Star power fueled championships across NEPSAC last weekend, with the likes of Lucas Morillo, Amir Jenkins and Alex Wilkins leading their teams to titles behind brilliant performances.
But championships aren’t won by one player. The teams that claimed glory on Sunday showed that depth matters, and contributions from players across the rosters – and sometimes, even the bench – are the difference in the biggest moments.
Three of the four championship games from Class AAA to B were decided in dramatic fashion, and throughout the playoffs, each of those teams that won titles needed to overcome difficult, pressure situations to come out on top. In those moments, there were less-heralded role players who stepped up and made big plays.
Here are five unsung heroes of the 2025 NEPSAC boys playoffs.
Louis O’Keefe, Newman
Class of 2026, 6-3 guard
Hometown, Nashville, Tenn.
Whenever Newman needed a big shot, O’Keefe could be relied on. In a surprising quarterfinal battle against No. 7 seed Bridgton, the Cardinals led by just two at halftime before O’Keefe scored 14 points – including four 3-pointers – in the second half to help blow the game open. In another emotional, intense battle in the semifinals against Darrow, O’Keefe came up big with 11 points and three 3-pointers. The junior guard, who typically comes off the bench, scored in double figures in each of Newman’s three playoff victories.
NEPSAC BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP RECAPS: AAA — Newman | AA — Worcester Academy | A — Williston Northampton | B — Brooks
Cam Hailey, Worcester Academy
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard
Hometown: Dorchester, Mass.
Worcester Academy’s Class AA championship was something of a full-circle moment for head coach Jamie Sullivan, who also coached Hailey’s father on the Hilltoppers’ NEPSAC championship team in 2002. It was fitting that the younger Hailey played a critical role in sealing the championship in Sunday’s final. He scored 10 of his 19 points in the second half, including a couple of big shots after the Hilltoppers went down six with five minutes to go. One of them was a left-handed drive he finished for a go-ahead three-point play before he made five free throws in the final minutes to secure the 68-64 win.
Ricardo Nieves, Williston Northampton
Class of 2025, 6-4 guard
Hometown: Springfield, Mass.
NCAA: Tufts
Nieves is bound for Tufts after helping Williston to the Class A title, but the tournament showed again why he’s a Division 1-caliber talent. And while he’s certainly received plenty of attention this winter as part of Williston’s star quartet that includes Preston Edmead, Ashton Reynolds and Ore Odutayo, he deserves recognition for his performances last week.
Nieves was impactful in every facet of the game, from tough rebounds to clutch shot-making and lockdown defense. He scored 24 points in Williston’s 73-69 semifinal victory over Choate, which included a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line in the final two minutes to secure the win. In Sunday’s championship win, he scored 15 points – including four 3-pointers – and was even better on defense, where he held Exeter star Ryder Frost to just 13 points. Williston doesn’t win a championship without Nieves, who did all the dirty work and then some.
MORE: Our 2025 NEPSAC boys All-Tournament team
Trokon Harris, Brooks
Class of 2026, 6-1 guard
Hometown: Lowell, Mass.
Brooks’ talented backcourt came through in the biggest moments to deliver a championship. Wilkins’’ MVP performance was legendary, and senior guard Emersen Davis was massive as he controlled the offense and scored 14 points per game in the three tournament wins and defended the opposing team’s best ball-handlers every night. But Harris deserves recognition. The junior guard sprained his big toe in Brooks’ quarterfinal win over Pomfret, but played and pushed through it. He posted eight points per game, a team-leading seven rebounds per game and a 4.3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio as he limped his way to a championship.
Riley Clarke, Brooks
Class of 2026, 6-7 forward
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Clarke was the definition of unsung hero in Brooks’ championship run. He missed nine games due to an injury before returning on Feb. 26 against St. Mark’s. Brooks proceeded to win all five of its remaining games with Clarke in the lineup as he pushed through a bad hip because of the knee injury. In the three tournament wins, Clarke averaged 10.3 rebounds per game on 53 percent shooting from deep in addition to 4.3 rebounds and one block per game. The run included a 16-point performance in Brooks’ quarterfinal win over Pomfret, when he hit timely shots to fuel a late comeback.
