BC High captures CC title

Jordan Minor made sure

BC High left little doubt as to who the top team was in the Catholic Conference.

Behind 17 points and 17 rebounds from Minor, host BC High (17-2, 6-2) grabbed an early double-digit lead and never looked back last night, knocking off St.

John’s Prep, 66-56, to capture its first Catholic Conference title since 2009.

“We have been telling our guys rebounders are mistake eaters,” said BC High coach Bill Loughnane. “(Minor) was a beast tonight in all areas of the game and we really needed it against (the Prep’s) size.”

The Prep trailed after three quarters, 44-35, and by 12 early in the fourth, but an offensive spark midway through the stanza helped the visitors claw back in it. Matt Relihan (12 points) knocked down three free throws and, after a BC High turnover, knocked down a 3-pointer from the wing to pull within five with three minutes to play.

But Mike Vasil splashed home a trey of his own to put BC High back up eight.

The Prep had one last chance with under two minutes to play trailing by seven, but Minor came up with a loose ball and knocked down a pair of free throws to seal the win.

In nonleague action, Khalil Blair dropped 36 points as Cathedral (14-5) took down Boston English, 96-67.

In the Boston City League, Jordan Pimentel had 26 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as Madison Park (6-11) topped East Boston, 69-49. . . . Romario Ebanks registered 24 points and four steals while Kobe Smith added 17 points and 11 rebounds as O’Bryant (154) beat West Roxbury, 70-55. . . . Marquell Harris scored 21 points in a 70-64 victory for South Boston (5-13) over

Boston United. . . . Jeff Marcellus put up 20 points and 11 rebounds to nudge Boston

Latin Academy (12-4) to a 6664 victory over Burke.

In a Bay State Carey showdown, Chris Matthews had 17 points and five rebounds as Newton North (16-4) defeated Needham, 60-51, despite 30 points from Tom Shaughnessy.

In the Middlesex League, Colin McNamara put in 19 points as Arlington (17-1) defeated Winchester, 75-55. Girls basketball

Joie Grassie eclipsed the 1,500 career-point milestone, finishing with 20 points to go with 15 rebounds and seven steals, as Plymouth North (12-7) upended Hingham, 5239, in the Patriot League.

In a nonleague contest, Zoe Doherty finished with 15 points as Cohasset (14-7) defeated Boston Latin, 58-27.

In Northeastern Conference action, Paris Wilkey scored 20 points as Lynn Classical (16-5) took down

Lynn English, 45-35. Football

Xaverian named longtime defensive coordinator Al Fornaro as the new head football coach. Fornaro replaces Charlie Stevenson, who stepped down following a stellar 24-year head coaching career (206-63-1).

A 1978 graduate of Xaverian, Fornaro was hired two years later at the age of 19, calling himself the youngest assistant coach in the state. He worked up his way up the coaching ladder under Frank DeFelice and George McCabe until he became the defensive coordinator in 1983.