St. John Bosco aiming for back-to-back Trinity League titles, adding CIF crowns
BELLFLOWER ❯❯ St. John Bosco wants to win multiple CIF championships during the upcoming basketball season but it all begins in the Trinity League.
Bosco, the reigning Trinity League champion, is coming off a 26-7 record last season, highlighted by a runner-up finish in the CIF-SS Open Division. The Braves suffered a heartbreaking 58-56 loss to Corona Centennial in the final on a buzzer-beating dunk.
The Braves went 9-1 in league play and snapped Mater Dei's streak of 34 straight Trinity League titles before the postseason.
“It's an incredible accomplishment in any sport,” St. John Bosco coach Matt Dunn said. “We're certainly celebrating a football championship in the Trinity League.
“It's such an incredible league in every sport, so any time you get to hang a banner, that's pretty special. You know you've had a pretty special team and a special year.”
Bosco's first goal is to win back-toback Trinity League titles.
“That's definitely the goal,” said sophomore guard Brandon McCoy Jr., a fivestar recruit according to ESPN and 247Sports. “I feel like Trinity League is a hard league, so winning it means a lot and it will prepare us for playoffs.”
“Winning this year, winning next year is always the goal,” said Braves junior guard Elzie Harrington, a four-star recruit according to ESPN.
Bosco's Trinity League campaign last season was highlighted by a 21-point comeback win at home against rival Mater Dei, which came in the midst of the team winning 12 of 15 games in a two-month span.
St. John Bosco junior forward Kade Bonam says winning another Trinity League title is a foundational step in the team's journey toward this season's CIF-SS and CIF State Open Division championships.
“I think it's really important,” said Bonam, a four-star recruit according to ESPN. “It will direct us on the right path.”
Bosco's lone senior to participate in Thursday's Trinity League media day was guard Jack Turner, who is committed to Loyola of Chicago. One of the team's most heralded players, he's the only one who will not get another opportunity to win a CIF title after this season.
“It's my last year so for sure the urgency is there,” Turner said. “I don't have any ring at all so winning it with this team and with the guys I love would mean everything and that's the goal for this year.
“I think we're going to get it done.” Dunn said he wants his team's identity to be centered around an aggressive defensive mindset.
“I think we're pretty athletic for our league so any opportunity we can use that,” Dunn said. “I think it's been really successful for us on the defensive end and that's the growth I would like to see for this team from this year compared to last year.
“Obviously, we return a lot of guys. I would like for us to get more efficient on the offensive end. I think that's a big growth step we can take, and I think if we do that, then obviously we'll be able to present challenges with our athleticism on both sides of the floor.”
McCoy, Harrington, Bonam, and Turner all say they believe they can be better players this season.
“I want to show that I'm a better floor general than I was last year,” said McCoy, who is ranked as the No. 1 point guard in the nation in the Class of 2026. He averaged 8.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 steals, 1.3 blocks and 1.3 assists per game in 15 games last season.
“This year I have the ball in my hands more than I did last year so I want to show that I'm a really good point guard. And my defense has gotten even better than it was last year.”
“For me, probably my leadership,” Harrington said as to how he can improve. “That's one of the biggest things I've heard with recruitment stuff, just being a better leader vocally and by example. Also, that I'm a shot maker.”
“Consistency,” Bonam said. “I have off and on games sometimes, but over the summer it's been more consistent . ...
“For me this year, it's to show that I'm a winner and win games this year,” Turner said. “Like Kade said, stay more consistent. Sometimes I might just be a scorer or affect the game in a bunch of different ways to prepare me for the next level.”