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THE SUPER TEAM

Guard – Aaron Calixte, Jr., Stoughton
An exceptional athlete gifted with a tenacious motor, and one of the state's most dynamic scorers, the 5-foot-11 Calixte was the driving force behind the Black Knight's run to the Division 2 Eastern Mass. final, and asserted himself as the state's premier point guard. For his junior season, he averaged 19 points and six assists, and was named a Hockomock League All-Star. Calixte also stands out on the gridiron for the Black Knights' football squad.

Guard – Tyrese Hoxter, Jr., Charlestown
After playing in the shadows of former All-Stater Akosa Maduegbunam a year ago, the 6-foot-3 Hoxter thoroughly burst onto the scene and had a monster campaign for the Townies, leading them to the TD Garden floor for the first time since 2005 before bowing out to Brockton in the Division 1 Eastern Mass. Final. This season he averaged 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Guard – Tyrell Springer, Sr., Springfield Central
After falling short of a state title two seasons ago with New Leadership, the 6-foot-2 Springer led Central to the DCU Center floor this season where the Golden Eagles captured their first Division 1 state title since 1991. The centerpiece of one of the state's most athletic lineups, Springer averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, seven assists and 7.3 steals. He is undecided on college plans.

Forward – Jake Layman, Sr., King Philip
The 6-foot-8 Layman was one of the most dominant players in Massachusetts this season, with the ability to score both inside and out, as the Warriors set a school single-season record for wins (18) before suffering a surprise upset in the Division 2 South quarterfinals. In 21 games, he averaged 26.5 points, 16 rebounds, 5.8 blocks, 3.2 assists and three steals. He closes his career with with 1,752 points, 1,098 rebounds and 391 blocks, giving him career averages of 20.6 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.6 blocks, 2.8 steals and 2.6 assists. This is his second appearance on the Super Team; he also captured the Hockomock League's MVP for the second straight season. Layman, who was named ESPN Boston's "Mr. Basketball" earlier this week, is ranked the nation's No. 62 overall senior by ESPN, and will continue his career next season at the University of Maryland.

Center – Sayvonn Houston, Sr., Brockton
A nightly double-double machine, Houston established himself as one of the state's most dominant true centers, making life difficult down low as the Boxers went 23-3 and made their first Division 1 state final appearance since 1985. He saved his biggest performances for the biggest stages, such as his 20-20 night in the Division 1 South semifinals, or his 22-point, 13-rebound effort in Brockton's overtime win over Charlestown in the Division 1 Eastern Mass. Final at TD Garden. Houston is undecided on college plans.

BEST OF THE REST

Jalen Adams, Soph. G, Melrose
Quickly rising as one of the Bay State's most complete scoring guards, the 6-foot-1 Adams took home Middlesex League MVP honors after averaging 21 points per game. He led the Red Raiders to an 18-2 regular season record, before they fell to state runner-up Brighton in the Division 2 North semifinals. Adams has already declared that he will be transferring to Wilbraham & Monson Academy next season, where he will reclassify to the Class of 2015.

Jaylen Blakely, Jr. G, Brockton
Like Houston, the 5-foot-11 Blakely saved some of his best performances for the crunch time in the playoffs, such as his eight-assist performance in the Boxers' win over Catholic Memorial. Blakely distributed evenly to Brockton's talented shooters and post players, as they went 23-3 and reached their first state final appearance since 1985.

Matt Droney, Sr. F, Catholic Memorial
A terrific shooter, the 6-foot-4 Droney was named the Catholic Conference's MVP after a season of averaging 20.7 points, six assists and five rebounds per game. He also became the eighth player in school history to surpass 1,000 points earlier this season. The Canton resident will be doing a post-graduate season next year at the Taft School in Connecticut.

Darien Fernandez, Jr. G, Wareham
The 5-foot-7 waterbug demonstrated a tenacious motor in leading the Vikings to their second Division 3 Eastern Mass. Final appearance in three seasons. Wareham was the state's last unbeaten before losing to state champion Danvers. For the season, Fernandez averaged 24 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and five steals, and recorded three triple-doubles. He needs just 45 points next season to reach 1,000 for his career.

Rony Fernandez, Sr. G, Charlestown
Fernandez was one of the most outstanding point guards of the MIAA tournament, leading the Townies to a thrilling win over Lexington in the Division 1 North final before bowing out to state runner-up Brockton in the Eastern Mass. Finals. For the season he averaged 16 points and seven assists. He is undecided on college plans, but is currently fielding interest from Division 1 programs such as Maine, Northeastern and Hartford.

Joey Glynn, Sr. F, Cardinal Spellman
The 6-foot-5 Abington resident did it all this season for the Cardinals, averaging a double-double (18.5 points, 12 rebounds, three steals, 2.2 blocks) as they lost to Eastern Mass. runner-up Wareham in the Division 3 South semifinals. For his career, Glynn scored 1,425 points. He will continue his career next season at Bentley University.

Steve Haladyna, Sr. G/F, St. John’s Prep
One of two repeat All-Staters, the 6-foot-3 Haladyna was unable to lead the Eagles deep in their Division 1 state title defense, but he still leaves the Danvers campus as one of its most decorated basketball stars. He averaged 22.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, both team highs, and for his career he finishes with 1,392 points -- second all-time on Prep's scoring list. The South Hamilton resident will continue his career next season at Tufts University.

Malik James, Soph. G, Brighton
The 6-foot-1 James elevated his game when the Bengals needed it most, as they made their first state final appearance in school history, falling to Mahar in the Division 2 title game. For the season, James averaged 18.1 points, 8.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds as the Bengals won their first-ever Eastern Mass. title.

Jameilen Jones, Jr. G, BC High
BC High's season came to an unexpected halt as the Eagles loss in the first round of the Division 1 South tournament, but the 6-foot-2 Jones has established himself as one of Eastern Mass.'s premier two-way players. For the season, he averaged 17 points and eight rebounds as the Eagles went 15-6.

Zach Karalis, Sr. G, North Andover
The 6-foot-1 Karalis was one of the driving forces for the Scarlet Knights, who went 21-2 and reached the playoffs an unprecedented 47th straight time. For the season he averaged 15.9 points and shot 46 percent from the field, to go along with 6.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.8 steals. Karalis will continue his career next season at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Kevin LaFrancis, Sr. C, Acton-Boxborough
After a stellar season in leading the 21-2 Colonials to a Division 1 North semifinal appearance, the 6-foot-6 LaFrancis was named the Dual County League's MVP. He averaged 19.5 points and eight rebounds this season, and finishes his career at A-B with 1,012 career points. He is undecided on college plans.

Alex Lopez, Sr. G, Springfield Commerce
The 5-foot-10 Lopez led the Valley League in scoring for the second straight season, averaging 22.3 points as the Red Raiders went to the Division 1 Western Mass. Finals and took state champion Springfield Central to the wire. He led Western Mass. in field goals made (185) and total points (512). Lopez is currently undecided on college plans.

Damian Lugay, Sr. G, Weymouth
The 6-foot-2 Lugay led the Wildcats to a second straight 17-win season, before they were bounced in the first round of the Division 1 South tournament. For the season he averaged 18.1 points and just under four assists, and leaves Weymouth as a two-time First Team All-Bay State Conference. Lugay is undecided on college plans.

George Merry, Sr. C, Danvers
At 6-foot-7, Merry was a force at both ends of the floor for the Falcons, known for his ability to redirect shots as much as his scoring touch. He averaged 16.1 points, eight rebounds and 6.6 blocks as Danvers captured its first Division 3 state championship in school history. Merry is currently undecided on college plans, but showing interest from several schools in Divisions 2 and 3.

Marcus Middleton, Jr. G, Stoughton
Tasked nightly with locking down the opposition's top scorer, Middleton established himself as one of the state's premier on-ball defenders. Middleton averaged 16 points per game for the Black Knights, who won the Division 2 South title before bowing out to state runner-up Brighton in the Eastern Mass. championship at TD Garden. Middleton also stars on Stoughton's football squad.

Matt Mobley, Sr. G/F, St. Peter-Marian
One of state's most pleasant late-blooming surprises, the 6-foot-3 Mobley was one of the leading scorers in Central Mass. as the Guardians made it all the way to the Division 1 Central Final. For the season, he averaged 23.2 points in leading SPM to its most successful season under head coach Marcus Watson. Mobley finished his career at SPM with 1,175 points, and will do a post-graduate season next year at Worcester Academy.

Tyler Nelson, Soph. G, Central Catholic
The 5-foot-11 Nelson established himself as one of the state's premier shooters, as the Raiders made it to the Division 1 North semifinals before bowing out to champion Charlestown. He averaged 15.5 points and four assists this season, shot 42 percent from three-point range, and 91 percent from the free throw line.

Colin Richey, Jr. G, Whitinsville Christian
After winning a Division 3 state title a year ago, the 6-foot Richey nearly led them back, as the Crusaders lost in the final seconds to state runner-up St. Joseph Central in the state semifinals. For the seaosn, Richey averaged 16.8 points, 6.7 assist and 6.3 rebounds for the Dual Valley League champions.

Kamari Robinson, Jr. F, Springfield Central
The 6-foot-5 Robinson was a rock underneath for the Golden Eagles, who captured their first Division 1 state title since 1991 and third overall. He was a nightly double-double threat this season, averaging 13 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and three assists, as Central went undefeated in Massachusetts.

Michael Thorpe, Sr. G, Newton North
The Tigers went run-and-gun this season, and the 5-foot-11 Thorpe kept them thoroughly going. One year after reaching the Division 1 South finals, he nearly led them back, before losing to state runner-up Brockton in the semifinals. He was named the Bay State Conference's MVP, with averages of 15 points and four assists. Thorpe will continue his career next season at Emerson College.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
MARCUS MIDDLETON, STOUGHTON
The kind of on-ball pressure Middleton provided nightly to some of the state's premier scorers can take its toll physically, but he was routinely up to the task. As teammate Aaron Calixte saw a barrage of double-teams and box-and-one's, Middleton did his part at the other end, hedging off screens and staying one one's hip, chasing them all over the floor. As much praise as Calixte will get in this unprecedented season for the Knights, an equal amount must be thrown Middleton's way.

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
G – Marcus Middleton, Jr., Stoughton
G – Anthony Hodges, Sr., Holy Name
G – Darien Fernandez, Jr., Wareham
F – Jake Layman, Sr., King Philip
C – George Merry, Sr., Danvers

COACH OF THE YEAR
HUGH COLEMAN, BRIGHTON
The Bengals lost their best player before the start of the tournament, and backpedaled into the playoffs with uninspiring losses to Acton-Boxborough and Madison Park. Yet in the end, they were one step away from the school's first-ever state title. Coleman is an unabashed disciple of the legendary Jack O'Brien, and staples of those historic Charlestown squads are sprinkled all over the program. Not only has Coleman done a remarkable job bringing the team to heights never before reached in his three seasons at the helm, but this is a program that will be dangerous for the next few years.

RUNNERS-UP:
Paul Connolly, Newton North
Dean O'Connor, Franklin

FINALISTS:
Kevin Brogioli, Wareham
John Gallivan, Stoughton
Reggie Hobbs, Lexington
Malcolm Smith, East Boston
Chad Softic, Mahar
John Walsh, Danvers
Dennis Wilson, Madison Park

BOSTON, Mass. — Brockton will make its much-anticipated return to the Garden floor as the top-seeded Boxers displaced No. 2 seed Madison Park (19-3) with a 57-48 victory last night in the Div. 1 South finals at the Clark Athletic Center on the campus of UMass Boston.

The Boxers (22-2) held the Cardinals to 15 field goals at a 27.8 percent clip for the game, and clamped down hard in the final minute to set up a date with Charlestown, which knocked off Lexington in tonight's Div. 1 North final in Lowell, on Monday night.

“We’ve been waiting for a team like this to play defense against,” said Boxers head coach Bob Boen. “My big guys are getting tired of covering those 3-point players. They were very happy that they could stay in that lane and help out in what I call ‘normal’ defense with ‘normal’ help positions, instead of chasing guys out on the 3-point line.”

Sayvonn Houston had 13 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks while holding Cardinals’ big man Dakim Murray to eight points — seven of those coming in the first half.

“I just had to keep my hands up,” said the 6-foot-6 Houston. “They have a lot of size and rebounders, so I knew I had to get in position, box out and rebound.”

Will Baker, Jaylen Blakely and Jamal Reuben took care of the perimeter defense as they got in the passing lane on sever plays in the final two-plus minutes of regulation.

“We just wanted to get to every ball,” said Baker. “Coach told us to work hard and we just wanted to play aggressively. That’s what coach told us right before the game and that was the game plan.”

Stewart in Foul Trouble: David Stewart has meant so much to Madison Park on the defensive and offensive ends of the court this season, and in the biggest game of the season he could only sit and watch for the majority of the game with foul trouble.

He picked up two fouls in the first half and picked up two more in the third quarter a good 80 feet from his own basket to slow down any kind of flow he had with his game.

“Foul trouble and a couple of chippy fouls," said Cardinals head coach Dennis Wilson. "I wasn’t happy about that.”

Boen was planning on taking on both Murray and Stewart for the majority of the game, especially after seeing the success the two had against Franklin in the first half of the previous round.

“They needed both of their big guys,” said Boen. “Both big guys together were giving us a lot of trouble. When one or the other was out we relaxed a little, and we relaxed a little bit too much I think.”

When Stewart was able to stay in the game he made all the difference for Madison Park to keep things close. Stewart had 10 of the Cardinals 11 points in the third quarter and he finished with 16 in the second half after only having a single free throw in the first half.

Baker Steps Up: Baker might be the second point guard that comes into the game for the Boxers, but the ball was left in his hands in the second half as his team was trying to stave off the Cardinals.

“He got the game moving. We got off to a good start, we slowed down and then William came in and got us rolling again.”

Added Baker: “That’s what my role is. My role is to get opportunity for teammates when they are open.”

Baker -- who also added seven assists and four steals — picked off a pass on the opening possession of the second quarter and put it off the glass on the other end. Baker also set up Drew Fiske for a 3-pointer off a good dribble penetration and found Houston a couple times in the second half as he was able to create off the dribble.

BOSTON -- The play was ironically labeled “victory,” and Franklin ran it almost perfectly against Madison Park on the final possession of the MIAA boys’ South sectional basketball Tuesday night at UMass-Boston's Clark Athletic Center.

Unfortunately for the Panthers, everything worked except the shot, allowing Madison Park to escape with a thrilling 63-60 win.

The final play was one the Panthers practiced many times during the course of the season, never actually knowing whether they would need to use it.

Brendan Skidmore, a senior who had already drilled three long bombs, ran his Madison Park defender off a screen at one end of the floor while the clock stood stuck at 1.3 seconds. Russ Haddad cradled the ball at the other, ready to throw an inbounds pass the entire length of the court once Skidmore scampered free.

Franklin trailed 63-60, had trailed almost the entire game, had come storming back like an angry girlfriend looking for the final word in a heated argument, and Skidmore’s desperation turnaround was the Panthers’ final chance at overtime.

The sharp-shooter gained a sliver of separation, caught Haddad’s pass, turned toward the basket from 30 feet away and let loose a prayer.

“I didn’t even get a glimpse of the hoop. I just caught it and threw it up there,” he said.

“I thought it was in. I thought we were going to have to go for another five minutes,” Madison Park center Dakim Murray explained.

“Heart pumping, stroke city, and I’m looking, and I said, ‘No, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Madison Park coach Dennis Wilson added.

But the last ditch attempt fell inches short, bounding off the front rim. And so Madison Park narrowly advanced to the South sectional finals.

The game never seemed destined for such a critical moment. But that was before Franklin clawed its way back from a 21-point deficit. Before the Panthers discovered a way to keep Madison Park’s bruising big men, Dakim Murray and David Stewart, from dominating the paint. Before Skidmore hit a clutch three with 2.0 seconds left to bring Franklin within 62-60, and before Stewart was fouled on the ensuing inbounds pass and hit one of two free throws, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.

“When we were up 20, I thought we were just going to cruise through. But nothing’s easy in states, as you can see,” said Murray, who finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

After ending the first quarter with a 14-11 lead, Madison Park owned the second quarter and took a 35-19 lead into intermission.

The 6-foot-4 Murray and his partner in interior domination, the 6-foot-3 Stewart (25 points, 10 rebounds), were critical to Madison Park’s fast start. The bruisers combined for 48 points and 21 rebounds, setting a physical tone from the tip off.

Franklin played mostly 2-3 zone defense in the first half, expecting that the strategy would force Madison Park into shooting outside jumpers. The Panthers were attempting to hide their clear size disadvantage, but it wouldn’t be that easy. The Cardinals exhibited poise while moving the ball inside to their work horses, foregoing outside jumpers in favor of higher-percentage looks.

“We practiced a lot against 2-3 defense and zone because we knew they weren’t too big and they’d have to go zone," Murray said. "If they were going to man us, me and my twin tower, D-Stew, would have just killed them –- killed them –- inside. But somehow, God willing, we still killed them."

“I probably stayed in [the zone defense] too long,” said Franklin coach Dean O’Connor. “We’re a man team. In the second half we started cranking up the pressure and getting them away from the basket more. Zone, I figured they’d get more outside shots, but we’re undersized in there and we just couldn’t box their guys out.

“That was the story of the game, the offensive rebounds and the putbacks. Dakim killed us in there, and Stewart. We’re undersized. We’re playing a power forward that’s 6-foot-1, 165 pounds against those guys, so...”

The effects were slow to kick in when Franklin switched out of the zone defense following halftime. Madison Park continued to feed their two pillars down low, building a 44-23 with four minutes left in the third quarter.

But Franklin’s hard man-to-man pressure began to take its toll. The Panthers slowly chipped away, then seized momentum fully while closing the third quarter with a 7-0 run.

Jason McKie ended the quarter by drawing two consecutive charging violations.

“Jason had like four or five charges the whole game," said Sam Bohmiller, who paced Franklin with 19 points and five assists. "He’s been doing that all year. That’s what he does. He’s huge for us. Taking charges is a huge momentum swing."

By the time three minutes passed off the clock in the fourth quarter, Franklin had already used its fierce full-court press and suddenly-falling jump shots to pull within 50-48.

Madison Park answered with four straight points to make it 54-48, but after digging out of its own grave, Franklin wasn’t prepared to die again. The Panthers quickly clawed back to within two at 56-54, and had a chance to tie or take the lead with two minutes left. But a lefty scoop shot by Joe Palazini (15 points) missed its mark and Madison Park maintained its slim margin.

With all the quit of a 92-year old working the same construction job for 70 years, Franklin continued to knock relentlessly on the door of a glorious comeback. Skidmore drilled a triple from the corner with 46.9 seconds left to bring the Panthers within one, 58-57, the closest the score had been since the first quarter.

But again, Madison Park’s offensive rebounding emerged as a factor. The Cardinals rebounded their own misses on two consecutive sets of free throws, ultimately being fouled three different times on the same possession while pushing the lead to 61-57.

Franklin missed a three on the ensuing possession, Matthews hit one out of two free throws, and the comeback finally seemed to have lost all its air.

But Skidmore drilled a triple from the corner with 2.0 seconds left, making the score 62-60, Stewart split a pair of charity shots (63-60), and O’Connor used the ensuing timeout to call the team’s “victory” play.

Everything worked except the shot.

“They’re disappointed, but I think even inside that once the hurt goes away -– by the time we get on that bus -– they’re going to be proud of the way they fought. How can’t you be?” said O’Connor.

Brockton up next: With the win, Madison Park advances to meet Brockton in the South Division 1 finals on Saturday at UMass Boston.

“Brockton’s real tough -– real tough. But it’s go hard or go home. I’m a senior. I have to make it to the Garden,” said Murray, referring to the TD Garden, annual site of the state's Eastern Mass. Finals.

A season to be proud of: During his 13 years coaching basketball at Franklin, O’Connor never had a team quite like this year’s.

“I couldn’t be prouder of this team. We lost our first three games, then we won 19 out of our last 20, with a team that had three guys that played at all last year,” said O’Connor. “Nobody thought we were going to be anything this year. These seniors came together and they played with a lot of heart, chemistry. We’ve got some skill too, but that was the key. This is the best –- the team that gets it the most of any team I’ve ever coached.”

O'Connor's star point guard, Bohmiller, still felt the pain of defeat afterward, but admitted that his team surpassed expectations.

“Coming into the season, no one thought we’d make the South semifinals. So we just proved those people wrong. It was a hell of a season, and I’m going to miss it,” he said.

ROXBURY, Mass. -- Madison Park came from behind 54-51 to start the fourth quarter and swung the game six points to finish out the Brighton Bengals 67-64 on their home court to advance to tomorrow's Boston City Championship final against East Boston.

"These guys exemplify MP heart, MP character, MP pride, MP find-a-way-to-win," said Madison Park coach Dennis Wilson of his squad.

Wilson admitted that this bunch may not have as much raw talent as he has seen in the past, the intangible factor of resilience is strong within this cohort, and it was exemplified in the fourth quarter.

O’Shea Joy tied up the game with a three pointer to begin the fourth (22 points on the night, five 3-pointers), but Brighton was quickly back up by 3 after a score by Jerad Mayers and a free throw by Theo Oribhabor. A steal by Dane Lawladownie and a three point-play by Rayshawn Matthews would give tie it up for the Cardinals, and a free throw by Stewart at 5:39 and a bucket at 5:00 would put MP up 60-57, a lead that they would not let go of from there in.

Brighton’s Malik James scored a free throw with 4:40 left, but banging in the post, MP’s David Stewart drew a foul and made one free throw putting the Cardinals back up by three with 4:30 left. Brighton Daivon Edwards scored a two to make it a one-point game, but again, Madison’s Stewart scored a deuce to make the game 63-60 and 57 seconds later Joy hit a basket to put Madison ahead 65-60 with 2:10 left in the match.

Brighton’s Tre Dowman scored down low then Harper hit two free throws with 1:39 left to bring the Bengals within one at 65-64 and a fighting chance at retaking the lead with a turnover. Instead, Madison’s Matthews scored a crucial baseline drop with a minute left. Brighton came back down the court letting the ball rain, but shot after shot failed to fall. At :16.2, a Brighton shot went off a Madison player giving them the ball and a fresh chance to tie it up.

Instead of Oribhabor’s shot falling and Brighton taking the game to OT, Matthews grabbed another rebound down low. Failing to score on the possession, Brighton had one final chance to tie the game up, but the nearly half court shot made it close to the hop but did not kiss the net, preserving MP’s 67-64 victory and a shot at donning the Boston City League crown.

Get It Done: Located in the heart of Roxbury, Wilson is used to seeing great talent come through his doors -- some his players, some coming to Madison Park for recreational play. This year, Wilson says that there is even less talent on his roster than in previous years, but he had adapted a slogan that fits a scrappy team well.

“Get It Done”, says Wilson of his team’s motto for the season. “It ain’t about a star studded cast, it’s about dudes that step up and get it done.”

Ball So Hard: A 5-foot-10 guard playing the post and grabbing rebounds? Yes.

MP captain Rashawn Matthews may not have had a height advantage today, but taking a cue from the “Get It Done” campaign started by coach Wilson, Matthews was able to pull in seven rebounds and score 10 points on the day, including five of his team’s 16 in the fourth quarter.

“I knew in order for us to be competitive in this game, we were going to have to box out because they had a couple of big boys and they get a lot of offensive rebounds.”

EAST BOSTON, Mass. -- Sometimes it's just a matter of getting back to basics, and doing what you do best.

In the case of the East Boston boys basketball team, what they do best is play defense. The Jets know they won't fill up a stat sheet in the offensive end. What head coach Malcolm Smith loves to see, however, is numbers spilling into the margins in the turnover column and at least an even matchup in the rebounding section.

No. 21 Eastie rediscovered its dogged, defensive mentality at the right time, forcing 26 turnovers in a 68-42 victory over No. 22 Madison Park Thursday night at East Boston High.

It was a big win for the Jets (12-4) on a number of fronts. First, it puts them up by a game atop the Boston City League's North division ahead of both Madison Park (12-2) and Charlestown, giving them an edge for one of the division's two spots for the upcoming City playoffs. It also wipes away the bad taste of Tuesday's 73-66 loss to the Townies.

And finally, this win was about Eastie getting back to the roots of what has made it a successful basketball team.

"It was a reality check for us on Tuesday night over at Charlestown, in terms of us being a family, us having to fight to the finish and not taking possessions off," admitted Smith. "The bottom line is, it took 15 games for us to realize we're a family, that we need every single person on this team to contribute, both defensively and offensively."

Missing a pair of regulars meant that contributions had to come from everywhere at both ends of the floor. Zack Gattereau led the offense with 15 points, Kyle Jimenez-Fox added 13 and Kenny Ramos chipped in with 12. Defensively, led by Travon Moore and a strong effort off the bench from Algino Jean, the Jets forced 11 of the 26 turnovers in the first quarter and out-rebounded the bigger Cardinals, 36-35.

Gattereau was big in the first half, dropping a 3-pointer at the end of a 12-1, first quarter run and scoring 11 of his 15 in the first 16 minutes. The MP Machine was able to cut the deficit to four points (22-18) midway through the second, but Eastie closed out the half with six free throws and an 11-5 spurt for a 33-23 advantage at the break.

"We were shorthanded this game because we didn't have all of our players so all of us had to bring extra intensity on the defensive end and that's what we did, turn defense to offense easily," Gattereau said. "I was just trying to get offensive boards to get me going and hope my teammates would find me after that."

The Cardinals appeared ready to rally in the third, but every time they put a couple of baskets together, Jimenez-Fox was there to knock down an open three. He did so three times, and each trey put the Jets back up by double digits.

"Our objective was to just play hard and the way we prepared in practice," Jimenez-Fox said. "We had to fast break to beat this team. We weren't trying too many set plays. Our guards were driving down the middle and the wings would collapse and they kicked it out to the wing and I was wide open."

Strong defense makes for a happy coach: Smith couldn't but help smile after watching his squad turn in a superlative defensive performance. The Jets mixed parts of a 1-3-1 zone with a lot of basic man-on-man defense and timely trapping in the corners with great success.

And it was truly a team effort. Six players had at least four rebounds, Gattereau added to his offensive night by keeping close tabs on MP big man Dakim Murray (six points, 12 boards), and everyone on the floor seemed to have a steal or at least be in the mode of disrupting Madison's flow.

"Travon Moore brings more defensive flair than anybody and more grit and inten sity, and Algino Jean came off the bench and sparked our defense tremendously today," Smith praised. "Those two were big and Charles Hines, a sophomore, came off the bench and got a key steal. The thing I'm more proud of than anything, it was 85 percent man to man today and that right there showed the grit of this team."

"I don't usually celebrate wins or get too gassed up about them, but this one felt very good," he continued. "Not just because it was a rivalry but because we got back to being who we were."

Lamenting a tough night: Madison Park coach Dennis Wilson is a veteran of the hardcourt wars, and he has been on both sides of the coin more times than even he would care to count over the years.

David Stewart led all scorers with 17 points and six rebounds and Rayshaw Matthews added 13, but Wilson found very little on the positive side to take away from this loss.

The Cardinals now have to beat Snowden and then capture a rematch with a resurgent Charlestown if they want to reach the City playoffs.

"They are a very aggressive team, they play hard they come at you and you have to be able to deal with that, keep your composure, find open people, attack the basket," Wilson explained. "We didn't do that. We lost our composure. We started off pretty good and then we fell apart, throwing the ball away. Last time I checked, we were wearing burgundy, they were wearing white. We were throwing it to white shirts. We panicked."

"Nobody played well. Nobody," he continued. "We didn't box, we threw the ball away, we didn't attack the basket, we didn't defend, we didn't do anything right. So all we can do, and sometimes good teams have days like that. I'm hoping we got it out of our system. We'll file this away, everyone will be honest with themselves and realize they didn't play well."

ROXBURY, Mass. -- Rushing back on the counterattack Madison Park's Dakim Murray grabbed the offensive rebound and quickly threw it up.

As the ball bounced off the rim, teammate David Stewart grabbed the second effort, missed, grappled the ball again and pitch it to teammate Rayshaw Matthews for the open jumper to go up 16 late in the second quarter.

It was the same issue all night for No. 18 Charlestown. It did not matter if the Cardinals missed, because the second chance was always there.

Dominating the Townies on the boards, host Madison Park trumped No. 18 Charlestown 81-69 to grab second place in Boston City North on Thursday.

“We grew up tonight,” said Madison Park coach Dennis Wilson. “I wanted to attack the inside, because they only really have one big men. If you looked at my (chalk) board, the three things I emphasized were defense, boxing out by putting bodies on people and taking care of the basketball.”

The Cardinals (10-1, 5-1) out rebounded the Townies 33 to 25 in total and 20 to 13 in the first half to pull away midway through the second quarter and never looked back. A layup by senior Iser Barnes and a trey by junior Tyrese Hoxter gave Charlestown (6-3, 4-2) its only lead of the night, a 19-18 margin at 6:11 in the second quarter.

Madison Park would immediately respond with nine straight points all from Murray, Matthews, and Stewart to edge up 27-20. The three attacked the boards all night for the Cardinals, with seniors Matthews and Murray both netting 17 points and junior Stewart tallying 14.

Murray and Stewart also each had seven rebounds.

“I am looking to see if the defense is crashing in on me then finding open teammates or taking my man off the dribble,” said Matthews. “After they put up every shot, you have to find a man and box them out.”

“Five to the boards is what coach preaches,” added Murray.

As the lead spread to 16, an effective half court press would prove to little to late for Charlestown. An open corner 3-pointer from senior Jawarhi Dawan Abdullah pushed the score to 52-40 late in the third.

However, Madison Park outscored its rivals for the remainder as Charlestown continued to struggle against the 1-3-1 trap.

Hoxter had 21 points for the Townies, while teammate senior Tyrik Jackson was a beast on the boards with 14 rebounds, 10 points and seven blocked shots. Charlestown had trouble getting second effort production from the remainder of its team who totaled 12 rebounds.

“We have been pressing all season and trying to create havoc,” said Charlestown coach Edson Cardoso. “Tyrik was grabbing rebounds, but the rest of the guys were not crashing or boxing out. Our weakness is rebounding.”

As was the case tonight, Charlestown will have to play the remainder of the season without starting guards Ronny Fernandez and Omar Orriols.With both teams previously dropping a loss to league leader East Boston (5-0, 7-2), the win was an important step in the battle for the conference's top regular season spot.

“I felt kind of strange sitting up in the stands (during the conference postseason) last year,” said Wilson. “You know I want to get back there. We still have a lot of basketball left.”

ROXBURY, Mass. -- Sometimes, it’s better to look at the scoreboard than the state sheet.

That is something that East Boston boys basketball coach Malcolm Smith will have to remind himself after Thursday night’s 61-59 win over Madison Park. The stats did not paint a pretty picture for the visiting Jets. They made just 2-of-25 free throws in the second half (yes, you read that right). Madison Park out-rebounded the Jets by a 45-27 margin.

However, Eastie forced Madison into 32 turnovers –- including 20 in the first half –- and the Cardinals (6-1) could not capitalize on the Jets’ inability to put the game away late.

“I’ll take any win,” said Smith, whose team improves to 5-2. “As I told everybody before, we’re just not that really good. We just play with a lot of emotion and we play very hard.”

And they play suffocating defense at times, which Eastie them build a 40-27 halftime lead. Led by Dakim Murray (18 points, 16 rebounds) and Rayshaw Matthews (19 points), Madison began to chip away in the third quarter, twice getting within four points. But baskets by Eastie's Kyle Fox and Kenny Ramos pushed the advantage up to 51-41 heading into the final stanza.

A drive into the lane and finish from Madison's David Stewart (seven points, 12 rebounds) cut the deficit to 53-48, before a put-back from Ramos and layup by Pat Santos off another Madison turnover made it 59-49 with just 2:10 to play.

The game was not close to being over, though, as the Cardinals -- led by Murray and Matthews -- went on an 8-1 run to make it 60-57 with 50 seconds left.

Eastie continued to miss free throws, and Terell Matthews of Madison made a pair with 21 seconds left to make it 61-59.

But despite the Jets missing four more freebies in the final 17 seconds, the Cardinals could not get any quality looks in the final moments and Eastie escaped with the win.

It's in the Books: The first quarter took about as long as most halves because of problems with the scoring books. First, East Boston was hit with a technical foul because Algeno Jean went to the free throw line but was apparently not in the Madison Park book. That ordeal lasted maybe 10 minutes.

Shortly after, the game was stopped again because of an inaccuracy over the score. While East Boston was up, 15-10, the Madison Park scorekeeper had it at just 12-10. The delay caused some frustration and confusion all over the gym, but was eventually sorted out.

The Eastie Swarm: The East Boston halfcourt press made life miserable for Madison Park in the first half and it proved to be one of the keys to victory. One reason why the Jets can play with such a ramped-up intensity level is their depth. While East Boston does not have a ton of size, the Jets do have a seemingly endless well of aggressive guards to bring off the bench and act as pests to opposing ballhandlers.

On Thursday night, the player who stood out the most for his effort was senior Travon Moore. Despite coming off the bench, Moore led Eastie with 12 points, and his hustle set the tone when other facets of Eastie’s game were not up to par.

Cards Control the Crease: Although Madison played inconsistent, especially against Eastie’s pressure in the first half, part of that had to do with the Cardinals missing starters O’Shea Joy (asthma) and Dane Lawladownie (ankle).

However, the Cardinals can take solace in the fact that they had a very strong effort in the paint. Murray is 6-foot-4 and burly enough to push his way into position, while Stewart is an athletic presence at 6-3 who can go up and snatch rebounds away from taller players. If the Cardinals can get healthy and take better care of the ball, they will be a tough out in the city.

“We only have ourselves to blame,” said Madison Park coach Dennis Wilson. “We missed too many foul shots and made too many turnovers. But that’s what happens with a young team.”

Rudy Hypolite’s documentary “Push: Madison vs. Madison,” which follows the Madison Park boys’ basketball team throughout the 2007 season, begins with Cardinals head coach Dennis Wilson crossing off opponents listed on a chalkboard. With his back to the camera, Wilson runs a line through the names of each team the Cardinals beat, with the ease that Madison Park won games during that magical season. The Cardinals had a perfect regular season and captured the coveted City League title in ’07.

However, Hypolite’s film – akin to Madison Park’s season that year – is about promises made and promises unfulfilled. And the final shot before credits roll is that of Wilson erasing Madison Park’s name from the board, following images of the Cardinals’ season-ending loss in the state tournament.

“Push” made its hometown debut in a Saturday night showing at the Somerville Theater as part of the Independent Film Festival of Boston. Although basketball is at its heart, the documentary is more an account of the struggles presented at inner-city schools and its students.

Madison Park, a vocational and technical school, hosts students from all of Boston’s neighborhoods. That creates a breeding ground for hostility. To become a team — better yet, the team that Wilson believes they could be — each of the Cardinals need to put aside the chaos that seems to befall them at every step.

They must put aside allegiances to their turf. Madison Park’s stars Malik Smith and “Radio” Raheem Singleton were raised at rival housing projects, so there’s an uneasy tension between the competing recruits. The tension isn’t fully revealed until the season’s most critical game. As Madison Park comes unglued in their playoff loss to Braintree, Singleton turns a deaf ear to Wilson’s advice, feeling he was spurned by Smith who wouldn’t give up the ball in key situations.

They also must put their personal histories behind them. There is the story of Jakeen Cobb, who lost his mother at age 12 and relied on his eldest sister to lead the family. At another early point in “Push,” one of Madison Park’s players reports to Wilson in the middle of practice explaining his absence because his mother’s boyfriend sent her to the hospital with a punch to the face.

Through it all, the grounding force that keeps the team (and the film) together is its charismatic leader, Coach Wilson. His swagger emanates through the screen. Wilson is introduced into the film as the camera follows the former history teacher (now retired) through Madison Park’s corridors. It is in this sequence that Wilson is seen in the roles he played day-to-day at “MP.” He is a friend, a councilor, a disciplinarian and a hoops tactician whenever need be. And he’s always quick with a one-liner.

In a lighter moment, we also get a glimpse of Wilson in his younger years as a member of a Harlem Globetrotters-style show basketball team with an Afro that rivaled Dr. J’s.

While Wilson is the flamboyant face of MP basketball, school police officer and assistant basketball coach Frank White is its imposing muscle. He’s seen strolling the gym, lending his advice during drills dressed in his full uniform. It is revealed later in “Push” that White is also Smith’s father. The audience is left somewhat in the dark about the nature of White and Smith’s relationship. White tells the story of breaking the news to Smith while he was in the sixth grade. Later, during the closing credits, we’re told that father and son are now on speaking terms, but it remains a subplot largely unexplored.

But what’s clear is that “Push” has a lot to say and it’s not just about basketball.

After the Cardinals’ on-court meltdown in the state tournament game against Braintree, the camera follows Wilson into the locker room as he addresses his team one last time.

“This is just a minor setback in life,” Wilson tells the dejected team.

In a relaxed but assertive tone, he questions how his team is going to confront their latest setback.

Basketball season was over, but life would move on. That’s when the test of will is truly determined.

Scott Barboza and Brendan Hall went into the studio for a special edition of the ESPN Boston High Schools podcast this week welcoming in Madison Park basketball head coach Dennis Wilson along with filmaker Rudy Hypolite to talk about their recent collaboration on "Push: Madison vs. Madison", a documentary chronicling Madison Park's 2007 basketball season.

The film will be showing at the Independent Film Festival of Boston later this month.

For a sneak preview of the film, click here.

Earlier this month, across the country in San Jose at the 13th Annual Cinequest Film Fesitval, the Boston-based documentary "Push: Madison versus Madison" premiered. The result was an encouraging response for the film's star, Madison Park head boys basketball coach Dennis Wilson, as well as director Rudy Hypolite.

For Hypolite -- whose film chronicles the stretch run of the Cardinals' historic 2006-07 season, and the hardscrabble lives of the players off the court -- it was an overall "great showing", complete with standing ovations and the post-showing question and answer sessions often extending beyond the designated 15 minutes, moving into the hallways.

"There were a couple of comments comparing it to 'Hoop Dreams', which is flattering," said Hypolite, referring to the acclaimed 1994 documentary.

Meanwhile the boisterous, philosophizing protagonist Wilson got to expound on his star power -- "I signed my first autographs, two guys and a young lady asked," he said. "And I met some real heavyweights, too."

But Hypolite also returned to New England with some ideas, and will be back on the cutting room floor the next few weeks making some tweaks as they get prepared for their next showing: the Independent Film Festival of Boston.

The festival runs from April 27 to May 4, and once again "Push" is getting a prime-time slot: Saturday, April 30, 7:30 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre ("They gave us a hellified time and a hellified day," Wilson laughed). Wilson will be doing everything he can to "pack the house" for the event, while Hypolite will be touching up the rough edges at the Arlington-based Killswitch Productions, with the help of editor Chris O'Coin.

Without giving too much away, Wilson offered up some of those tweaks to ESPNBoston.com late last week. Namely, they would be shooting some quick footage at the school, to get a sense of the school's size, as well as some city skyline shots from Memorial Drive.

Wilson and Hypolite also appeared this afternoon on WCVB-TV's "Cityline", where they discussed the film with host Karen Holmes Ward.

For Hypolite, a Roxbury native and long-time friend of Wilson, the story of Wilson's 2007 team hits close to home. Hypolite moved to Boston from Trinidad & Tobago as a teenager, and grew up in the Academy Homes tenant community where one of the film's stars, current UMaine guard Raheem "Radio" Singleton, lived during the season.

And of course, there are few more fascinating subjects than the flowing personality of Wilson.

"He's the mayor of Boston," says Hypolite, who graduated Boston English High in 1979 and graduated with a degree in television and film production from Boston University in 1983. "He's so energetic, it's great whenever you're around him. You feel that enthusiasm. There isn't a place you go with him where someone comes up to him, 'Hey, Coach Wilson', and somehow he remembers most of them, whether he had an influence on them in the classroom (Wilson teaches history) or in basketball.

"When they were ranked No. 1 (in the state, in 2007), hearing the stories about the team over all these years, and just knowing his personality, I thought, 'Wow, OK, this would be a great person to form a documentary around'. Everything he says, it's as if it was scripted, it's so perfect."

Push Madison V Madison Trailer from Rudy Hypolite on Vimeo.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was originally published on Thursday, March 3, before Madison Park head coach Dennis Wilson exhausted all of his efforts to try and switch his plane ticket to Saturday evening. Assistant coaches Frank White, Greg Simpson and Anthony Searcy will coach the Cardinals in their Saturday night Division 1 South quarterfinal at No. 1 seed Mansfield.

ROXBURY, Mass. -- So now what?

Madison Park head coach Dennis Wilson could only guffaw -- in a manner so unique to his smooth, philosophizing personality -- when posed the question by an ESPNBoston reporter following the Cardinals' 60-45 win over visiting Franklin in this Division 1 South first round matchup.

"Stay tuned, baby," he grinned.

The what, for the unfamiliar, being what he's going to do now that his squad is living another day, as the Cards move on to a Saturday evening quarterfinal at No. 1 seed Mansfield.

The problem? Wilson has already booked plane tickets to leave for San Jose, Calif. Friday night, to catch the Sunday night world premiere of the new documentary, "Push: Madison versus Madison", centered around his 2007 squad's run through the Division 1 state tournament. "Push" was one of 100 films to make the cut for this year's Cinequest Film Festival, will be first shown at 6:30 on Sunday evening, and is one of the few films that will be shown three times over the 13-day event.

Wilson will find out tonight if he'll be able to switch his flight to Saturday night, to accommodate his West Coast plans. But if not, he says he's "in a creek without a paddle", but has full faith in assistants Frank White, Anthony Searcy and Greg Simpson (affably nicknamed "Smooth") to come up with a great gameplan for a Hornets squad that has not lost a game since December.

"I've trained them well," Wilson said.

The film, directed by Boston native Rudy Hypolite, chronicles the stretch run of the Cardinals' 2006-07 season, all the way through the Division 1 South Sectionals, and focuses on the relationship between Wilson and his players, including stars Malik Smith and current UMaine point guard Raheem "Radio" Singleton. Off the court, they must deal with the violence and crime surrounding their neighborhoods. On the court they must learn to co-exist in spite of their roots in rival housing projects. Bringing it all together is the head of the "MP Machine", Wilson.

Last week at the Boston City League championships, at Madison Park, Wilson confessed to me that this film is the third most important thing to happen to him in his life -- the first two (marriage and childbirth) go without saying. To him, it's about the body of work and what it stands for, not so much himself. This is a story he truly believes is for Anytown, U.S.A.

"I think we've got something, an instrument I believe if the world sees, or even across the country, that there's so many inner-city kids going through so many struggles, and overcoming them," Wilson said. "So many inner-city coaches, man, that are dealing with so much, man. Turmoil, man. Being surrogate fathers, surrogate mothers, man. Mentors. Role models. In the trenches, trying to guide these kids to the next stage in their life, a positive stage in their life.

"So that's what I believe the significance of this movie is. It's the MP thing that I believe, man, whether it's East St. Louis or Watts or Newark or New York or Detroit, that this will give hope to a lot of coaches, lot of players, man, that you can do it. You can make it. You know? Just of course, believe in God the creator, believe in each other, and have that perseverance to get it done."

Simpson, who was the starting point guard on Wilson's first squad in 1982, is glad that Wilson is "finally getting his due."

"He's been a pillar for Madison Park High School basketball since he came to Madison Park in 1982, my senior year," Simpson said. "He put a system in, and we believed in him. And finally, all his hard work is paying off. He got us to the state championship (NOTE: there were no state championships in 1982, due to Proposition 2-1/2 budget cuts) -- we just believed in him, man. But to be honest with you, the documentary is a tribute to him, because of all the hard work that he's done and all the adversity he's gotten through, because of the different types of teams he's had over the years."

As for Saturday, Simpson's ready should the dice roll his way.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge if he has to go," Simpson said. "Believe me, I think coach Frank White and I can get the job done."

ROXBURY, Mass. -- Madison Park’s Ray Matthews inbounded the ball to Roderick Tyler, who immediately found himself hounded by Franklin defenders. Not panicking, he found another teammate who kept the ball moving up the floor, which allowed Khayree Hudson to finish with an emphatic dunk at the other end.

Four passes, no dribbling, two points. It was that kind of a game for MP Thursday, in its Division 1 South Tournament 60-45 victory over Franklin: everything seemed to go their way.

“I’m just so proud of my guys, they battled,” said MP coach Dennis Wilson. “We’ve got a young team, and we’ve lost three overtime games this year. It’s tough with inexperience to know how to close out a game and put a team away. I think those losses have helped us be a stronger team.”

After failing to get its 6-foot-4 senior captain Kyle Gibson going offensively early in the game, it appeared Franklin (13-9) started settling for perimeter jump shots, but they had a difficult time finding the bottom of the net.

As a result, Hudson and Tyler were able to crash the boards, not allowing the Panthers to get second-chance opportunities. They finished with 14 and 12 rebounds respectively.

“Khayree Hudson, Roderick Tyler, Jason Soares, David Stewart, they are just amazing,” said Wilson. “They’re definitely forces inside. They’re rebound machines and that was the difference. We got two and three shots to their one.”

Hudson in particular had a quiet double-double, ending with 11 points to go along with his double-digit rebounds. It was so quiet that he didn’t even know he finished with one.

“As a big man I wasn’t doing good offensively but I tried to keep my team on the board with offensive and defensive rebounds and try to play defense and help the team out,” he said.

Tyler ended with 13 points for MP (13-5), making him the team’s leading scorer.

“I knew I was going to come out and play with fire tonight,” he said. “I told myself I was going to play my best and one of my main focuses was to get on the boards and get rebounds tonight.”

Franklin took the lead early in the first quarter after Tyler Kessler hit two 3-pointers to give the team an 8-2 lead. MP came back and tied the game at eight and ended the quarter ahead 13-12.

MP never trailed at all during the final three quarters, thanks to Franklin’s timely misses.

“That’s what happens when you live and die by the three,” said Wilson. “Your legs get tired, and the shots that were falling in the first half, you know you don’t have the same legs in the second.”

“We had a 1-3-1 trap, and that really wore them down because they had to work for every shot and that worked to our advantage,” he added.

MP took a 26-19 lead into the half, giving Franklin a feeling of optimism that the game was by no means over. However, the cold streak that plagued them for most of the second quarter continued into the second half. Over the first 5:18 of the third, MP outscored them 15-4, bringing its lead to 41-23.

“There was a lot of ebbs and flows, ups and downs,” said Wilson. “They started off good, we were in a little hole, we went ahead, were up seven at halftime, then came out and went up by 11 in the third quarter, and then we pretty much kept them at bay for the entire game.”

MP will next play at Mansfield Saturday night, after the Hornets defeated Needham 60-34 Thursday night.

Dennis Wilson is a man of many hats at Madison Park High School -- head basketball coach, teacher, mentor, disciplinarian, father figure, the list goes on.

And now, he can add Hollywood.

Wilson is the subject of a new documentary, Push: Madison versus Madison, directed by Boston native Rudy Hypolite and chronicling the Cardinals' 2006-07 season, which saw an undefeated regular season campaign end in the Division 1 South semifinals, and was led by stars like Malik Smith and current University of Maine junior Raheem Singleton.

The film was one of 100 to make the cut at next month's Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, Calif., and will be shown a remarkable three times over the 13-day festival, which runs from March 1 to March 13. It is scheduled to be show on March 6, at 6:30 p.m.; March 8, at 6:30 p.m.; and March 10, at 1:30 p.m.

A brief synopsis of the film, from the film's website:

Madison Park Vocational, Roxbury, Massachusetts. A dysfunctional but talented high school hoops team tries to hold itself together. Graced with a handful of sharp shooters and savvy ball-handlers, they also struggle, both on and off the court, in a deteriorating public school system and the turbulence of life in the Boston inner city: rival gangs, a chilling murder rate, destructive families, and the struggle to stay in school and on the team. Closing in on the end of the season, the team has gone 15-0 and has a shot at a state championship and an undefeated season for the first time in history.

At the center of this kettle of hope and chaos is Coach Dennis Wilson, a unique hero for our times. A former semi-professional player, philosophizing history teacher and motor-mouthing disciplinarian, Coach Wilson chants, harasses and cajoles his charges onto the court, asking them: “Whose house is this? Whose game is this? What kinda pride you got?” But is Coach Wilson the MP solution or just getting sucked into the problem? As the team heads into the its final regular season games and tournament showdowns, MP Pride will be sorely tested.