March 9, 2026March 9, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Franklin girls seek trip to Group 4 title game when Warriors make long trip down to South Jersey for state semis against Lenape

While Tuesday’s Group 4 girls’ state semifinal game will officially be at a neutral site, Deptford High School is a lot closer to Lenape High School than it is to Franklin. So this one will be more like a “road” game for the Warriors than the Indians.

But as far as Franklin is concerned, who cares?

Just look at two of their key wins this season.

On January sixth, they pulled off a huge win at Hillsborough, 72-44, against the same team they rallied against to beat at home last Thursday in the Central Jersey Group 4 final.

Nine days later, they beat Westfield, 46-41, also on the road. The Blue Devils are also in the Group 4 semis, the North 2 champs facing North 1 winner West Orange, the team Hillsborough beat in last year’s state final.

So what’s one more quasi-road game?

Tuesday night at 7:00, Central Jersey Group 4 champ Franklin (22-8) will play South Jersey Group 4 winner Lenape (27-4) for a trip to the state finals which will be Saturday at Rutgers University’s Jersey Mike’s Arena. The game can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with pregame at 6:45, following our live broadcast of the boys semi between Montgomery and Cherry Hill East. Both games can be heard live at this link.

Lenape has won eleven straight coming in, including a 59-40 win over third-seed Howell in the South 4 final last Friday. Junior El-Anita Jo-Samuel led all scorers with 20 points in that game, and is averaging 28.5 points per game in the state tournament, more than four above her average. She even dropped 40 on Moorestown in the Burlington County Tournament Final.

However, she was held to just two first-half points against Howell.

But Franklin head coach Jimmy Kreie believes Lenape has played better games than that one, and he prefers to look at some of their other wins – like perhaps the Moorestown contest – to game plan for the Indians. He wants to figure it out based on their best games.

But Franklin has some outstanding players, too. And against Hillsborough last Thursday, it was the whole cast of characters.

The team’s top scorer – junior Aleah Sunkins, averaging 18.4 per game – was not the high scorer in that game, but that’s okay. After all, she had 11 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double – a regular feat for Sunkins – while Jamila McRiney and Kayla Duncan were noted by Kreie as really helping to fuel the comeback with their stellar defensive efforts.

Click below to hear Franklin coach Jimmy Kreie talk about the Warriors’ journey to the Group 4 semifinals, and the matchup against Lenape, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

March 9, 2026March 8, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery one win away from back-to-back trips to Rutgers, faces Cherry Hill East Tuesday in Group 4 semifinals

The good news is, just about everyone has been here before.

The bad news? Well, there is no bad news.

Fresh off its third straight Central Jersey Group 4 title, the Montgomery boys’ basketball team will play in the Group 4 semifinals Tuesday night, when the Cougars travel down to Deptford High School for a 5 pm tipoff. But unlike the last two years, they will not be playing Lenape.

Monty lost to the Indians two seasons ago in the Group 4 semis, but got revenge last year with a win that sent them to Rutgers, where they fell to Plainfield. This year, the Cougars (25-4) get, well, the Cougars of Cherry Hill East (25-3)

(So, it looks like referring to the teams by their nicknames is out.)

Cherry Hill East would have earned the top seed in the Camden County Tournament, but with a slew of injuries, they opted out. They did, however, also get the No. 1 seed in the South Jersey Group 4 bracket in the NJSIAA Tournament, and knocked off top-seed Lenape on the road, 57-52 to get here.

You can hear Tuesday evening’s game live from Deptford High School at 5 pm as part of a doubleheader on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Pregame is at 4:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen. It’ll be followed by the girls’ Group 4 semifinals, as Central champ Franklin takes on South 4 champ Lenape, with tip-off at 7.

Montogmery has been solid all year, with just four losses: two to Rutgers Prep, one to Gill St. Bernard’s, and another to Linden, which lost Friday night to Plainfield in the North 2, Group 4 final.

Penn commit Ethan Lin runs the offense with aplomb; he knows when he needs to score, but can sense when others need to get involved as well, and he did that better than anyone in Friday night’s CJ4 title win over Hillsborough, 55-47.

Sophomore Connor Benedict mixed things up with some threes and a couple of monster two-handed flushes, Sriyans Mallavarapu was swatting away shots, and Xavier Harrigan was shape-shifting into whatever the defense required of him.

And much of the same can be expected Tuesday night, after a long bus ride down to Deptford, which is just a few miles south-southeast of Philadelphia. There again, Montgomery has “been there, done that,” too. Each of their last two trips to the Group 4 finals were down at Central Regional in Bayville.

Click here for a preview of the Group 4 semifinal matchup between Montgomery and Cherry Hill East with Monty coach Kris Grundy and Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

March 9, 2026March 9, 2026 by Alec Crouthamel

Gill St. Bernard’s girls peaking at the right time for Non-Public North B title bout against Saddle River Day

Gill St. Bernard’s had plenty of re-tooling to do.

That’s to be expected when losing a senior class with as much talent and accolades as that previous class. But the Knights (21-5) trusted the development of their younger players ready to shine, and the trust was reciprocated as those same players stuck around, even in a reduced role, with the hope of starring on the floor in the near future.

The future has arrived.

Top-seeded Gill St. Bernard’s heads into the Non-Public North B final against second-seeded Saddle River Day with a versatile and dangerous group that’s also finding its stride right when it needs to. You can hear the game on Monday at 7 pm, with pregame coverage starting at roughly 6:45, as Alec Crouthamel will call the action. Click here to listen.

Addy and Kaity Platt get the primary attention — as they should, as two of the team’s top options on both ends of the floor — but it’s been a full team effort for the Knights all year long.

Other contributors, such as junior point guard Melina Miller — who paces the team with nearly six assists per game — and junior wing Sadie Finn had to wait their turn and work behind the scenes. What the rest of the public didn’t see, Gill St. Bernard’s coaching staff did. They knew they had depth waiting in the wings and it has paid off at the right time.

The Knights are playing some of their best basketball of late, working through their first two games of the sectional tournament with ease in dominant wins over Pioneer Academy and Villa Walsh.

The Rebels (19-9) present a new challenge in the sectional title. While not the deepest team, Saddle River Day does have the top-end talent to compete. 88 percent of the Rebels’ scoring comes from their top four options, and they all have stepped up to the task as a dangerous team rebounding the ball and shooting it from the perimeter.

This won’t be the first time they’re featured on Central Jersey Sports Radio, as they fell to St. Thomas Aquinas on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January, but their go-to stars have only gotten more dangerous. Point guard Harper Cohn has fully re-acclimated to action after missing the early weeks of the season due to injury, and sophomore guard Grace Darling has turned up the heat scoring the basketball.

Both teams come into the matchup with plenty of tradition and history — Saddle River Day as one of Bergen County’s top programs, and Gill St. Bernard’s the same in Somerset County recently — but only one will come out victorious.

The Knights look for their first sectional title in 12 years, without now-closed Montclair Immaculate in the fold, who had defeated Gill in three of the last four years.

The bracket’s top two seeds have met the task all year long, and each have one more with a sectional title on the line.

Click below to hear a preview interview with Gill St. Bernard’s head coach Mark Gnapp and Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel:

March 9, 2026March 9, 2026 by Alec Crouthamel

Gill St. Bernard’s boys take long win streak into rematch with Roselle Catholic in Non-Public North B final

It’s hard to be much better than near-perfect.

Gill St. Bernard’s will put that to the test in the sectional final.

The top-seeded Knights (26-2) bring a 22-game winning streak into the Non-Public North B title game against second-seeded Roselle Catholic, a rematch of last year’s final. The Lions (22-6) return a good piece of their core from that team, while Gill St. Bernard’s has seen a mix of returning talent and players stepping up into new roles.

Last year’s game was a true grinder, won by Roselle Catholic 43-35, though six of those points came in one trip to the foul line amid a wild finish, where the Lions attempted to let the ball stay on the ground with the clock running after a late basket by the Knights. Head coach Mergin Sina, irate with the precious seconds coming off the clock, picked up two technical fouls and was ejected.

This year’s iteration features two increasingly-explosive offenses from last year, and hopefully without the fireworks this time around. You can hear the game on Monday at 5 pm from John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson, with pregame coverage starting at 4:45, as Alec Crouthamel will call the action. Click here to listen.

Gill St. Bernard’s brings a balanced and multifaceted offense that can beat you in several different ways.

There’s senior guard Dorsett Mulcahy, a veteran who looks and plays similarly to his older brother Paul, but with his own skillset brought to the table. He can shoot over defenders, or post them up to set up passes to the outside. Many of those passes have gone to sophomore Connor Junker, a sniper from the outside who is beginning to fully round out his game on both ends.

Then there’s senior forward Prosper Sonkoua, a true two-way force. He has taken a step forward in nearly every part of his game, with a blossoming off-the-dribble driving game, a pull-up threat from the outside, and a strong passer while slashing. And that’s not even mentioning his ability to guard — and stop — any position, point guard to center. Senior Jahmal Dixon has also taken a step forward as a true Swiss Army Knife, with the ability to create for himself and set up others, while growing into a pesky defender.

To sum it all up, Gill can beat an opponent in so many different ways, and it’ll have to do so in a highly-anticipated matchup against the Lions.

Top scorers Trevon Lewis (15.8 points per game), Tyrease Hunter (13.2 points per game), and Kahlik Thomas (12.7 points per game) all played in this matchup last year and made their own impacts. Hunter and Lewis combined for 33 of Roselle Catholic’s 43 points in the game, while Thomas grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds as a force on the interior.

All three have improved their respective games as seniors, with Lewis even dropping a quadruple-double on Westfield earlier in the year.

Third-year head coach Todd Decker has done plenty of winning in his career, with prior stints at St. Peter’s Prep and the Patrick School, and has another crew ready to defend its Non-Public B title from last year.

But one year after a grind-it-out style game last season, both teams have the offensive horses to reach or even surpass those numbers.

By halftime.

It’ll be a hotly-contested matchup in Paterson between several veteran stars.

Click below to hear a preview interview with Gill St. Bernard’s head coach Mergin Sina and Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel:

March 8, 2026March 7, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 Final (Boys): (1) Colonia 57, (2) Chatham 46

Jayce Rodriguez scored 25 points and the rest of the lineup had balanced scoring as top-seeded Colonia beat second-seed Chatham at home to with the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 championship, its fifth straight and sixth in the last seven playoff seasons, all under coach Jose Rodriguez.

Click below to listen to Alec Crouthamel and Nick Hart call all the play-by-play from Colonia High School on March 7, 2026.

March 8, 2026March 7, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

History repeats itself for Montgomery boys’ basketball coach Kris Grundy, as third straight CJ4 title nets his 350th win

Sometimes a milestone comes at the oddest time.

For Montgomery boys’ basketball coach Kris Grundy, his 300th career coaching win came on a big night: Friday, March 1st, when his top-seeded Cougars beat second-seed Marlboro to win the Central Jersey Group 4 championship.

That was Monty’s first title win since 2010, making the moment doubly meaningful.

This year, in his 21st season, a milestone struck again, in almost the same place.

While that title was won in Montgomery’s own gym, as was last year’s, this year’s squad had to go “on the road” – albeit just up the road, with that main road being Route 206 – to win the title. And that victory was No. 350 for Grundy.

The math was easy to do. After winning his 300th, the Cougars lost to Lenape in the Group 4 semifinals. They won 25 games the following year, last season, and are 25-4 this season.

Montgomery will move on to play Tuesday down at Deptford High School in Gloucester County in the state Group 4 semifinals, where they’ll face Cherry Hill East (25-4), the top-seeded South Jersey Group 4 champion.

2026 Title, Grundy’s 350th Win: Three-peat! Montgomery overcomes raucous road crowd, stingy Hillsborough defense to win third straight CJ4 crown

March 8, 2026March 7, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Central Jersey Group 1 Final (Girls): (1) New Providence 57, (2) Bound Brook 42

Senior Annie Conover scored 22 points – including six threes – part of a barrage of 12 triples on the day, to power top-seed New Providence past second-seed Bound Brook, 57-42, to win its second straight Central Jersey Group 1 title, and third sectional championship in four years.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the play-by-play from New Providence High School on March 7 2026.

Colonia celebrates a North 2 Group 3 sectional final win over Chatham (Photo: Nick Hart)

March 7, 2026March 7, 2026 by Alec Crouthamel

Not one, two, three, or four: Colonia downs Chatham for fifth straight sectional title in North 2 Group 3 final

Flash back to January 7th.

Colonia boys basketball had gotten off to a 2-6 start, still working through a young team with all new roles and skillsets.

Two months later, the Patriots (20-10) have put it all together and reached the sectional mountaintop once again.

Top-seeded Colonia won its fifth consecutive sectional championship, defeating second-seeded Chatham 57-46 in the North 2 Group 3 final. The Cougars (24-6) fell to the Patriots for the fourth time in 11 years in the sectional playoffs, with Colonia winning last year in the semifinals, the quarterfinals in 2023, and the 2015 final.

Though sophomore Jayce Rodriguez was the lone Patriot in double-figures with a game-high 25 points, it was a true team effort on both ends of the floor for Colonia while facing off against a high-octane attack from Chatham.

Both teams took a bit to find their footing, but Rodriguez scored seven points in the opening quarter, and senior point guard Dylan Chiera added six, as the two teams ended the first quarter tied at 17.

The Cougars executed their defensive gameplan well in the opening half, with plenty of aggression guarding one-on-one and in the passing lanes, as several of their baskets came off Patriots turnovers.

But the Patriots managed to weather the storm and came up with some big-time key buckets late to pull ahead 29-24 at the half. Colonia went into the locker room with momentum on its side, as the offense had found a few possessions to pull ahead.

Then in the second half, the Patriots’ emphasis — and success — came on the other side of the ball.

They contained a dangerous Chatham offense that had scored at least 65 points in each of its first three sectional tournament games, mixing in both man-to-man and zone to throw off the Cougars’ offensive rhythm.

Two underclassmen came up big for Colonia on that end as well. Freshman forward Desmond Rudanovic battled foul trouble for much of the game, and yet a foul away from being disqualified, he stood tall in the lane at 6-foot-7 and recorded a blocked layup in the fourth quarter, and altered multiple other shots.

When Rudanovic had to leave the floor, sophomore Teagan Amponsah etched his name in Patriots basketball lore. He came up with two blocks in the second half and played tremendous defense inside and outside, on a Chatham wing room with plenty of size, strength, and experience. Seniors Michael MacAniff and Marco Mannino led the way for the visitors with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Senior forward Nfa Clyne — last year a key rotation piece off the bench known for his defense — rose to the moment as a full-time starter as well. He nearly recorded a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds, but every single bucket was key down the stretch as all nine of his points came in the fourth quarter. He crashed the glass countless times and helped Colonia come up with big possessions throughout the game, and even beat Chatham at its own game multiple times with fast-break layups to beat the Cougars’ press.

Colonia controlled the score and tempo for much of the second half, never feeling truly in danger. The Cougars cut the deficit to three points in the beginning of the third quarter, but the Patriots immediately responded with a 7-0 run to push the lead to double-digits for the first time.

The rest of the game was played in that same range of differential. Every time Chatham would force a turnover or hit a tough bucket, the Patriots stayed calm and executed on the ensuing possessions themselves.

By the time the buzzer sounded, Colonia had clinched its fifth straight sectional title under head coach Jose Rodriguez, and it did so in the exact fashion the eighth-year head coach wanted: A true team-wide effort that put the young team’s development on full display.

The Patriots advance in the state tournament once again, where they will face off against North 1 Group 3 champion Montville in the Group 3 semifinal. The Mustangs — the fourth seed in the sectional tournament — upset the top two seeds, Tenafly and Teaneck, in back-to-back games for their first sectional final appearance since 1982. The two teams will face off on Wednesday at the Thomas Dunn Sports Center in Elizabeth, with tipoff set for 5 pm.

Click below for postgame reaction on Colonia’s North 2 Group 3 title from head coach Jose Rodriguez, sophomore Jayce Rodriguez, and senior Nfa Clyne, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

March 7, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Central Jersey Group 4 Final (Boys): (3) Montgomery 55, (1) Hillsborough 47 (OT)

Senior Ethan Lin scored 22 points, while sophomore Mike Simborski added 15, as third-seed Montgomery won their third straight Central Jersey Group 4 title with a 55-47 overtime win at top-seeded Hillsborough.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play from Hillsborough High School on March 5, 2026.

March 7, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

New Providence three-point barrage dooms Bound Brook; Pioneers take second straight CJ1 title in 57-42 win

It’s not every day New Providence hits 12 three-pointers in a game – even if they have hit at least ten on four separate occasions this year, including 13 in an early January game against Fair Lawn – but they have that potential.

Saturday at home in the Central Jersey Group 1 final, they needed to hit against second-seed Bound Brook, and that’s exactly what the top-seeded Pioneers did, en route to a 57-42 victory that claimed their second straight sectional title, and third in the last four seasons.

Bound Brook never led, but it wasn’t like they never had a chance. They never trailed by double-digits in the first half, and were only down eight at halftime. This is the same team that fell behind 17-2 in the semifinals against Roselle Park – and the state’s top scorer in Sidney Smith – but rallied to take a double-digit halftime lead and win.

But New Providence (28-1) is the defending Group 1 champion for a reason. Senior Annie Conover led the way with 26 points, including six threes. Four of those came in the first half, and she had 14 at the break.

But it was sophomore Addy Fitzgerald – the only non-senior in the starting five – who may have buried Bound Brook. Even though the Crusaders had their opportunities as late as midway through the fourth quarter – and they had many throughout the game as well – Fitzgerald had three big third quarter treys, and finished with 14 points on the day.

Bound Brook (25-4) was led by Peytan Pugh, who had 22 points, two from beyond the arc, while senior Ty’asjah Ferguson added eight. Lauren Polakiewicz added six, on a pair of third-quarter triples.

*Bound Brook senior Ty’asjah Ferguson drives to the basket in the Central Jersey Group 1 title game at New Providence on March 7, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

New Providence moves on to the state Group 1 semifinals Wednesday at 5 pm at Monroe Twp. H.S. against the winner of the South Jersey Group 1 final, featuring second-seed Wildwood at top-seed Haddon Twp.

Click below for postgame reaction on New Providence’s Central Jersey Group 1 title from head coach Cap Pazdera and senior Annie Conover, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: