Bound Brook head coach Anthony Melesurgo talks to Central Jersey Sports Radio following his team’s 47-42 Skyland Conference Tournament Gold Division Pod semifinal win over Bernards on March 4, 2021.
In a normal year, unless you’re one of those teams knocked out of the county tournament early and don’t make the states, everyone’s last game is a loss – unless you’re win the whole shebang, the Tournament of Champions.
That’s not the case in 2021, just like everything else affected by COVID.
With no state tournament, the county-level pods – like the seven- and eight-team groupings in the Skyland Conference – give dozens of teams around the state to go out on a double high note: with a trophy, and a win.
For 13-0 Bound Brook, add to that the opportunity to have a perfect season.
The top-seeded Crusaders host third-seed Immaculata (6-7) Saturday afternoon for the championship of the Skyland Conference Tournament Gold Division pod, the middle of the three league groupings. The game can be heard live and free of charge on Central Jersey Sports Radio – powered by Bellamy and Son Paving – by clicking here. Air-time is 12:45 and the game begins at 1:00.
You can also watch the game on the Bound Brook Athletics YouTube channel by clicking here.
Interestingly, should Bound Brook win the game, they would finish the year 14-0 – undefeated, and county pod champions – but it would be the fourth lowest win total in 16 years under Anthony Melesurgo as head coach, yet one of their most successful.
The Crusaders enter the game off an opening round win over 8th-seed Bridgewater-Raritan 66-54, and a semifinal win Thursday night heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, 47-42 over Bernards, their 22nd straight over the Mountaineers dating back more than eleven years.
The Spartans, meanwhile, beat 6th-seed Voorhees in their opening round game, 63-54. But they had a bye in the second round because both their potential opponents were out with COVID-related issues; the Pingry program is shut down, and North Hunterdon is in contact tracing after playing Ridge, which was also shut down.
Immaculata picked up an extra game with Franklin Thursday, which they lost at Franklin, 64-40.
Click below to hear Bound Brook head coach Anthony Melesurgo talk about the Bound Brook season, and their title game Saturday against the Spartans: