63-46.

On Wednesday, that was the final score of a long-winded march from the School’s Varsity II Boys Basketball Team to the coveted championship.

Despite losing at halftime, they were able to come back and control the second half, ultimately securing the victory and the banner over Covenant Christian Academy (CCA). By winning the championship, the team accomplished something no Varsity II squad had accomplished in over a decade. 

However, this journey was challenging; it required dedication, work ethic, talent, and commitment from every single member of the team. Head Coach Jamie Lynn always kept the team in top condition, with frequent practices helping ensure the group was constantly prepared for their next opponent.

“Even from the very start, I came in with the mindset of holding my players accountable, which I think is something that was really beneficial throughout the year. Whether it was practices, team meetings, games, I was always making sure the team was putting their best efforts in,” Lynn said. “ I didn’t want to be the coach who just yells for the sake of yelling, but if you’re gonna make a mistake, I want you to know that, so you can work on it instead of making it again.”

Despite having an overall record of 13-2 on the year, wins were not simply handed out, especially considering how much of their competition was the Varsity I Teams from other schools.

Key players such as Camron Thorton ‘27, Raymond Baez ‘24, Owen Williams ‘23, and many more constantly stepped into high-pressure situations and starting roles for the team.

The season started in shaky condition. After winning their opening game, the team dropped their second to CCA, 60-54. Fueled by determination, however, the team then went on a fierce eight-game win streak, which included notable victories such as a 52-15 win over the Waring School and a 63-33 win over the Newman School.

However, the streak was snapped when the team suffered their second and final loss of the season, this time to the Marie Phillips School for the Deaf. Once again, the team was forced to evaluate their gameplay before continuing with their season.

“Yeah, after the Marie Phillips loss, where we gave up like 30 something points on fast breaks, we kind of had to step back and evaluate again,” Lynn said. “Not a lot really changed, I think the team was kind of overconfident coming off of that big win streak and they ended up playing pretty badly. This was helpful, though, because it kind of brought the team back to reality for the playoffs.”

The team finished off the regular season on a three-game win streak, securing their spot as the two-seed in the Massachusetts Bay Independent League (MBIL) playoffs.

Additionally, the playoffs provided a chance for revenge for their previous losses, as their semi-final matchup pitted them once again against Marie Phillips.

“In our first game we went against Marie Phillips, we beat them pretty handily. When we faced them a second time at home they beat us badly so we knew the semi final game could go either way,” said Williams. “I was excited at the opportunity to be able to get back on the team that handed us one of our losses, and in the end, our momentum and team play couldn’t be stopped.”

After another dominating performance, the team came out on top 58 to 44, putting them in the finals against none other than CCA.

Determined to avenge their first loss of the season, the team trekked out to Peabody for the final game. However, throughout the first half, it seemed that the team would suffer yet another close loss, as they trailed by a slim margin of two points at halftime. 

“We were down by seven, and we closed it to two at half, and I remember telling them, ‘this is your game to win or lose,’” Lynn said. “I think some of it was switching to full court press, but they really just came out and dominated in the second half. A lot of it was trying to chip away and then taking that really big lead at the end, and they earned the victory as a whole.”

The team came out of halftime with renewed energy, pulverizing their opponents on both the offensive and defensive sides of the game.

In particular, Will Apen ‘25, who had recently displayed an impressive string of performances, dominated the second half, putting up 14 points and helping the team to a comeback victory.

“As a group, we realized we needed to play as a more coherent and aggressive team. The second half, the energy and my overall confidence was through the roof, and we played really well as a team to secure the win,” said Apen.

As for the future, integral senior members of the team, such as Williams, Sevak Glorikian ’23, and many more, will be graduating and thus leaving the team. However, Lynn remains optimistic about the bright overall future of the squad.

“I’m going to go into it with the same mentality-obviously I’ll have to adjust around the new players, it’s definitely going to be hard with the seniors leaving,” Lynn said. I’ll need a lot of the younger guys to step up, but I’ve definitely been thinking about it. At the same time, I already know we’re gonna have a target on our back for winning this year, so I’m excited to see how the season plays out.”