Dorchester Bears Dominate Rematch with Madison Park Cardinals, 22-0

Written and Photographed by Nate Weitzer

The last time the Madison Park Cardinals faced the Dorchester Bears on a football field, Dorchester squeaked out a 16-14 victory in an instant classic at White Stadium. The unofficial City Championship pitted the winners of the North and South divisions against each other, two equally matched rivals who both ended up losing in their respective Super Bowl match ups (Cathedral defeated Madison Park in the 4a Super Bowl while Dorchester lost to Upper Cape in the Divison 5 Super Bowl).

However when the Cardinals hosted Dorchester on Friday, September 13th, there was nothing equal about the contest. The Bears dominated from the opening kickoff as they scored touchdowns on their first two drives and held the Cardinals to minus-11 yards in the entire first half. 

Madison Park seems to be a team in rebuilding mode. The Cardinals only returned three starters this year, and they have a total of nine upperclassmen on the 2013 roster. Conversely, Dorchester has 20 upperclassmen on the roster, including last year's Defensive Player of the Year in Leon Sealy. Head Coach Rich Moran implemented a game-plan that was designed to stop the run, and Sealy spearheaded the execution of that plan.

Leon Sealy (#9) disrupts a running play in the backfield for a loss of five yards

“We have a lot of seniors coming back,’’ Moran told the Boston Globe. “Last year, believe it or not, we were young so we played a lot of juniors, and they are all back [this year]. So when we went into camp, the kids were ready to go. They knew we could input a lot of information and things like that, so things just clicked right away.”

Johnny Mims walks in for a two-point conversion on the Bears' first drive

Junior running back Johnny Mims, a transfer from Cambridge Rindge & Latin, made a splash in his debut for the Bears. The newcomer ran for 107 yards and a touchdown on eight carries in the first half alone. He also tacked on a two-point conversion on the Bears first drive. Seniors Demetrius Leary and Trevaughn McCoy (7 rushes for 52 yards) ran for scores as well.

Travaughn McCoy (#22) runs left on a toss play in the second quarter

 At 22-0, the game was essentially over by halftime, and then in the second half, the skies opened up.

The beautiful view of Boston's skyline was obscured as Madison Park's field was enveloped in heavy rain, but the game went on. The Cardinals seemed to benefit from the adverse conditions, as they managed to earn two first downs for the first time all afternoon. Senior running back Orryan Brown ran for 26 yards in the second half, and Madison Park managed to keep the Bears out of the end zone by managing the game through field positioning.

After numerous turnovers, penalties, and some minor injuries the game, and the rain, desisted nearly simultaneously. Both teams clearly have a lot of things to work on early in the season, but the Bears seem to be the only squad of the two that is capable of repeating last year's results.

 

Patriots Barely Squeak by the Buffalo Bills: Some Takeaways

Written by: Joe Difazio

The Patriots barely made it past the Bills 23-21 thanks to a late 4th quarter field goal by Stephen Gostowski. Buffalo’s rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel - who was 18 for 27 with 2 touchdowns - looked fantastic in his NFL debut. The Patriots, despite winning, were much shakier in the season opener. Here are some things to think about before the Patriots take on the Jets Thursday night:

1. The Patriots miss Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski
While the Patriots certainly don’t miss the antics of Gronkowski or the criminal record of Hernandez, there is a lack of skill at the tight end position. Tight ends Michael Hoomanawanui and Zach Sudfeld were targeted only 3 times. Hoomanawanui finished with only 1 catch for 5 yards. Rookie Sudfeld also caused an interception by slipping on a route and only getting a hand on the ball, tipping it to Bills’ cornerback Justin Rogers. The Patriots also occasionally used an offensive lineman for blocking on the edge, perhaps signaling that the TEs can’t hold their own at the line.

2. The receivers were up and down
Danny Amendola hung tough despite aggravating a groin injury, logging an impressive 10 catches for 104 yards. We’ll want to keep an eye on that injury this week. Julian Edelman was also fantastic with 7 catches for 79 yards and 2 TDs. The rookies looked… not so good. Kenbrell Thompkins had 4 grabs but generally looked lost and Josh Boyce was a non-factor.

3. Who is going to step up at running back?
Shane Vereen ran for a career-high 101 yards and had 7 catches for 58 yards, but unfortunately he will miss a few weeks as he needs surgery to repair a broken bone in his wrist. Vereen shouldered the majority of carries because starter Stevan Ridley was riding the pine after a fumble in the 2nd quarter and a near fumble in the 1st. LeGarrette Blount didn’t make much of a splash averaging 2.1 yards on 7 attempts.

4. Not all bad, the beat goes on for New England
While there was a lot of ugly to look at, in Bill and Brady we trust. Tom Brady looked good in the season opener going 29 for 52 with 2 TDs and an interception. The defense wasn’t too shabby allowing only 14 point and 286 yards. And finally, the offensive line was phenomenal especially giving Brady lots of time down around the goal line.

New Statewide Playoff Format for High School Football

Article by: Robert Zeitz, Photo by: Nathaniel Weitzer
School has started again, and high school football resumes this weekend. East Boston will face Latin Academy Friday evening, and Brighton will be in action against Minuteman. Next week the rest of the City League as well as teams across Massachusetts will start their seasons.

The start of the season remains familiar, however the season will end very differently.

Last year the winners of City League North and City League South (Madison Park and Dorchester) each went to the playoffs. MP lost in triple OT in the Division 4A title game. Dorchester lost to Upper Cape in the D5 Super Bowl.

This year there's a new playoff format. More teams will qualify (160 total across the state), and there will be fewer State Championship games (only 6, compared to 19 last year). The playoff format is more like tournaments for other sports. And instead of regional state champions, the champions from different regions will meet in the final rounds of the playoff. All State Championship games will be played at Gillette Stadium.

Because of this larger playoff format, the regular season will end by October 27th. That's right, just 7 weeks from now.

Teams that don't qualify for the playoffs or get eliminated will still play games. There just won't be anything on the line.

This has me somewhat concerned as I think about City League football. Participation (or lack of it), especially in football, has been an issue for City League teams. With this new system, I can imagine City League teams losing players once the regular season is over. Teams once playing for playoff success will have to adjust to playing for wins to add to their total. With such a drop in motivation, how could there not also be a drop in participation?

I also worry that some kids will sign up to play, figuring that October 27th will be the end of their season. So instead of making the commitment to play out the full fall season, they'll only play slightly more than half of it.

Maybe the City League could do something to give teams something to play for after the regular season. Last year MP and Dorchester happened to play each other in what became an unofficial City Championship between North and South winners. Maybe the week after Thanksgiving the City League could stage a similar game. That would give an extra incentive for teams to play hard for their full schedule, and it would be a fun game to look forward to every season. And at least one City League team would end the season in celebration, every year.

There are City Champions in all the other sports. Maybe with this new scheduling system the City League can now have a football championship.

As far as the new state playoff format goes, time will tell. I do like the possibility of more City League teams being able to qualify for playoff football. And the expanded playoff format as a whole seems like a good idea. I'm still concerned about what has to be done in order to make it happen. And I'm worried that there will be a significant drop in players after Halloween.

We'll see.

Madison Park's Roosevelt Robinson Honored at Fenway Park Event

Photo Credit: Melissa Ostrow

Written by: Robert Zeitz
Last December, Roosevelt Robinson's Madison Park Cardinals nearly won a State Championship on the snowy turf of Gillette Stadium, barely losing to Cathedral in double overtime. This June, Coach Robinson was awarded a $1,000 grant for MP football at a fundraising breakfast in Fenway Park's State Street Pavilion. The event was hosted by the Boston chapter of the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), and featured a panel discussion with Red Sox Manager John Farrell, BC football Head Coach Steve Addazio, Notre Dame football Head Coach Brian Kelly, and Head Coach of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun Anne Donovan. The PCA works closely with the Boston Scholar Athletes program.

Photo Credit: Melissa Ostrow

Coach Robinson was named a Double-Goal Coach by the PCA, which describes a Double-Goal Coach as someone "Whose first goal is winning, and whose second, more-important goal is teaching life lessons through sports."

And that's true of Roosevelt Robinson, who has coached the MP Cardinals to success on the field, guiding them to numerous MIAA playoff appearances, including last season's trip to the Division 4A Super Bowl. He was also named City League Coach of the Year (along with Dorchester's Rich Moran), and last year the Cardinals won their first playoff game in program history, 18-6 over Bristol-Plymouth.

Coach Robinson also uses sports to teach life lessons to his players, to guide them through what PCA founder Jim Thompson describes as the "Development experience," that sports can provide for kids. For example, a mistake on the field provides an opportunity for kids to recover and struggle and learn.

Coach Robinson has been teaching and coaching for 25 years, teaching cabinet making at the vocational Madison Park High School. He is also President of the Boston Raiders youth football organization which fields multiple football and cheerleading teams for kids ages 7 to 14.

What Robinson seemed the most proud of, as he spoke to those attending the PCA benefit at Fenway, was how successful his players have been off the field. He beamed as he mentioned the number of seniors he's coached who have all gone on to college, trade schools, or the military. And that's more important to coaches like Roosevelt Robinson than all the trophies, honors, and awards in the world.

Congratulations, Coach Robinson. And congratulations to Madison Park football.

Photo by Robert Zeitz, December 1, 2012

Full photo gallery of the event on our Facebook page

Baseball: West Roxbury Beats Boston International 6-2 in State Tournament

Photo gallery on our Facebook page

The only two City League teams remaining in State Tournaments faced each other Thursday afternoon at Bentley University in Waltham. West Roxbury upset #1 seeded Boston International 6-2 to advance to the Division 4 North Championship. That game will be played Sunday morning at 10:00 AM in Lowell, at Lelacheur Park, home of the Lowell Spinners.

The Raiders of West Roxbury grinded this game out. They worked counts, stole bases, turned double plays, and took advantage of the opportunities presented to them. Pitchers Alejandro Lopez and Christopher Moreta combined to keep B.I. limited to 6 hits. Lopez struck out 3 and didn't allow a runner past second base until the 6th inning. When Lopez ran out of gas, Moreta came in and finished the game, striking out a pair in the 7th.

Westie built their lead slowly but surely. In the 2nd inning Jan Pereyra reached on an error, was moved along by a Jean Done single, then knocked in by a single from junior Ruel Delarosa. In the bottom of the inning, a B.I. rally was stopped before it started when Done caught a liner in right-field and threw out Derlin Tejada at first for a double play.

The Raiders expanded their lead in the 4th. Done worked a leadoff walk, then stole second, and was knocked in by Cesar Garcia. Both Done and Garcia are freshman.

In the 5th Westie doubled their lead from 2-0 to 4-0 thanks to a 2-run double off the bat of Jan Pereyra. Then in the 6th catcher Brian Navarro hit an RBI single and eventually scored to put West Roxbury up 6-0. Navarro finished the day 3 for 4.

Boston International didn't get on the board until the 6th, when senior captain Nelfry Velez hit an RBI double. Derlin Tejada followed Velez and hit the ball hard, but right at Westie second baseman Steven Augusta, who caught the line drive then stepped on second to eliminate Velez and end B.I.'s chances for a big inning.

International added another run with 2 outs in the 7th. Angel Troncoso knocked in Frank Rosario with a triple, but it was too little too late.

Fortunately for Boston International, they have a talented young squad. They're only losing 2 seniors. Their roster is comprised mostly of sophomores and in the next few years B.I. could do some damage both in the City League and in State Tournaments.

West Roxbury advances to the D4 North Championship where they'll face Lowell Catholic. The game will be at a "neutral location," Lelacheur Park in Lowell, Sunday morning at 10.

English High School Baseball Wins Second Consecutive City League Championship

The English High School won their second consecutive City League Championship in baseball with a dramatic victory over Latin Academy. English came from behind in the bottom of the fifth inning, and went on to win by a score of 4-3.

Nelson Barreiro earned MVP honors for his work at the plate (3-4 Run, RBI), and his complete game effort as the starting pitcher for English. Barreiro struck out 11 batters over seven innings, allowed two earned runs, and retired the side to seal the win in the seventh.

Barreiro With English Athletic Director Barry Robinson

 English scored one run in the second and third innings, but Latin Academy struck a huge blow in the fifth when Junior first baseman, Mark Guerard, launched a three-run home run over the left field fence to put Latin up 3-2.

However English, and their boisterous fan base, were not deterred. Miguel Calderon tied the game with a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth inning, and his teammates continued the rally. Stanley Vargas, English's Freshman third basemen, tagged the first pitch he saw from Latin Academy's Osvarhele Guerrero off the left field fence for a double. Then, to the delight of the English supporters who crowded behind the backstop, Barreiro put his stamp on the game by driving Vargas home with a triple.

English celebrated on the mound after the game. This marks the second straight year that they defeated Latin Academy in the City League Championship.



Written and photographed by Nathaniel Weitzer

Softball: Boston Latin Wolfpack 9, Latin Academy Dragons 1

Friday afternoon at Malcolm X Park in Roxbury, the Boston Latin Wolfpack started the game with a very loud bang: a long triple blasted into left-field by Mary DeMoura. It ignited a big 1st inning for the Wolfpack. DeMoura eventually scored on a wild-pitch, and her teammates worked three walks to set the table for a bases clearing, 3-run Meghan Burns triple. The Wolfpack sent all 9 of their lineup to the plate in the 1st, and were up 5-0 before Latin Academy had a chance to hit.

To her credit, Latin Academy pitcher Sydney McGrath was able to settle down and get out of the inning without further damage. She didn't allow a run for the next 3 innings, and that kept the Dragons within striking distance.

Wolfpack pitcher Caitlin Berry was able to shut down the BLA lineup for most of the game. In her 5 innings of work, Berry allowed 0 runs, only 4 hits, and struck out 2. Only one Dragon reached third base while she was on the mound. Kate Casey pitched the final 2 innings for BLS.

Boston Latin added to their lead in the 5th thanks to some small ball. With Hilary Rockett being held on first, Kim Miller laid down a textbook bunt single up the first base line.

Then Mary DeMoura switched from power hitter to bunter, and sacrificed to put two runners in scoring position and put pressure on the Dragons. The Wolfpack took advantage of that pressure and generated 3 runs in the frame, without really hitting the ball hard.

Latin Academy was able to get a run back in the 6th with some aggressive baserunning. Danielle Baldassari reached on a hard hit infield single. A diving stop by DeMoura at short, who seemed to do everything in this game, held Baldassari to a just single. Baldassari then stole second, advanced to third on a fielder's choice, and scored on a wild pitch.

The game ended with Boston Latin claiming a 9-1 victory. Latin Academy played well, they just ran into a tough pitcher in Caitlin Berry, and too much damage was done in the 1st inning. This was also BLA's third game in five days. They played Monday and had a makeup game against Wellesley the day before.

Boston Latin improved to 13-4, and as of publication (May 17th), are in first place in their Dual County League division.

Latin Academy fell to 9-9 overall, but lead the South Division of the Boston City League.

Marathon Explosions

As we all know by now, one of the best, most celebrated days in Boston sports came to an abrupt halt when two explosions rocked the finish line of the Boston Marathon. At this point, most facts remain unclear. Emergency responders are working hard to take care of the victims, prevent any other devices from detonating, and discover who and what is responsible for this tragedy.

In a time like this sports scores and running times lose their meaning. Times like these are about people.

I feel it's important to focus on things we are grateful for when such horrors occur. Footage just after the explosions demonstrates the incredible compassion and courage of humanity. Firefighters, Police, paramedics, nurses, doctors, soldiers, volunteers, runners, passersby, all risking their lives in order to help those injured by these explosions.

It's easy to focus on how horrific people can be when things like this happen. However, it's vital to remember how caring and strong people can be in the most difficult and frightening of times.

Violence will always be defeated so long as good people outnumber and outwork violent people.

BRIGHTON WINS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

For the first time since 2003, a City Champion in boys' basketball has gone on to become a State Champion. In '03 it was Charlestown. In 2013 it was Brighton, under the guidance of head coach Hugh Coleman, who once played and coached at Charlestown. This is the first time in school history that Brighton has won both the City and the State Championships.

The Bengals beat Western Mass champs South Hadley 59-41 at the DCU Center Saturday afternoon.

Malik James, whose leadership was praised by Coach Coleman after the game, led the Bengals in scoring with 16 points. Nick Simpson added 11, and Daivon Edwards scored 10. As was the case throughout the season, the Bengals had too many weapons for their opponent to keep up with, and too many for them to stop.

Brighton ended their season with an 8-game winning streak. They beat Southie and New Mission in the City Championship. They then worked their way through the Division 2 North bracket. It was not an easy trip to the Garden and then to Worcester. The Bengals beat Scituate by 3 points in the EMass finals. They beat previously undefeated Melrose by 3 points in the D2 North semis. And even though Brighton was never in serious trouble against South Hadley, they were never able to pull away and feel comfortable.

For Brighton, each close win, and each loss in the regular season, served as a lesson. And what drove Brighton to this Championship was their ability to grow from those lessons. Their 21 point loss to Charlestown back in December was a wake-up call. Their loss to Dorchester at the end of the regular season was a reminder of what can happen if they took their foot off the gas pedal. Their 74-66 victory over then #1 ranked Danvers in the Comcast Classic was a reminder of what can happen when they play at their best.

We'll have more about this team, this season, these players, and these coaches. This was a great team, a memorable season, and a great achievement for both Brighton High School and the City of Boston.

Congratulation, Brighton.

Girls' Basketball: O'Bryant and New Mission Advance in State Tournaments

The O'Bryant Tigers beat Somerset Berkley 4-34 last night. O'Bryant advances to the Division 2 South quarterfinals to play Scituate. The game will be played Friday night at 7 at Madison Park.

New Mission blew out Minuteman 47-18. The Titans will play in the D4 North quarterfinals against Shawsheen Regional Technical School. The game will be Friday night at Shawsheen, which is in Billerica.

South Boston lost to Amesbury 60-42.

Boston Latin School fell to Lexington 41-27.

The City League has 4 teams still competing in the Girls' Basketball State Tournaments. Here are the upcoming games:

Friday:
7:00pm - Belmont at Latin Academy
7:00pm - Scituate at O'Bryant
7:00pm - New Mission at Shawsheen
7:00pm - Fenway at Pope John (note: this game was originally listed as a Sunday game)

Five City League Teams Advance in State Basketball Tournaments

Five City League teams have advanced in their State Tournaments so far. The boys' teams from Brighton, New Mission, Latin Academy and Snowden all won their tournament openers. Fenway's girls' team also won. Here's an update on all the City League teams in the tournaments:

Monday's games:
Boys':
Latin Academy beat Chelsea 68-43. The Dragons will play their next game Thursday night at 7 against North Andover, the #2 seed in the Division 2 North bracket. The game will be played at North Andover High School.

Dover-Sherborn beat O'Bryant 67-48 to eliminate them from the Division 3 South tournament. The Burke was also eliminated from that tournament, 61-53, by Ashland.

Girls':
West Roxbury took a tough loss to Quincy, 64-26

Tuesday's games:
Boys':
The Brighton Bengals advanced to the D2 North quarterfinals by edging Burlington 62-60. Brighton will face Salem Friday night at 7.

New Mission also advanced to the D2 North quarterfinals. The Titans beat Reading 60-57. They'll face the winner of the Melrose/Arlington game, Saturday night at 7.

Snowden beat Mystic Valley 42-38 and advanced to the D4 North quarterfinals. They'll play Matignon at Somerville High School, Friday night at 7.

English lost 74-43 to Milton.

East Boston fell to Everett 77-65.

South Boston lost to Minuteman 71-56.

Girls':
Fenway crushed Notre Dame-Lawrence 53-21. They'll continue their title defense against Pope John on Sunday.

Charlestown lost to Belmont 67-31. Belmont will play Latin Academy Friday night at 7.

English fell to Dedham 60-34

Here are the upcoming games...

Tonight:
Girls' Games:
7:00pm - Boston Latin @ Lexington
7:00pm - Somerset Berkley @ O'Bryant (game played at Madison Park)
7:00pm - Amesbury @ South Boston (location TBD)
7:00pm - Minuteman @ New Mission

Thursday:
Boys' Games:
7:00pm - Madison Park @ Newton North
7:00pm - Medfield @ Dorchester (game played at Latin Academy)
7:00pm - Latin Academy @ North Andover

Friday:
Boys' Games:
7:00pm - Brighton @ Salem (location TBD)
7:00pm - Snowden @ Matignon (game played at Somerville HS)

Girls' Games:
7:00pm - Belmont @ Latin Academy

Saturday:
Boys' Game:
7:00pm - New Mission vs. Arlington OR Melrose (location TBD)

Sunday:
Girls' Game:
Time TBD - Fenway @ Pope John (location TBD)

Latin Academy Girls' Hockey in State Tournament for the First Time in Five Years

Latin Academy girls' hockey coach Ronald Ford expected his team to be a "little bit better" than last year. Last year they were 3-17, and were winless the season before that. He expected some improvement, but did not expect his team to be as good as they were. This year the Dragons won 10 games, lost 6, and tied 4. They finished 4th in the East Division of the mostly suburban Southeastern Massachusetts Girls' Hockey League (SEMGHL). And they qualified for the State Tournament for the first time in 5 years.

The team is led by a few key seniors, particularly goalie Natalie Lombardi, a two-time SEMGHL All-Star...

...but overall they're still a young squad. They have 4 juniors, 1 sophomore, and 5 freshman on their roster. Along with an 8th grader, and two 7th graders. So even when Lombardi and her classmates graduate, there will be a new core of experienced players in position to build on the success of this season.

Coach Ford attributes that success to "Speed, strength, and accuracy." Along with hard work. And going into the State Tournament, he wants his team to continue that hard work as well as reduce mental mistakes. Mainly, though, he wants to "Make sure [the girls] are having fun, and not worrying about the magnitude of the game, let them focus on what they need to be doing."

Latin Academy will face Martha's Vineyard Monday afternoon at 3:00pm in the preliminary round of the Division 2 tournament. The game will be held at the Murphy Memorial Rink in South Boston. BLA and Martha's Vineyard are in the same division in the SEMGHL, and played each other twice this season. BLA lost 4-1 to them in December, and the teams tied 2-2 on February 18th.

Last year this team won 3 games. This year they're hosting a State Tournament game.

20 City League Teams Qualify for State Basketball Tournaments

The City League will send 20 basketball teams (12 boys' and 8 girls' teams) to state tournaments. Tournament games start Monday. Here are the City League teams that qualified, as well as which tournament bracket they'll compete in:

Boys' Teams:
East Boston - Division 1 North
Madison Park - Division 1 South
West Roxbury - Division 1 South
Brighton - Division 2 North
New Mission - Division 2 North
Latin Academy - Division 2 North
Dorchester - Division 2 South
English - Division 2 South
South Boston - Division 3 North
O'Bryant - Division 3 South
Burke - Division 3 South
Snowden - Division 4 North

City Champions Brighton are a 5 seed in the D2 North bracket. City runners up New Mission are an 8 seed. Dorchester is the #7 seed in Division 3 South.

Girls' Teams:
West Roxbury - Division 1 South
Latin Academy - Division 2 North
Charlestown - Division 2 North
O'Bryant - Division 2 South
South Boston - Division 3 North
English - Division 3 South
New Mission - Division 4 North
Fenway - Division 4 North

Boston Latin School, which doesn't compete in the City League but is a Boston Public School, qualified for the Division 1 North tournament. Latin Academy will be the #2 seed in Division 2 North. O'Bryant and South Boston are 3 seeds in their respective tournaments. New Mission is the #6 seed in D4 North.

Here is the schedule of games this week. Boston Urban Sports will update this schedule as these tournaments play out...

MONDAY 2/25:
Boys' Games:
7:00pm - Chelsea @ Latin Academy
7:00pm - Dover-Sherborn @ O'Bryant (game played at Madison Park)
7:00pm - Burke @ Ashland

Girls' Games:
7:00pm - Quincy @ West Roxbury

TUESDAY 2/26:
Boys' Games:
7:00pm - East Boston @ Everett
7:00pm - Newton South @ West Roxbury
7:00pm - Burlington @ Brighton (game played at Latin Academy)
7:00pm - Reading @ New Mission
7:00pm - English @ Milton
7:00pm - South Boston @ Minuteman
7:00pm - Snowden @ Mystic Valley

Girls' Games:
4:30pm - Dedham @ English
7:00pm - Charlestown @ Belmont
7:00pm - Fenway @ Notre Dame-Lawrence (game played at Greater Lawrence Technical School)

WEDNESDAY 2/27:
Boys' Games:
7:00pm - O'Bryant @ Bishop Feehan (if O'Bryant beats Dover-Sherborn on Monday)
7:00pm - Burke @ Cardinal Spellman (if Burke beats Ashland on Monday)

Girls' Games:
7:00pm - Boston Latin @ Lexington
7:00pm - Somerset Berkley @ O'Bryant (game played at Madison Park)
7:00pm - Amesbury @ South Boston (location TBD)
7:00pm - Minuteman @ New Mission
7:00pm - West Roxbury @ Braintree (if West Roxbury beats Quincy on Monday)

THURSDAY 2/28:
Boys' Games:
7:00pm - Madison Park @ Newton North
7:00pm - Medfield @ Dorchester (location TBD)
7:00pm - West Roxbury @ Mansfield (if West Roxbury beats Newton South on Tuesday)
7:00pm - Latin Academy @ North Andover (if BLA beats Chelsea on Monday)
7:00pm - English @ Dennis-Yarmouth (if English beats Milton on Tuesday)

Girls' Games:
7:00pm - English @ Abington (if English beats Dedham on Tuesday)

FRIDAY 3/1:
Boys' Games:
7:00pm - Snowden @ Matignon (if Snowden beats Mystic Valley on Tuesday)

Girls' Games:
7:00pm - Charlestown OR Belmont @ Latin Academy (BLA will host the winner of Tuesday's game between Charlestown and Belmont)

Girls' Ice Hockey: Scituate 3, Boston Latin Academy 2

Full Photo Gallery on our Facebook page

The Latin Academy Dragons finished their regular season with a tough loss on the road to Scituate, one of the top teams in the Southeastern Mass. Girls' Hockey League.

BLA took a 1-0 lead in the 1st when senior forward Jordan Fleming scored an opportunistic Power Play goal from the high slot.

In the 1st period, the Dragons were able to frustrate Scituate's attempts to carry the puck into the zone. In the 2nd, Scituate figured out how to get through and were able to put massive pressure on the Dragons' net. But Latin Academy goalie Natalie Lombardi made save after save to keep Scituate from scoring. Lombardi was especially good when the Dragons were shorthanded.

Scituate were eventually able to slip one past Lombardi on a 2-on-1 breakaway to tie the game at 1-1.

Latin Academy quickly retook the lead when, after serving a penalty, junior Kathleen Torpey emerged from the penalty box and received a long pass from Rachel Wells. Torpey drove to the net all alone and put BLA up 2-1.

The penalties finally caught up to BLA in the 3rd. They'd killed 3 straight Scituate Power Plays. With their 4th Power Play, Scituate finally capitalized. Less than a minute later Scituate scored again to take a 3-2 lead.

In the closing minutes the Dragons were able to create chances, but Scituate's goalie made tough stops to keep her team in front.

Latin Academy's regular season may have ended with a loss, but they're not done playing. They'll be in the State Tournament for the first time in 5 years, with a 10-6-4 record. We'll have more on Latin Academy's tremendous season tomorrow.

BC High Defeats Brighton 55-51, Wins The Comcast Classic Championship

In a game where the players on both sides were hardly given any room to breathe, let alone enough space to get a clean shot off, it seemed fitting that the most crucial play came on a scramble for a loose ball. BC High, the #6 team in the state, led #11 Brighton for most of the Comcast Classic Championship game at Babson College. Up 52-51 with 30 seconds to play, the Eagles ran the clock down and Senior guard Charles Collins drove the lane for a tough floater in traffic. During the ensuing scrap for the rebound, the ball traveled all the way out to midcourt before another BC High senior, Jameilen James, hit the deck to secure the ball and call a timeout.

There were 4 seconds remaining. Brighton was forced to foul James on the inbounds play and he knocked down both free throws, thus sealing the tournament for BC High.

Nick Simpson led the way for Brighton with 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots. He was rather efficient from three-point range (4 for 7) but the rest of the Bengals went 2 of 20 from deep. BC High’s tough zone defense deserves a lot of credit for this poor percentage, but Brighton’s shooters will certainly see these shots as missed opportunities that they need to rectify in the upcoming City League tournament.

Ball security was also an issue for the Bengals, as they turned it over 11 times in the first half alone. However they fought back, outscoring the Eagles in the second and third quarters before Prince Unaegbu threw down a thunderous dunk to tie it at 34. A few minutes later Simpson drained a three to give Brighton their first lead of the game at 40-37, but the Eagles answered right back.

Simpson Hits A Corner 3

Collins and Jones were immense for BC High throughout the game, and with a combined 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists from the two Senior guards, it’s easy to see why college scouts and coaches were in attendance to get a close look at their talents. However it was Senior Pete Timmins, a center with range, who hit several clutch three pointers to stop Brighton’s momentum and put the Eagles back in the drivers’ seat.

#13 Jones With A Tough Pull-up

After falling behind early in the fourth quarter, Timmins's big shots sparked a 12-4 run that put BC High in control up 49-44. Brighton guard Malik James started to take matters into his own hands and nearly closed the gap, but unfortunately the Bengals could not connect on a big outside shot when needed. James and Simpson were the stars on Sunday night when Brighton upset an undefeated Danvers team in the semifinals, yet towards the end of this game the Bengals ran out of gas against a very well-coached BC High team.

Timmins Drives Baseline

Brighton will take on South Boston in the semifinals of the City League Tournament on Wednesday February, 20^th at 4 p.m. at Madison Park High School.

Boys' Basketball: Xaverian Brothers 70, West Roxbury 55

West Roxbury ventured out into the suburbs to play Xaverian Brothers in Westwood Saturday afternoon. And although the Xaverian Hawks were only 4-12 coming into this game, they play in a very tough league. The Catholic Conference is home to #3 St. John's Prep and #6 BC High. So this was a tough opponent for the Raiders of West Roxbury.

The opening quarter was a defensive struggle, ending tied at 8-8. Neither team's shots were falling. In the 2nd quarter, Xaverian started hitting their shots. The Raiders never got much of a rhythm going, disrupted by fouls (all of Deven Robinson's 6 points came from the free-throw line) and the occasional turnover. Westie was still keeping things close, until Xaverian went on a run just before halftime, capped by a Paul Regan 3-pointer that made the score 37-28 at the break. The Hawks pulled away even further in the 3rd quarter.

Westie played their best basketball in the 4th. The shots were finally dropping. A full-court press was forcing turnovers and hampering Xaverian's offense. Taquan Skeen scored 11 points in the 4th. He and Timoy Jarrett led West Roxbury with 13 points each.

It just wasn't enough to overcome a young, but deep team from a tough league.

#14 New Mission Holds Off East Boston 62-52

The New Mission Titans were coming off a loss to Brighton, the only team from Massachusetts that has beaten them this season. The East Boston Jets were coming off a 91 point performance against Providence's Hope High School. New Mission wanted to rebound from a loss, and East Boston wanted to keep their momentum going. Eastie made it tough, but New Mission eventually wore down the Jets and took one more step toward the City Championships.

New Mission forward Isshiah Coleman dominated on defense in the 1st quarter with 3 huge blocks, but he was forced to leave the game in the 2nd when he was injured trying to haul in a rebound.

Eastie was led by Will March and Dion Knight. March finished with 20 points, including 8 in the 3rd quarter. East Boston was at their best in the 3rd when they rallied to a slim lead. Dion Knight also had 8 points in the 3rd, and finished with 17.

New Mission spread their offense around. Four players finished with 10+ points. Junior guard Shaquan Murray led the Titans with 12, Juwan Gooding and 6' 6" center Chima Ebele each had 11. Sam Freeman had 10.

With the injury to Coleman, and East Boston's surge in the 3rd quarter, New Mission's depth was put to the test. The Titans passed that test, and look poised for a strong run in the City Championship and then States.

Latin Academy Sweeps Indoor Track and Field City Championships

The Dragons of Boston Latin Academy won City Championships in both boys' and girls' Indoor Track & Field at the Reggie Lewis Center this afternoon.

In the boys' Championship, BLA started strong. Malik Anderson won the 55 Meter Dash with a time of 6.69 seconds. Sekou Stuppard followed that with a win in the 300 Meters. Anderson and Stuppard would later finish 5th and 4th in the High Jump, respectively.

The Dragons were consistently solid in each event, scoring points in all but one. Xavier Hill scored points in both the 55 Meter Hurdles and the Long Jump, with a jump of 19 feet, 2.5 inches. Damian Cruz finished 3rd in the shot-put with a toss of 40 feet, 4.5 inches. These points were vital, and gave BLA a 10 point lead going into the relays.

Latin finished 4th in the 4x200 Relay, but O'Bryant finished out of the points in 8th. That clinched the boys' Championship for the Dragons.

In the girls' Championship, BLA dominated from start to finish. DiAndrea Galloway won the High Jump and finished 2nd in the 55 Meter Dash. Ashley Lewis finished 2nd in the 300 Meters, and 5th in the High Jump. BLA scored 2nd and 3rd place in the 300. Then finished 1-2-3 in the 600 Meters, then 3-4-5 in the 1000. Catherine Van Even won the 1 Mile and the girls' Championship belonged to Latin Academy. As icing on the cake, the Dragons won the 4x400 relay.

Latin Academy finished with 120 points, almost a third of the total available.

This is 3rd straight City Championship for BLA's girls' indoor team.

Photo Gallery of the Event on Facebook

Here are the rankings from both Championships:

Boys':
1. Latin Academy - 58 points
2. O'Bryant - 51
3. Dorchester - 48
4. Brighton - 37
5. South Boston - 36
6. Charlestown - 30
7. Snowden - 23
8. East Boston - 21
8. West Roxbury - 21
10. English - 13
11. The Burke - 12
12. Madison Park - 10
13. CASH - 6
13. New Mission - 6

Girls':
1. Latin Academy - 120 points
2. O'Bryant - 83
3. West Roxbury - 67
4. Snowden - 24
5. New Mission - 23
6. Dorchester - 18
7. East Boston - 12
8. CASH - 10
9. South Boston - 8
10. Brighton - 4
11. English - 3

This Week in City League Sports

Here's a schedule of events in the City League this week:

TUESDAY:
Boys' Basketball:
3:30pm - CASH @ Latin Academy
5:30pm - English @ O'Bryant
6:00pm - Madison Park @ #11 Brighton

Girls' Basketball:
3:30pm - Brighton @ CASH (game played at the Grover Cleveland School in Dorchester)
4:00pm - Fenway @ Madison Park
4:00pm - O'Bryant @ English
4:30pm - Latin Academy @ Charlestown

Indoor Track & Field
3:00pm - City Championships - Reggie Lewis Center


WEDNESDAY:
Boys' Basketball:
4:30pm - Excel @ Burke
4:30pm - Dorchester/Tech Boston @ Snowden (game played at the Holland School in Dorchester)
5:00pm - #14 New Mission @ East Boston
5:00pm - Fenway @ Marian (Framingham, MA)
7:00pm - West Roxbury @ Cambridge Rindge & Latin

Girls' Basketball:
3:00pm - Burke @ Dorchester/Tech Boston
4:30pm - Madison Park @ Milton
5:30pm - East Boston @ Snowden (game played at the McCormack Middle School in Dorchester)
6:00pm - West Roxbury @ New Mission (game played at former Hyde Park H.S. gym)

THURSDAY:
Boys' Basketball:
5:00pm - CASH @ Randolph

Girls' Basketball:
4:30pm - Latin Academy @ West Roxbury

FRIDAY:
Boys' Basketball:
4:00pm - Fenway @ CASH (game played at the Grover Cleveland School in Dorchester)
4:30pm - East Boston @ Snowden (game played at the Holland School in Dorchester)
5:30pm - Excel @ #7 BC High (Dorchester, MA)
6:00pm - Latin Academy @ Dorchester/Tech Boston
6:00pm - Madison Park @ #14 New Mission (game played at former Hyde Park H.S. gym)
7:00pm - #11 Brighton @ English
7:00pm - O'Bryant @ Charlestown

Girls' Basketball:
3:30pm - CASH @ West Roxbury
3:30pm - Snowden @ Latin Academy
4:00pm - English @ Burke
4:30pm - Excel @ East Boston
4:30pm - Dorchester/Tech Boston @ Brighton
5:30pm - New Mission @ O'Bryant
6:00pm - Charlestown @ Fenway (game played at the Shelburne Center in Roxbury)

SATURDAY:
Boys' Basketball:
2:30pm - Charlestown @ Cathedral (Boston)
3:00pm - West Roxbury @ Xaverian (Westwood, MA)

Girls' Basketball:
7:00pm - New Mission @ Somerville

Boys' Basketball: O'Bryant Defeats Nantucket 64-31

O'Braynt Center Benji Lawler rejects Nantucket's Carlos Chavez

The Nantucket Whalers (5-7) made their annual trip to Boston for a matchup with O'Bryant (7-3), and they were completely overmatched by a team that is currently in sixth place in the City League's southern division.

After three hours of traveling on ferries and buses, the Whalers arrived in Roxbury and were promptly blown out by the O'Bryant Tigers. The Tigers' full court press forced 11 turnovers in the first half alone as they jumped to a 38-21 lead.

Defensive pressure from O'Bryant forces a travel

Harry Demosthene led the way for O'Bryant with 13 points and 3 assists. Jared Butler and Ricardo Ortiz were also instrumental in the win.

Nantucket was led by Center Terell Correia (shown below), who was a big presence in the paint with 9 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks.

O'Bryant cruised to a 64-31 victory and they will take on West Roxbury on Tuesday in their next City League matchup.

Welcome to Boston Urban Sports

Welcome to Boston Urban Sports (BUS). This blog will cover the sports played by the people who live in the City of Boston. We'll focus mostly on youth and high school athletics, especially City League sports.

Boston is famous around the world for its professional sports teams. Sports are a part of life in this city, and this blog will focus on the people who play and coach at all levels of athletics in the city. We're in the middle of basketball season and that's the perfect time to kickoff our coverage. The City League is as competitive as ever in both boys' and girls' basketball. But there's also indoor track and field, and even hockey being played.

So welcome to Boston Urban Sports.

-Rob Z