5’7 freshman point guard Greg Bridges was extremely impressive for New Mission. Bridges is an intelligent point guard with a deadly jump shot, fabulous court vision, a tight handle, and bounce so impressive that we saw him throw down several times in warm-ups. Titans’ 6’4 junior forward Isshiah Coleman had everybody talking about him on Saturday, thanks to his consistent rebounding, slashing ability, shot blocking, and a highlight reel dunk that had everybody on the sidelines in awe.

Also in the bottom half of the bracket, Acton-Boxborough beat defending Division 3 state champion Whitinsville Christian, as A-B’s 6’6 senior Kevin LaFrancis dominated the glass and knocked down mid-range jumpers at will. 6’4 senior guard Joe Flannery, one of the breakout performers of the day, made shots from all over the court, showing deep range that gave opposing teams a headache all day long.

A-B went on to lost to eventual champion St. John’s prep, while Whitinsville Christian picked up a victory over Andover, as the Crusaders’ highly touted junior point guard Colin Richey knocked down a deep three with five seconds left on the clock to put WCS ahead and give them the victory. Another breakout performer, Richey showed increased strength and improved athleticism since our showcase at the Sudbury Fieldhouse. Tim Dufficy, an athletic 5’11 junior with strong outside jumper, and 5’9 sophomore guard Richard Santos, also stood out for WCS.

On the top half of the bracket, King Philip put away St. Peter-Marian with a great second-half run that ended in a 15-20 point victory. 6’8 senior Jake Layman and 6’5 small forward Tykei Hallman especially stood out. Layman did it all for KP: rebounding, passing, outside shooting, explosive finishes at the rim, and on several occasions diving on the floor for a loose ball. Hallman is a player with all-state potential and is a serious college prospect thanks to his combination of skill, length, and athleticism. He knocked down several outside jumpers, moved well without the ball, had several athletic finishes at the rim, and impressed on defense.

6’2 senior guard Matt Mobley made a ton of plays for St. Peter-Marian. He knocked down jumpers from way behind the three-point arc, but also showed off a textbook jump stop on his way to the rim, and defensive instincts that give him the ability to guard players much bigger than he. 6’5 forward Brian Foley rebounded very well for the Guardians, and finished several difficult lay-ups with both hands. Senior point guard Tre Watson also showed off why he can become a valuable point guard at the D3 level in college, cutting down his turnovers, managing the offensive game well, and attacking the rim.

KP came up just short of the championship game in their 55-54 overtime loss to New Mission, in easily the most thrilling game of the day.

Thank you to all who participated in our 2nd annual Fall Shootout, and congratulations to St. John’s Prep on knocking off defending champ New Mission.

All-Tournament Team

Acton-Boxborough:  Joey Flannery

Andover:  James Costello

Cardinal Spellman:  Mike Downing

Hanover:  Derek Healy

King Philip:  Jake Layman

Malden:  Rodney Morton

New Mission:  Nate Anderson, Greg Bridges

Quabbin:  Christian Horton

St. John's Prep:  Stephen Haladyna, Freddy Shove

St. Peter-Marian:  Matt Mobley

Whitinsville Christian:  Colin Richey