Who Won Who Excelled in the LI Catholic School Playoffs

Here are the results from the NSCHSAA. It is a seven team league with heated rivalries passed down generations. See who was crowned the champ and which players stepped up in the biggest stage for this league.   The first 2 teams in the league get byes. So Chaminade and St John the Baptist got to watch the action. Two teams who had rough seasons battled with Kellenberg disposing of St. Mary's 77-54. Sean Cannon saved his best long range bombing for the playoffs as he showed good range hitting 3 in this game and 4 in the next round loss. St Mary's does have some promising players moving forward. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2164868' first='Jagger' last='Bascombe'] who will be making his debut in our rankings coming out soon. He is a scoring machine. Explosive and elusive to the rim.   Unfortunately Kellenberg ran into a team peeking at the right in the Friars from St Anthony's. Some thought because of graduations of their top two players. That this year would be a struggle for St Anthony's. At times it was. But the strong consistent athletic game of Caleb Aurelian kept them always in games. Caleb averaged 17 ppg. Many times through athletic drives to the rim. He also has developed a nice little quick release runner off the wing. But the emergence of two players really elevated the team. [player_tooltip player_id='2297405' first='Nick' last='Vieux'] connected on 58 threes during the season. Has the ability to get off his own shot. Along with Korey Duff St Anthony's went from a one man team to a three headed nightmare for opposing teams. Korey does it inside, during the playoffs he averaged 17.   In the other quarterfinal Holy Trinity defeated St Dominic's 64-50. Somebody different every game leads the Titans to victory. But every night their top guys deliver. Senior Matt Defalco does it consistently night after night. A slasher who just seems to make plays. [player_tooltip player_id='1670000' first='Malachi' last='cooper'] is an exciting player who pushes the ball and gets to the rim. Uses his body to draw fouls. [player_tooltip player_id='2164866' first='Corey' last='Sommerville'] another athletic player getting to the rim. On this night they just seemed to keep attacking the Bayhawks keeping them back on their heels.   The semi finals were set with no doubt the best four teams in the league squaring off. The #3 seed St Anthony Friars put together a solid game plan to try to contain the high powered St John the Baptist team. The Cougards are a team who can flat out score. They have a matchup nightmare in [player_tooltip player_id='1361688' first='Stevie' last='Williams'] to big for the guards in this league and to quick for the bigger players. [player_tooltip player_id='1403218' first='Carter' last='Wilson'] the young guard who should be rising up our rankings is a flat out scoring machine. With an D1 offer in his pocket from St Francis Brooklyn and in my opinion alot more should follow. But once again the St Anthony squad battled and continued to play their best ball of the season. Korey Duff an outstanding football player brought his football mentality to the court and battled all night and won a lot of the up for grab balls and scored around the rim.   St Anthony waited to see who they would play. But there wasn't much doubt. Before the game Chaminade one of the better teams on the Island in most people's mind would play in the championship. But they forgot to tell Holy Trinity. Again [player_tooltip player_id='1670000' first='Malachi' last='cooper'] and Matt Defalco continuously got to the rim and scored. After three quarters it was all tied up. Trinity had thoughts of another season of ending Chaminade hopes of a championship. But on this night players like Devin Dillon and Jack Connolly helped them to keep it within striking distance. Just close enough for [player_tooltip player_id='1360160' first='David' last='Debusshere'] and Antoni Vlogianitis to take over. Both players can do it inside or out. [player_tooltip player_id='1045725' first='David' last='DeBusschere'] is a fundamentally sound outstanding shooter. Does so many good things on the court. My pick for player of the year in this league and one of the top players on the Island.   The final was set. Chaminade vs St Anthony's. The game plan was simple on both sides the best player on each was not going to beat us. St Anthony's hounded Debusschere. Chaminade was not going to let Caleb Aurelian uses his athletic ability to drive and score the ball. Both teams did a masterful job of their keys to the game. But teams get to championship games and win titles because it still is a team game. [player_tooltip player_id='1361695' first='Joe' last='Knaus'] is an under the radar outstanding shooter for Chaminade. Teams in this league know him well and other teams should as well, A player with good size can stretch the floor with his shooting ability from beyond the arc. He drained 4 in the game. As Chaminade won the championship squeaking out a 43-35 holding the Friars scoreless for the last 5 minutes plus in the game.   Hopes of a state title for Chaminade were squashed as they lost to Bishop Timon from upstate 73-61.

Here are the results from the NSCHSAA. It is a seven team league with heated rivalries passed down generations. See who was crowned the champ and which players stepped up in the biggest stage for this league.