Burlington Central finished third in the Fox Valley Conference boys basketball standings in 2020, a season in which champion Cary-Grove and and runner-up Huntley set and tied school records for victories.

Since then, the Rockets have won 27 consecutive FVC games. Coach Brett Porto’s team finished 9-0 in the 2020 FVC season and won the conference tournament, then ran the table at 18-0 this season, while setting the school record at 31-4.

The Rockets fell short in the Class 3A Crystal Lake South Sectional championship game, 37-35, to St. Francis, but still had their best season in school history.

Porto is the 2022 Northwest Herald Boys Basketball Coach of the Year, selected by the sports staff with input from area coaches. Dundee-Crown’s Lance Huber, Huntley’s Will Benson and Hampshire’s Mike Featherly also received support.

Porto, who played at Burlington, took the Rockets to a sectional final for the third time since 2017. He also was on two Burlington teams that reached sectional finals.

Northwest Herald sports writer Joe Stevenson posed a few questions to the Rockets coach about his career and his team’s outstanding season.

What will you remember most about this season?

Porto: We had some pretty special moments throughout this season that I will always remember. Being able to watch this group develop since elementary school to now has been awesome. As much as some of the big wins will stand out with this group, I will remember all of the locker room celebrations, how they treated my own kids, how they interacted with each other on daily basis, really all of it. When you have a group like this, you want to remember every part of the season.

Who had the greatest impact on you wanting to become a coach?

Porto: I had some great coaches throughout high school and college that made me think about wanting to be a teacher and a coach. I owe a lot to Dave Smith, Mike Schmidt, Doug Ellett and Bill Angelo. They all had a huge impact on my life. Then, when my dad [Dennis] asked me to coach the seventh grade travel basketball team 15 years ago, I knew after a couple of practices and games that I had made the right decision about coaching.

Who is the best speaker you have ever heard at a clinic?

Porto: I have not seen either live, but anytime I can hear Brad Stevens or John Calipari talk about basketball and coaching, I usually come away learning something.

What is the best vacation you have ever taken?

Porto: Each Summer my family, my brother’s family, my sister’s family and my mom and dad go to different lake houses. Those vacations have all been really good, and I am looking forward to our next one.

What is your normal pregame meal?

Porto: I don’t have a true go-to meal, but anything that my wife, Lindsey, throws together is always appreciated.

If you could be head coach at any college, where would it be?

Porto: Kentucky. I already have a tone of blue-and-white gear and the blue blazer, so it would be a natural fit.

You have next in a pickup game. What four Burlington players from the past do you want to run with?

Porto: Zach Schutta, Patrick Mayfield, Gavin Sarvis and Jake Lenschow. The nice thing about that group is they’re all still young and athletic enough to defend, and they know that I am still the best shooter on the court, so they will still pass me the ball.

What are three of your favorite basketball movies?

Porto: “Blue Chips,” “Hoosiers” and “He Got Game.”

What is a sporting event that you will always remember where you were when it happened?

Porto: Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. My brother and dad were over at my house watching the game, and when Rajai Davis hit the home run to tie the game in the eighth, my dad got up out of the couch and said, “This game is over,” and walked out of the house. Me and my brother were crying laughing. Then, when the Cubs won, we called him on the phone and had another good laugh about how everything ended up working out just fine.