Colonia looking to build off huge win over St. Peter’s when Patriots visit Piscataway in another battle of mentor vs. student

For Colonia, a long basketball season began on a high Saturday evening, taking down St. Peter’s Prep in an upset win at the New Jersey Basketball Coaches Tip-off Showcase in Montgomery. The 46-40 victory came after a slow start that saw the Patriots trail 16-7 after a quarter, only to tie it up at halftime.

Colonia doesn’t get much of a break in Game Two, however, as they travel up Route 287 to face off against a Piscataway team under new leadership at 5:30 pm. You can hear that game on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Pregame starts at 5:15; click here to listen.

While Chiefs head coach Bob Turco is new to the school, Patriots head coach Jose Rodriguez is all too familiar with matching up against him.

Rodriguez played in high school at Carteret, where Turco was an assistant coach and his brother Dave was the head coach. Dave is now in his fifth season as the head coach at Kean University, where he looks for his fourth consecutive winning campaign.

Bob took over at Piscataway after six seasons at St. Thomas Aquinas, where Turco and Rodriguez faced off several times. That includes three games last season – all Patriots wins – punctuated by a 55-45 win in the GMC Tournament final to snap the Trojans’ streak of three consecutive titles.

While Turco may have a new home, the intensity remains unchanged. Colonia looks to move forward with several returning pieces from last year’s team, which won its first GMC Tournament since 2015, but its third straight North 2, Group 4 state sectional title.

The group includes star junior wing Aiden Derkack, who scored a game-high 23 points against the Marauders, but are without mainstay point guard Jaeden Jones, now playing football at Monmouth.

Derkack is just 28 points away from cracking the 1,000-point milestone.

Rodriguez says it has been a team effort to replace Jones, noting that multiple players have taken on roles that Jones would fill. That includes returning guards Dylan Chiera and RJ Wortman, as well as senior forward Zach Smith, as all three started against St. Peter’s Prep.

The main scoring load falls on Derkack’s shoulders, and he came through game in and game out last season and early on this season. Already receiving offers from high-major programs such as Miami (FL), TCU, Villanova, Providence, and Rutgers – where his older brother Jordan plays – the 6-foot-6 guard is the engine of Colonia’s offense with his athleticism and shooting prowess.

The Patriots will look to continue their strong start ahead of a pivotal season, with a familiar rival in a new place up next.

Click below to hear Colonia head coach Jose Rodriguez talk about the team’s upset win over St. Peter’s Prep, and Thursday’s road matchup against Piscataway, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel: