In a California No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown, it’s top-ranked Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) that prevails with a 56-55 victory over No. 2 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) in a game that needed overtime to decide. Roosevelt wins The Classic at Damien for the second consecutive year, while state No. 7 JSerra (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) wins The Holiday Classic in San Diego. Roosevelt is the No. 9 team in the FAB 50 National Rankings, but computer rankings will ultimately determine seedings and matchups in California’s CIF Southern Section open playoffs.
It was only fitting an extra four minutes was needed to decide the Monday night showdown in The Classic at Damien Platinum Division championship game before an overflow crowd at Damien High School in SoCal’s San Gabriel Valley. The two teams that squared off were not only the No. 9 and No. 10 teams in the latest FAB 50 National Rankings, but they were California’s top ranked teams according to Cal-Hi Sports. When the dust settled Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.), the state’s preseason No. 1 team and the team at the top coming in, held on for a 56-55 victory over preseason and current No. 2 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.).
With the victory, Roosevelt captured the tournament title for the second consecutive year and beat the snake-bitten Braves in both championship games. Last December, Roosevelt defeated St. John Bosco in the title game, 68-65, en route to appearances in the CIF Southern Section and SoCal regional open title games. This year, the Mustangs hope Monday night’s victory on the eve of 2025 springboards their season two steps further, meaning a victory in the SoCal open title game and the CIF open title game on March 15 in Sacramento. For head coach Steve Singleton, he knows the road ahead may include another match with St. John Bosco, but for now he knows where his team stands.
“This is where we belong (among the nation’s best teams),” Singleton told Ballislife. “We have a great program and a top level player. We had a great season (in 2024) with many of these same guys and came up a bit short and now we want to finish things out. We’ll see them (St. John Bosco) again soon.”
The top level player is unsigned senior Brayden Burries, who was named Most Valuable Player in the Platinum Division for the second consecutive season after scoring 24 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing four assists vs. Bosco. He becomes to the second player to lead his team to back-to-back tourney titles while earning MVP honors, joining the Cleveland Cavs’ Evan Mobley (2018-2019).
Burries’ second MVP plaque and the game’s outcome was in serious doubt after teammate and long-time friend Myles Walker missed the first of two free throws with 13.1 seconds remaining in regulation that made the score 46-44. That allowed Bosco’s fantastic junior forward Christian Collins to tie the game on a driving, finger-roll lay-up with 4.9 seconds remaining. Roosevelt’s last second heave was off and overtime was needed to decide the affair, as Walker (13 points) made 5-of-6 free throws in the closing minutes of regulation and nine points in the fourth period.
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