by Macade Maxwell

After an unsuccessful showing in CIF-SS Open Division pool play, the St. John Bosco High School varsity basketball team holds the top seed in the Division One CIF State playoff tournament and, as a result, home court advantage throughout the single elimination southern regional.  

Bosco Basketball found themselves placed in arguably the most difficult playoff bracket in the country for the CIF-SS playoffs. The eight teams comprising the two Open Division pools were top teams not only in the state of California, but in the entire nation. The Braves finished third in their pool with a record of 1-2.

The team’s home matchup against Sierra Canyon lived up to all of the hype, as the Trailblazers proved themselves a more than worthy opponent for the Braves. Brandon McCoy Jr., who is the number one nationally ranked sophomore, dropped 21 points and secured five rebounds, while senior Loyola Chicago-commit Jack Turner added 18 points. Juniors Elzie Harrington and and Kade Bonam also scored in double figures with ten points each, but it just wasn’t enough to top the powerhouse Sierra Canyon program, as the Braves fell just short by a score of 72-67. 

In their following game against number eight seed Corona Centennial, the Braves welcomed the Huskies with an old fashioned beatdown with a final score of 72-55. The Braves received a great performance from Kade, who had a game-high of 20 points coming off a recent shoulder injury. 

“[It] felt amazing. I got uplifted by my family, my teammates and my coaches, and we could’ve played better but overall I’m proud of my guys,” said Kade. 

But in spite of a win in dominant fashion against Centennial, the Braves next opponent in Harvard Westlake returned the favor and handed the Braves their exit ticket in the pool, beating them by a score of 64-40. This was a tough loss for the Braves, as they started the game off slow and couldn’t manage to get the offense rolling. Although McCoy led the way with 14 points and 14 rebounds, the team struggled to find a collective rhythm offensively. 

“Just as a coaching staff, we didn’t do a good enough job getting our guys ready to be successful,” said Head Coach Matt Dunn. “We played against a well-rounded team with some good individuals and we just got beat in every way possible.”

Almost two weeks later, the Braves roll in to the Division 1 CIF State playoffs as the number one seed, resulting in a first round bye for Bosco on Tuesday night. 

“To have two weeks off at this point in the year is very challenging.  I do think our week of practice has been really good, and I know our guys are excited to have a chance to compete again,” said Coach Dunn. ” I am really excited that we have the opportunity to play our next few games at home and am very hopeful we will take advantage of that.”

With determination still lingering in the air, all of Bosco Basketball have their sights set on that championship ring. From the beginning of the season the Braves had just one goal in mind and that was to win it all. This is where the hard work pays off and when players show who wants it more. 

“Definitely seeing improvement and our players are making a lot of good adjustments and working hard,” said Brandon McCoy Jr., as he and the Braves look ahead to their first game of the state playoffs. 

All eyes will be on the Braves and their standout players, as they look to lead their team to the ultimate goal. They will face Windward Thursday at 7pm in the Thunderdome. Tickets can be purchased through GoFan.

by Macade Maxwell

As the CIF Open Division basketball playoffs begin, Head Coach Matt Dunn and his number four seeded Braves gear up for an intense matchup against the number five seeded Sierra Canyon Trailblazers in front of a sold out home crowd tonight at the Thunderdome.

Led by an intimidating starting five that consists of number one nationally ranked sophomore Brandon McCoy, Jr., senior Loyola Chicago-commit Jack Turner and two stud juniors in Elzie Harrington and Kade Bonam, the Braves are ready to showcase their talents on the court. These key players, along with the contributions of the rest of the team, have been playing together as a team all season long and now is when the games matter the most. 

“It all comes down to this,” said junior Elzie Harrington. “We prepared all year for this moment and [now] it’s time to show what we can do.”

The Braves’ goal of avenging last year’s CIF-SS Open Division Championship loss starts tonight against a talented Sierra Canyon roster that contains some well known names, including senior Justin Pippen, son of six-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, and Junior Bryce James, son of the one and only Lebron James. 

The Trailblazers, who managed to capture the top spot in a highly competitive Mission League, are looking forward to being the first team to defeat the Braves at home this season, who hold a perfect record of 10-0 while playing at the Thunderdome. 

“I think the opportunity to host an Open Division game is incredible for our community and team.  Our pool has four teams who have all been in the Open Division many times, so there will be no surprises,” said Coach Dunn.

Throughout the duration of the season, the Braves were challenged with a tough schedule, facing multiple nationally ranked teams and finishing second place in the Trinity League. Despite the ups and downs, the Braves were given the opportunity to learn from each game and create a stronger bond with each other. Entering the remaining few games of the season, every single learning moment has prepared the Braves for right now. 

“We have had a really good year. With the schedule we have played, we knew there would be a couple of tough nights, but overall I am very proud of this group,” Coach Dunn said.

Tonight’s game against Sierra Canyon only marks the first step of the postseason for the Braves. As they enter in pool play, the Braves will face some of the best teams in Californina. Following Friday’s game, they will host number eight seeded Corona Centennial next Tuesday before taking on number one seeded Harvard Westlake at their house.

“The reason for playing a schedule like [ours] is to prepare for the toughest playoff division in the country, and I believe are guys are ready for that,” said Coach Dunn. 

So begins the countdown to tip-off. Anticipation is high for the entire Brave community, as the Thunderdome will be electric as two high school basketball teams going head-to-head to see who’s best. 

For the Braves, this is their time to prove everyone wrong and show what they are really capable of doing. So be prepared as the Braves hope to fulfill their goals and make this a game to remember. 

“This should be a good game. I have confidence in my teammates, and I know that if we all execute, we have a good chance of winning,” said the five-star sophomore, McCoy, Jr. 

by Jack Turner

In the world of high school sports, few teams can claim the level of success achieved by the back-to-back CIF-Southern Section Open Division Dual Meet Champion Bosco Wrestling team, stacked with division one talent and nationally ranked wrestlers.

The Braves dominated and came out victorious over Calvary Christian 45-22 last Wednesday, securing another Open Division Dual Meet Championship. 

Senior leader and Stanford-commit, Grigor Cholakyan, secured the teams back-to-back championships with his quick pin in about 25 seconds. 

“I just wanted to go out there and make a statement by pinning the kid fast so I could secure back-to-back championships for our team,” Grigor said.

This team had another year flooding with success that helped solidify the program’s status as a powerhouse in high school wrestling, as the team also defended the Trinity League Championship. 

In the wake of their recent CIF-SS Championship victory, the Braves now turn their focus to the highly anticipated CIF State playoffs, and the mood of the team has definitely shifted.

“During the normal season, everyone is kind of messing around more and just focusing on stuff they need to work on. But in this postseason everyone’s just locked in on the prize – that state title. When it’s time to work, they work,” said junior Nicholas Sahakian, who is committed to wrestle in college at Arizona State University.

The Braves faced many challenges with their highly competitive national schedule, which included 2024 Doc Buchanan Invitational in Northern California. At the noteworthy event, Bosco earned the fifth highest team score among some of the nation’s best programs and wrestlers. The Braves also boasted three individual finalists: junior Nicholas Sahakian, junior Joseph Antonio and freshman Jesse Grajeda. The early-January tournament proved to be exactly what Bosco Wrestling needed ahead of the Trinity League and CIF stretches.

“The team did solid, but it was the greatest lesson that everyone on the team has learned from. We have changed our diets, stayed behind to condition more after practice and just overall focused on what we need to do to win,” said Nicholas.

With the state tournament approaching and the mental aspect being a huge part of the sport, Grigor is doing his best to mentor his teammates who haven’t been in this position before.

“My leadership role for the team has been crucial this season. I try to help the team in all aspects, such as keeping teammates motivated and fighting with the kids my size to help them grow as wrestlers,” Grigor said. “What I’ve told my younger teammates recently is that our ‘state run’ begins with league, then CIF-SS, Masters the following weekend [and] then the [CIF] State Championships the last weekend.”

Also there are many aspects off the mat that the team must stay focused on. 

“We all have to stay mentally tough the next month, because making weight twice per weekend for four weekends straight, plus managing school work, isn’t easy,” said Grigor.

The Braves next will be competing in the CIF-SS Individual Championships, which will be held February 9-10, followed by the CIF Masters Meet, which will be held February 16-17. The CIF State Meet will be held February 22-24 at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield. 

“I truly feel that our whole team is going to peak at the right time and that we will each perform to our capabilities at the state tournament and finish strong as a team,” Grigor said.  

by Luis Hernandez, Managing Editor

The St. John Bosco High School soccer team, led by Coach David Sabet, wraps up their 2023-2024 season this afternoon. The Braves had a tough stretch in the Trinity League, but a can’t wait to get to work for next season.

The Brave’s current overall record is 8-12-3, with a Trinity League record of 0-7-2. While the record is different from what the team would like to see, each game has been very competitive, at times down to the final minutes.

The team feels proud of their current season, as they believe they have greatly improved from last season. The future looks bright, and the upperclassmen players on the team want the younger players to keep working hard to reach new heights.

“I tell the younger players to support their teammates because soccer is a team sport, and if they work together, it can help achieve the desired results,” said senior Ivan Moran. “I also encourage them to train during the weekends and offseason. These extra practices are very important.”

Although the Braves have hit some rough patches, a few players have stood out to help the team and shined individually. One of them is senior Marcos Velasco, who led the team in goals scored and was vital to the flow of the offense.

“I believe my success on offense has been based on the support I’ve had from my team on and off the field. They’ve given me the confidence to take my chances and score goals,” Marcos said.

The team’s schedule consists of many tough opponents like JSerra, who are ranked ninth in California, according to MaxPreps. Bosco played the Lions on January 19th and had the lead for the majority of the game, but unfortunately, the Lions scored in the final minutes of the game, resulting in a tie.

They do not back down from any tough challenges and believe they can beat anyone in front of them.

“The team stays united and strong, as we believe we can challenge any team no matter the records they may have. So through this confidence, we have grown as a team and as brothers, which only strengthens our performances on the field,” said Marcos.

The Braves played the “Team in Red” on Tuesday night and unfortunately could not secure the victory, losing 5-1 in one of the only blowout losses Bosco has suffered all season. Earlier in the season, Bosco played against the Monarchs and had a much better performance, losing 2-0.

The Brave’s defense was absolutely stellar in that game, holding the MaxPreps number four team in the nation to only two goals, an impressive feat since the “Team in Red” has been averaging four and a half goals per game.

This is not the only instance where the defense played excellent though. Throughout the whole season the Braves have only conceded more than two goals three times. This is due to goalie John Vargas, who is committed to California State University at Dominguez Hills.

“The strongest part of our game has been our defense. Even though we have struggled getting wins in the Trinity League this year, we have the least amount of goals allowed in the league,” said senior Mark Drewien.

The Braves feel confident in their final game, as the team has only improved while the season progressed. They believe that they have what it takes to take a Trinity League rival down.

“This team has many players that have been playing with each other for many years, and I feel like our brotherhood and team chemistry are going to make us formidable in this upcoming game,” Mark said.

Catch the Braves play their last game of the regular season against Orange Lutheran at home. Bosco played them earlier this year and lost a hard-fought battle, 1-0. Kick off is at 3:15pm.