Over the last decade, Sean Ryan has attempted to establish a winning culture at Burke. In spite of the ever-changing landscape also known as the MIAA’s league ranks, the Bulldogs have always managed to find ways to stay competitive with their peers, regardless of which division they have been placed in.
You can add another chapter to the program’s impressive legacy. Sophomore sensation Jaeden Roberts registered a game-high 24 points Saturday night, as second-seeded Burke clinched a trip to the Div. 4 boys basketball semifinals by unseating last year’s state champion with a convincing 68-50 rout of No. 7 Randolph.
“Every team is different,” said Ryan. “Every team’s different offensively and defensively. They really bought into defense. As a coach, when a team does that, it’s really special. New guys, new faces, but they totally came together, especially during the mid-part of the year. I’m super happy for them.”
The victory marks the third trip to a state semifinal for Burke (19-4) in the last seven seasons, and the first at the Div. 4 level. Entering their Elite 8 showdown, the Bulldogs had allowed only 46 points per game through their first two playoff matchups. That trend simply continued in the early stages of action, as Burke held Randolph’s high-octane offense to just nine points in the opening frame. Roberts out-paced the Blue Devils himself in the first quarter with an 11-point outburst to kick things off.
Randolph (18-5) punched back in the second however, embarking on a 9-0 run to trim its deficit to 26-22 with about one minute to play before the half. However, Burke responded by closing the stanza on a 7-0 run of its own to seize a 33-22 edge at the break.
While Randolph made a concerted effort to take Roberts out of the game as things wore on, the Bulldogs simply had too many weapons to contain. Some felt as though Burke might be in some trouble without the presence of star point guard Jasaad Fenton on Saturday.
Au contraire. Rather than wilting, the Bulldogs simply put their faith in Jaeshawn Rogers for the majority of the second half, and the junior answered the bell by flirting with a triple-double (13 points, nine rebounds, seven assists). He would turn in nine points over the final two quarters of play, helping the Bulldogs pull away for the victory.
“Anything my coach needs me to do, I’ll step up and do it,” Rogers said afterward. “I’ve got it. It’s not a problem. My teammates? I trust them as well.”
Junior Chris Cruz turned in a fantastic performance off the bench for Burke, finishing with nine points to go with eight boards. Senior Matt Drayton also added an 11-point spark for the Bulldogs.
Randolph was propelled by junior Dylan Swinton (14 points, six rebounds) and senior standout Isaiah Michel (12 points).
The victory for Burke sets up a bout with third-seeded Springfield International Charter in the Final Four this upcoming week.
Rogers is hopeful he and his teammates can help Burke reach the pinnacle by punching their first ticket to a state title game since 2020. That year, the Bulldogs finished as co-champions with Sutton in Div. 3, as the pandemic was first taking hold. Now, they will look to claim what they believe is rightfully theirs.
“It felt great,” said Rogers. “It’s just not the goal yet. We’re reaching it, but it feels good though.”