By Greg Lally
On, Saturday, February 24, at Saint Agatha’s gym in Milton, the Gate of Heaven 5th/6th grade boys’ travel team defeated Saint Leonard’s of the North End to win the Boston-South Shore Vicariate Championship.
Gatey started out with an impressive 11-3 run. It looked like Gatey was going to go home with an easy win, but St. Leonard’s came and back and tied the game. Gatey then led at the half, 20-16. Midway through the second half, Gatey went on another run to take a 13-point lead and that was all the boys from the North End could take. The final score was 38-27. Indeed, it was a hard fought battle.
Coming off the bench, Mullen Bryne gave the team the extra energy needed to put away Saint Leonard’s. He led the team in scoring with 10 points. Ryan McDonald (7 points) and Robert Wisniewski (9 points) did most of the ball handling and made sure the offense ran its course. Aidan Coltan was the unsung hero who was all over the place while grabbing close to a dozen rebounds. Aiden Kineavy and Jonathan McCarthy played great defense and kept everyone motivated. Tristin Pecevich (6 points) played good defense down low and grabbed a hand full of rebounds. Ryan McGarrell (4 points) played great defense up top and made sure nobody could drive down the middle. It was a great win for the boys but they’re not done yet. They’ll be playing in the State Tournament this upcoming weekend. They’re hoping to add another banner to the McDonough gym and have their names printed in the Gatey record books.
(To reach the finals, the team defeated Saint Agatha’s of Milton the previous evening at the McDonough gym in Southie. Gatey took an early 10-4 lead and led at the break, 20-19. With 6:10 remaining in the game, Gatey went on a 12-2 run to win the game, 44-27. Wisniewski netted 16 points. McDonald had 11 while Byrne contributed 7 points in the semifinal victory.)
PICTURE CAPTION
Pictured at Saint Agatha’s gym last Saturday, February 24, is the 5th/6th grade Gate of Heaven CYO Vicariate Champions. Coached by Bobby McGarrell and Greg Lally, the players are: Ryan McDonald. Mullen Byrne, Aiden Kineavy, Jonathan McCarthy, Tristin Pecevich, Ryan McGarrell, Robert Wisniewski and Aidan Coltan.
