Kings of Summer

BOSTON: Interclub Championship

By Taylor Pettiford | Metrowest League Coordinator

And then there were two. Beast Mode (WWD) and Buckets Galore (BMW) are the last two teams standing in Boston, champions of their respective leagues. But tonight, the two teams will face off for Boston supremacy and a chance to reign as the kings of summer. One team will end the night hoisting the UH Boston Champions trophy in celebration while the other hits the locker room having finished one game short of one of our market’s most sought after feats.

To date, Westwood has dominated the interclub landscape to the tune of 5-1. Since its inception in the Winter session of 2017, only one Metrowest team has won the Boston championship (Ball Don’t Lie – Summer ’17). So, is tonight the night that another Metrowest squad does their part in evening the score? Or will Westwood continue to be the cream of the UH Boston crop? We’ll break down each team and let you decide.

BEAST MODE (6-5) | Westwood Champions
Despite finishing the regular season 3-5, Patrick Dragon’s squad got hot at the perfect time and made easy work of a comparatively easy Westwood field. Other than a six-point semifinal win against Ea$y Money, Beast Mode has played +83 basketball in September. Leading the way has been the dynamic duo of Tirone McCray and Carlos Bermudez-Glean. But the support of Waldron Callam, Jean C. Romulus and Patrick Dragonis what ultimately makes this team go. Unlike many other squads in Boston, Beast Mode truly has a starting lineup of five high caliber players. Perhaps most impressive is their defensive prowess. The team finished second in the league in the theft department led by Bermudez-Glean’s 4spg. And with versatile defenders like Dragon and Callam on the team, this squad is often interchangeable when defending pick and rolls. They’ll need Bermudez-Glean to play the role of disruptor and penetrate the opponent’s defense to free Romulus, Callam and McCray up offensively.

BUCKETS GALORE (8-2)
For a season that started off as tumultuous as Buckets Galore’s did, it’s a testament to the team’s chemistry that they’ve won their league and now fight for Boston supremacy. The key to this team’s success has been hard-nosed defense as evidenced by them holding all, but one, opponents under 80 points all season. Yemi Ajao’s squad takes pride in their scrappiness and plays an unselfish brand of basketball. Tommy Hubbard, the former D1 standout, has averaged nearly 33ppg this season on his revenge tour for having slipped to the fifth round of the draft. Add former Ultimate Player Patrick Luckett along with role players Micah Duarte and DJ Corbett and we’ve got a team with virtually no weak links. Luckett will control the offense and his head to head matchup with Bermudez-Glean may ultimately decide this matchup.

A defensive gem of a Boston championship awaits us in just under four hours. If you’re local, come pack the gym (44 Harvard Street, Westwood, MA) and run some pick up once our games are done. If you’re not available, be sure to tune in to our Facebook Live coverage starting at 7:30. Fall sessions are just around the corner, but we’ve got one night of summer ball ahead. Don’t miss it!

Teddy L. MoonBoston, Metrowest