Brockton v. Charlestown at Boston Garden Tonight

By Lisa E. Crowley

BrocktonPost

BROCKTON—When Brockton’s boys basketball team takes the floor at TD Boston Garden Monday night, topping the list of strategies to win is the team’s tenacious defense that has brought them to the Garden’s storied parquet floor and the Div. 1 South Sectional Championship. “Two more games,” said Brockton’s William Baker after the Boxer’s 57-48 win over Madison Parker Saturday at UMass.
“It’s not just to The Garden, it’s to the DCU Center,” Baker said.

The win earned the Boxers the Div. 1 South title and a game against Charlestown to potentially advance to the state final.

The team celebrated the sectional championship, but Baker said the team is focused on the next game and playing the team defense that forced Madison Park to turn over the ball a crucial 3 times in the waning minutes of Saturday’s match—turnovers that gave Brockton the ball and forced Madison Park to foul.

Brockton extended its lead to 9 by the time Blakely dribbled the ball to tick off the game’s final seconds and a celebration of the south Sectional final.

Blakely and Baker said the team’s all-around defense was the deciding factor in Saturday’s game and the pair intend to match or better Saturday’s performance.  

“We all played really good defense,” Baker said.

Blakely, a junior, and Baker, a senior, said they remember 2 years ago when Brockton lost at Boston Garden, one game short of the state final and ultimate glory.

“We just want to put our city back on the map,” Baker said.

Baker’s family has supported his basketball career since he was a little boy and this week’s tournament run has been no different.

Family members boasted T-shirts with his picture from when he was a little boy to today.

Lakisha Wilson, one of Baker’s relatives, said Brockton this year has been proving over and over they are an excellent team, and now they have 2 more games to finish.

“They were unranked at the start of the season—no one would give them their props,” Wilson said.

Brockton takes on Charlestown for the Div. 1 state semifinal, Monday, March 12.

Tipoff is at 7:45 p.m.

Boys B-ball Heads To South Sectional Final

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--The number 1 seeded Brockton boys basketball team will play number 2 seeded Madison Park Saturday at 4 p.m. for the South Sectional Div. 1 final after narrowly beating Newton North Wednesday, 49-44.
Brockton's road to the south final included 10-plus point victories over West Roxbury and Catholic Memorial.
Madison Park earned its berth in Saturday's final by edging out a win over Natick 69-62 and just getting past Taunton 63-61 in the quarter final, and holding off Franklin 63-60 in Wednesday's semis.
Tip off is scheduled for 4 p.m.
The game will be played at UMass Boston.

BFD Raises $6,000+ In Lung Assoc. Stair Climb

BrocktonPost

BROCKTON—It was 789 steps up to the top of the Mellon Financial Center in Boston for hundreds of firefighters, including 16 from Brockton who raced up the 41 story building to raise money during the American Lung Association’s “Fight for Air Climb.”

While some competitors were passed along the way up, Brockton’s team kept going, not wanting to stop and knowing they  would enjoy an easier way down the stairway after the competition.

“Some guys had to stop, but everyone on Brockton’s team kept going,” said Bill Hill, one of Brockton’s competitors. “We definitely took the elevator down,” Hill said with a chuckle.

To put things in perspective, the Bunker Hill Monument has 294 steps and no elevator down.

Brockton joined the event for the first time this year and came in 7th, only about 1 minute behind first place team Portland, Maine.

More important, Hill said, is that the team raised more than $4,000 for the American Lung Association.

The Boston event took place Saturday, Feb. 4.

Thirty-nine teams ran up Boston’s Mellon Center last month.

Teams from all over the Northeast have participated in the event in various cities across the region including Springfield, New York City, New Haven, Conn., Bennington, Vermont, and Buffalo, N.Y.

Hill said Brockton plans on participating next year and are shooting for the first place spot.

Girls Softball Signups March 1.2

BrocktonPost BROCKTON--Brockton Youth Softball League for Girls will host 2012 spring registrations March 1 and March 2 at the Raymond Elementary School, 125 Oak St., from 6 to 8 p.m. For on line registration or more information check out BYSL's website at www.brocktonyouthsoftball.net/ For other information call 508-941-5766.