By Michael Letendre
BRISTOL – It’s that time of the year…already.
Wednesday marks another all-too-early city series boys basketball bout as the squads from Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern clash at the annual BC Holiday Classic.
The Lancers came away with the tournament championship last season, defeating Simsbury 63-55, but the Rams would like to remedy that situation and make their own appearance in the finals.
Capital Prep (1-2 overall) and 2022 tournament runner-up Simsbury (0-3) drew the early game today.
This should be a classic bout between the two Bristol programs and you know the only thing for certain when the two teams square off is that nothing’s for certain.
Central won the last showdown between the programs in 2022-23 and the team hopes to make it two-in-a-row.
Let’s dig into Wednesday’s big bout as Bristol Central attempts to hand Bristol Eastern its first loss this season:
Bristol Central Boys Basketball
*Head Coach: Tim Barrette
*Players to Watch
Carmelo Thompson (jr, guard), Mike McMahon (sr, guard), Joey Pikiell (jr, guard), Harry Ross (sr, forward/center), Jaysun Dominguez (sr, guard), Quincy Lawson (so, forward), Gavin Chamberlin (so, guard), Cody Roy (so, guard), Nate Ortiz (jr, forward).
*Spotlight on Bristol Central: Mikey McMahon, senior.
Currently, McMahon is the leading scorer on the squad, posting 11.7 points-per-game and is the program’s top marksmen from downtown.
There’s plenty of even-stephen scoring on this squad and McMahon might have to post a new career-high in order to help his mates top Eastern.
In the squad’s first win over Maloney, defense fueled the day as McMahon – on the flip side – contributed 12 points to the victorious effort.
In fact, he’s scored in double-figures in every game he’s played in so far. That includes 12 points against East Catholic – the state’s top program.
He’s been knocking on the varsity window since his sophomore year, posting 7.3 points-per-game as a junior, hitting a career and team-high 28 three-pointers.
McMahon can rebound a bit too and Eastern will have to be wary of his outside shooting touch.
He’s been there and done that and will be looking for a big game against the Kingstreeters.
*Under-the-radar Guy: Joey Pikiell
Pikiell had a bit of a rough start to the season in the opener versus RHAM but ended up dropping 11 points on East Catholic – flipping down three 3-pointers against the Eagles.
And, much like McMahon, Pikiell can really get rolling once his 3-ball is hitting.
He’s currently second on the squad in three-pointers made and we’ve all seen him hit big three-point bombs last season.
Don’t forget, against the Lancers exactly one year ago, he canned a huge 3 in front of the Central bench as the squad nearly pulled off the win over its crosstown rival.
Pikiell can be a big time difference on the hardwood and Eastern cannot give him open looks.
*Watch out for: Carmelo Thompson
This baller has the ability to heat up in a hurry and we saw that on display already this season at RHAM.
Central rolled out to a 13-2 lead to start the game with Thompson in attack mode, scoring eight points over first quarter play.
He netted a team season-high 15 points while grabbing nine rebounds – nearly tallying a double-double in that opening day contest.
Thompson has an underrated passing game and when he goes strong to the hoop, he can finish with the best of them.
The hoopster can hit from long range (11 three-pointers last season) and is capable of a 20-point game on any given night.
He notched over 200 points in 2022-23, averaging 10.1 ppg, and has every intention in giving Eastern plenty of fits tonight.
And don’t forget about the hustle from Harry Ross, Jaysun Dominguez, Quincy Lawson, Gavin Chamberlin, Cody Roy and Nate Ortiz.
Bottom Line: Central is on its home turf and this won’t be an easy game for Eastern.
The Rams will hustle on defense, keep within its offense and cannot let the emotion of the game distract the players on the court.
Central coach Tim Barrette and Eastern coach Bunty Ray have been there and done that against each other over the years and expect another tit-for-tat battle between the veteran coaches.
If McMahon, Pikiell, Thompson and company can make stops and hit the long ball, the Rams have a good chance in this one.
Bristol Central Holiday Classic – December 27
BRISTOL EASTERN (3-0) at BRISTOL CENTRAL (1-2)
Time: 7:30 p.m. (After the completion of the other three tournament games).
Location: Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium on the campus of Bristol Central.
Series Lead: This is the 132nd contest between the city rivals. Central leads the all-time series, 75-56.
The Streak: Over the last ten games, Central has won eight of those bouts and currently is on a one-game winning streak versus Eastern.
Bristol Central (1-2 overall) – Scores to date
*December 16, 65-48 loss at RHAM
*December 19, 74-46 loss at East Catholic
*December 22, 51-36 win at Maloney
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