BRONX, NY - -As the lone senior on a highly-lauded junior-laden Stepinac lineup, Danny Carbuccia (Archbishop Stepinac HS, NY ‘25) possesses the most battle-tested, weathered experience necessary for a marquee matchup of this magnitude.
This was against a St. Raymond's team featuring a radiant two-man foundation of Georgia Tech commit 6'3" SF Brandon Stores Jr. (St Raymond HS, NY '25) and high octane guard 5'11" PG Tai Turnage (St Raymond HS, NY '25).
This was for revenge.
This was for bragging rights in one of the city and the country's toughest conferences, as the latest chapter in this storied rivalry was written. And, it was a possible preview of the upcoming city championships at Fordham University in the Bronx.
As the orchestrator of a balanced, high-powered offense, the UMass-bound Carbuccia is perhaps the most critical figure. Simultaneously, the Bronx-bred guard has been the spirit of Stepinac's wall-to-wall defense with his ball-hawking pressure.
At the neutral site which was Mount St. Michael HS, the diminutive Carbuccia was instrumental in propelling the Crusaders to a 66-61 NY Archdiocesan Championship over formidable foe St. Ray's.
With legendary New York City guard Smush Parker refereeing the game, Carbuccia scored 17 points and doled out eight assists. Getting downhill and scoring with his offhand, drawing in defenders with his handle and delivering one-handed dart assists, depositing mid-range jumpers and even splashing a 3-pointer, Carbuccia's poise catalyzed Stepinac.
6'11" F Adonis Ratliff (Archbishop Stepinac HS, NY '26) a 6-foot-11 Class of 2026 forward who has erupted as a unique threat with his floor-spreading shooting, scored 26 points to go with 14 rebounds. 6'4" PG Jasiah Jervis (Archbishop Steppinac HS, NY '26) now one of the most highly sought-after recruits in the country, added 13 points, six rebounds, three steals, and three assists.
In the end, the Crusaders avenged a loss from last year's championship. The reigning city champs utilized its length and depth to overcome significant performances from Stories and Turnage, the latter of whom again had a flair for the big shot. Now Stepinac prolongs its journey to three consecutive city titles in the upcoming Intersectional quarterfinal.
St. Ray's Class of 2026 6-foot-8 forward 6' 8" F Luis Carillo-Moss (St Raymond HS, NY '26) bulldozed his way to the rim for a banker from five feet out, whittling Stepinac's lead down to 63-59. Stepinac answered as Hassan Koureissi buried a tightly contested wrap-around mid-range jumper, lengthening the lead to 65-59 in the waning moments.
St. Ray's showed the resolve of a gritty team, buoyed by 6'4" G Najay Bess (St Raymond HS, NY '26)ability to stick difficult shots and the interior power of Stores and Moss. The Ravens overcame a listless second quarter. They discovered their vaunted inside-outside game and executed it during a third-quarter awakening, as they played possessed. Najay Bess buried a corner 3-pointer in the opening minutes. Turnage, as he's done myriad times throughout his illustrious four-year career with the Ravens, stuck an angle 3-pointer, slicing Stepinac's lead to 40-37 with 4:41 remaining in the quarter.
Stepinac went on to score 14 of the game's next 19 points. Adonis Ratliff bagged a titanic 3-pointer and Jasiah Jervis produced at the free-throw line, as Stepinac closed out the stanza with a 54-42 bulge.
In the second quarter, Carbuccia got into the teeth of the defense for a slick off-handed finish to kickstart a 7-2 run. Ratliff buried a fall-away jumper and followed this up with a deep, floor-stretching 3-pointer as Stepinac seized a 28-23 lead. Jasiah Jervis' got free for a pull-up jumper from the free throw line and Carbuccia swished a straight-on trey with five seconds to go in the quarter. Stepinac went into halftime shouldering a 33-25 lead and a roll of momentum working in its favor.
Stores Nearing Milestone
Brandon Stores exploited a mismatch and bulldozed his way to the rim for a layup plus the foul. After completing the conventional 3-point play, Stores then leaked out in transition, reeled in a quarterback-to-receiver pass from Turnage, and drew a foul while powering up to the rim. As the program's all-time leading scorer (now nearing 2,000 career points), Stores knocked back the second free throw as The Ravens seized a slim 20-17 edge which they closed the first quarter on.
