This year’s MIAA boys basketball tournament will be remembered for a long time.
Among the reasons? The state’s biggest stars shined on the biggest stage, and especially under the bright lights of the Tsongas Center in Lowell.
There were so many standouts across the state’s five divisions that our All-Tournament teams reached three squads of five. They each played major roles in at least leading their teams to a Final Four berth, and several of our selections, of course, brought home state championships. It’s notable that 14 of the 15 names were upperclassmen, including 12 seniors. Experience, as always, matters in the big moments.
Here are our three All-Tournament teams from the MIAA boys playoffs.
First Team
Rolky Brea-Arias, St. Mary’s
Class of 2026, 6-5 forward
The senior star was the two-way engine of the Spartans’ Division 2 championship run, making an all-around impact with his scoring, defensive length for blocks and deflections and rebounding. He came up clutch in the state final, sparking St. Mary’s with a huge fourth-quarter dunk before delivering the decisive go-ahead bucket with 12 seconds remaining.
MIAA BOYS CHAMPIONS: D1 — Bishop Feehan | D2 — St. Mary's | D3 — Salem | D4 — Wareham | D5 — Hoosac Valley
Brody Bumila, Bishop Feehan
Class of 2026, 6-9 forward
NCAA: Texas (baseball)
Bumila completed one of the most legendary individual runs in MIAA basketball tournament history, averaging 40.8 points and 19.8 rebounds per game to lead No. 14 seed Bishop Feehan to the program first ever Division 1 championship. The Shamrocks beat the top three seeds in the bracket, and each of those wins were powered by Bumila. He went for 49 points and 22 rebounds in a four-overtime epic vs. No. 3 Needham in the round of 16 and erupted for 51 points and 22 rebounds vs. No. 2 Needham in the state semifinals. That set the stage for the title game, where Bumila scored 36 points with 20 rebounds to knock off top-seeded Central Catholic.
Aaron Cote, Wareham
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard
Cote averaged 26.4 points per game in five tournament victories, including a 35-point eruption in the Round of 16 win over South Hadley that made him Wareham’s all-time leading scorer. After missing all but three games last season due to knee surgery, Cote finished his career in storybook style with 31 points – including 20 in the second half – of the Vikings’ Division 4 championship victory over Georgetown.
Javi Lopez, Central Catholic
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
NCAA: Brandeis
Lopez was exceptional in leading the Raiders run to the Division 1 state final. He scored 21 points, including the game-winning basket with under 10 seconds remaining to beat Beverly in the quarterfinals before dropping 30 points to outlast Springfield Central in overtime in the state semifinals. He was terrific in the state championship game vs. Bishop Feehan, scoring 30 points on six 3-pointers.
Elian Rodriguez, Salem
Class of 2027, 6-1 guard
Rodriguez reached 30 points twice – including 33 in No. 2 Salem’s round of 16 victory over Charlestown – before scoring 27 points in the Division 3 final vs. top-seeded Hanover to deliver the Witches’ first state championship since 1995.
Second Team
Allen Brown Jr., Holbrook
Class of 2026, 5-10 guard
One of the best scorers in state history, Brown took his ability to a different level in March as he averaged 38.8 points per game to lead sixth-seeded Holbrook to the Division 5 final. He scored 46 in the state semifinal win over Prospect Hill before dropping 40 in the title game. He finished his career with 2,397 points.
Jimmy Farrell, Masconomet
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
Farrell was tremendous throughout the tournament to lead No. 3 seed Masconomet to its second consecutive Division 2 Final Four and first championship game. He averaged 20.2 points in five tournament games, including a 29-point effort in the Chieftains round of 16 win over Nashoba. He scored the decisive go-ahead bucket in the final minute of the state semifinals vs. Pope Francis, and he scored 18 in the state final vs. St. Mary’s.
Ryan Mutschler, Hanover
Class of 2026, 6-5 guard
The dynamic Mutschler did it all for the top-seeded Hawks in their run to the Division 3 final, which included a 32-point outburst in their round of 16 victory over Lynnfield. He scored a team-high 22 points in the championship game vs. Salem.
Josh Roux, Andover
Class of 2027, 6-0 guard
Roux averaged 25.8 points in four tournament games to lead No. 2 seed Andover to the Division 1 Final Four. That included a 27-point performance to lead the Golden Warriors’ quarterfinal home victory over Xaverian.
Adan Wicks, Hoosac Valley
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
Wicks scorched the nets in five tournament games, averaging 30 points per game to lead Hoosac Valley to the Division 5 championship, the program’s first. He scored 38 points on nine 3-pointers to fuel the Hurricanes’ upset of No. 1 seed Drury, and he erupted for 29 points in the state final, including seven 3-pointers and six in the first half. He made 29 triples in the tournament.
Third Team
Qwanell Bradley, Hoosac Valley
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard
Part of the 1-2 punch with Wicks, Bradley averaged 19.2 points per game to help lead the Hurricanes to their first Div. 5 title. He saved his best for last in the title game, scoring a career-high 33 points – including 28 in the second half – to go along with 22 rebounds as he dominated in the paint to seal the championship.
Sam Brigham, Pope Francis
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
Brigham averaged 24 points per game in four tournament games, including a 33-point performance to lead No. 2 seed Pope Francis’ win over Oliver Ames to advance to the Final Four. He finished his storied career with 2,107 points.
Aden Cabrera, Springfield Central
Class of 2026, 5-10 guard
Cabrera averaged 21 points per game to lead 12th-seeded Springfield Central to its second consecutive Division 1 Final Four appearance. He scored a season-high 32 points in the Eagles’ round of 16 upset win over No. 5 seed New Bedford.
Jake Fortier, St. Mary’s
Class of 2028, 6-0 guard
As only a sophomore, Fortier guided the top-seeded Spartans to the Division 2 title as one of the best point guards in the state, setting up his teammates as a difficult player to stay in front of while also finding opportunities to score. He scored 13 points in the championship victory over Masconomet.
Brendan Loewen, Georgetown
Class of 2026, 5-11 guard
Loewen led third-seeded Georgetown to its second consecutive Division 4 title appearance. He scored 23 points in the Royals’ quarterfinal victory over Blue Hills before contributing 17 points and critical last-minute free throws to beat No. 2 Millbury in the state semifinals. He scored 16 points in the state final vs. Wareham.
Honorable Mentions
Amare Rose, Class of 2027 guard, Wareham; Thomas Denton, Class of 2027 forward, Masconomet; Jayden Delaleu, Class of 2027 guard, Millbury; Elkin Pena, Class of 2028 forward, Central Catholic; Shy Babb, Class of 2026 forward, Lynn Classical
