Third Time’s the Charm as Stepinac Wins Archdiocesan ‘AA’ Basketball Championship
By: Steven Schwankert
CHSAA Coach of the Year Patrick Massaroni’s team gets by defending champs St. Raymond’s, 66-61
The Archbishop Stepinac High School Crusaders capped an undefeated season against archdiocesan opponents by capturing their first title in the group in three years, defeating trophy holders St. Raymond’s School for Boys’ Ravens 66-61 on Saturday at Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx.
While St. Ray’s surprised a favored Stepinac, led by then All-American Johnuel “Boogie” Fland in the 2024 title game, this year the Crusaders’ junior Adonis Ratliff reached deepest into his bag of tricks, shooting threes, dunking, and dominating the boards, scoring 26 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Stepinac led 33-25 at the break, and St. Ray’s never led in the second half. Stepinac team captain Danny Carbuccia added another 17 points, with two rebounds and eight assists.
Despite winning the intersectional (Archdiocese of New York and Diocese of Brooklyn) title during the last two years, the local championship proved elusive, going to Cardinal Hayes High School in 2023 and St. Ray’s last year.
The season is far from over for either team. Both Stepinac and St. Ray’s now move to the boys basketball “AA” Varsity Intersectional Playoffs with byes for the first two rounds of the tournament, the third through final rounds of which will be held at Fordham University. On Sunday, March 2, Stepinac will face the winner of Wednesday and Thursday night’s matchup between Holy Cross High School (Queens) and St. Peter’s Boys High School (Staten Island). St. Ray’s will also play Sunday, against an opponent undetermined at press time. Archdiocese of New York teams Iona Preparatory School and Cardinal Hayes High School return to action on Wednesday, February 26 in the intersectional playoff second round, to be held at Stepinac in White Plains.
A potential showdown with Diocese of Brooklyn champion Saint Francis Preparatory School, the only Catholic High School Athletic Association team to beat Stepinac this season, looms for St. Ray’s in the semi-finals and Stepinac in the finals if either team progresses that far. A St. Ray’s-Stepinac rematch could only happen if both teams reach the final game.