Chelsea High School’s basketball team dominated the fourth quarter with a 25-point outburst, defeating Wakefield High in a 60-47 MIAA State Tournament matchup Tuesday evening at the Sol Nechtem Gymnasium. Leading the Red Devils was Cesar Castro, who posted 24 points and dished out 11 assists. Freshman Sammy Mojica contributed 11 points while junior Felix Crespo added 10 points in the victory. Chelsea’s record now stands at 18-3, positioning them for a quarterfinal showdown against Reading on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Chelsea High.
The game remained competitive through three quarters, with Wakefield keeping pace early. Chelsea trailed 23-19 at halftime before edging ahead 35-34 entering the final period. Head coach Jay Seigal, along with assistant coaches Lenny Brand, Mike Triant, and Jack Halas, made crucial adjustments when 6-foot-7-inch center Mark Reddick encountered foul trouble. In response, 6-foot-4-inch senior Craig Szalkowski stepped up from the bench, scoring four points and playing strong defense against Wakefield’s center Anthony Fabiano. Point guard Troy Crossley, junior forward Eli Ortiz, and freshman Mojica all stepped up as Castro struggled early. The Red Devils’ fourth-quarter surge saw Reddick finish with eight points while Chelsea’s full-court pressure defense stifled Wakefield’s offense. Castro proved instrumental down the stretch, repeatedly attacking the basket and threading passes to teammates, including a no-look pass to Mojica for a layup. He also converted 8-of-13 free throws to secure the victory.
Wakefield coach Brad Simpson acknowledged Chelsea’s edge in senior leadership. “We lost to a very good team with great senior leadership,” said Simpson. “Cesar [Castro] and [Mark] Reddick and the underclassmen really melded. It took them awhile to get their game going, but when they turned it up, we just couldn’t turn it up to match them.” Seigal credited the team’s ability to regain composure after an overly aggressive first quarter and execute during the dominant fourth-quarter performance. “I feel our kids really mentally and physically stepped it up in the fourth quarter to pull away at the end. We took good shots and didn’t force the issue when we had the lead and we played great defense throughout the whole game.” Chelsea’s next opponent is Reading High School, which holds a 16-5 record after defeating Beverly 69-67 in its opening tournament game.
