Colonia boys’ seek back-to-back sectional titles when Patriots host Snyder in North 2, Group 3 final

Every year is a different team, but sometimes it’s the same result.

Fans of the Colonia boys’ basketball team hope that’s very much the case this year, as their fourth-seeded Patriots (21-8) will play for a second straight North 2, Group 3 title Monday night at 6:00 when they take on sixth-seed Snyder (17-11) out of Jersey City.

Colonia got there with a semifinal win over top-seed South Plainfield, an upset by seed, but really could have gone either way between two of the top teams in the GMC all year. The Patriots took control of after the Tigers got off to a hot start. Read more on Colonia’s semifinal win here, including postgame interviews by Chris Tsakonas with junior point guard Jaeden Jones and head coach Jose Rodriguez.

And so, here they are, back in the sectional finals for a fourth straight time, having never missed a sectional title tilt under head coach Jose Rodriguez, now in his fifth season.

The stretch began in 2019 when the blue-and-gold made the finals in Rodriguez’ first season, losing to Irvington. The next year, they came back and beat West Morris 57-33 on the road. Unfortunately, Colonia wouldn’t get a chance at a title the next year during the COVID-shortened season, but won the next-best-thing: the Jay Williams-Karl Anthony Towns GMC pod, a four-game “postseason” allowed by the NJSIAA in lieu of county and state tournaments.

But once the NJSIAA tournament came back last season, Colonia picked up right where it left off: winning a title, beating South Plainfield 56-52 in a double-overtime instant classic.

READ MORE ON THE 2022 CHAMPIONSHIP: Colonia needs double-OT to stave off South Plainfield as Pats take North 2, Group 3 title

So, here are the Patriots, looking for a third straight title in North 2, Group 3. Not to look past, but they hope to take it a step further this year, as the last two times they have been knocked out in the group semifinals, last year by Ramapo, and in 2020 by Irvington.

Junior point guard Jaeden Jones makes it all go, averaging 15 points per game but perhaps more importantly six assists in three state tournament games so far, wins over North Hunterdon, Chatham and South Plainfield. Senior Noah Taylor had a double-double in the quarterfinals against Chatham – 16 points and 10 boards – and though he was held scoreless against the Tigers, he grabbed another ten rebounds, critical in the victory as the Patriots had a 27-19 rebounding edge in the game.

Click below to hear them talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

The Patriots will be playing for their eighth sectional title in program history. And a win against Snyder would give them three in the last four NJSIAA state tournaments. In addition to the 2019 and 2022 wins, they also won North 2, Group 3 in 2015.

Chris Chiera was the head coach of that 2015 title team, which beat Chatham in a raucus game in Colonia’s gym, 45-43. Colonia had to rally in the fourth quarter, down 35-29 heading into the final eight minutes. The place was rocking that night, and even alum Eric LeGrand was in attendance. One of Chiera’s assistants on that team was Joe LaSala, LeGrand’s childhood friend and football teammate at Colonia, who now is the head football coach at Woodbridge.

That team then lost to Bergenfield in the Group 3 semifinals up at East Orange Campus High School.

Other titles also included a win in North 2, Group 3 in 2007, Central Jersey Group 3 titles in 1994 and 1985, and a Central Jersey Group 4 crown in 1972.

Colonia has never made it to a group final.

As for Snyder, the Tigers got knocked out of the Hudson County Tournament in the quarterfinals, 59-56 by Union City. They’ve not won more than four games in a row this season, and that only happened once: in their first four games, with wins over Lincoln, Columbia, Bayonne and Dickinson.

They have been led all year long senior point guard Ahmad Robertson, averaging 12.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He also averages just over four assists per game to lead the team, and has a Snyder-best 61 steals on the year.

But the key late in the year has been Senior Samir Jordan – a transfer from North Star Academy – who didn’t play until February second. And since then, all he’s done is pour in points. Specifically, he scored 23 against Payne Tech in the semifinals, had a career high 28 against Mendham in the semis, and has averaged 21.2 points in the ten games he’s played since becoming eligible.