Leo Kirk joins the 1,000-point club

It’s something that has happened countless times: Leo Kirk received a pass from his ever-reliable guard, Dmani Williams, set his feet and knocked down a 3-pointer.

This time, though, the shot meant a little more. With his 3-pointer at the 6:37 mark of the second quarter in Weston’s Feb. 27 state tournament matchup against Stoneham High School, Kirk etched his name into an exclusive Weston basketball club. He, along with 15 other players in the history of the school’s boys and girls basketball programs, had scored 1,000 points.

It was like any other shot for Kirk, who gave a low-key high-five to Williams for his assist and jogged back down the court to play defense. The celebration only began after students threw rolls of toilet paper onto the court, prompting officials to pause the game and allowing time for Kirk’s Wildcat teammates to hug him.

“It’s definitely a great feeling in the moment – obviously I wish it came on a night that we won. It felt good to do it, especially with all the kids I’ve played with since I was in fourth grade,” Kirk said in an interview. “I know it says my name on the banner, but a lot of it is due to the guys around me.”

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The milestone came on a mixed bag night for the Wildcats, who fell to Stoneham in their opening playoff game, 65-60. At the same time, there was Kirk’s individual achievement, as well as the culmination of the best boys basketball season in a quarter-century – a 16-4 regular season, its highest playoff seed in two decades and a Dual-County League championship.

Kirk said the years of basketball he and his teammates have played together led to their success. The key to both his and Weston’s success was strong passing, as his teammates were great at pulling down rebounds and firing off outlet passes to generate quick points.

“It’s nice to be a part of a team where they’re always looking out,” he said. “This year it just clicked … A lot of the kids on the team are my best friends that I’ve known my whole life. I know how they play, and they know how I play.”

Kirk and Williams were named to the All-League Team; junior Brode Kohler and sophomore Rob Bullock were named Foley League All-Stars; and Coach Patrick Watson was named DCL Coach of the Year.

“Our senior group has been amazing this season, and that’s shown through their effort and the success they achieved,” Watson said. “We fell short to a really good Stoneham team in a game that could have gone either way at the end.”

Watson said he has been “lucky to have the privilege” of coaching Kirk, adding the outgoing senior is an “amazing human being” who has inspired his teammates to work just as hard.

“Leo’s milestone is well-deserved. His hard work and dedication has been instrumental in our collective success,” Watson said. “He is always the first in the gym and the last out on a daily basis, no matter what time of the year. He has been the most influential organizer of offseason improvement activities and is driven to ensure the people around him succeed.”

With his senior season wrapped up, Kirk is preparing to take the next step this summer and fall, as he is slated to attend St. Bonaventure University in western New York, where he hopes to continue playing basketball.

“I’m super grateful,” he said. “Obviously the season didn’t end how I wanted it, but I’m grateful I got to play for Weston for all four years.”