The success of the Doherty boys’ basketball team thus far is surprising to very few, but after an 0-2 start, there may have been some whispers about the Highlanders not being quite as advertised.

That slow start and the doubters have since disappeared, and Doherty is on an 11-game winning streak and occupies the top spot in the Hometeam media poll.

“We’re young still, and we weren't happy about losing the first two, but we didn’t stress it,” said Doherty junior Marty Silvera, one of the best players in Central Mass. and the area’s leading scorer at 25 points per game. “We get along with each other, push each other, so we knew it would just take a little time.”

Doherty has won all but one of its 11 games by double digits, none more notable than a 71-60 win over St. John’s in the championship game of the Laska Yuletide Invitational at Assumption College.

“One of our goals this year was to win (the Laska),” Silvera said. “After not getting it done (last year), we didn’t want to be disappointed again. Everyone just played hard, and it was a wonderful feeling.”

Silvera is at times an unstoppable scorer, but he’s not a one-man show, and that is one reason for Doherty's success.

“It’s fun to see everyone else around me able to score,” Silvera said.

Doherty coach Jermaine Chavis can put any player on his roster on the floor and expect positive results, and, according to him, that’s a direct result of the atmosphere of intensity and competition at practice.

“I knew the expectations were very high coming into the year,” Chavis said. “The guys worked hard in the offseason — in the summer league and in the fall league — and that’s carried over to practice and games.”

Chavis is getting a great season thus far from Patson Pierre, a senior captain in his third year with the varsity.

“Patson can destroy a zone with his ability to shoot the 3-pointer,” said Chavis, whose team next plays Tuesday night against Holy Name before a rematch against St. John's Friday night. “He’s a leader out there for us, a communicator who makes sure everyone is where they’re supposed to be.”

Pierre, whose older brother Jamal Mustafa was a star at Doherty, relishes his role as the team’s elder statesman.

“I just don't like to see guys getting down on themselves,” Pierre said when asked about his leadership style. “I like to give constructive criticism and get guys moving in the right direction. For us, it’s about energy level and each one of us has to bring it and feed off of it.”

Doherty has had a lift from its youth in sophomore forward Alex Momo and freshman point guard Noah Callery.

Momo has developed into a capable scorer and an inside force, despite standing just a shade under 6 feet.

“Alex has gotten faster for us this year, if that’s possible,” Chavis said. “He’s not that tall but he’s able to be a force because of his ability to be so quick on his second and third jump, which is a huge asset for him.”

Momo’s game has progressed to the point where Chavis was surprised but pleased to hear his powerful rim-attacker had spent time playing point guard for Worcester Team United, Momo’s AAU team coached by Shrewsbury’s Adrian Machado.

Callery, meanwhile, is a name familiar to football fans. Perhaps the most talented all-around freshman athlete in Central Mass., Callery led the Highlanders to the playoffs after being inserted as Doherty’s starting quarterback.

His composure and maturity has translated to basketball.

“Noah has played a lot of organized and competitive basketball, so I knew, even as a freshman, he might be able to help us,” Chavis said. “His work ethic has been incredible. He moved into the starting lineup early in the season, and playing him at point guard has allowed us to push Marty over to shooting guard.”

Doherty has an in-house “energy guy” in Jon Forson.

“I don't know how he does it,” Chavis said of Forson. “He comes off our bench and gives us a spark, whether he makes a loud block or gets the crowd going with a breakaway dunk. He’s just always making plays. He’s a game-changer.”

Chavis praised Corey Clark, a senior transfer, who previously led Burncoat in scoring, for his selflessness and credited Norberto Nader as a defensive stopper. Nader forms a lethal defensive tandem with backup point guard Maliki Delgado, who averages two steals per game.

When Doherty finds itself in need of size and strength, Chavis turns Tyrone Adam-Davis and Connor Bisnette.

Noah Waterman, Kevin Skilja and Steve Chivalatti give the Highlanders the depth needed to match up against one of the area’s more challenging schedules.

Doherty has crossed off a couple items on what Chavis said is a list of small goals by winning the Laska and qualifying for the Central Mass. Division 1 Tournament.

Next on the agenda is winning the Inter-High and the yearlong, citywide bragging rights that come with a league title.

“I knew when I looked at our roster we’d have a chance to be special,” Pierre said. “We used to look up at teams and hope we could beat them. Now, it’s more, “Why can't we beat them?’ Our goal is to win every game. First, we want to win the Inter-High, and to do that would be lovely.”

Milestones achieved

A couple of congratulations are in order. St. Bernard’s coach Mark Pierce recently earned career win No. 300, all with the Bernardians.

St. Bernard’s is having yet another solid season, and is on track to earn a berth in the Central Mass. Tournament. Should St. Bernard’s make the postseason, its tough schedule should serve as great preparation to tackle the rest of the Division 3 field.

Burncoat senior Maire Gallagher notched career point No. 1,000 Wednesday night at home. Gallagher’s accomplishment was shared by the tight-knit Worcester basketball community, as many coaches with Inter-High ties and Worcester Team United AAU teammates were on hand for the milestone.

Chavis, in fact, gave his team the night off so his players — friends of Gallagher’s through WTU — could attend the game.

Chavis was on the fence about giving his team a break from the scheduled 7 p.m. practice, but reported that Momo “persuaded” Machado to put in a call to Chavis and convince the Doherty coach to clear his team’s calendar.

—Contact Tom Flanagan at sports@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @tgsports.