By Michael Letendre
ENFIELD – In terms of the Bristol Central boys basketball team this year, a history lesson is in order.
How about taking a page from the book of the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association?
For years, the Celtics franchise was a model of consistency, excellence, and a team that always did things the right way.
There’s tradition in terms of the Celtics and there’s also tradition in boys basketball over at Central.
And, like the Celtics, Central is always looking forward to the bigger picture.
For the Celtics, winning the Atlantic Division championship was nice but that title wasn’t the ultimate goal.
Same to be said for the Rams as the squad easily captured the CCC South title. Again, it’s a nice award along the way but that’s only part of a bigger deal for Central.
After Central defeated Northwest Catholic last Thursday night – over an epic 63-56 battle to seize the Central Connecticut Conference championship – it’s like when the Celtics won the Eastern Conference title in 2008.
Again, it’s a great accomplishment and some NBA teams even put up a banner in their home arena to celebrate those types of things (like the Nets did in 2002-03).
But for Bill Russell or Larry Bird, that’s not the banner they wanted displayed at Boston Garden.
And Donovan Clingan, Steve Alseph, Victor Rosa, Damion Glasper, and Carson Rivoira also have a different banner in mind that would look perfect in the Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium.
For both of those programs, once that conference title was obtained, the goal was to seize the ultimate prize.
That’s how the Celtics always operated and that’s what Central head coach Tim Barrette has instilled into his troops.
“Our exact words in that huddle is that we’re never satisfied and we’re always hungry,” said Barrette after Central beat Northwest Catholic in the Central Connecticut Conference Tournament finals. “With that being said, what we said was ‘four more [games] to go. Four more to go and we’ll have won every goal that we have checked off along the list.”
That ultimate prize, which is four games away, starts in the second round of the CIAC Division II tournament this coming Wednesday.
Central, now 24-0, ranked No. 1 in Division II and remains the top-rated team in the state, awaits the winner of No. 16 Amistad and No.17 Amity on Monday.
Central’s game on Wednesday commences at 6:30 p.m. from the Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium in Bristol.
Here is the complete CIAC Division II breakdown:
DIVISION II – FIRST ROUND
No. 1 Bristol Central – Bye; No. 16 Amistad (13-7) at No. 17 Amity (12-7), 3/7, 6:30pm; No. 25 Enfield (8-12) at No. 8 Waterford (15-5), 3/7, 6:30pm; No. 24 Sheehan (9-11) at No. 9 Staples (15-5), 3/7, 6:30pm; No. 4 Wilton – Bye; No. 20 Avon (12-8) at No. 13 Newtown (14-6), 3/7, 6:30pm; No. 5 Holy Cross – Bye; No. 21 Newington (11-9) at No. 12 St. Joseph (14-6), 3/7, 6:30pm
No. 2 Northwest Catholic – Bye; No. 18 Greenwich (12-8) at No. 15 Simsbury (14-6), 3/7, 6:30pm; No. 7 Crosby – Bye; No. 23 Stamford (10-10) at No. 10 Stratford (15-5), 3/7, 6:30pm; No. 3 Conard – Bye; No. 19 Xavier (12-8) at No. 14 Westhill (14-6), 3/7, 6:30pm; No. 6 Prince Tech – Bye; No. 22 Jonathan Law (10-10) at No. 11 Middletown (14-6), 3/7, 6:30 pm
SECOND ROUND
Amity/Amistad winner at No. 1 Bristol Central (20-0), 3/9, 6:30pm; Enfield/Waterford winner vs. Sheehan/Staples winner, 3/9, 6:30pm; Avon/Newtown winner at No. 4 Wilton (17-3), 3/9, 6:30pm; Newington/St. Joseph winner at No. 5 Holy Cross (16-4), 3/9, 6:30pm
Greenwich/Simsbury winner at No. 2 Northwest Catholic (19-1), 3/9, 6:30pm; Stamford/Stratford winner at No. 7 Crosby (15-5), 3/9, 6:30pm; Xavier/Westhill winner at No. 3 Conard (18-2), 3/9, 6:30pm; Jonathan Law/Middletown winner at No. 6 Prince Tech (15-5), 3/9, 6:30pm
QUARTERFINALS, 3/11, 7:00 p.m.
SEMIFINALS, 3/15, Time TBA
FINALS at Mohegan Sun Arena, 3/19-20, Time TBA
