The Warriors took on the Rockets in the 2019 Rec. Basketball Championship in which it took all eight periods to decide the game. Junior Jack Magane euro-stepped around the defender, going up and over all the flying arms to make the game winning layup with 2.3 seconds left on the clock, as the Warriors won, 48-46.

“I knew we did not need a three and I wanted to go iso, so I went down the middle of the lane and got a good look and it went in with barely any time left,” Magane said.

The Warriors began the postseason as the number five seed, defeating the 76ers, Cavaliers and the Knicks prior to the championship game. The Rockets began as the number seven seed and took on the Spurs, Magic and Thunder.

“Going into the playoffs as the number five seed, we did not get the respect from other teams but we knew we would be champions at the end,” Magane said.

With 2:20 left in the second period, the first of many technical fouls for the Rockets was handed to Walpole resident, Ted Harrington, which allowed Magane to sink two free throws to increase the Warriors lead. Fast forward to the fifth period, junior Will Jarvis for the Warriors drove the lane as senior Greg O’Connell for the Rockets stood still, planted his feet and took the charge to hand Jarvis his fifth foul that would sit him down for the remainder of the game. Senior Matt Schultz of the Rockets was in his bag as he hit the buzzer-beater to end the fifth, with the Warriors in the lead.

“Obviously it was not great that I fouled out, but I felt that I did leave our team in a good position with my performance in the first half. Killeen and Magane took over and got us the win which is all that matters,” Jarvis said.

A game that started with the Warriors in command for the first half quickly changed as Schultz and his teammate, senior Pat Kearns, decided to take charge and mount a comeback. Schultz was automatic from three as he hit his second buzzer-beater of the game to end the seventh, taking a two point lead going into the eighth and final period. With 18.3 seconds left in the game, Kearns drove the lane an attempted the fade-away jumper that would fall short of the rim as the Warriors grabbed the rebound and immediately took a timeout with the game tied, 46-46. The rest is history, as Magane’s game-winning layup shocked the world. The three headed giant of juniors Magane, Jarvis and Brendan Killeen took home their championship victory after being ranked number three overall in the 2019 Rec. Basketball Preseason Power Rankings.

Long live the Rec. Power Rankings.