Eye-opening MP basketball documentary

Push Madison V Madison Trailer from Rudy Hypolite on Vimeo.

By Dan Ventura | Monday, February 28, 2011 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Other High School

Dennis Wilson and Rudy Hypolite didn’t set out to become the next Steven Spielbergs of the movie world.

Their goal was simple — open people’s eyes to the everyday challenges facing inner-city students.

The two spent more than three years working on a documentary featuring the Madison Park boys basketball program. The 90-minute film, called “Push: Madison versus Madison,” recently was accepted by the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose and will be shown three times in early March.

A sneak preview can be found on their website, www.pushmadison.com.

“We’re so excited that we were one of the few selected,” said Wilson, the Madison Park coach. “Our goal is for someone like ESPN, HBO or Showtime to see the movie, pick it up and show it nationally.”

Push Madison V Madison Trailer from Rudy Hypolite on Vimeo.

The genesis of the documentary came about shortly after the 2005-06 season, one in which a youthful Cardinals team advanced to the Division 1 South sectional final. With the bulk of the squad returning the following season, Hypolite approached his good friend Wilson and suggested combining forces on a documentary following the 2006-07 team.

“Dennis and I worked together on his sports show on cable access, so we would always talk about the challenges he faced in dealing with players,” said Hypolite. “I knew they were ranked No. 1 in the preseason, so I asked Dennis about following the team and he said, ‘Let’s go for it.’ ”

Much of the film focuses on the ’06-07 season, one in which Madison Park went through the regular season undefeated. While things looked good on the surface, the film displays the daily battles Wilson faced in keeping the train on the right track.

The petty issues reared their ugly head in the sectional semifinals, when Madison Park was stunned by Braintree. To this day, it pains Wilson to talk about a golden opportunity wasted away for selfish reasons.

“I will never forget seeing the blue and white of Braintree celebrating after that game,” said Wilson. “We had cut down 30 hours of film into 90 minutes and what happened in that game was one of the toughest things I had to see.

“I know Radio (star point guard Raheem Singleton) was very bitter, feeling we didn’t do enough to stop the selfish attitudes. I think when he sees the film, he’ll see I tried to do everything possible to address it.”

The film also takes a look at the senseless murders of two of Wilson’s most successful student-athletes, Lloyd Industrious and Errol Morrison. While Wilson tries to keep their memories alive, he wonders whether the newer generation fully grasps what transpired to Industrious and Morrison.

“Unfortunately, many of the young kids we deal with have already dealt with a friend or relative having been murdered,” said Wilson. “I just hope they understand what special young men Lloyd and Errol were, but I am not so sure that they always do.

“Young people nowadays tend to devalue their life and not value the life of others. Too many times, they just don’t value life enough and that’s sick. That has to stop.”

The movie closes with footage from the 2009-10 season. Many of those seniors were freshmen on the ’06-07 team and Wilson constantly leaned on them to avoid the pratfalls which derailed that squad.

With seniors Spencer Brathwaite and David Campbell leading the way, the Cardinals captured the Boston City League title, went on to win the Div. 1 South sectional championship, before falling to Central Catholic at the Garden.

“They saw firsthand what happened when you don’t play as a team,” Wilson said. “We kept telling them the 2007 team was a more talented team, but you are a better team.”

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/high_school/general/view.bg?articleid=1319837