By Joseph Staszewski
Christ the King heads to the state Federation tournament hoping to cement its place in the record books.
The Royals boys’ basketball team has built a dynasty in the CHSAA by winning four of the last five city titles. They have also won two of the last three state Federation Class AA crowns during that time period.
Back-to-back state championships? Well, no CK team has been able to do that, and Abraham Lincoln in 2007 and 2008 and Rice in 1998 and 1999 are the only others schools to be able to list that accomplishment at the highest classification.
“I want to be one of the few guys that has a two-peat at the state championship,” Christ the King center Adonis Delarosa said. “I know it’s hard, but I think we definitely can win.”
Getting to this point wasn’t expected much, as it was a year ago when the Royals were a senior-laden team that knew how to win from the start of the season. CK (23-6) looked at itself as underdogs this season after getting routed by Cardinal Hayes early in the year and getting handed a lopsided loss by Bishop Loughlin in the Brooklyn/Queens title game. The Royals came back to beat both veteran teams in the intersectional playoffs to claim the city crown.
“This was supposed to be our rebuilding year,” said junior forward Travis Atson of others’ expectations.
Added Delarosa, “We knew this wasn’t going to be easy.”
In order to defend their state title, the Royals will need to beat Benjamin Cardozo at the Times Union Center in Albany at 11:45 a.m. this Friday in the semifinals. The Judges are similar in makeup, minus the championship experience. Cardozo has senior leaders in Francisco Williams, Carl Balthazar and Marzuq Jimoh, much like CK has in Delarosa, Andre Walker and Bryler Paige.
Cardozo, like Alkins, has one of the city’s best young players in sophomore guard Rashond Salnave, who played for the Positive Direction travel program run by Christ the King Coach Joe Arbitello’s sister and brother.
Alkins, who contained Seton Hall-bound guard Khadeen Carrington in the city title game, sees going against Salnave as another challenge.
“The guy Ray Salnave is supposed to be a top sophomore,” Alkins said. “It is just a statement game for me. I’m trying to prove that I’m the top sophomore in New York City.”
He and the Royals enter the Federation tournament playing their best basketball of the season, even with Delarosa recovering from a knee injury suffered against Hayes in the semifinals. Atson scored 21 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in the city finals and Walker nearly had a triple double.
Christ the King views winning upstate this year as a chance to make school history and a stepping stone to being in position to take home the state title again next year.
“We talk about us being able to get that bridge to two and then to do something that no one’s ever done — to get three next year,” Arbitello said. “But you have to get two before you can get three.”
