Peace, everyone!
It’s Final Four AND Chip Night at the Red Carpet of Streetball for our Boys High School Division!
The last time we hosted both the semifinals and the championship on the exact same night was ten years ago. The internet keeps saying 2026 is the new 2016—and if you know your Dyckman history, you know that 2016 night was pure magic. (RIP Step 🙏🏼🕊️) To this day, when anyone asks me my all-time favorite Dyckman moment, that night is at the top of the list.
To get to the Final Four, you have to survive the Elite Eight. With LPAC’s ticket already punched, six squads battled last night for the final three spots. The stakes were sky-high, and the energy matched it.
🏀 BOYS HS PLAYOFFS
#2 Road to Riches vs. #6 Mookie’s Allstars
After narrowly escaping Team Gator on Friday night, the defending champions faced another sneaky underdog in Mookie’s All-Stars.
It was an extremely competitive opening period, with Road to Riches taking a 36-33 lead into halftime. Both squads relied heavily on their lead guards to fuel the offense, as Mahamadou Jaby (Road to Riches) and Mariano Mateo(Mookie's All Stars) dropped 13 points each in the first half.
Mookie’s All-Stars battled relentlessly, even taking a 44-42 lead six minutes into the second half. Deadlocked at 51 at the 5-minute mark, Road to Riches flexed their championship DNA, outscoring Mookie’s 13-7 down the stretch to pull away.
Mahamadou Jaby dropped a game-high 20 points for Road to Riches.
Teammate Demari Watson added 14 points, including several clutch late baskets.
Mariano Mateo battled through a cut under his eyebrow to finish with a team-high 18 points for Mookie.
#2 Jungle Athletics vs. #6 Death Row
In their lone regular-season matchup, this series came down to free throws with the game on the line. Ironically enough, the playoff rematch ended the exact same way.
Higher-seeded Jungle Athletics jumped out to a fast 18-9 lead ten minutes in. However, they hit a scoring wall, allowing Death Row to close the half on a 15-5 run. A buzzer-beating putback by Bablen Traore gave Death Row a 24-23 edge going into the break.
Jungle Athletics regained control in the second half, building a 46-36 advantage with four minutes remaining. Death Row had one final push left in them: an and-1 conversion from Lamont Green at the 1:20 mark capped a furious 12-1 run to put Death Row ahead!
Trailing by two with 9 seconds left, Jungle Athletics guard Matthew Santiago drew a foul while launching a three-pointer. He stepped up to the charity stripe and calmly sank all three free throws to grab the lead and secure the victory.
Christian Brown led Jungle Athletics with a game-high 16 points.
#1 Team Watson vs. #5 Team Tracey
The nightcap featured undefeated #1 seed Team Watson squaring off against last year’s runner-up, Team Tracey.
It was a physical defensive war early. Massa Toure carried Team Tracey with 9 first-half points, while Team Watson relied on a balanced scoring attack as both squads went into the locker room tied at 22.
Aside from Team Watson briefly taking a 27-26 lead at the 14-minute mark, Team Tracey controlled the tempo for the majority of the second half. Watson stayed within striking distance—trailing 42-39 at the 3:45 mark—before Team Tracey pulled away in crunch time.
Massa Toure poured in a game-high 19 points for Team Tracey in the #5 vs #1 upset.
Teammate Levi Sylvester chipped in 12 points.
📸 Photo of the Day: @j.m0ck
The midrange game is alive and well. Cc: CB
🗓️ Tonight’s schedule:
🔥 STORYLINES TO WATCH
The Bronx Rivalry: In our first semifinal, we have a heated, high-stakes rivalry between LPAC and defending champion Road to Riches.
Coaching Clash: In the second semifinal, two of the most intense coaches to ever roam the Dyckman sidelines go head-to-head: Coach L’s (Jungle Athletics) vs. Coach Tracey (Team Tracey).
The Rematch Question: Will we see new blood in the title game, or will we get a rematch of last year's championship between Road to Riches and Team Tracey?!
As always, thank you for tapping into the Dyckman Dispatch! 🗞️
-Miguel signing out, Peace ✌️