Burke, Charlestown advance to boys title showdown
Every year, the Boston City League basketball championship delivers its fair share of highlights, from high-flying dunks to buzzer beaters.
It might be a brand new era with the recent coaching changes at Burke. However, the winning tradition has simply carried on for the Bulldogs, with some assistance from Jaeden Roberts. The junior shooting guard erupted in his latest performance, finishing with a team-high 24 points as Burke clinched its third straight trip to the finals with a wild 71-66 win over rival East Boston on Wednesday.
“The start of this game gave you a glimpse of who we are,” said Burke coach Joe Chatman. “If we can maintain that, I’m confident that we can beat anybody in the state. The biggest thing that I need them to understand is that when you are going like that, the other team is not going to quit. … Those kids fought back with pride. So it’s a good thing, it taught us how to persevere.”
The game was a matchup between BCL powers. For much of the opening half, Burke appeared unstoppable. At one point, the Bulldogs held a 28-2 edge through one quarter. Then, the Jets began to slowly chip away. The Bulldogs watched their lead wilt to 69-66 following a put-back by East Boston’s Javon Wise Normill in the final minute.
With only seconds to go, however, Roberts iced things with a free throw. Burke (163) also received great performances from Jaeshawn Rogers (15 points, five rebounds) and Gerald Banks (12 points).
Senior guard Draggo Tejada Feliz paced East Boston (15-6) in scoring (17 points), while senior forward Christian Sanders added a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds).
“(A title) would mean everything to us,” Chatman said. “To be a city champion is a bragging right. Obviously, the ultimate goal is to be a state champion, but you can’t accomplish one without the other first. We think we have a real shot.”
In the nightcap, sophomore star Jaylen HunterColeman proved to be a catalyst, sinking a whopping 38 points as Charlestown overcame an early 10-point deficit en route to punching a ticket to the finals for a second straight year with a 7447 drubbing of Latin Academy.
For much of the early going, the Townies (16-2) struggled to find any semblance of an offensive rhythm and contain Latin Academy freshman center Krem Amparo. Charlestown trailed 16-6 through one quarter.
Then, in a symbolic twist, Hunter-Coleman opted to remove a set of goggles he had tried out to open the action. Meanwhile, the Townies switched to a full-court press for which the Dragons simply had no answer.
“Usually I don’t wear goggles,” chuckled Hunter-Coleman. “But my eyesight isn’t that bad, so I decided to try them out. I’m just not used to it yet, so I just took them off, and played how I play.”
Charlestown closed the half on a 21-4 run, seizing a 29-22 advantage at the break. Hunter-Coleman added six steals for his team, while junior Jaylin WilliamsCrawford registered a double-double (14 points, 12 rebounds).
Amparo carried Latin Academy (14-6) with a 19-point effort.
The win sets up a championship rematch between the Townies and Bulldogs.
“It always feels good to be in this position,” said Charlestown coach Hugh Coleman. “From my early days here as an assistant, to my early head coaching days at Brighton, to being back here. It feels good because I think it’s a testament to the hard work, and the dedication of everyone. Not only the coaching staff, but the kids (as well).”