeted the crowd and announced the recipients. Rob Costello, Bobby's son who lives in Boston, spoke on behalf of the family as the award winner and scholarship recipients were honored.
Later, Rob Costello and his sister, Sara Reardon, who drove from New York for the event, mingled among family and friends before the start of the game. They were touched that so many people had turned out to honor their late father.
"We love it," Rob Costello said of the annual Bobby Costello night. "It has become a staple in our lives. It shows how much people really appreciated our father. It's a great night, and it keeps getting bigger and bigger. He's been gone ten years, but his memory is still so strong."
After the game, despite the Hillie loss, the extended Costello clan continued the celebration for Bobby at the Garibaldi Club in downtown Haverhill.
If you were unable to attend Friday's event, but would like to make a donation, checks can be sent to Billy Costello, P.O. Box 5248, Bradford, MA, 01835. Checks should be made payable to the Bobby Costello Scholarship Fund.
