GEORGETOWN — The story is starting to sound awfully familiar.
Flash back, if you will, to the night of January 23rd, 2025, where a battered and bruised Georgetown boys basketball team dropped to 6-4 on the year following a blowout loss to Salem. Basically everyone involved with the program last winter viewed that game as the inflection point, as starting the very next day at practice, the Royals scrapped any preseason notion of who they were and dedicated themselves solely to the defensive side of the ball.
And we all remember what happened next, right?
From that point on, Georgetown would lose just twice over the remainder of the season, which ended with the team hoisting the Division 4 State Championship trophy high on the Tsongas Center court. The Royals allowed opponents to score just 54.8 points over their last 15 games, and that held true in a 61-54 title game victory over Monument Mountain that brought the program’s first championship banner home.
Which brings us back to this moment.
Following a 72-54 victory over archrival Manchester Essex on Wednesday night, Georgetown has now won four straight in completely dominant fashion. The Royals (8-4) had a tough four-skid preceding this recent streak. But since the turnaround, they’ve won their last four by an average of 34.5 points, and all while holding their opponents to just 40.8 points per.
… And guess where it’s all started?
“We’ve been working really hard on our, what we call our ‘defensive non-negotiables,’” said first-year Georgetown coach Kevin Fair. “We had a tough stretch where we were giving up some points, and it was a lack of trust and a lack of communication. And honestly, we needed to be tougher. But I have to give the captains all the credit in the world. We stole a drill that (former) Coach (Josh) Keilty used to run, where it really tests our toughness and communication, and we’ve been applying that these last four games.
“We had a recommitment to our defense.”
So far, the results have spoken for themselves.
And it’s got this confident group thinking: Why can’t we repeat?
Georgetown was ranked as high as No. 5 in Division 4 earlier in the year, but has since dropped down to No. 9 in the latest power poll after some CAL wins still hurt its “Opponent Rating” metric. But even still, the Royals are firmly a top-10 team midway through the season, and have challenging games against Newburyport, Manchester Essex and Masconomet left on the schedule.
And, of course, last year they won the title as the No. 6 seed.
So what’s a couple spots here or there?
“I got us, always,” said senior captain Irvin Zapata on the team’s chances of repeating. “I think we’ve got a good shot again, and I’m excited for the rest of the year.”
Zapata — who last year broke the school’s 3-point record (79) — is one of the team’s “Big 3” of returning Daily News All-Stars. The sharpshooter and likely college scholarship player is having another fantastic year for Georgetown, averaging a team-high 14.2 ppg and already with 35 3s. Do-it-all senior guard Brendan Loewen (13.5 ppg, 13 3s) stuffs the stat sheet every time out on the court, and junior forward Jomar Terrero (13.3 ppg, 5 3s) can score from anywhere on the floor.
The trio have proven to be a nightmare for any opposing team to plan against.
“Irvin is just a knockdown shooter,” said Manchester Essex coach Tim St. Laurent. “Then Loewen is one of the smartest players that I’ve ever had to coach against. He’s just always in the right spot, reorganizes his feet and gets to his spots. And he’s excellent defensively, can cover a point guard to a center, so it’s amazing what he does for Georgetown.”
But it’s not just the “Big 3.”
Tony Tavares-Roman is the team’s final senior captain, and provides length, height and physicality in the post along with Aleks Dimov (5.4 ppg) and Gio Concalves (4.3 ppg). Then in the backcourt, junior Rayner Hernandez (6.4 ppg) has taken on the role as the team’s starting point guard, and sophomore Meziah Rodriguez (7.6 ppg, 12 3s) has turned heads with his play off the bench. During Wednesday’s win, Rodriguez showcased his jump-out-of-the-gym athleticism, while also scoring 11 points on three 3s to go along with 7 rebounds.
And above all else, this team is connected.
“We do so much together,” said Fair. “I had them all over the house on Sunday to watch the Patriots. We went and volunteered with the Special Olympics, then practiced for two hours, then watched the Patriots for four hours. Then last night we practiced for two hours, watched film for two hours, then the entire team went with me to watch Manchester-Newburyport. So it’s them, I give them all the credit.”
Then digging a little deeper, it’s not like Georgetown’s four losses are bad.
–Lowell (No. 37 in D1): 65-63 on a buzzer-beater.
–Attleboro (No. 6 in D1): 72-54.
–Natick (No. 35 in D1): 75-70.
–Lynnfield (No. 14 in D3): 79-73.
“Tough teams like that give you good experience,” said Zapata. “They help you get better throughout the season so you’re ready for the bigger games at the end.”
And make no mistake, this Georgetown team is ready for those big games.
The Royals are battled-hardened, and know what it’s going to take to keep the Division 4 State Championship trophy at home.
“They know that being the defending champions, you have a target on your back,” said Fair. “You have to bring the energy every night.”
Georgetown 72, Manchester Essex 54
at Georgetown High School
Manchester Essex (5-5) 3 16 17 1854
Georgetown (8-4) 18 10 23 2172
Individual statistics
Manchester Essex — Jake Zschau 2-0-4, Alex Ste. Marie 7-7-22, Graham Lewis 4-4-14, Chris Glass 1-0-2, Jacob Zachareas 1-2-5, Jack McCavanagh 0-0-0, Zach Hurd 2-1-5, Parker Woodman 1-0-2, Michael Harris 0-0-0. Totals: 18-14-54
Georgetown — Brendan Loewen 7-2-17, Rayner Hernandez 1-0-2, Jomar Terrero 3-4-10, Irvin Zapata 10-0-26, Tony Tavares Roman 0-2-2, Meziah Rodriguez 3-2-11, Gio Concalves 2-0-4. Totals: 26-10-72
Halftime: 28-19, Georgetown
3-Pointers: G, Zapata 6, Rodriguez 3, Loewen; ME, Lewis 2, Ste. Marie, Zachareas