by Mike Pavlichko

NJSIAA switches South Jersey non-public finals sites due to travel concerns, moves Rutgers Prep girls and St. Joseph-Metuchen title games

Typically, the NJSIAA has its sites chosen for neutral site state tournament games well in advance. And the championship games for the same sections are placed at the same venues, that way one school doesn’t have its boys’ and girls’ teams playing at the same time at different locations.

But one thing has been an issue among schools in the “south” half of the state, at least according to NJSIAA geography: travel.

And now that the non-public sectional finals are set after Thursday night games, the NJSIAA is making a change

Originally, Non-Public South B finals were supposed to be at Jackson Twp. High School (formerly Jackson Liberty), while the South A finals were to be held at Lenape H.S. in Medford Lakes.

But on Friday, the NJSIAA announced a change. All the South A finals have been moved from Lenape to Jackson, while the South B finals are going from Jackson to Lenape.

Locally, that means the South A boys’ final between St. Joseph-Metuchen and St. Peter’s Prep – yes, both are considered “south” due to the prevalence of teams up in North Jersey and the paucity of teams in South Jersey – will be in Jackson, while Rutgers Prep’s game against Gloucester Catholic for the South B girls’ title will be down at Lenape.

All the times remain the same, with St. Joe’s playing at 5 pm and Rutgers Prep at 7 pm.

There had been some chatter on social media about the methodology that left two teams from Middlesex and Hudson Counties playing a title game in Burlington County. It’s unknown, however, whether anyone from the participating schools contacted the NJSIAA about the matter.

None of the Non-Public North games were changed.

NON-PUBLIC SOUTH FINALS SCHEDULE

At Jackson Twp. (formerly Jackson Liberty)

  • South A Boys’ Final: (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen vs. (3) St. Peter’s Prep, 5 pm
  • South A Girls’ Final: (2) St. John Vianney vs. (1) Red Bank Catholic, 7 pm

At Lenape

  • South B Boys’ Final: (5) Bishop Eustace vs. (2) Holy Cross, 5 pm
  • South B Girls’ Final: (1) Rutgers Prep vs. (2) Gloucester Catholic, 7 pm
by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Central Jersey Group 4 Final (Girls): (1) Franklin 52, (3) Hillsborough 41

Top-seed Franklin won its first sectional title since 2020, beating third-seed Hillsborough 52-41, behind 20 points from Alissa Myers and a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds from Aleah Sunkins, to win the Central Jersey Group 4 championship.

Click below to listen to Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play from Franklin High School in Somerset on March 5, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Boys’ Basketball Roundup: St. Joseph-Metuchen, Gill St. Bernard’s keep on winning, reach sectional finals; Rutgers Prep upset by Bishop Eustace

As Meatloaf once sang, “Two out of three ain’t bad.”

Gill St. Bernard’s and St. Joseph-Metuchen won their sectional semifinals Thursday night in the state tournament, the Knights in North B and the Falcons in South A, and now both are headed opposite directions in the state Monday for sectional title games.

Meanwhile, Rutgers Prep was upset at home by Bishop Eustace in the Non-Public South B semifinals.

Scroll through to read game recaps and hear postgame interviews with coaches, then check out the upcoming schedule below.

Non-Public South A

Now on a 13-game winning streak, St. Joseph-Metuchen is in the sectional finals for the first time in three years. The Falcons were 54-52 winners Thursday night, knocking off top-seed Paul VI, 54-52, on the road. Up 21-12 after one quarter, Joe’s saw its lead cut to six at the half. And in the end game, up 54-52, Paul VI got a steal of f the inbound, and fired a 30-foot three from just about straight on for the lead. It missed, St. Joseph got the rebound, but the Eagles inexplicably didn’t foul, even though there were about four seconds left. They had four fouls at the time, and could have sent the Falcons to the line, where a split would have left them with a chance at a miracle to at least tie. Aidan Carter and Andrew Kretkowski shared game-high honors with 18 points apiece, while Joel Patrick had seven and 16 rebounds. St. Joseph (29-1) will play third-seed St. Peter’s Prep at 5 pm Monday in the South A Final at Lenape High School in Medford Lakes.

Click here to listen to St. Joseph-Metuchen head coach Mark Taylor talk about the Falcons’ win in the Non-Public South A semifinals.
  • (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen def. (1) Paul VI, 54-52
  • (3) St. Peter’s Prep def. (2) CBA, 59-46

Non-Public North B

Top-seed Gill St. Bernard’s (26-2) is back in the finals for a second year in a row, after a 58-50 win over fourth-seed St. Mary Rutherford in Peapack Thursday night. That’s 22 straight wins for the Knights, who got 19 points from Proper Sonkoua, and 13 points and six boards from Jahmal Dixon, but even more impressive was the eleven rebounds grabbed by Connor Junker, known more as a sharp-shooter from beyond the arc. Gill led by just one after one, but took a 12 point lead at the half on the strength of a strong second quarter. Now, the Knights get a rematch with second-seed Roselle Catholic in the final, which beat them last year, 43-35. That final is at JFK High School in Paterson at 5 pm.

Click below to listen to Gill St. Bernard’s head coach Mergin Sina talk about the Knights’ win in the Non-Public North B semifinals.
  • (1) Gill St. Bernard’s def. (4) St. Mary-Rutherford, 58-50
  • (2) Roselle Catholic def. (3) Morris Catholic, 60-55

Non-Public South B

Top-seed Rutgers Prep was upset at home Thursday night by fifth-seed Bishop Eustace, falling 77-70 on their home floor. It was a tight one throughout, with Prep down 14-13 after one, and by four at the half. A big third quarter for Eustace upped the lead by seven heading into the fourth, and it was just too much to overcome. Julian Ceberio led the Argonauts (18-10) in defeat, scoring 19, including five triples, while also grabbing six rebounds. Nicolas Nsenkyrie added 16 points and five boards.

  • (5) Bishop Eustace def. (1) Rutgers Prep, 77-70
  • (2) Holy Cross Prep def. (3) Holy Spirit, 41-34

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, MARCH 6

Central Jersey Group 4 Final

  • (3) Montgomery (24-4) at (1) Hillsborough (22-7), 6 pm

SATURDAY, MARCH 7

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 Final

MONDAY, MARCH 9

Non-Public South A Final

  • (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen (29-1) vs. (3) St. Peter’s Prep (27-3), 5 pm at Lenape H.S. (Medford Lakes)

Non-Public North B Final

  • (1) Gill St. Bernard’s (26-2) vs. (2) Roselle Catholic (22-6), 5 pm at JFK Paterson (LIVE on CJSR)

TUESDAY, MARCH 10

Group 4 Semifinals

  • (3) Montgomery/(1) Hillsborough (Central 4 Champion) vs. (2) Lenape/(1) Cherry Hill East (South 4 Champion)
by Mike Pavlichko

Girls’ Basketball Roundup: Franklin tops Hillsborough a day early to win CJ4 crown; Pingry upsets Immaculate Heart in North A semis to make first-ever final; Rutgers Prep, Gill St. Bernard’s cruise; St. Thomas Aquinas bows out down the Shore

After a light Wednesday, it was a busy Thursday for girls basketball in the NJSIAA state tournament, highlighted by Franklin’s win over Hillsborough in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game.

The Warriors won their first title since 2020 and ended Hillsborough’s two-year run as sectional champions, with one in North 2, Group 4 in 2024 – the school’s first ever – and another last season in Central Jersey Group 4.

Meanwhile, Pingry pulled an upset in Non-Public North A, as the 6th-seeded Big Blue beat second-seed Immaculate Heart, sending them to their first ever title game. Rutgers Prep rolled in the South B semis to make their 6th straight title game. And Gill St. Bernard’s cruised as well to go to the North B final.

However, St. Thomas Aquinas fell to Red Bank Catholic in the South A semifinal down the Shore.

Scroll through for recaps, audio, and links to separate stories, followed by an updated upcoming schedule with dates and times.

Central Jersey Group 4

Top-seed Franklin is back on top, with a coach who’s been there before. Before coming to the Warriors this season to bring the program back to Audrey Taylor/Diamond Miller levels, Jimmy Kreie was at the controls at Montclair-Immaculate, which ended Gill St. Bernard’s season last year in the North B title game, then won the state Group B title over Gloucester Catholic. This year, he has the Warriors at 22-8 – coming off an 11-16 season – and they’re champions for the first time since 2020, when they beat Ridge to win CJ4. They also won their state semifinal game against Randolph before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the tournament early.

Click here for Alec Crouthamel’s game recap and postgame reaction, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

Non-Public North A

Pingry is in a sectional final for the first time ever, as the sixth-seeded Big Blue knocked off second-seed Immaculate Heart on the road, 46-43. Pingry (17-10) led 13-11 after one, but went into the locker room at the half tied at 23, before taking a four-point lead heading into the final quarter, and they held on to win. Charlotte Huntzinger led all scorers with 14, while Sadie Dalmon added 11 and Val Triana chipped in ten. They’ll play in the North A final at Franklin High School Monday at 7 pm against either top-seed Morris Catholic or fourth-seed DePaul.

  • (6) Pingry def. (2) Immaculate Heart, 46-43
  • (4) DePaul at (1) Morris Catholic, 7:30 pm
Click hear to listen to Pingry head coach Robert Hoepfl talk about the Big Blue’s historic win to reach their first-ever sectional final!

Non-Public South A

Fourth-seed and seven-time GMC Tournament champion St. Thomas Aquinas (24-7) saw its season come to an end with a 68-31 loss at top-seed and perennial state power Red Bank Catholic. Down 14-6 after one, the Trojans trailed 29-12 at the half, and only managed single-digit scoring in each of the first three quarters, with the Caseys pulling away in the first eight minutes after halftime on a 22-8 run. Leah Kearney was the only Aquinas player in double figures, finishing the night with ten points. Addy Nyemchek led all scorers with 37 points, and had 14 rebounds to finish with a double-double.

  • (1) Red Bank Catholic def. (4) St. Thomas Aquinas, 68-31
  • (2) St. John Vianney def. (3) Paul VI, 63-54

Non-Public North B

Top-seed Gill St. Bernard’s is back in the sectional finals for the second straight year, after beating fourth-seed Villa Walsh, 78-37, at home. The Knights put up a whopping 37 points in the first quarter and led by 22 after one, then 62-22 at the half to kick in a running clock for the entire second half. The Knights will face second-seed Saddle River Day in the North B Final at 7 pm Monday at Paterson Kennedy.

  • (1) Gill St. Bernard’s def. (4) Villa Walsh, 78-37
  • (2) Saddle River Day def. (3) Hudson Catholic, 39-38
Click hear to hear Gill St. Bernard’s head coach Mark Gnapp talk about Gill St. Bernard’s win over Villa Walsh in the North B semifinals.

Non-Public South B

Make it six straight sectional finals for Rutgers Prep, as the top-seeded Argonauts were 79-46 winners over 5th-seed Stuart Day Thursday night. Prep cruised from the beginning, jumping out to a 24-9 lead at the end of one, and Natalia Valdez was a big reason why. She hit six treys in the game and finished with 21 points, while Cali McCoy added 14. Prep will rematch with second-seed Gloucester Catholic in the South B final Monday night at 7 at Jackson Township (formerly Jackson Liberty) High School.

Click here to read our game story and hear postgame reaction from Rutgers Prep head coach Mary Klinger with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

  • (1) Rutgers Prep def. (5) Stuart Day, 79-46
  • (2) Gloucester Catholic def. (3) Wildwood Catholic, 72-29

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, MARCH 7

Central Jersey Group 1 Final

MONDAY, MARCH 9

Non-Public North A Final

  • (6) Pingry vs. (1) Morris Catholic/(4) DePaul, 7:00 pm at Franklin HS

Non-Public North B Final

  • (1) Gill St. Bernard’s vs. (2) Saddle River Day, 7 pm at JFK Paterson HS

Non-Public South B Final

  • (1) Rutgers Prep vs. (2) Gloucester Catholic, 7 pm at Jackson Twp. H.S. (formerly Jackson Liberty)
Franklin Girls Basketball celebrates the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional title on March 5th, 2026 (Photo: Alec Crouthamel).
by Alec Crouthamel

Franklin wakes up with monster fourth quarter, defeats Hillsborough for first sectional title in six years

It might have been apparent which team was playing for its third straight sectional title, and which team was playing in its first in six years heading into the fourth quarter in the Central Jersey Group 4 final.

In the final eight minutes, though, that perception flipped 180 degrees.

Top-seeded Franklin claimed its first sectional title since 2020, rallying from a nine-point deficit at the end of the third quarter to stun third-seeded Hillsborough 52-41. The Warriors (22-8) turned up the heat exponentially in the final frame, holding the Raiders (21-7) without a field goal in the entire fourth quarter, with just two free throws, leading to a 22-2 scoring margin in the final eight minutes.

Senior guard Alissa Myers proved to be the hero, tying her career high with 20 points, 12 coming in the fourth quarter alone. She knocked down a trio of three-pointers and got Franklin back into the game with her shooting, while the Warriors’ swarming defense stifled Hillsborough the entire way.

Franklin had three scorers in double figures, as star forward Aleah Sunkins shook off a slow start and apparent third-quarter hand injury to finish with 11 points, six coming in the fourth quarter. She knocked down four consecutive free throws in the final minute to put the game out of reach. Sophomore guard Jamila McRiney scored ten points, including two three-pointers in the first quarter to help kickstart the Warriors’ offense.

Juniors Kayla Cebedo and Victoria Liedl each scored 12 points to lead the Raiders, as Liedl converted on four big-time three-pointers to help Hillsborough build its lead to begin with. Cebedo hit two free throws in the final 45 seconds for the Raiders’ only fourth-quarter points. Isabella Ruh scored ten points before fouling out late, attempting to extend the game. Junior guard Nevya Loniewski also fouled out early in the fourth quarter, finishing with five points.

The physicality and athleticism on both sides were apparent from the jump ball, as Franklin ended the first quarter with a 13-11 lead, but Hillsborough continued to play solid defense to open the game as Ruh nailed two treys. Loniewski hit another to open the second quarter to put the Raiders back in the lead, and neither team scored for the next four minutes as the championship pressure appeared to speed up both teams.

Hillsborough eventually gained an edge with two minutes left in the half, but the Warriors managed two straight baskets in the final minutes to head into the locker room with a slim one-point lead.

The Raiders’ championship experience and poise both shone through in the third quarter, outscoring Franklin 19-9 as Cebedo controlled the pace with the ball in her hands, and Liedl knocked down two more three-pointers. Ruh added two baskets at the rim of her own, while containing the Warriors’ offense by speeding them up and forcing turnovers. By the time the dust settled, Hillsborough sat with a 39-30 lead with eight minutes to play, and all of the momentum headed in the visitors’ direction.

But Franklin never lost faith.

The Warriors cranked up the energy on defense, forcing several turnovers in the fourth quarter with its full-court pressure, and the shots finally started to fall. Franklin made four three-pointers in the final period, three from Myers and McRiney added another, while forward Alivia Stewart got downhill and scored four key points. The trio of McRiney, Myers, and senior Kayla Duncan wreaked havoc in the backcourt and carried Franklin back into the game.

By the time the Raiders knew what hit them, the Warriors had ripped off a 20-0 run and taken a double-digit lead.

It wasn’t totally over just yet, as Hillsborough’s strategy to foul with 90 seconds left worked to perfection with six straight missed Franklin free throws, but it ultimately didn’t matter as the Raiders still couldn’t get anything to go on offense. The Warriors then gave the ball to Sunkins to bring the ball up, and she calmly knocked down four straight at the charity stripe, even with a wrap on her hand.

Franklin clinched its first sectional title since a run of four straight from 2017-20, when Audrey Taylor had the Warriors rolling as one of the top teams in the state. Now, in Year One under head coach Jimmy Kreie, Franklin has climbed one mountain and has a chance for another in the state tournament.

The Warriors will face off against the winner of the South Jersey Group 4 finalists, top-seeded Lenape and third-seeded Howell, in the Group 4 semifinals on Tuesday at Deptford Township High School.

Click below to hear postgame reactions with Franklin head coach Jimmy Kreie and senior guard Alissa Myers with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep girls clinch 6th straight trip to sectional finals, win 79-46 over Stuart Day, to set up championship rematch with Gloucester Catholic

No matter how many finals they make, or championships they win, it never gets old for Rutgers Prep head coach Mary Klinger.

The top-seeded Argonauts easily won their Non-Public South B semifinal game Thursday night in Somerset, defeating fifth-seed Stuart Day, 79-46.

Another laugher from the start, Prep led 24-9 after one quarter and 42-16 at the half, with many outstanding performances throughout.

Natalia Valdez was on fire from downtown, hitting six times from beyond the arc, and finishing with a 20-point night. Ava LaMonica added 13 points and eight rebounds, Cali McCoy finished with 14 – and was 4-of-4 from the foul line, while Ava Frith added eight, and 11 rebounds.

Next up for the Argonauts (25-3), a trip down to Jackson Twp. High School (formerly Jackson Liberty) for the Non-Public South B championship against a familiar foe: Gloucester Catholic.

The second-seeded Rams pummeled third-seed Wildwood Catholic, 72-29, at home Thursday night to improve to 24-4.

Last year, Gloucester Catholic beat Prep 46-33 in the sectional final, before losing to Montclair-Immaculate – in the school’s final game before it closed last summer – in the Non-Public B Final at Rutgers.

Click below for postgame reaction from Rutgers Prep head coach Mary Klinger with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

The final scoreboard between Bound Brook (62) and Roselle Park (41).
by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Central Jersey Group 1 Semifinals (Girls): (2) Bound Brook 62, (6) Roselle Park 41

Second-seed Bound Brook got 17 points and 16 steals from state steals leader and freshman sensation Peytan Pugh in a 62-41 home win over 6th-seed Roselle Park in the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals, sending the Crusaders to their first sectional championship since 2020.

Click below to listen to Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play from Bound Brook High School on March 4, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough boys may be top-seed, but will have to topple two-time title winner Montgomery to claim Central Jersey Group 4 championship

The last time (the only time) the Hillsborough boys’ basketball team won a state sectional title, it was 2015. Coming off a 22-3 year in which they beat Gill St. Bernard’s to win the Somerset County Tournament championship.

Ian Progin’s team didn’t quite make the encore, bowing out in the quarterfinals of the SCT to Montgomery, the Raiders were 11-12 heading into the state tournament, not even a top eight seed.

All they did was win four games on the road, culminating with an upset of top-seed Freehold Township on the road in the final, 66-58, making for a boisterous trip back up to the ‘Boro from Monmouth County.

This year’s team? Well, they’re 22-7. And nothing’s easy, but having earned the top-seed in Central Jersey Group 4, they would certainly be considered a contender for a title. Since the tournament started, they’ve cemented that rep, entering the state Top 20 at No. 20 last week, up one spot this week to 19.

They will face another state-ranked team Friday night in the CJ4 final: No. 14 Montgomery, as the top-seeded Raiders take on the third-seeded Cougars (24-4) for some NJSIAA hardware. Central Jersey Sports Radio will be there so you can listen to the game, with tip-off set for 6 pm, pregame at 5:40 pm. Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel will be on the call. Click here to listen.

While many will look at Montgomery’s two wins over Hillsborough this year – by 16 on the road in the regular season in mid-January, and 15 at home in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals back on February 7th. But Montgomery also took a pair of losses to Rutgers Prep, while the Raiders beat them, 82-79, the next game after losing to the Cougars in the SCT.

While the guards get a lot of attention – including Derek Feath, who now owns the single season three-point record at Hillsborough with 78 and counting – it was the frontcourt that came up big Tuesday in the semis against Jackson. Layne Pawlowski scored 13 and had six rebounds, Kai Williams had ten and five rebounds, and Kow Quagrine had nine.

And Hillsborough may need that against Montgomery’s big, Sriyans Mallavarapu. Also known as “Shree,” he had 12 blocks in Monty’s 61-49 win at second-seed Marlboro Tuesday in the semifinals.

Click below to hear Hillsborough head coach Tim Palek talk about the Central Jersey Group 4 final against Montgomery with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Two-time defending champion Montgomery will play for a third just up the road, as Cougars visit Hillsborough in Central Jersey Group 4 title tilt

While the Montgomery boys’ basketball program has won back-to-back Central Jersey Group 4 titles, and seemingly been through it all, there was something that happened Tuesday that was a first on this run by the Cougars: a true road game.

Sure, in 2024, they had to go all the way down to Central Regional in Bayville to play a sectional semifinal against South 4 champ Lenape, which they lost. And last year, they got another crack and this time exacted revenge, sending them to the Group 4 final against Plainfield at Rutgers.

But Tuesday was different. Those were neutral courts.

Tuesday saw the third-seeded Cougars playing a sectional semifinal on the road, down in Monmouth County, against Marlboro, the second-seed.

Despite a slow start and an early deficit, Montgomery prevailed, and now will play another road game in the final, though not quite as far away.

Friday night, Monty (24-4) will travel up Route 206 on a short jaunt to neighboring Hillsborough, where they’ll face the top-seeded Raiders (22-7) for the Central Jersey Group 4 title. You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with tip-off set for 6 pm, pregame at 5:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

Montgomery has beaten Hillsbrough twice this season: by 16 on the road in the regular season, and by 15 at home in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. But head coach Kris Grundy has been around long enough to know those don’t mean a thing. The Raiders are playing solid basketball at the right time of the year.

Still, Montgomery has been solid all year as well. Of their four losses, one came to Gill St. Bernard’s, two to Rutgers Prep, and one to Linden, which is in the North 2, Group 4 final Friday night against Plainfield. All those teams are ranked in the statewide Top 20.

Ethan Lin, of course, has been a big reason for Monty’s success, even though he missed that 2024 run with a broken leg. He came back stronger than ever last year, and has been even bigger this season. Lin is a steadying force on a team that’s a bit on the young side otherwise. And in three games in the state tournament, he’s averaging 28.7 points per game, going for 31 and 30 in the last two.

But big man Shriyans Mallavarapu – just a sophomore – has also been “a revelation,” according to Grundy. Tuesday night at Marlboro, he had 12 blocks. You don’t want to get down low against him and risk your shot being swatted away.

Click below to hear Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy talk about Friday’s Central Jersey Group 4 title game against Hillsborough with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Franklin and Rutgers Prep tip off in the Somerset County Tournament final.
by Alec Crouthamel

Neighboring towns, Hillsborough and Franklin, battle for Central Jersey Group 4 crown

5.6 miles. Ten minutes (or fewer, depending on the amount of lead in your right foot).

That’s the distance on Amwell Road in Somerset County between Hillsborough High School and Franklin High School. And those two schools will face off in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game on Thursday evening, with the top-seeded Warriors (21-8) playing host to the defending Group 4 champions and third-seeded Raiders (21-6).

It’ll be a battle of experience levels, as Hillsborough looks for its third straight sectional title — winning North 2 Group 4 in 2024 and Central Jersey Group 4 last season — while Franklin reached its first sectional final since 2020 under first-year head coach Jimmy Kreie.

It all goes down in Franklin on Thursday evening. You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Alec Crouthamel, with pregame starting around 5:45 pm and tipoff at 6. Click here to listen.

Even after the Raiders lost a group of seniors from that title-winning squad, Hillsborough’s program culture kept some of the underclassmen ready for important action.

They’ve been needed, especially of late. Almost the entire rotation had to shift roles and/or positions with the absence of second-leading scorer Alexa Gaspar in the semifinals against East Brunswick. That preparation helped fuel a come-from-behind victory on the road, to help get Hillsborough to this point.

The Warriors have had mostly smooth sailing in the sectional tournament, winning three games against Shore Conference foes by an average of 40 points.

Junior forward Aleah Sunkins has continued to stake her claim as a top talent in the state, stacking the stat sheet while continuing to improve as a perimeter threat, paired with her ability to get downhill with force. She added a career-high 33 points against Jackson Township in a semifinal victory.

Franklin has a style — and plenty of athleticism and versatility to boot — as things are fully coming together down the stretch of Kreie’s first year at the helm.

It’ll be a heavyweight battle in the sectional title, and a rematch at that. The Warriors defeated the Raiders in Hillsborough 72-44 back on January 6th, but both coaches agree their respective teams have improved and evolved in the two months since that game.

Hillsborough may have the championship experience, but Franklin brings a title-winning coach himself — Kreie won the Non-Public B title with now-closed Montclair Immaculate last season — and a team hungry to reach the heights of the late 2010s, in its first sectional title appearance in six years.

Both teams will look to run and gun, but in the end, whichever team sticks to its plan and stays calm under pressure will likely walk away with the trophy.

Click below to hear preview interviews with both head coaches and Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel:


Hillsborough head coach Courtney Tierney

Franklin head coach Jimmy Kreie