BOSTON, Mass. — The main course of the MIAA basketball season starts next week as the state tournaments get away. But we were treated to a really good appetizer this weekend at Emmanuel College.
The Board 27 Comcast Tournament brought some of the best teams in the state from both the boys and girls side. The girls slate was loaded, and included an awesome matchup between the defending state champions from Div. 1 and 2. Ethan Fuller has you covered with standouts from the girls brackets.
The boys field included seven teams — including the No. 1 team in the state — with state tournament aspirations and some of the best players in the state. Monday’s championship game of the bracket featured Central Catholic and Masconomet, two state title contenders in Div. 1 and 2, respectively, in a matchup we’d probably not see in another setting.
It ended up being one of the best games of the weekend. Central prevailed, 56-52, after a great fight from Masconomet. The Chieftains trailed, 17-3, after the first quarter before storming back to cut their deficit to two with a chance to tie or win in the final seconds. The game was also a full-circle moment for second-year Masconomet coach Jaycob Morales, a former standout at Central Catholic.
Looking for the full results from the tournament? Check here. Here are 10 boys standouts from the weekend.
Jerry Brown, Charlestown
Class of 2027, guard
We know Brown can light up the nets with a prolific scoring ability; he had 49 points in a win this season vs. Madison Park, and he surpassed 1,000 career points in Sunday’s close loss to Beverly, which is hard to do for a junior. But his passing vision and playmaking was at an elite level in Monday’s overtime win over Abington. It makes sense; his Instagram handle is @jerryxdimez, a nod to his passing ability. The small guard’s quickness and skill allowed to get into the paint, where he continuously found air-tight creases in the defense to deliver passes for easy buckets. I also noted a ridiculous, perfectly-placed pass from beyond half-court where he somehow found an open teammate under the basket through traffic.
Brown wasn’t afraid to pull the trigger offensively, too. He finished with 15 points, including an impressive finish in transition over a much bigger and athletic defender in Kingston Maxwell, and he drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to start overtime. He plays with a high level of confidence.
“He’s been known for dropping dimes, so even though he can score the ball really well, he’s a very good passer,” Charlestown coach Hugh Coleman said. “He’s the kind of player who can see the play before it develops. When he’s on like that, he’s really on, he finds guys. I’m trying to get him to understand that. That if he actually really finds people, it’s going to open up his offensive game. … I love his confidence, I love his scoring ability and he’s actually a really good defender when I’m really on him. … He has the potential to be really good.”
Jimmy Farrell, Masconomet
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
Farrell has the best pull-up jumper in MIAA I’ve seen this season, and it was again on display in Masco’s close loss to Central, when the senior willed them to a comeback with his mature scoring ability. He had great floor balance between dribble pull-ups and picking his spots to attack the rim, where he made a few strong finishes against contact. His pull-ups are so hard to defend; he seemingly knows where his spot is, and he has a quick pull with a high arc. He went into a shotmaking zone in the second half, which included a pull-up 3 in a defender’s face, a drive into a baseline fadeaway jumper where he created leverage off his defender and a huge three-point play off the glass in the final minutes. Farrell also had some nice playmaking and defensive moments in transition. He drew two defenders at the rim on a fast break before having the patience and awareness to find Jamason Vella for a calm feed for a bucket, and he had an outstanding block in transition where he hung in the air for the rejection.
Jamason Vella, Masconomet
Class of 2026, 6-6 forward
Vella racked up a pair of double-doubles across Masco’s two games over the weekend as he put up 17 points and 10 rebounds in a victory over Catholic Memorial before contributing 18 points and 10 boards in the close loss to Central Catholic. I liked how he battled back against strong physicality from both opponents and some moments of adversity. He had a huge sequence in the final minute of the Central loss, as he hit a three-point play, missed the free throw but didn’t quit on the play as he ripped a steal and then converted to make it a two-point game with 46 seconds left.
Javi Lopez, Central Catholic
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
NCAA: Brandeis
Lopez brought his full bag to Emmanuel in Central’s dominant win over Newton South as he finished with 22 points on an array of scores, including his comfortable left-dribble pull-up, a pull-up 3-pointer and finishing through contacts on drives. We’re not breaking news here, but Lopez’s offensive maturity and IQ is beyond his peers. He’s never fazed or flustered and knows how and where to find the best shots for himself. He’s got some Paul Pierce to his game; he’s not super athletic, but he lulls you to sleep and beats you with his smarts and skill. It wasn’t as easy for Lopez in Central’s tournament title win over Masconomet as he battled some foul trouble. But he still found ways to impact the outcome, including a really tough reverse layup three-point play in the fourth quarter when Masco was gaining momentum.
Drew O’Keefe, Central Catholic
Class of 2027, 5-10 guard
I’ve seen enough Central Catholic recently to know what O’Keefe means to the Raiders. He’s a critical glue guy who’s willing to do it all, from mixing it up inside with his toughness, making hustle plays or even drilling a shot when there’s an opportunity. He scored Central’s first five points vs. Newton South, including a straightaway triple, and throughout the weekend he was impressive with some of his skilled shots, drives and finishes. He had a pump fake into a one-dribble pull-up vs. Newton South, and he had it going vs. Masconomet. His performance included a strong three-point play on a step through battling traffic, a smart drive into the paint, where he played off two feet, pivoted and patiently found a cutter for two, and a backdoor bucket. He also drew a foul on a sharp spin move around a defender; he has some sneaky quickness and athleticism.
Elkin Pena, Central Catholic
Class of 2028, 6-3 forward
Pena has one of the best motors for Central Catholic with his rebounding ability and hustle, but the athletic forward seems to be rounding out his all-around game. He can play effectively off the ball as he scored buckets on back-to-back cuts vs. Newton South. He stepped out to hit multiple 3-pointers against Masconomet and was an impactful defender on the perimeter with his length and athleticism, which included several deflections. For Central to win the state tournament, they’ll need consistent secondary production outside of Lopez. Pena has proven he can be counted on.
Jacob Klass, Beverly
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard
Klass led the scoring for Beverly in two wins over the weekend, posting 21 points vs. Abington and 27 in a close victory over Charlestown. I counted at least four 3-pointers in the Charlestown win, which included a smart relocation triple and a deep four-point play as he buried a shot while tumbling to the ground. I also really liked his hustle on one play where he sprinted the court and was rewarded with a cut down the paint for a three-point play. He also had an excellent box-out on a rebound before firing a perfect lead pass to a teammate for a transition bucket.
Domenic Panniello-Torres, Beverly
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
Beverly coach Matt Karakoudas told me before the season that Panniello-Torres is the “ultimate glue guy” who can do everything on the court. Every time I’ve seen the Panthers, he’s proven that true. He makes the hustle plays that don’t necessarily get noticed in the box score, like diving for a loose ball or a tip-out rebound for a second-chance bucket vs. Charlestown. He plays with great patience with the ball, and it always seems like he’s a step ahead of the defense – like when he missed a 3, a teammate grabbed an offensive rebound, and he made a great cut to the rim, where he drew a foul.
Jacari Jenkins, Catholic Memorial
Class of 2028, 5-11 guard
The return of Jenkins from injury has certainly been welcomed for CM, and it’s easy to see why. He was a bright spot in the Knights’ loss to Masconomet, where he was efficient offensively and showcased a strong touch with several dribble pull-up makes and a really sweet finish where he made a step-through move from the baseline and scored off the glass. He added 13 points, six assists and four rebounds the next day in CM’s bounce-back win over Newton South.
Kingston Maxwell, Abington
Class of 2026, 6-4 guard
There might not be any player in the state more dangerous than Maxwell when he gets an opening to the basket or space in the open floor. He scored 30 points in Abington’s overtime loss to Charlestown on a series of strong takes to the rim. It included two three-point plays to start the second half – as Abington turned a halftime deficit into a lead – where he just physically and athletically overpowered defenders to get to the hoop. He also finished an impressive give-and-go cut, and he tallied a comical block in transition.
Quick shouts: Abington senior Tyler Staiti made five 3-pointers as part of his 22 points in the Green Wave’s overtime loss to Charlestown, including a few really deep ones. He has high confidence from beyond the arc. … Beverly junior Andrew Braganca filled up the stat sheet with 14 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in the Panthers’ win over Charlestown. … Charlestown junior Jeremy Baez was unstoppable on the offensive glass in the Townies’ win over Abington. He had 17 points, which included several buckets on putbacks. …
I liked what I saw from Newton South junior Kingston Flemming. The 5-foot-9 guard showcased strong court vision against Central Catholic and put pressure on the defense with his creativity and quickness on the ball. … Central Catholic co-captain Jeremiah Almanzar continued to be a strong floor general for the Raiders, and he hit a pair of game-sealing free throws with seconds remaining to clinch the win over Masconomet, just moments after he missed two that kept the door open. Those misses are rare for Almanzar, but he showed championship poise with his response.
