St. Bernard Pulls Away To Win Landmark State Championship

UNCASVILLE, CT — The St. Bernard High School Saints had the shortest commute to the Mohegan Sun Arena en route to competing for a state championship.

But they had a lot more going for them than that, as the Montville school also looked the part with a highlight-reel array of dunks, circus shots, blocked shots and ankle-breaking drives.

And, after 32 minutes of basketball, they turned their eye-popping skills into the first state title for the southeastern Connecticut Catholic school since 1982, easily beating Staples of Westport, 63-50.

A close start to the game saw St. Bernard methodically pull away, their speed, athleticism and skill too much for Staples.

According to St. Bernard Boys Basketball Coach Mark Jones, the seeds of victory were planted all year long with a steady dose of hard work in the gym and discipline.

"I'm just happy for these kids man, they worked their butts off all year long," Jones said.

Following the victory, Jones remarked about the importance a state title has for his players.

"This is something that they will cherish for their lives," Moore said. "This is a great memory."

The Saints came in as the favorites, having been seeded No. 1 in the tourney, going 17-3 in the regular season.

Staples, meanwhile, enjoyed a good regular season as well, going 15-5 and seeded No. 7 in the Division 2 CIAC tournament.

But while the effort put out by both squads was equal, the results were not.

St. Bernard had one player with the pedigree, senior Tyson Wheeler whose father was a local high school legend, then University of Rhode Islang great and a current assistant coach at Brown University.

Another had the highlight reel athleticism in the form of 6-foot-6-inch sophomore Amare Marshall, whose skywalking slam halfway through the second quarter energized the crowd and sparked a run. He finished with 15 points and 4 rebounds.

They even had a player with the perfect look, senior Ryan Outlow, whose 6-foot-3-inch frame and facial visuals evoked images of Artis Gilmore, circa the ABA mid-1970s. Outlow had 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Their lead scorer was senior Cedrick Similien, who finished his high school career Saturday with 21 points, five rebounds.

Together, the put together a game of championship high school hoops that was entertaining, despite the blowout win.

Staples was led by 6-foot-8-inch senior Christopher Zajac, who registered championship game double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Despite an admirable effort, Staples was never in the game after a close first quarter in which they only trailed by one point, 9-8.

Meanwhile, Jones said the school's first state championship in 41 years was not just a title for his players and their school, but for the communities that send their children to the Catholic high school in Monteville.

Said Jones: "The school should be proud. I'm proud for the kids. It's just such a good thing for Monteville and St. Bernard."

For all of the game stats, courtesy of the CIAC, click on this link.