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.