Team approach prevails
Defense, passing fuel Devils
For the first time during his career at Randolph, Kalon Jenkins’ players did not participate in a summer or fall league this past offseason. As a result, when they showed up for tryouts on Nov. 26, it was the first time Jenkins saw his kids on the same court together in nearly eight months.
IN THE PAINT
“I honestly had no idea what to expect,” Jenkins said. “I was saying all offseason to coaches, ‘I have no idea what we’re going to be like.’ The first time I knew what I had was November 26th. The mix just came together right away. Its been fun.”
While Jenkins may not have had any preconceived notions, the results have been more than what the Blue Devils could have dreamed about. Entering the weekend Randolph was 16-1, in line to grab the top seed in Division 2 South, and already the South Shore League’s Sullivan Division champ. Throughout the season they have picked up key wins including season sweeps of Abington, Cohasset and Norwell.
At the heart of the Blue Devils’ success is their ability to use their length and ball pressure to turn defensive stops into transition points. On seven separation occasions they have scored 70 points or more including an 84-point showing versus the Green Wave.
“This is a really good, unselfish basketball team,” Jenkins said. “Athletically, in my 10 years at Randolph, this is the best team I’ve had. I’m not sure it’s close. When we are able to force turnovers we are able to quickly generate points in transition. That’s what’s important. Plus, we are a terrific passing team. Overall, I really just enjoy watching our kids play.”
Captain Derrick Revolus is the Blue Devil’s starting quarterback in the fall and has taken those leadership talents to the hardwood. Despite barely being six feet tall, John Johnson has still served as an effective rebounder and on-ball defender. Junior Jamarii Robinson has shown he can take over with his ability to pile up rebounds on the offensive glass and finish through contact.
Donnie Smith, meanwhile, has emerged as a premiere ‘glue guy’, with an ability to impact the game in a bevy of ways including putting up an 18-point performance in the Blue Devils most recent win over the Clippers.
Raiders on roll
Central Catholic is certainly no stranger to the top of the standings in Division 1 North.
Just last season the Raiders put together their second consecutive impressive season totaling 21 victories and adding a sectional title before ultimately falling to Braintree in the state semifinals. As the tournament draws closer there is plenty of reason to believe they may not quite be ready to give up its sectional crown.
Standing at 14-3 through Thursday night the Raiders had already clinched the Merrimack Valley Conference Large Division with a 13-0 record in league play. Senior five-foot-eight guard and Merrimack commit Kaylee Thomas is one of the premiere players in the state with her ability to score from all over the floor.
Nadeshka Bridgewater and Claire Finnery combine with Thomas to form a dynamic three-headed monster that makes the Raiders a matchup nightmare for opponents. Defensively, the Raiders have been stellar, holding opposing teams to 40 points or fewer nine times this season.
Eagles find way
Throughout his tenure at BC High, Bill Loughnane has entered the season with a vivid picture of how the season would unf. But as the season got underway even the 35-year head coach had a multitude of questions about the direction his young team was headed.
After weeks of searching, Loughnane and the Eagles finally found answers. With a 56-53 win over St. John’s Prep last Friday, BC High earned a share of the Catholic Conference title with Catholic Memorial and clinched a spot in the state tournament. The league title is the eighth for BC High during Loughnane’s 15 seasons at the helm.
For most of the early part of the season the Eagles struggled to finish as they lost a pair of games to Lincoln-Sudbury and Xaverian in which they held seven-point leads with fewer than three minutes to play.
“We are a very inexperienced team seen by the fact we had a total of 48 points returning for last year,” Loughnane said. “We played everyone tough at beginning of the season but we weren’t able to finish. With each game we have gotten more confidence and it shows with our execution at the end of games.”
Following a blowout loss to the Hawks back on Jan. 25, however, BC High hit a groove. Buoyed by six-footeight center Ozzy Trapilo the Eagles used their dominance on the glass to rattle off four straight wins including completing a regular season sweep of their rival Knights. During the winning streak, Trapilo averaged 11 points and 15 rebounds per game. The Eagles’ two seniors — forwards Noah Rothhaar and Kevin Keenan — were also crucial during the run. Their efforts helped BC High out-rebound their opponents by 72 over the four-game span.
“Noah and Kevin have brought leadership and maturity to the team,” Loughnane said. “They lead by example, showing up everyday and working to improve the team. They have been great with the younger guys, helping them through a long season that could have been a lot different if not for their guidance.”