Porto breaks Burlington Central's record for most wins

Burlington Central boys basketball coach Brett Porto set a program record for career victories Saturday.

Central defeated visiting McHenry 74-51 in Fox Valley Conference action, giving the 2003 Central graduate his 217th career win in his 11th season.

Porto (217-108) surpassed the mark previously held by Dave Gilliland. He coached the Rockets to a 216-131 record in 13 seasons between 1986-2000.

Porto scored over 900 points in two varsity seasons at Central. Named 2003 Male Athlete of the Year, the three-sport standout averaged an area-best 22.3 points per game as a senior and led the Rockets to a Class A sectional title appearance.

"It means a lot, me being a kid who went to all the youth camps here, who played here and grew up here," Porto said of the coaching record. "Now, I'm able to coach these kids and I see a lot of myself in them. It's pretty cool and surreal at times."

In addition to Porto's family, those on hand to cheer the accomplishment included Dave Olson, Central's principal when Porto was in high school and when he was later hired as teacher and coach.

Also in the crowd was Mike Schmidt, Porto's high school basketball coach and the father of sophomore guard Zac Schmidt.

"I really appreciated my family's support, the community support and the school support," Porto said.

The win lifted the Rockets (20-8, 11-5) into a tie for third place in the Fox Valley Conference with Hampshire.

The victory also gave Central 20 wins for the fifth straight season. Porto's teams have forged a 126-29 record over that span, including regional titles in 2018 and 2019.

"He has the program going in the right direction," Central athletic director Steve Diversey said. "The kids believe and play hard for him. The program has come a long way in his tenure. He has surpassed every expectation anyone here ever had."