White Plains’ Archbishop Stepinac High School captured the Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) archdiocesan boys’ basketball championship on Saturday, February 21, defeating Cardinal Hayes High School, 67-51, at Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx. 

The Stepinac Crusaders, the top seed in the “AA” boys’ division, jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never trailed. Adonis Ratliff was dominant throughout, finishing with 21 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Jasiah Jervis, the Michigan State commit who had led Stepinac through the regular season and the semifinals, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. 

Despite the final score, Cardinal Hayes demonstrated they are a talented, well-coached team. With only two graduating seniors on his squad, Coach Joe Lods can look forward to further development and play of sophomore guard Bryce Yancey, junior guard Christian Brown, and junior center Amadou Barry, all returning. 

The Crusaders’ championship caps an extraordinary run for Coach Patrick Massaroni’s squad, which entered the title game having won 16 consecutive games. For Stepinac, the archdiocesan crown is a critical milestone on the road to a larger prize. The Crusaders are seeking their fourth consecutive CHSAA City Championship, an unprecedented achievement in league history. 

“I’m happy for our guys and to be able to get this win. Our ultimate goal is to get to Sunday at Fordham and be victorious there, to try to make history as a four-peat. So proud of them to be able to win a championship. That’s what we work for and our ultimate goal,” Massaroni told The Good Newsroom following the game. 

Intersectional playoffs on the horizon 

Stepinac will now advance to the intersectional playoffs, competing against the top programs from the Diocese of Brooklyn before a potential showdown with the Public School Athletic League champion for the city title. 

The intersectional playoffs, which include teams from both the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn, began on Friday, February 20. Stepinac and Hayes, as the archdiocese’s number one and two seeds, won’t join the fray until the quarterfinals on March 1, at Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus. Semi-finals are scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, and the final on Sunday, March 8, also at Fordham.