Pope John I
Price-Espada scores 49 as the Tigers win the Div. 4 state title
By Cary Shuman
The Pope John XXIII High School basketball team dominated Maynard, 89-57, to win the Division 4 state championship Saturday at Springfield College, propelled by junior guard Angel Price-Espada’s remarkable 49-point outburst.
Coach Leo Boucher’s squad captured the crown with an outstanding 24-1 record, marking the Everett school’s first state title in basketball.
Price-Espada, the 5-foot-7-inch Catholic Central League MVP and All-Scholastic, delivered one of the greatest individual offensive performances in MIAA state tournament history, thrilling Pope John fans throughout. During the second quarter, he connected on six consecutive 3-pointers as part of an extraordinary long-range shooting display that built the Tigers’ halftime advantage to 52-31.
Among Price-Espada’s highlights was a behind-the-back, mid-air pass to senior Michael Thompson, who converted the spectacular setup into a layup.
“Angel played phenomenal today,” Boucher said. “I haven’t seen a performance as great as that, not as a player in high school, not as a player in college, not as a basketball coach for 27-plus years – the closest thing I ever saw was Dana Barros versus Don Bosco 100 years ago, and I’ll date myself. That was probably the most incredible shooting performance I’ve seen in a long time.”
Beyond Espada’s dominance, other Pope John contributors performed at a high level in the state final, just as they had in postseason victories over Winthrop, Fenway, Austin Prep, and Mashpee.
Senior center Marquis Bouyer scored 17 points, including 8 in the opening quarter, establishing a commanding presence in the paint as Pope John led 18-11 after one period. Bouyer also pulled down 11 rebounds.
Senior forward Michael Thompson added six points, building on his crucial 14-point performance in the state semifinal victory against Mashpee.
Junior forward Luis Velasquez, among the Pope John team’s most overlooked contributors, scored 10 points, including two baskets during the Tigers’ explosive 34-point second quarter.
Senior Mehkhi Collins, who provided late-game heroics against Mashpee, along with juniors Cam Erikson and Conor Kelly, and freshman Jason Ford all played important roles for the Tigers.
Pope John opened with a 5-0 lead courtesy of a Price-Espada three-pointer and a Bouyer basket. Maynard trimmed the deficit to three at 9-6, but Bouyer’s five-point burst (two following a clever Collins pass) and Velasquez’s bucket sparked a 7-0 run. After being fouled on a three-point attempt, Price-Espada made two of three free throws (he finished 9-of-11 overall).
Then Price-Espada took command. In rapid succession, he launched three-pointers that found nothing but net. Over eight breathtaking minutes, the dynamic guard scored 23 points, reaching 31 for the half.
Price-Espada remained scorching hot in the third period, reaching 41 points at one point while the entire Maynard team had also accumulated 41.
Bouyer contributed seven fourth-quarter points to close out the Tigers’ memorable performance. Rashid Griffin added a three-pointer as Pope John rolled to a dominant 32-point victory over the defending state champions.
When asked about delivering Pope John its first-ever state championship, Boucher offered his response.
“I didn’t deliver anything – the kids behind me delivered,” he said humbly. “That’s who made the delivery. I put them in the right position for them to make that happen. It’s a real honor to be able to coach a group of kids like that. The kids came to play.”
Bruins Beat
Bruins face tough, brief road trip
Following the excitement of Ryan Donato’s impressive debut, the Bruins are heading back on the road. After a brief one-game homestand sandwiched between a four-game road trip spanning seven days, the NHL schedule sends Boston out again for four games in seven days. The road opponents—St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, and Winnipeg Jets—are all either chasing playoff positions or trying to improve their conference standings, presenting formidable challenges.
With playoff races shifting daily, the Bruins face no easy matchups on this stretch. As the Record went to press Wednesday evening, Boston was in St. Louis. The Blues sat just three points behind eighth-place Anaheim with a game in hand. Playing .500 hockey over their last ten games, St. Louis had won two straight. Next, Boston travels to face the Stars on Friday at 8:30pm; Dallas has struggled, dropping two consecutive games with a 2-5-3 record in their last ten. The Wild visit comes Sunday at 7:30pm, with Minnesota holding fifth place in the Western Conference but precariously positioned as the eighth-place team trails by only four points. The Wild posted a 5-4-1 record over their last ten games. Boston’s road trip concludes in Winnipeg on Tuesday at 8:00pm against the hot Jets, who are riding a three-game winning streak and a 7-2-1 stretch over their last ten. The Bruins return to TD Garden on Thursday, March 29 at 7:00pm to host Atlantic Division-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.
At press time, the Bruins’ 99 points tied them for third most in the league with the Vegas Golden Knights, a remarkable achievement considering the 2017-18 season’s staggering injury toll to top players. Patrice Bergeron is sidelined with both a lower-body injury and a fractured foot. Recently acquired Rick Nash is out with an upper-body injury; captain Zdeno Chara also misses time with an upper-body injury; David Backes has missed 21 of 71 games this season due to medical issues including diverticulitis and colon surgery, multiple suspensions, and a recent leg cut. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy’s MCL knee sprain created a blueline void Boston has managed to overcome; Adam McQuaid suffered a broken right fibula; Kevan Miller sustained an upper-body injury; Brad Marchand and Tuukka Rask dealt with concussion-related issues; David Krejci missed action with an upper-body injury; Torey Krug endured a fractured jaw; Noel Acciari was bothered by a fractured finger; Jake DeBrusk is currently out with an upper-body injury; and rookie Anders Bjork’s shoulder injury has ended his season.
Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna will be inducted into the Eastern College Athletic Conference Hall of Fame. The ECAC Hall of Fame committee announced the ceremony honoring Bertagna will occur Friday, May 4 at the Crowne Plaza in Danbury, Connecticut. Bertagna began his professional coaching career in 1985 with the Boston Bruins, serving as their goaltending coach through 1991 and returning for the 1994-95 season. Currently in his 36th year as a college hockey administrator, Bertagna is in his 21st year with Hockey East after spending 15 years in a comparable role with the ECAC. He holds the distinction of being Hockey East’s longest-serving commissioner and the NCAA’s longest-serving hockey commissioner.