Boys’ basketball has put up three amazing games so far in the playoffs. First they beat Saugus, mounting a thrilling second half comeback. The Warriors were down by as many 15 points, but they kept pushing. Their rally was filled with huge shots by Yannick Schaefer, Dan Karp and, of course, Jaleel Bell. Bell was named the Dual County League Most Valuable Player for the second season in a row.

Their second win, which was against Arlington Catholic High School on Monday night, did not require a comeback, but the Warriors did play substantially better in the second half. The turning point and highlight of the night was Dan Karp’s half-court buzzer-beater shot, which ended the half with the Warriors down by only one point. The Warriors, led by Mark Bonner and Jaleel Bell, completely took over the game.

This was the last home game for the Warrior seniors. They received a standing ovation as the game ended.

Wednesday night, the boys played the Division III semifinal game against the top-seeded North Reading Hornets. It was almost like a movie script. North Reading came in to the game with an undefeated season and were favored to win the game. The Warriors, once again, had a huge second half. Wayland was down by four points at halftime, when the score was 29-25. But, by the end of the game, the score was 64-48.

The MVP of that game was Jaleel Bell. Bell had a huge game, even by his standards. He finished with 34 points, 14 rebounds and nine steals. Impressive showing from the two-time MVP.

On Saturday, Wayland will go up against Danvers in the Division III North finals. Last year, Danvers eliminated Wayland in the tournament, so the Warriors will be out for some revenge. The game will be played at the Tsongas Center at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday.

Keep an eye out; a winter sports recap is coming up in the sports section of WSPN. You’ll also see an in-depth report on concussions.

In professional news, I guess winning a Super Bowl really means everything. Joe Flacco is the highest paid NFL player ever. He’s not even a top 20 player in the league right now.

And for those wondering, as I am writing this sentence, there are 24 days, 2 hours, 26 minutes and 2 seconds until Opening Day. I’m ready.

“During my 18 years, I came to bat almost 10,000 times. I struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,800 times. You figure a ballplayer will average about 500 at bats a season. That means I played seven years without ever hitting the ball.” -Mickey Mantle