HOLLIS – Hollis Brookline High School senior girls lacrosse player Paisley Broadhurst put her Cavaliers jersey on Sunday for the final time.

“It was kind of depressing at first,” she said, “but it feels good now.”

The reason for the latter is Broadhurst and four of her senior teammates were lured to the field out in front of the high school under the guise of receiving flowers and posing with their family members for pictures.

Instead, what Broadhurst, Tasha White, Victoria Bruzik, Josie Farwell and Meghan Veino experienced was a honking motorcade of cars filled with friends, teammates, and even more family members in an event organized by Cavs head coach Jim Maxwell and the rest of what would have been his players for this spring. Remember, the season was never played as the NHIAA cancelled spring sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s heartwarming to see everyone come out and support you,” Cavalier Victoria Bruzik said. “It’s been a hard time. …. it’s made us reflect on the impact of not having our season. So I think having this is really heartwarming and nice to see.”

“It’s nice to feel the support, everyone loved watching us play,” Broadhurst said. “It’s great all of our friends and family came out. It’s hard to put into words. None of us expected it.”

The way it worked was the seniors, one at a time, went to the table with their flowers, gifts, etc. and posed for pictures with their family at the side field. Then they would step forward alone at the curb as cars made a loop around the parking lot honking and waving as the players waved back.

“All the underclassmen put their heads together, and we just said, ‘We’re going to do it,'” Maxwell said. “We dropped off the uniform to each senior with a note asking them to come to the field at 5 p.m. for some social distancing pictures.”

Did they suspect anything?

“I knew something was going on, but I didn’t know much. I was just told to wear my uniform and bring my family,” Bruzik said.

“I’m speechless,” White said. “I love everyone here and it’s the best way to end my season. I’m so astonished it’s amazing, I’m just so grateful for all our friends and family who are out here supporting us on this hard day for us.”

Hard, because that truly means the end.

“It hit hard before, but unfortunately we have to make the best (of not having a season),” White said.

For Farwell, it was even more of a special day – her 18th birthday. It’s one she won’t forget anytime soon.

“Yes, definitely,” she said, adding it was strange and sad to put the jersey on one last time. “It’s such weird times right now, it’s kind of hard to celebrate a birthday, but this was really nice of everyone.”

Cavs senior Meghan Veino was very surprised. “I didn’t expect all my friends to be here,” she said. “It’s sad (not to play), especially because it’s our senior season.”

Maxwell was elated with the way things turned out. “I’m glad it wasn’t just the lacrosse people that came out,” he said. “There were a lot of friends from school, a lot of other kids I didn’t expect to be here. There’s a whole bunch of cars here, and they’re sticking around, which is fantastic, for 30 minutes.”

Maxwell said that the players were surprised, “which made it fantastic. They’ve been smiling the whole time.”

The idea to give the players a fitting end to their high school careers worked.

“It’s definitely something to remember,” Bruzik said. “It gives us closure for the season.”

“I’ll never forget this feeling,” White said, “for sure.”

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