The postseason began this week for St. Ed’s varsity boys basketball team and anything was possible in the District 7-3A tournament based on what happened during the regular season.
St. Ed’s was seeded fourth and drew fifth-seeded Boca Raton Christian in the first round this past Monday. The teams split a pair during the regular season, with the travelers winning on the road. The Pirates hosted the playoff rematch hoping to reverse that trend.
The regular season was a veritable wash at 11-10 overall, 4-3 in the district; however the finale on Senior Night last week demonstrated what this team is capable doing. The 75-47 win over St. Andrew’s Episcopal Academy represented a season high in scoring. The Pirates displayed a crisp half-court offense and converted numerous turnovers into fast break baskets.
The midseason addition of John Carroll transfer Isaiah Paul added a skilled dimension that enabled St. Ed’s to win five of six down the stretch. He proved to be a nice complement to backcourt mate Thomas Bockhorst. Size down low facilitated the inside-outside game most teams seek on offense.
“Thomas Bockhorst continues to carry us,” head coach Greg Zugrave said. “He really creates a lot of offense for us. Brandon Succes is our leading scorer and he’s really helping us. Isaiah Paul transferred from John Carroll in January and what a breath of fresh air he has been. He ignited us on defense and gave us another ball handler at guard. We are really excited about him being here. He was absolutely a nice surprise.
“With the three of them plus contributions from James McGuire and some other guys, we were able to get some of the scoring we were worried about at the beginning of the year.”
The scoring averages during the regular season were bunched among the top four. Succes led at 10.7, followed by Bockhorst at 9.9, Paul at 9.3 and McGuire at 8.9. McGuire was the leading rebounder with 5.6 per game. The district tournament began with a tough assignment.
“We played two close games and this one could go either way,” Zugrave said of the Boca matchup. “They have some good players and so do we. It should be a good game and really that’s what it’s all about. We just want to see what happens and give ourselves a chance to win some playoff games.”
The game that stood out for Zugrave during the season was an overtime loss to No. 1 seed Village Academy. He said “they are very talented, but if we had made a couple of foul shots we would have won the game. We were really the only team in the district that played them close. I would love to see our kids get another shot at them.”
An opportunity to avenge that frustrating Village Academy loss would be intriguing, but everyone is aware that the district tournament will be no cakewalk.
“We are not a great 3-point shooting team and other teams know that by now,” Zugrave told us. “But we rebound the ball well and play good defense. We make it difficult for the other team to score and that has allowed us to compete against teams that are more talented and athletic. I really credit the kids for buying into that system. I’m really proud of them and what they have accomplished this year.”
Three seniors were honored before the St. Andrew’s game. Two were starters and big factors on the court, while the third was just one of those everyday guys any organization wants and needs.
“Thomas Bockhorst and James McGuire contribute a lot and do the things that show up in the newspaper.” Zugrave said. “K.C. Barry, on the other hand, is just the perfect teammate. Everybody loves to be around him, including the coaching staff. He rallies us when we are down and makes things that much better when we are going well.
“The seniors really embodied what we would like to see happen. They worked their way through the system and learned what they needed to do to improve. They are three great kids.”
On Senior Night Barry got what used to be called a “courtesy” start. His minutes this season were limited and he accepted his role gracefully. Then, in the second half vs. St Andrew’s, he had one of those “Rudy” moments.
Barry’s 10 points didn’t break records or make the headlines, but his coach and many others certainly recognized a feel-good story, and what high school sports should be all about.
“It was an inspirational performance,” Zugrave said. “Everyone in the gym who knew K.C. and was rooting for the Pirates had a smile on their face.”