LAWRENCE, Mass. — Central Catholic’s early-season loss to Andover on Dec. 19 didn’t worry coach Mark Dunham. The film confirmed his suspicions. The three-point defeat was defined by sloppy play, missed layups and too many bricks to count. The Raiders certainly didn’t like losing on their home floor, but there was no reason to panic.
“I wasn’t mad,” Dunham said. “I knew what we had.”
Central hasn’t lost to an in-state opponent since. And Friday’s rematch with Andover in the MVC Cup championship followed a similar script to the first meeting. A rock fight between familiar foes turned into an offensive struggle. The Raiders scored three points in the third quarter and trailed for most of the fourth, but this time they found a way. They took advantage of two Andover starters fouling out late – including star sophomore Charlie Tutwiler – and made enough plays to survive a 55-50 victory.
The game’s final minutes were eventful, as Central reclaimed the lead with less than three minutes to go and held off Andover as Josh Roux’s would-be game-tying 3 in the final seconds missed. The Raiders’ student section stormed the floor after the win, celebrating the first MVC Cup title as the Raiders avenged their early-season loss to the Golden Warriors, the league’s regular season champs.
Here are 10 standouts and takeaways from the game.
Elkin Pena, Central Catholic
Class of 2028, 6-3 forward
Pena struggled in the first meeting in December as he missed a ton of easy shots. But he left that in the past with a big performance in Friday’s win as he finished with 19 points and 17 rebounds. He was dominant on the boards with his combination of size, physicality and athleticism that allowed him to get higher than anyone else to fetch misses, and he came down with several on the offensive glass. He was aggressive and decisive on drives, which included several athletic finishes at the rim. On a night when star Javi Lopez didn’t really get going, Pena’s performance was critical.
“He's such a nightmare down there to match up with, but we need that,” Pena said. “If we’re going to make a deep run, we’re going to need someone other than Javi.”
Javi Lopez, Central Catholic
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
NCAA: Brandeis
Lopez, who finished with 13 points and averages close to 30, never got in his typical rhythm. He picked up two first-quarter fouls, and Andover was focused on him defensively, disrupting him with face-guarding and different matchup coverages. He missed a bunch of easy ones and good looks. But he still managed to make big plays when it mattered. Down five entering the fourth, he hit a tough contested 3-pointer to open the period. Then, he sparked Central’s final run with a second-chance three-point play with 2:44 remaining to give the Raiders the lead, then got a head of steam on a lefty drive for a score to go up four moments later.
“In a physical game like that, he kept his composure and he kept fighting,” Dunham said. “At the end, he had some big baskets. He stays in the game, he doesn’t complain, he just keeps going.”
Jeremiah Almanzar, Central Catholic
Class of 2026, 5-10 guard
The unassuming Almanzar continued to make the winning plays needed to prevail, and his poise down the stretch made the difference as he went 5-for-6 from the free throw line, which included two game-sealing ones in the final seconds. He was stingy defensively, which included drawing an offensive foul, and he sure-handed offensively. A starter since his sophomore year, Almanzar’s impact often flies under the radar.
“Other than Javi, he’s the one I want at the line,” Dunham said. “He makes big free throws. He is the epitome of a leader. Any time he has the ball, I have the utmost confidence that he’s going to make the right decision and what he does goes so unnoticed by the average person. He’s covering the other team’s best player. He gets us in our actions, he’s always bringing the guys in to make sure they know what we’re in.”
Josh Roux, Andover
Class of 2027, 6-0 guard
The star junior entered the night needing four points to reach 1,000 for his career. He hit the mark quickly, passing the milestone in the first quarter when he followed his own miss for a three-point play as part of Andover’s game-opening 9-1 run. Roux missed a lot of looks from 3-point range – though he hit a ridiculous, buzzer-beating fallaway triple as time expired in the third quarter – but continued to have success getting to the rim with smart takes, strong body control, good touch on runners and playing off two feet in the paint. After Andover trailed by seven at halftime, Roux led the charge with some strong takes as the Golden Warriors turned things around in the third. He finished with 30 points.
“Josh is just special, man,” Andover coach Dave Fazio said. “Josh is just a special kid. No quit, grinded, his shots weren’t falling, he kept going and kept driving.”
Logan Sullivan, Andover
Class of 2029, 6-0 guard
Sullivan has rarely looked like a freshman this season, and he showed Friday he wasn’t afraid of the moment with a strong two-way performance. He scored 12 points while taking on most of the primary defensive responsibilities on Lopez, and he made a handful of mature, high IQ plays. He jumped a passing lane for a steal that ultimately led to a transition bucket, and he made a smart cut into the paint where he made a great runner in stride. He’s a tough player to stop in transition with his blend of skill and physicality.
Takeaways
1. Andover’s losses of Tutwiler and Benjamin Hnat – who both fouled out in the fourth quarter – were hard to overcome. Tutwiler picked up his fifth with 4:05 to go, and already without junior guard Luke Zorbas due to injury, it left the Golden Warriors vulnerable and shorthanded at the guard spot in the final minutes. Roux took over ball-handling duties, but Central was smart to increase its defensive pressure and force the ball out of his hands. With multiple young players on the floor without experience in high-pressure, late-game situations, Andover committed several turnovers down the stretch, which was a difference maker.
On the flip side, Central is so comfortable in big games and pressure moments, and it showed.
“They’ve been in so many big games for so long, so it’s going to be hard for them to give up, especially this time of year,” Dunham said.
2. An unsung hero for Central Catholic? It might be Drew O’Keefe. The junior guard, who also plays football, scored seven points, including a crucial late bucket, and was competitive defensively with deflections and on-ball pressure.
“Drew is one of the best athletes I’ve coached,” Dunham said. “When his mindset is what it was like tonight, he’s very, very good for us. … Drew brings a level of toughness for us that’s very important.”
3. Despite the outcome, Fazio was proud of Andover’s effort. His group showed great resilience, especially late after Tutwiler and Hnat fouled out.
“This team is spunky, they’re tough, they execute the game plan, we’re missing shots but we’re tracking down rebounds. We fought,” Fazio said. “That’s all you want to do. You want to give yourselves a chance to win. I’m beyond proud of these kids.”
4. Central certainly wanted to win this game, but it wasn’t everything. This team has bigger goals – a state championship – and Dunham said they were going to turn the page quickly regardless of the outcome.
“It was nice to win, we celebrated, but now the bigger goal is let’s win seven more and hopefully put up a state title,” Dunham said.
5. Central and Andover earned the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively, in the MIAA’s power rankings update on Friday morning. Central was nearly a full ranking point higher than Andover and the rest of the field, so it seems unlikely that the Raiders will fall from the No. 1 spot before the state tournament bracket release next weekend. Andover, however, will have work to do over the final week to ensure a top four seed, which guarantees home court advantage through the quarterfinals. The Golden Warriors entered Friday with a 9.6466 rating, barely ahead of No. 3 BC High (9.6427) and No. 4 New Bedford (9.6004). No. 5 Bridgewater-Raynham (9.4074) and No. 6 Needham (9.3068) are lurking behind them.
