LYNN — Fresh off a Division 4 state championship with Georgetown High, Josh Keilty decided to switch schools and become St. Mary’s head boys basketball coach. Through 12 games, the Spartans (11-1) sit atop the MIAA’s Division 2 power rankings.
“It’s going great. The kids are working really hard and are totally committed and buying into the team-first mantra,” Keilty said. “I’m super fortunate to inherit such a great group of kids. They’re definitely talented, but more so, the character of them is really impressive.”
When asked if there were any challenges with the transition, Keilty said it was “no different.
“When the season starts, it’s a brand new team, everyone’s in the same boat, and you have to do that every year,” he said. “You need a group of guys that care about winning and not their individual accolades.”
Accountability is a pillar of Keilty’s program.
“When we first came in, we wanted them to have the blue-collar mindset and mentality. We haven’t had any kids out — whether it was through injury or sickness,” he said. “They’re at school every day and they’re practicing every day. They’re accountable to one another in addition to being reliable and responsible to each other.”
The Spartans delivered 10 consecutive wins, including big victories against Masconomet, Bishop Stang, Bishop Feehan, and Pope Francis.
St. Mary’s slipped for the first time against St. Francis Prep (New York), but Keilty was proud of the response. His Spartans took down Central High (Rhode Island) by double digits the next day.
“The ownership and the maturity level of the group is what I took away after the loss,” he said. “This group is starting to understand what wins — and what impacts winning.”
Other than a smothering press defense, what makes St. Mary’s a hard team to stop is its balanced offense. Against Masconomet, the Spartans had four players score 16 or more points.
Leading the way have been Jake Fortier, Rolky Brea Arias, John Chareas, Gabriel Makuwa-Sykes and Rowan Merryman, among others.
“We don’t know who’s going to go off on any night. We just want to make the right play when it’s there to be made,” Keilty said. “Whether it’s shooting the ball, passing, or driving it, it’s totally dependent on possession to possession. We want to take great shots.”
The Spartans are off to a flying start and look to continue their winning ways Friday. Tip-off against Cathedral is set for 6:30 p.m. inside of the Tony C. Gymnasium.
