'Like a tornado that sucks you in': Worcester feels the pull of the North High boys' basketball team

WORCESTER — As Al Pettway strolled down the hallway Tuesday afternoon at North High, the boys’ basketball coach and dean of students handed out hellos and fist bumps to whoever walked by.

Like he was dishing out Halloween candy.

“I’m all about bringing people together,” Pettway said.

Much like their coach, the North High boys’ basketball team enjoys pulling people together. Over the past two winters, there’s been a magnetic force that has connected the Polar Bears with the city of Worcester.

“It’s kind of like a tornado that sucks you in,” said Angelo Padin, a 2007 North High grad and videographer for the team. “Once you see these boys and see the way that they play, it’s hard for you to pull away. ... But this is bigger than just North High School. They represent the city, and they’re unifying people under the passion and one roof that is a basketball court.

“It’s become so much bigger than basketball.”

While their 40-game win streak, support from the community and quest to repeat as Division 1 state champions provide plenty of motivation, there’s an extra layer of inspiration pulling at the Polar Bears’ heartstrings this season.

North is playing in honor of Carl-Hens Beliard, who died in November from gunshot wounds. The 18-year-old was the lone senior on last year’s championship team.

“The story of our season is Carl. Us playing for him,” said Pettway, who has coached at North for 22 years. “It’s more meaningful this year because we’re not just playing for a state title, we’re playing for one of our fallen brothers who we’ll never see again. I think that’s a continuation of our story.”

Everything for Carl

As Pettway made his way into his office on the morning of Nov. 1, the North High basketball coach received news that one of his former players had been involved in a shooting incident at Salem State University.

A few minutes later, Pettway was told that Beliard had passed away.

“I just remember balling and saying it can’t be true,” Pettway said. “It was really traumatic for all of us. To this day, we still can’t believe that he’s even gone.”

Amid all the photos and plaques scattered around his office at 140 Harrington Way, Pettway has a framed picture of Beliard smiling after the Polar Bears won their Division 1 state championship last March.

Beliard was known for his bubbly personality and infectious smile.

“Carl was the goofiest, funniest guy I’ve ever met in my life,” North senior captain Teshaun Steele said. “There was never a picture you’d see of him where he’s not smiling.”

“It was always just a great time and great laughs with him,” North senior captain Joe Okla said.

For each game this winter, North honors Beliard by wearing a No. 20 patch (his former number) on its jerseys above the heart. During warmups, the Polar Bears don shooting shirts that feature Beliard’s photo on the front and the No. 20 and “Brotherhood” printed on the back.

“The kids are still very hurt by it,” Pettway said. “We don’t talk about it a lot. But I remind them, and they remind each other, what they’re actually playing for, which is him.”

Gaining community support

As the North High boys and South High girls met up last Thursday at 2 Chefs Italian Restaurant & Bar to celebrate both teams winning Central Mass. Tournament championships, Padin overheard two strangers talking about the Polar Bears.

“I heard them say, ‘Man, I really hate North High,’ ” the North hoops videographer said. “‘But I have to support these boys.’”

After becoming the first Worcester public school to win a Division 1 boys’ basketball state championship last winter, the Polar Bears haven’t skipped a beat this season. With a 19-0 record, North begins its title defense on Friday (6:30 p.m.) when the top-seeded Polar Bears host No. 32 King Philip in the D1 round of 32.

Ties to the school or not, the North High boys’ basketball program has stirred up plenty of excitement across the 508.

“I think the most interesting thing is seeing what it means to the community,” said North High assistant principal and athletic liaison Michael Cardin, who noted his mother can’t stop talking about North’s 100-47 win over St. John’s on Feb. 9. “People are interested. They’re invested in what’s going on. Sports bring people together no matter how you look at it.”

“We got everybody in the city behind our back,” North junior Khari Bryan said.

Pillars of success

A day after Okla scored his 1,000th career point in a win over St. John’s, the North High senior captain surprised students at Roosevelt Elementary School with free pizza.

Okla wanted to thank the kids from the school — where he serves as an intern — for showing up at the basketball game to celebrate his milestone moment.

“I never thought I’d go back to my old school and kids would be looking up to me,” Okla said. “It feels good to give back to the kids.”

“We call it paying it forward,” said Pettway, whose team has read books to kids, taught youth basketball clinics and wrapped holiday gifts during its time away from the court this winter.

On the court, the Polar Bears have leaned on senior captains Okla and Steele to lead the charge.

The pair of 6-foot-6 forwards are each averaging around 14 points per game — which usually include a few jaw-dropping dunks — all while providing a calming leadership that can’t be calculated in the scorebook.

“They’re dynamic,” Pettway said.

“They’re our twin towers,” Padin added. “They’re our two pillars. Regardless of what’s going on, they reel people in and lift people up.”

Teaming with Okla and Steele in the North starting five are Bryan, Amir Jenkins and Amaren Minor. The quintet have helped the Polar Bears outscore their opponents by 30 points per game.

Now, North — which hasn’t lost an in-state competition since a 76-48 defeat to BC High on March 8, 2022 — hopes to put up similar numbers in its quest to repeat as state champs.

“It’s been a very humbling, amazing ride,” Pettway said. “I just feel like it’s been a continuation of last year, and that we still have unfinished business that we need to take care of, and hopefully we have enough in the tank to finish off the task.”

That task begins Friday.

To make history again, the North High boys’ basketball team doesn’t have to search very far for motivation. Or support.

“Everyone has our back,” Okla said. “Everyone knows we have something to play for. We’re playing for our brother, playing for the city, playing for the school (and) we’re just playing for something bigger.”

“They know Carl is looking down on them,” Pettway said.

—Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: North boys basketball finds motivation to repeat as D1 state champs