Ajay Lopes helped bring back-to-back state basketball championships to Wareham High and his winning hasn’t stopped. 

Lopes, a Wareham High 2024 grad, plays in the Embargo League on the River Junction team, and helped his team win the championship. Lopes was named league championship MVP after recording 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. 

The Embargo League is a recreational basketball league in Marion formed in 2021 by Dylan Cantara of Fairhaven, Michael Pardo of Marion and Andrew Bellemare of Rochester as a way to continue playing competitive basketball after high school. 

Lopes previously played for Wareham High School, where his team won back-to-back state championships during his junior and senior year and achieved over 1,000 career points. 

This is his rookie season with the Embargo League, which required him to adjust to playing on an outdoor court which is impacted by wind and sand from Silvershell Beach.

“My mentality is basketball — you’re gonna play how you play at any court,” said Lopes.

The championship game concluded with a narrow victory from River Junction, who defeated All Season Services with a final score of 66 to 63.