Great Expectations for Stoughton High Boys’ Basketball This Season

is not walking through that door, fans.

But don’t expect boys’ basketball coach to go all Rick Pitino on us.

Joyce, a tremendous talent and four-year starter who ended his career with 1,141 career points, graduated with the class of 2011.

“You don’t replace a Kris Joyce,” Gallivan said.

But, behind junior captains Aaron Calixte and Marcus Middleton, Stoughton is still primed for another tournament run.

“I can’t think of a team with as good a backcourt as Middleton and Calixte,” said Gallivan, who is entering his eighth year as Stoughton’s head coach.

Calixte is an explosive scorer and Middleton is a lockdown defender, but both make contributions on either end of the court.

The Black Knights finished last season 12-8 in the regular season, co-Davenport Division champs with Oliver Ames (although both times in their ). Stoughton in the opening round of the state tournament, on the road, handing the Harbormen their only loss of the season at home. Stoughton then , the eventual Division 2 South Sectional Champion, in a back-and-forth contest.

Gallivan said the difference in that tournament game was Hopkinton’s depth—their ability to go 10 or 11 guys deep.

This Stoughton team lost core contributors in Joyce, and to graduation, but Calixte and Middleton won’t be alone this season—they could actually be surrounded by a deeper supporting cast.

“We lost a superstar [in Joyce], but we gained depth,” Gallivan said.

The athletic Joe Bunce-Grenon, also a junior captain, returns. He provided scoring off the bench last season.

Sophomore Joe Wilder earned playing time down the stretch at the forward position last year as a freshman. Classmate Mike Gallagher, a guard, was a late season call-up from the freshman squad. Both figure to see their roles increase this year.

Gallivan also expects contributions from some players who either weren’t on the team a year ago or who saw limited action last winter.

Senior forward Antonio Ferreira, listed at 6’3”, is the tallest player on the team. He and fellow senior Steffan Jackson, a first-year varsity player who returns to the program for the first time since his freshman year, both received positive reviews from ESPN Boston in Stoughton’s scrimmage on Dec. 10 against defending Division 2 State Champion New Mission.

Along with Wilder and Ferreira, seniors Raymond Bowdre and Donald Saladin round out the team’s “bigs.”

Truth is, Stoughton isn’t very big, and they weren’t last year either, but Stoughton makes up for it with its athleticism.

Juniors (forward) and Andrew Valle (guard) make the jump to varsity this season. Classmate Mauro Olivera will play guard.

With the added depth, Gallivan said he wants to play “more up tempo.”

He said the team will aim to spread the floor and shoot a lot of three-pointers.

Stoughton plays in the highly competitive Hockomock League, a conference Gallivan feels will be more balanced this year between the small schools (Davenport Division—Stoughton, OA, Sharon, Canton and Foxboro) and the big schools (Kelly-Rex Division—King Philip, Mansfield, North Attleboro, Attleboro and Franklin).

The Black Knights Tuesday at Burlington, a Division 2 playoff team from last season. Gallivan , Connor Gallivan, a senior captain for Burlington.

Stoughton plays Foxboro on Friday for its home opener.

***