WORCESTER—There’s a new vibe within Inter High boys basketball this season with Doherty, Burncoat and South having battled for bragging rights as the best team in the city.
The best team in Worcester for the past three seasons has undoubtedly been North, which went undefeated in league play during that span while winning back-to-back Division I state championships.
But even with North’s dominance, Doherty, Burncoat and South all qualified for the Division 2 state tournament last year, setting the stage for a repeat performance in 2025.
Things are different for the Polar Bears this winter after the graduation of key seniors coupled with several star players moving on to prep school competition for the 2024-25 season. North has gone winless in 10 games under first-year head coach Tishaun Jenkins who replaced Al Pettway after his departure to Worcester State University.
With one Inter High game remaining between Doherty and South on Tuesday, January 28, the Highlanders (11-2) sit atop the league standings at 4-1. Burncoat (8-4) is second at 4-2 while South (9-3) ranks third at 3-2. North (0-10) finished the league slate at 0-6. “This is probably one of the better years for Inter High,” said Doherty head coach Jermaine Chavis, commenting on the parity in the league. “Obviously North High has been running things the past couple of years.”
Chavis earned his 200th career victory in style with a thrilling 67-64 win at home over Burncoat in double overtime on Friday night. Down 13 points in the third quarter, Burncoat clawed its way back into the game and took the lead in the fourth quarter before Doherty forced overtime.
The Highlanders, ranked 11th in the latest Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division 2 state power rankings, have been led by seniors Jamel Walker (20.9 ppg), Josh Romeo and Ezekiel Wilson. Junior Ryan Dennis (14.1 ppg) has also been a solid contributor. Doherty has won nine of 10 home games on its newly christened Emmanuel “Manny” Familia Court at the new high school, named in honor of the Worcester police officer and Doherty grad who died trying to rescue three teenagers from drowning in 2021.
Burncoat won its first meeting of the season with Doherty 64-60 back on January 7. In two games this year, the Patriots and Highlanders have only been separated by a combined seven points. Third-year head coach Denny Brigley is optimistic that Burncoat can make a stronger showing in the Division 2 state tournament this season after being eliminated in the second round in 2024. The Patriots are currently 15th in the MIAA Division 2 power rankings.
“We take it one game at a time, one play at a time, one quarter at a time. Ultimately, we want to do better than we did last year. Hopefully, we can make a strong push in the playoffs,” said Brigley.
The Patriots have featured a well-balanced attack with senior Cheyton Marshall (14.4 ppg), junior Jaiden Johnston (13.8 ppg) and senior Kevin Dunn (11.7 ppg) all averaging double figures. Johnston, a talented long-distance shooter, leads Inter High with 35 three-point field goals. Brigley refers to senior Jean Carlos Pimentel as the “motor” of the team while crediting sophomore Nytel Johnson as the “best defender in the city.”
“On any given night, anyone can beat anybody,” said South Head Coach Pat Williams, whose Colonels defeated Burncoat 61-59 at home on Jan.10 before falling 59-40 to the Patriots just 12 days later on January 22. “We’re a young ream. We had the shots, we just couldn’t score,” said Williams after the disappointing 19-point loss at Burncoat. “With a young team, when the ball doesn’t go in, they panic.”
Junior Garnett Torres (17.7 ppg) and freshman Josiah Bates (10.2 ppg) have helped lead the Colonels to nine wins. Williams also notes the importance of junior Uche Mba as the “glue” of the team. South is currently at 35 in the MIAA Division 2 power rankings. Although North has a very different roster compared to the last two seasons, the Polar Bears were competitive in both of their games against South, twice losing by just four points, most recently a 49-45 defeat at South on Friday night.
Despite their struggles, the Polar Bears still have three players averaging double figures in seniors Amaren Minor (13.6 ppg) and Devin Hill (13.0 ppg) and freshman Jason Abban (11.5 ppg).
“The student athletes have had to adapt to a new style of basketball—one based on the philosophy of unity, discipline and academics,” said Jenkins. “We’ve had fun challenging ourselves everyday and have shown a lot of progress throughout the year.”
Mike Vigneux is a freelance writer in Worcester with more than 20 years of experience in the fields of municipal government, communications, and public relations. An avid fan of all sports, Mike enjoys telling the stories of local athletes and their teams. He holds two degrees from Clark University, a bachelor of arts in Communication and a master of science in Professional Communication. He can be reached at Mikevigs@gmail.com
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