Tech boys hoop coming off 20-win season

The Tech boys basketball team will be replacing most of its starting lineup after going 20-4 last year, but coach Marvin Avery isn’t losing any sleep.Avery said his team will be young, and with that comes some growing pains, but he’s confident he has the talent to be in the thick of it as usual.”We’re young. We’re going to make mistakes,” Avery said. “But I’m very optimistic about the outcome of the season. The kids are looking forward to the challenge.”Last year, the Tigers won the Commonwealth Conference upper division, the city championship and the state vocational championship. They reached the Division 3 North semifinals, where they lost to Bedford.Many of the key players from that team have moved on. Tony Gallo, the league MVP two years in a row, is playing at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. He averaged 18 points per game. Sted Bourdeau, who along with Gallo hit the 1,000-career-point milestone, has graduated. Jeff Brito, who dominated the boards, is doing a prep year at Lee Academy in Maine, and guard Ramon Martinez will not be back because he violated team rules.”We’re still going to be very interesting,” Avery said, noting that he had 65 players, the most he’s ever had, show up for the first day of tryouts.Among those Avery will be looking at to step up are Jose Rios, a senior off-guard who is also quarterback of the football team. Jake Canty, also a senior, was the sixth man last year, although he did start a few games. This year he’ll be at wing. Avery is also counting on 6-6 junior Ryan Salvador, who backed up Brito at center, to take a bigger role this year. Lorenzo Rivera, a 6-1, 280-pound forward, started about five games and should see more action this year.Victor Smith, a 6-3 junior who saw limited varsity time last year, averaged around 10 points per game when he played. Smith was behind Gallo, but Avery’s looking for him to contribute more this season.Although Tony Gallo graduated, the Tigers still have two Gallos in the wings, waiting to make some noise. Sophomore Terrence Gallo will battle it out with Felix Rios (Jose’s younger brother) at point guard and freshman Trey Gallo is one of three talented freshmen who could have an immediate impact.The younger Gallo plays off-guard, as does freshman Richie Warren Jr. Josh Cheever, a 6-2 freshman out of Pickering, could find himself at forward or back-up center.”We don’t have to rush the freshmen, but if they’re ready, they’re going to be in the mix,” Avery said.Avery’s coaching staff will include Don Brown, who is back as head assistant coach, Rob Smith and Richie Warren Sr., who will coach junior varsity, and Mackenzie Charles, the freshman coach.”We’ll be right up there again,” Avery said.