Chareas three-pointer was crucial to victory
Masconomet was on a major roll. Its sea-of-white shirt-wearing students were standing and cheering. At long last, their team had the lead and Masco seemed poised to bring home the first state basketball title in school history.
The momentum had clearly shifted, but St. Mary’s High School senior John Chareas immediately turned the tide back to the Blue and Gold, swishing a massively clutch three-pointer to help the Spartans regain the lead on their way to a 59-58 victory.
“The shot of the game,” said teammate Rowan Merryman. “To me, that was the biggest shot of the year, the biggest ‘3’ of the year,” said head coach John Keilty.
What made Chareas’ shot so extraordinary and crucial was the instantaneous of his decision under pressure. As soon as Chareas caught the pass on the break from Rolky Brea-Arias, he unhesitatingly released what was undisputedly the most important shot of the tournament for St. Mary’s.
“I had total confidence,” said Chareas. “I had prepared myself mentally for the game, and when my time came to get that shot, I was fully ready and focused for it.”
Chareas was, in fact, “the three point guy” for the Spartans this season. He compiled a brilliant campaign from beyond the arc, tallying 73 pointers on a torrid 44 percent clip. His 73rd and final trey will be remembered forever by those who witnessed it at Tsongas.
Chareas, the team MVP for Manchester-Essex last season, almost saw the magnitude of his monumental bucket and Brea-Arias’ game-winner lessened on Masconomet’s final possession.
“I was guarding Jimmy [Farrell] on that play,” said Chareas. “He got the ball at the top of the key and dribbled past me toward the corner. Rolky and Gabe [Makuwa-Sykes] came in and there was a triple-contest, so without them, it could have been different (Farrell missed on a difficult fade-away jumper).”
A 6-foot-3-inch forward, Chareas stepped right into a key role as a double-figure (15 ppg) scorer and a dependable option in the Jake Fortier-piloted offense.
“Jake is one of the quickest players you’ll ever see and a very disciplined, unselfish point guard,” lauded Chareas.
Chareas arrived at St. Mary’s with an outstanding basketball heritage. His father, Nick Chareas, who stands 6 feet, 5 inches, was a star at Tyngsboro High School before playing college basketball at Fitchburg State. His mother, Kara Mirak, played Division 1 field hockey at the University of Vermont.
Looking back, Chareas said the decision to attend St. Mary’s High School was the right one.
“One hundred percent, no regrets,” said Chareas. “I love the school, it’s awesome. This is my favorite coaching staff I ever had. They made me a better player, a better person, and the confidence to take that shot.”
Yes, that shot. The shot of the game, the shot of the tournament, the one that John Chareas will talk about on the night he and the 2025-26 team are inducted into the St. Mary’s High School Hall of Fame in the future.
Chareas will be attending John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan and continuing his basketball career with the Division III Bloodhounds.