Colonia players are mobbed by their fans after winning their third straight North 2, Group 3 title, after a 61-53 win over Millburn on March 2, 2024. (Photo: Chris Tsakonas)
Never before has Colonia boys’ basketball had the string of success they’ve had under the tutelage of head coach Jose Rodriguez.
A winner of over 200 games – not all at Colonia – the Patriots have won three straight sectional titles in the state tournament, and two GMC Tournament titles during his tenure, all in the last three seasons, with no signs of slowing down.
Out of nine titles all-time, “J-Rod” has a third.
Friday night, top-seeded Colonia takes on second-seed Mendham in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 title game, and you can hear it live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel will have the call, with pregame at 5:45 pm, tip-off at six. Click here to listen.
The Patriots come in at 26-4, winners of eight straight, predating the GMC Tournament. And their postseason record has been stellar. They have won seven straight, counting the GMC Tournament, and are 28-5 overall in the last four postseasons.
Top-scorer Aiden Derkack is averaging 24 points a game in the state tournament, a shade over a point below his season average of 24. But it’s been others like R.J. Wortman who have been critical to the team’s success.
One player can never do it alone, and Wortman – averaging 12.3 points per game on the year – is scoring almost 16 per in the states. He was the leading scorer against Cranford in the opening round, with 24, and when he “only” had eight against Chatham in the semifinals, he also had six assists and four steals, both team bests.
Mendham, meanwhile, is 24-5, and was 10-2 in the NJAC American Division, co-champs with Delbarton. They got knocked out of the Morris County Tournament in the second round by Chatham, the same team Colonia beat in the semis to get to the finals.
Kevin King leads a senior-laded team with 19 points per game, almost 20 in the state tournament, while fellow senior Cole Capuzzi has connected a team-best 53 times from downtown.
Click below for pregame interviews with both head coaches:
Discover more from Central Jersey Sports Radio
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.