Stepinac, Hayes to Play for Archdiocesan Boys Basketball Championship Saturday
By: Steven Schwankert
Rivals return to the title game as both teams drop big points on semi-final opponents
Two familiar names will square off on Saturday, February 21, for the Catholic High School Athletic Association’s (CHSAA) archdiocesan boys’ basketball championship, with Archbishop Stepinac High School and Cardinal Hayes High School easily defeating their respective semi-final opponents on Tuesday evening.
Hayes cruises past St. Raymond, Stepinac rolls Scanlan
In the early game, Cardinal Hayes dropped 90 points on St. Raymond High School for Boys, winning their 14th game in a row, 90-56. Hayes returns to the title game for the first time since 2023, when the Bronx school defeated Stepinac.
Stepinac was similarly dominant in the late game, owning Monsignor Scanlan High School 91-62. Despite some spirited play from Scanlan senior Javan Webb, the Throggs Neck school was no match for their White Plains rivals. With a comfortable lead in the second half, Stepinac Coach Patrick Massaroni used the opportunity to give some up-and-coming players, including sophomore Elijah Novotny and freshmen Ethan Riullano and Tristan Robinson, some floor time. The win was Stepinac’s 15th in a row.
Jasiah Jervis showed his mettle as a McDonald’s All-American and the CHSAA’s “AA” boys basketball most valuable player for the 2025-26 season, leading Stepinac with 26 points and adding six assists and four rebounds.
Stepinac eyes a bigger prize
“Great win for our guys today. We came out after a week off and made a statement. We shared the ball, were unselfish. Got a little sloppy there in the early third quarter. I always say it’s harder to play with a lead than without,” Massaroni told The Good Newsroom after the game. “Happy to get the win, and we need four more. That’s the ultimate goal.”
Massaroni was referring not just to Saturday’s upcoming championship, but to the looming intersectional playoffs, when Archdiocese of New York teams play their rivals from the Diocese of Brooklyn, and then the one-game final against the Public School Athletic League (PSAL) winner to crown the city champion. Stepinac currently holds all three of those titles and is looking to repeat the three-peat.
Archbishop Stepinac faces Cardinal Hayes at 1 p.m. for the CHSAA Archdiocesan championship at Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx.