BCAT News

The Burlington Boys Basketball team is getting ready for their upcoming regular season.

Last year, the Red Devils were not off to a good start as they began the season with a 1-5 record. Fortunately, they went on a winning streak and finished with an overall record of 12-8 in their division. They only allowed their opponents to score 84 points or less during the season.

The team also made an appearance in the first round of the MIAA Boys State Basketball Tournament against Boston Community Leadership Academy. Unfortunately, their season would end there as the opponents would win with a final of 66 to 55.  

“Looking back last year was a successful year especially after fighting through the adversity we did,” Head Coach Phil Conners said, noting the comeback in the later part of the season and that the team won the Freedom League Championship for the first time in over 25 years.  

During the offseason, staff members and players had an opportunity to participate in offseason leagues.

“We set up leagues and open gyms, but can only observe and are not allowed to coach,” Conners said. “Through the summer and fall leagues we probably had upwards of 40 off-season games. On the whole we didn’t do too well and lost more than we won this off-season.”

Looking towards the regular season, the team will have to face some tough opponents including Watertown, Woburn, Melrose and many others.

“As always the Middlesex League schedule is tough this year with Belmont and Arlington as the top teams,” he said.

The Red Devils will need to enhance their skills on the court this year, as the basketball stars have graduated and moved.

“We lost four great seniors and also had an underclassmen transfer,” Coach Conners said. “Three of those seniors never left the floor last year and the underclassmen that left played a lot as well. We are smaller than last year, so guys are going to have to play bigger than they are. It will take a lot of heart and effort.”

Finally with the season just less than a week away, the players and coaching staff are excited for another year of Red Devils basketball.

“I’m always looking forward to the season because it’s fun to prepare, work, scout and practice to try to make a team better than the sum of its parts,” Coach Conners said. “We’ll see how it goes.”