After some turbulent times, Hugh Coleman’s vision for his alma mater is coming to fruition.

With a strong mix of veteran standouts and star underclassmen, Charlestown enters the second half of the season as the favorite in the Boston City League with an 8-1 record while also surfacing as a strong Div. 2 contender.

The Townies’ lone loss of the season is to undefeated defending Division champion Malden Catholic, 68-64, in its season opener.

“I am excited with where we are right now,” Coleman said. “Last year we had the foundation of getting to the tournament and losing on the road by one point to Burlington. These guys have been working out all summer gearing up for this school year since then and it’s showing.”

Prior to winning two state championships at Brighton, Coleman was a star guard at Charlestown High School before returning to be an assistant for legendary coach Jack O’Brien. Alongside O’Brien, the Townies won three state championships as part of a run that saw the school win five in six years.

Since returning in 2018, the energetic and passionate former Charlestown standout has undergone his fair share of lumps. This winter, however, those are all proving to be worthwhile.

“When I got back to Charlestown there was tons of talent. There were so many kids that could play. Unfortunately. the culture had changed,” Coleman said. “I thought it would be easier, but it’s taken a few years. This is year five, and we’re finally at the place where we have what we want this program to be.”

Leading the charge this year is Coleman’s son, freshman Jaylen Hunter-Coleman, as well as seniors Victor Soto and Ricky Cabral and sophomores Jaylin Williams and Alex Wilkin. Soto and Willaims have provided Charlestown with a steady presence inside while Wilkin allows the offense to stretch the floor. Cabral is the team’s premier defender.

Then there is Hunter-Coleman who, after playing last year as an 8th grader, has emerged as a star this time around. He is averaging over 23 points per game over the last seven contests as the left-handed guard showcases his skills as a slasher, facilitator, and three-point threat.

“My younger brother Derrick Coleman won four championships at Charlestown High School, and then went on to get a scholarship to Robert Morris before playing for the Boston Celtics. That is who Jaylen reminds me of,” Coleman said. “My brother Derrick had a tremendous work ethic just like Jaylen. The advantage for Jaylen is he has a higher basketball IQ than we had.”

Charlestown takes on East Boston, Brighton, and Boston English this week. The Townies have a rematch with Malden Catholic set for Feb. 14.

St. Mary’s athletic director Jeff Newhall announced the pairings for the Spartan Classic set to take place Feb. 18-21. While the tournament is still just about a month away there is plenty of reason to be excited. Two games that jump off the page are a boys matchup set for Feb. 18 between Div. 1 and 2 favorites Lynn English and Malden Catholic. On the girls side, meanwhile, Dracut and Newburyport will square off on Feb. 19.