Colonia’s Aiden Derkack elevates for a layup against St. Thomas Aquinas in a GMC Red Division game in Colonia on January 11, 2024. (Photo: Alec Crouthamel)
For a third straight year, the road to New Jersey’s Group 3 boys’ basketball final for Colonia will go through Ramapo. But will this be the year they finally get there?
The Patriots have won three straight North 2, Group 3 titles. The Raiders have won five. And in three of those years – including the last two – Colonia has fallen to Ramapo in the state Group 3 semifinals.
Maybe it’s the venue. The last two years, they’ve played each other in Phillipsburg, a long trek for both schools.
Wednesday afternoon, they’ll meet up in Bloomfield at 4:30, with another trip to the state final on the line. You can hear that game right here on Central Jersey Sports Radio, beginning with the pregame show at 4:15 as Mike Pavlichko calls all the action. Click here to listen.
The Patriots are led by sophomore Aiden Derkack and senior Jaeden Jones. Derkack – the GMC Tournament MVP – is averaging 21.3 points per game in four state tournament contests, and had a double-double in the state tourney opener against Fort Lee, with 22 points and 16 rebounds. Jones is averaging almost 20 a game in the state tourney, five above his season average, lighting it up in the sectionals.
Ramapo has three four-year varsity players, including star guard Peyton Seals, who plays AAU ball with Derkack and is headed to Princeton. He’s averaging 15 points a game in the states, and overall, while Chris Cervino can bury the deep ball, and is averaging almost 17 points a game in the state tournament, four above his season average. He has a team-leading 84 treys.
Click below to hear from both coaches!
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