Green Bulldogs Secure Third Consecutive Federal League Basketball Title in Dramatic Overtime Win Over McKinley
Brady Rollyson, Anthony Fortunato, and Jarrett Taylor lead Green to their third straight Federal League title victory over McKinley.
Green brought home their third straight Federal League boys basketball title against McKinley, inching it out in overtime 67-65.
Three league titles in a row seems improbable in high school basketball, as you lose players to graduation year after year. Though, an inconsistent starting five isn’t an issue for Mark Kinsley’s Green Bulldogs, as three different teams in three straight years have all seen the same outcome: A Federal League title.
Green senior Brady Rollyson found himself taking the role of primary scorer during his junior season, and he’s led his team in scoring for a majority of the games since becoming the first option.
“Coming in [my] freshman year, I didn’t really know what to expect. I [was a] role player, but as I grew older it meant more.” Rollyson said in regards to his journey.
Brady saw himself, per usual, leading his team in scoring last night against McKinley.
Rollyson had ten of his team’s 19 points after two minutes in the second quarter, and finished the half with 16. He ended with 25 points, and had 13 rebounds.
He also turned the ball over in the final minute of overtime, leading to McKinley almost putting Green on the dog leash at the end of the night. But after four years of varsity experience, he wouldn’t let the potential three-peat fade away like that. After the blunder, he then went on to pull up from the foul stripe and knocked down a mid-range jumper to get Green the lead back with 27 seconds left, serving as the game winner for his Bulldogs.
Additional keys to Kinsley’s team were junior Anthony Fortunato and senior Jarrett Taylor.
Taylor played a pivotal role for Green, contributing 13 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. Anthony Fortunato's fiery night was also a significant factor in Green's success, as he hit six three-pointers on his way to a 20-point performance. Green's dominance off of the boards, with 35 total rebounds, helped them overcome early-game turnover struggles.
“Honestly I have no idea.” Fortunato said after being asked how many three-pointers he made.
Fortunato, similarly, had six threes against his first game as a starter in Green’s second meeting with Jackson; his shooting not only has catapulted his team’s final scores, but it has also proven reliable in times of need. The sharpshooter hit four of his six threes in the third quarter, giving Green a sizeable lead into the fourth; he also tacked on a near-perfect three-pointer in overtime to keep Green in the game.
Green and McKinley played a clumsy game in the first few minutes, but didn’t actually stop going back and forth with a running clock until around two minutes left in the first quarter. Over ten turnovers occurred in fourteen minutes.
To Green, the key to winning was shutting down McKinley’s usual leading scorer, junior Reed Sims Jr. Switching to a triangle-and-two defense to make sure everyone was accounted for, Sims often found himself shooting off of the dribble for a majority of his shots.
“We made it as hard as we could on him.” Kinsley said about Green’s defense against Sims.
Speaking of defense, the previously mentioned Green senior Jarrett Taylor ended up with four blocks on the night; the blocks, of course, were an overall confidence booster to the team as a whole.
McKinley sophomore Anthony Chavers led their charge with 24 points and ten rebounds, while senior guard Je'cis Moody added 20 points. Sophomore Davey Thompson had seven points in the first half.
Kinsley found himself lost in words of gratitude and pride for his players in a post-game interview, sporting a huge grin while doing so. His unwavering dedication, love, and knowledge for the game of basketball might be the most important factor in all of his victories; whether the victory is a big one, or a small one.
“[I] Felt for our guys, but man- they didn’t hang their heads tonight. They come out ready to play, and come out [knowing] ‘Hey, we can win this game’.” Kinsley said.
In the objectively competitive Federal League, Green still came out every game for the past three years with unrelenting passion. Which, to most observers, might just be the reason they’ve been so successful.