By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – The time is at hand for the Bristol Central boys basketball team. And its four games to a CIAC Division II state championship for the Rams. After a long grueling season, the ending is almost in sight.

On Thursday night, Central (24-0) hits the court for the first time since winning the Central Connecticut Conference Tournament last Thursday over Northwest Catholic (63-56) in Enfield.

The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday but due to a snowstorm of doom, the game was moved to Thursday.

Central is once again the top ranked team in the bracket and the top-rated Division II program – after earning a first-round bye – battles No. 16 Amistad (14-7) as the scene shifts to the Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium on the campus of BCHS.

Amistad survived and advanced over its 65-62 victory over No. 17 Amity on Monday night but it took a real fourth quarter effort to hang on.

Amity forced several late turnovers and the visiting aggression had a couple late chances to tie things up in the end. However, the Wolves hung on to snare the victory.

Amistad played a bunch of technical and shoreline schools during regular season action, starting the year off at 11-3 before absorbing loses to Ledyard, Waterford, and Fairfield Prep in mid-February before ending the season with a 70-49 setback to Bassick on March 1.

Early season losses came at the hands of Crosby (64-53 on January 14) and Prince Tech (66-60) exactly one week later. he team is battled tested but will attempt to match up against Central come Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m.

Amistad senior Aden Goffe led all scorers against Amity with 25 points while junior Arion Robinson added 13. Senior Rodney Cook contributed 11 while sophomore Bernett Scott and senior Brandon Hicks each added eight points apiece. Each one of those athletes can hit from deep and it should be interesting to see how Amistad handles the pressure from Central.

For the 25th consecutive game, the Rams will roll out the same starting line-up of Donovan Clingan (30.0 points-per-game), Damion Glasper (11.1 ppg, team-leading 31 three-pointers), Carson Rivoira (7.9 ppg), Steve Alseph (6.1 ppg), and Victor Rosa (5.0 ppg).

It’s the same unit Central head coach Tim Barrette unleashed against Southington at Trinity College to open the year on December 18 and the five players that went an amazing thirty-two minutes against Northwest Catholic for victory number twenty-four.

Throw in reserve forward/centers Julius Powell and Jayson Van Beveran, forward Jelani Walton, and guards Mason Stokes, Aaron Brown, and Zach Vanasse and the Rams are ready for battle.

It’s win and stay home for Central as the No. 1 seed continues its complete onslaught of the winter campaign.

Advancement by the Rams means a Friday night showing at home against either No. 8 Waterford or No. 9 Staples.

Another Central victory advances the squad into a possible semifinal match-up against the likes of No. 4 Wilton, No. 5 Holy Cross, No. 12 St. Joseph, or No. 13 Newtown.

That semifinal game will commence from a neutral site on Tuesday and the winner of that bout gets to take a trip to Uncasville.

It’s an exciting time for the boys basketball program over at Bristol Central and there’s plenty of basketball left to be played.

Admission

Tickets for the game against Amistad on Wednesday are available for purchase online only at https://gofan.co/app/school/CIAC.

CIAC BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT DIVISION II PAIRINGS AND RESULTS –

Round 1

Monday’s Scores

Amistad 65, Amity 62

Greenwich 43, Simsbury 34

Middletown 58, Jonathan Law 47

Newtown 50, Avon 38

St. Joseph 77, Newington 61

Stamford 65, Stratford 62

Staples 70, Sheehan 23

Waterford 65, Enfield 31

Westhill 70, Xavier 47

SECOND ROUND – Thursday

No. 16 Amistad (14-7) at No. 1 Bristol Central (20-0), 3/9, 6:30 p.m.; No. 9

Staples (16-5) at No. 8 Waterford (16-5), 3/9, 6:30 p.m.; No. 13 Newtown (15-6)

at No. 4 Wilton (17-3), 3/9, 6:30 p.m.; No. 12 St. Joseph (15-6) at No. 5 Holy

Cross (16-4), 3/9, 6:30 p.m.

No. 18 Greenwich (13-8) at No. 2 Northwest Catholic (19-1), 3/9, 6:30pm; No.

23 Stamford (11-10) at No. 7 Crosby (15-5), 3/9, 6:30pm; No. 14 Westhill (15-6)

at No. 3 Conard (18-2), 3/9, 6:30pm; No. 11 Middletown (15-6) at No. 6 Prince

Tech (15-5), 3/9, 6:30pm

QUARTERFINALS – ‘Elite Eight’

Amistad/Bristol Central winner vs. Staples/Waterford winner, 3/11, 7:00

p.m.; Newtown/Wilton winner vs. St. Joseph/Holy Cross winner, 3/11, 7:00 p.m.