Category: Boys Basketball

by Mike Pavlichko

SCT Boys’ Final Preview: Battle-tested Montgomery looking for first-ever championship, while Rutgers Prep defends its title

In one corner: the public school that is making its first appearance ever in the Somerset County Tournament.

In the other: the private school that has been to three straight finals, winning two of them.

Both are among the Top 15 ranked teams in the state, and either would be deserving of the title.

That’s what Saturday will boil down to when second-seed Montgomery battles top-seed and defending champion Rutgers Prep for the 2024 Somerset County Tournament title.

Sure, they’ve faced each other once already, and that game could have gone either way. Montgomery had the early lead and a one-point advantage at the half. But Rutgers Prep came out on top.

Now, we get the rematch.

Central Jersey Sports Radio will have coverage of Saturday’s entire Somerset County Tournament Championship Doubleheader, with Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas calling all the play-by-play. Coverage starts at approximately 2:40 pm for the boys’ game, with the girls’ final – between three-time defending champ Rutgers Prep and Gill St. Bernard’s – tipping off at 1 pm, pregame at 12:40. Click here to listen.

While the Prep girls now have to deal with an ankle injury to sophomore Ava LaMonica suffered in Thursday’s semifinal win against Franklin – though it’s not a break, she’ll at least be out for the county final Saturday – the Argonaut boys just got back someone they were looking to for senior experience this year in John Kelly. The 6-8 forward gives coach Matt Bloom additional length to work with. He’s slowly been finding his game legs, scoring nine points against Oratory Prep on February 10th, then eight against Pingry in the quarterfinals, and seven points and four boards against Hillsborough in the semis, also going 4-of-4 at the line.

As they did Thursday night against the Raiders – and have all year long – the Argonauts want to get up and down the floor, and often do it with ease. That wasn’t easy from the get-go when the teams first met on January 30th, a 62-48 Rutgers Prep win, though Montgomery led 27-26 at halftime.

Montgomery is also dealing with the injury to Ethan Lin, a talented sophomore guard, but the Cougars have won seven straight overall, six since Lin broke his ankle in two places against Hillsborough February third, ending his season.

And the 1-2 combo of Steve Donahue and Bohdan Bieketov – who only came to the U.S. a few months ago from the Ukraine – has been hard to stop of late. The two combined for 38 points in the semifinals against Watchung Hills, while Bieketov had a double-double with 11 rebounds.

Click below to hear both coaches talk about the semifinal matchup, and scroll down for more info on the game:

Rutgers Prep head coach Matt Bloom
Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy

MORE ON THE SOMERSET COUNTY TOURNAMENT BOYS’ FINAL:

(1) Rutgers Prep (18-6) vs. (2) Montgomery (21-2)
When: Saturday, 3 pm
Where: Montgomery Township High School
Broadcast Team: Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas (LISTEN HERE)

COACHES: 

Rutgers Prep: Matt Bloom, 7th season (132-39)
Montgomery: Kris Grundy, 19th season (315, 185)

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Rutgers Prep: The Argonauts beat 8th-seed Pingry, 82-56, in the quarterfinals at home on Wednesday night, getting 24 points from Myles Parker – to lead all scorers – while big Andrew Kretkwoski chipped in 11, and Rocco Loomis added ten. One night later in the semifinals, they topped four-seed Hillsborough, 69-58. Four players made it into double-figures, as Jacob Canton led this time with 22 points, while Parker added 16, Loomis scored 11, and Kretkowski added ten. Like their first meeting this season in Hillsborough back on January 23rd, by a similar margin of ten points, it was tight all the way, with Prep holding just a two point halftime lead against the Raiders two nights ago before finishing the job in the second half.

Montgomery: The Cougars had their hands full with 7th-seed Gill St. Bernard’s, which has struggled to find its footing after an almost complete roster overhaul in the offseason, but has been playing stronger of late, according to Montgomery coach Kris Grundy. But despite a 30-24 halftime deficit, the Cougars rallied to win, 58-51, behind 24 points from Steve Donahue and 11 from Josh Moore. In the semis, on Thursday, Monty beat third-seed Watchung Hills – in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio – 53-40. Bieketov had a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double, while Donahue added 17.

TOP SCORERS:

Rutgers Prep: Jacob Canton (16.2 ppg, 47 treys), Myles Parker (14.8 points, team-best 60 treys), Andrew Kretkowski (10.8 ppg, 17 treys), Rocco Loomis (10.3 ppg, 46 treys)
Montgomery: Steve Donahue (15.7 ppg, team-best 48 treys), Ethan Lin (13.8 ppg, INJURED), Bohdan Bieketov (11.3 ppg, 2 treys)

TOP REBOUNDERS:

Rutgers Prep: Andrew Kretkowski (6), Jacon Canton (5.4), Myles Parker (5)
Montgomery: Bohdan Bieketov (9.4), Steve Donahue (5.6), Jack Fromelt (4.2)

RECENT MEETINGS: Montgomery has lost six in a row against Rutgers Prep dating back to the 2019-20 season.  But the year before, they beat the Argonauts twice.  In fact, the Cougars are the last Somerset County public school to beat Rutgers Prep in the regular season.  Watchung Hills beat the Argonauts in the COVID-shortened 2021 season, but that was in the “top” Blue Pod Semifinals in. The Warriors went on to beat Gill St. Bernard’s for the title.

SCT HISTORY:

Rutgers Prep: Rutgers Prep played in the very first full Somerset County Tournament title game in 1988, losing as the second-seed to top-seed Bridgewater-Raritan West, 94-66. (Before 1988, the SCT was split into two divisions, and there was an A and a B champion.) Overall, they’re 2-5 in the finals, losing their first four attempts at the trophy, in 2011, 2017 and 2018 in addition to the ’88 trip. They won it all in 2020, beating Watchung Hills, but lost in 2022 to Gill St. Bernard’s, before avenging the defeat last year in the county final. This will be Prep’s fourth straight visit to the SCT title game.

Montgomery: Montgomery is making its first appearance in the finals in school history. Of the current Somerset County schools in the GMC, they’re the 11th team to make an appearance in the finals. And that leaves three schools who’ve never made it: Bernards, Manville and Pingry.

by Mike Pavlichko

GMC Tournament Boys’ Final Preview: Colonia looks for clean sweep of Aquinas and first title in a decade as Trojans go for a four-peat

There are only four active boys’ basketball head coaches in the Greater Middlesex Conference who have ever coached in a GMCT championship game.

And if you come to Monroe High School Friday night to watch second-seed Colonia take on fourth-seed and three-time defending champion St. Thomas Aquinas, you won’t have to scan the crowd to find two of them. They’ll be on the bench, encouraging their players, and sweet-talking the refs from opposite ends of the scorer’s table.

Jose Rodriguez of Colonia was there two years ago, making his first appearance. Bob Turco not only has made the last three county finals – and won them – but he also made a trip as the head coach of Monroe, in 2010, when he lost to his brother Dave and St. Joseph-Metuchen, in the Falcons’ first of nine titles in ten years under the elder Turco’s watch.

(The other two are Mark Motusesky of East Brunswick, and Darius Griffin of Piscataway.)

Central Jersey Sports Radio will have coverage of Friday’s GMC Tournament Championship Doubleheader, with Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino calling all the play-by-play. Tip-off for the boys’ final is set for 8 pm, with pregame at 7:40, all following the girls’ game – with the same two opponents – at 6 pm. Click here to listen.

This may have been Turco’s most challenging year yet. While no one in Middlesex County is shedding tears for a man who has won three straight county titles, only seldom-used Davon Grant returned from last year’s squad. The rest were lost to graduation and transfers.

And even through a spate of illnesses that started in December, and – on occasion – has the Trojans down to seven players, according to Turco, the team has come through it, and returned to the final once again.

Perhaps the biggest reason is the young man Turco calls a “double-double machine.” Rinelson Dilone is averaging 20.3 points and 16.3 rebounds a game in the GMC Tournament, both above his season average. Against St. Joseph-Metuchen – the top seed they knocked off in the semifinals – the STA guards found Dilone with good looks, and his timing to avoid the defense made several buckets underneath look easy.

But they also can play stifling defense, even better when they need to be, as evidenced late in the game against the Falcons, frustrating one of the county’s top players in Jeremy Clayville all night long. Sophomore Greg Reyes has been a huge part of that, his defense being of immensely greater value than his 4.3 points per game on the offensive side.

For Colonia, it’s been the Aiden Derkack show, growing the family’s impact on the Colonia basketball program. His dad, Gene, is a Colonia legend. His brother, Jordan, is slaying up at Merrimack. And his older sister Taylor is the all-time leading scorer – girls or boys – in school history. He’s averaging 20.3 points a game this season, but 23 in the tournament. He’s scored in double figures all but two games this season, and gone over 30 four times. He had a really good freshman year, and has taken it to another level in 2023-24, avoiding any hint of a sophomore slump.

But let’s not forget they have other players too, including Central Jersey Sports Radio’s football Offensive Player of the Year Jaeden Jones, the star quarterback who’s quick on his feet and will be playing at Monmouth next year. He’s contributing almost 14 points a game, and still the team leader in assists, running the show on offense. Zach Smith has been a key contributor on defense.

Click below to hear both coaches talk about the semifinal matchup, and scroll down for more info on the game:

Colonia head coach Jose Rodriguez
St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Bob Turco

MORE ON THE GMC TOURNAMENT BOYS’ FINAL:

(2) Colonia (17-8) vs. (4) St. Thomas Aquinas (16-9)
When: Friday, 8 pm
Where: Monroe Township High School
Broadcast Team: Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino (LISTEN HERE)

COACHES: 

Colonia: Jose Rodriguez, 6th season (111-38)
St. Thomas Aquinas: Bob Turco, 6th season (117-32)

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Colonia: The Patriots cruised through their first two games, beating 15th-seed Perth Amboy in the first round, then got past in-town rival and seventh-seeded Woodbridge in the quarterfinals Saturday, 65-38. Adien Derkack scored 41 points in the first two games, including 23 against the Barrons, all without the benefit of the three-point arc. In the semis on Wednesday night in Monroe, Colonia used a big second half to top 6th-seed South Plainfield by a surprising 70-37 score. Aiden Derkack scored 27 and had eight rebounds, while Jaeden Jones added 13, and Zach Smith just missed a double-double, with 11 points and nine rebounds.

St. Thomas Aquinas: The Trojans topped 13-seed North Brunswick at home in the first round, and topped 12th-seeded Red Division foe East Brunswick 57-45 in Saturday’s quarterfinals at Piscataway behind 23 points from Aiden Ur, and a double-double of 15 points and 17 rebounds from Rinelson Dilone. In the semis Wednesday night in Monroe, Rinelson Dilone tallied his third straight double-double in the GMC Tournament, going off for 21 points and 18 rebounds. Aiden Ur added 12, while seven of the eight Trojans who played got in the scoring column.

TOP SCORERS:

Colonia: Aiden Derkack (20.3 ppg, 20 treys), Jaeden Jones (13.7 ppg, 10 treys)
St. Thomas Aquinas: Rinelson Dilone (16 ppg), Aiden Ur (15.2 ppg, 40 treys), Paris Papadatos (13.3 ppg, team-best 43 treys)

TOP REBOUNDERS:

Colonia: Aiden Derkack (7.8), James Curet (4.3)
St. Thomas Aquinas: Rinelson Dilone (13)

RECENT MEETINGS: St. Thomas Aquinas swept Colonia last season in the regular year, but they didn’t face each other in the GMC Tournament, and Aquinas won it all – again. This year, Colonia won both regular season meetings. Will the Patriots win it all this year?

GMC TOURNAMENT HISTORY:

St. Thomas Aquinas: The combo of Aquinas/Bishop Ahr has four GMC Tournament titles – third-best all-time, by the way, behind the 12 of St. Joseph and Piscataway’s five titles – as well as the Middlesex County Tournament title in 1982. Interesting side note: Aquinas girls’ coach Tim Corrigan was a ball boy on that 1982 team; his brother-in-law was on the coaching staff. Then they won it again in 1992, he was on the St. Joe’s team that lost to the Trojans.

Colonia: The Patriots are the last public school team to win the GMC Tournament, briefly snapping a string of five straight titles won by St. Joe’s from 2010-2014. Colonia won it in 2015, before the Falcons won the next four to make it an unprecedented nine titles in a span of ten years. Colonia has won three GMC titles and two MCT championships. They’re 5-6 all-time in finals, 2-1 in the MCT and 3-5 in the GMC title tilt.

OTHER NOTES:

Dominating: A public school hasn’t won the GMC boys’ tournament since 2015, when Colonia upset St. Joseph in a battle of No. 2 vs. No. 1. In fact, since 2010, either St. Joseph-Metuchen or St. Thomas Aquinas has won all but one of the last 13 full GMC Tournaments. (Colonia won the four-team, two-game Karl-Anthony Towns/Jay Williams top GMC pod during the COVID-shortened 2021 season.) But it wasn’t always like that. In fact, since the first GMC Tournament in 1986 – it was the Middlesex County Tournament before that since 1965 – only six of the first 24 titles went to non-publics. (Now-closed Cardinal McCarrick won two of them.) And in the 21-year history of the MCT, only five times did the title go to a non-public. (Now-closed St. Peter’s won four of them.) That’s 11 out of the first 45 titles going to parochials, then 12 of the next 13 since 2010.

Who’s been to the big game? Believe it or not, only four current GMC boys’ coaches have ever been to the finals. That includes Bob Turco of St. Thomas Aquinas, who’s 3-1 overall. He has three wins with the Trojans and one loss at Monroe in 2010 – when he lost to his brother, Dave, who was the head coach at St. Joseph-Metuchen, and now is at Kean University. But he’s the only current coach to win one. The other, North Brunswick’s Ed Breheney, retired after last season. The other three who’ve coached in the GMC finals before are Jose Rodriguez (lost in 2022), Darius Griffin of Piscataway (lost to St. Joe’s in 2019) and Mark Motusesky of East Brunswick, who lost to the Falcons in 2014, his first season taking over for longtime coach Bo Henning. 

Up the list: St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Bob Turco is tied for third on the all-time county championship list, MCT or GMCT. Paul Schoeb of Piscataway, Ken Pace (at JFK and Colonia) and John Somogyi of St. Peter’s also have won three. But Turco will have a long way to go to get to No. 2, where his brother Dave sits, having won eight titles. Seven of those came with St. Joe’s, while he also won one in 2002 while coaching his alma mater, Carteret. Turco is No. 1 if you just count the GMC, but overall it’s ill Buglovsky of Perth Amboy, who won eight, including the first Middlesex County Tournament in 1965. The won the next three, another in 1970, and four more from 1972-1975.

Consecutive Titles: St. Joseph-Metuchen is on this list twice, with the longest stretch of consecutive wins of five from 2010-2014, and again tied for second with four from 2016-2019. Perth Amboy also won four from 1972-1975. Three teams have won it three times in a row, including St. Thomas Aquinas in 2020, 2022 and 2023, St. Pete’s (1983-1985) and Perth Amboy (1965-1967).

How have the seeds fared? There have been 57 MCT/GMCT championship games, and the top seed has won 27 times. But they’re not in it this year, as St. Joseph was ousted in the semifinals by St. Thomas Aquinas. The 2-seed – in this case, Colonia – has won 15 times, while the four-seed has only won it twice. One of those was Colonia, in the 1969 Middlesex County Tournament, over 6th-seed South River. The last four-seed to win the GMC was Carteret, in the very first event, in 1986, over third-seed New Brunswick. The last time we had a two-seed against a four-seed? It was the only time, and it came in 2020, the beginning of St. Thomas’ run, when the second-seeded Trojans beat fourth-seed South Brunswick.

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep boys will get to defend 2023 SCT title, clinching fourth straight finals berth with semifinal win over Hillsborough

Somerset County Tournament top-seed Rutgers Prep used the three-ball and teamwork to come from behind and advance to its fourth straight county title game, thanks to a 69-58 come-from-behind home win over fourth-seed Hillsborough on Thursday night.

The Argonauts will face Montgomery – making its first-ever trip to the county final – in the SCT title game Saturday at 3 pm, following the girls’ game at 1 pm between Rutgers Prep and Gill St. Bernards, with both games being broadcast live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

It was raining threes in the first half – primarily by the Argonauts (18-6) – who overcame a 10-0 deficit to start the game and successfully sunk five three-point baskets to take a 15-14 lead after the first quarter.

It was a three pointer from Jacob Canton that ended the drought for Rutgers Prep, equalizing a three point basket from the Raiders’ Zion Harrison on the other end.

There was a steady diet of fouls on both sides but plenty of aggressive movement in the paint by both offenses, stingy defense, and fast action up and down the court.

Junior Myles Parker led the way for Rutgers Prep with 12 first-half points including a pair of three pointers and a posterizing one-handed slam-dunk.

That was after he fell hard to the floor with just under 4:00 to play in the first quarter and was left holding his neck. But he came back into the game and led the charge the rest of the first half.

Parker was held in check in the second half to only five points, but had another posterizing dunk.

No Parker? No problem.

Seeing the tight defense on Parker, Jacob Canton took the baton and ran with it in the second half compiling 22 points overall on the night.

Senior Jayden Green was the bellcow for the Raiders (15-8) with ten points at the first half break, but he was held to just two points in the second half.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Vin Ebenau, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Rutgers Prep’s Jacob Canton and head coach Matt Bloom

by Mike Pavlichko

First time for Montgomery: Cougars drop Watchung Hills to reach first-ever SCT final

With a minute or so left in the game, the hugs started coming from Kris Grundy. First to his assistant coaches, then to his players. And a look behind the bench to injured Ethan Lin.

It was just a matter of the final 70 seconds or so ticking off the clock.

When the horn sounded, the second-seeded Cougars had a 53-40 win in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, putting them in the county title game for the first time ever.

It’s been a long journey at for Grundy, who’s had some great seasons, some okay seasons, and some not-so-good seasons – just like any other coach who’s spent nearly two decades at his or her school.

But this one feels special.

Bohdan Bieketov led the Cougars (21-2) with 21 points, his second career high in less than a week, while Steve Donahue added 15 – including 6-of-6 at the foul line in the second half – for Montgomery.

Watchung Hills (17-7) was led by Dean Smith with 12 points, and the Warriors hit seven treys in defeat.

The game was tight early, with Watchung Hills taking a pair of one-point leads in a first quarter that saw no one ahead by more than two. Monty extended its lead to seven at one point, and was up one with 0.9 seconds left before halftime when Jack Fromelt got a rebound and gave them an improbable four-point lead on a full court heave that amazingly hit nothing but net.

The game remained tight through the third quarter, before Montgomery pulled away in the fourth with a smothering defense, and Bieketov working his magic inside, thanks to good looks from his guards. The Cougars led by 14 at one points, and won by 13.

Click below for postgame reaction with Montgomery senior Steve Donahue and head coach Kris Grundy, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Greater Middlesex Conference unveils 2023-24 All-Conference, Division teams

The 2023-24 All-Division teams have been announced by the Greater Middlesex Conference, with ten student-athletes on the boys’ and girls’ side being named All-Conference.

On the boys’ side, GMC Tournament finalist St. Thomas Aquinas had Rinelson Dilone named to the all-conference team, along with Aiden Derkack from Colonia.

On the girls’ side, from the GMC Tournament finalists, Taylor Derkack of tournament finalist Colonia was honored as part of the all-conference team, as was Gianna Chuffo of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Woodbridge’s Jonathon Toczynski was named Boys Coach of the Year, while Derrick Eatman of North Plainfield was chosen as Girls’ Coach of the Year.

Below are all of this year’s selections, as chosen by the league’s coaches:

BOYS – ALL-GMC

  • Jeremy Clayville, St. Joseph
  • Aiden Derkack, Colonia
  • Alex Grospe, South River
  • Myles Dickerson, Jalen Fleming, Timothy Christian
  • Micah Eason, Woodbridge
  • Myles Marabuto, Monroe
  • Rinelson Dilone, St. Thomas Aquinas
  • Abdul Adebule, South Plainfield
  • Daniel Yarus, Spotswood
  • Coach of the Year: Jonathan Toczynski, Woodbridge

Boys’ All-Red Division

  • Jeremy Clayville, Dave Caruso, St. Joseph
  • Aiden Derkack, Jaeden Jones, Colonia
  • Myles Marabuto, Monroe
  • Rinelson Dilone, St. Thomas Aquinas
  • Krish Patel, Old Bridge
  • Matt Mikulka, East Brunswick
  • Dan Swirad, South Brunswick
  • Anthony Hicks, JP Stevens
  • Coach of the Year: Jan Cocozziello, St. Joseph
  • Sportsmanship: JP Stevens

Boys’ All-White Division

  • Micah Eason, Woodbridge
  • Abdul Adebule, Ikenna Ibeku, South Plainfield
  • Brandon McCain, Tommy Koroma, North Brunswick
  • Sam Jones, Chidi Chukwurah, Sayreville
  • Angel Rosario, Perth Amboy
  • Ricky Harvey, Edison
  • Omari Williams, New Brunswick
  • Coach of the Year: Jonathan Toczynski, Woodbridge
  • Sportsmanship: New Brunswick

Boys’ All-Blue Division

  • Alex Grospe, South River
  • Jalen Fleming, Myles Dickerson, Timothy Christian
  • Kiye Walker, Daniel Yarus, Spotswood
  • Owen Reynolds, Middlesex
  • Mason Clemetson, Wardlaw-Hartridge
  • Ben Santus, Metuchen
  • Grant Lorentzon, JFK
  • Tyrece Parrott, Carteret
  • Coach of the Year: Steve Mate, Spotswood
  • Sportsmanship: Wardlaw-Hartridge

Boys’ All-Gold Division

  • Gavin Pelkey, Jake Eberle, South Amboy
  • Robert Kauffman, Michael Schafer, Calvary Christian
  • Estevan Atanacio, East Brunswick Magnet
  • Christian Torres, Perth Amboy Magnet
  • Marcus Hantsoulis, Highland Park
  • Vibert Reynolds, Dunellen
  • Coach of the Year: Felix Romero, Perth Amboy Magnet
  • Sportsmanship: East Brunswick Magnet

GIRLS – ALL GMC

  • Taylor Derkack, Colonia
  • Jessica Devine, Middlesex
  • Jennah Johnson, Woodbridge
  • Ghelsey Go, Edison
  • Layla Gutierrez, North Plainfield
  • Gianna Chuffo, St. Thomas Aquinas
  • Lizzie Calandruccio, Spotswood
  • Hailey Cottrell, Monroe
  • Meher Vig, South Brunswick
  • Katherine Bogutskyy, JP Stevens
  • Coach of the Year: Derrick Eatman, North Plainfield

Girls All-Red Division

  • Hailey Cottrell, Evangelina Francisco, Monroe
  • Leilani Pinder, Meher Vig, South Brunswick
  • Courtney Edmundo, Piscataway
  • Juliana Delos Santos-Branson, East Brunswick
  • Abigail Jazmin, Old Bridge
  • Gianna Chuffo, Jordan Barnes, St. Thomas Aquinas
  • Coach of the Year: Chris Pruder, Piscataway
  • Sportsmanship: North Brunswick

Girls’ All-White Division

  • Katherine Bogutskyy, Trisha Nair, JP Stevens
  • Jessica Devine, Middlesex
  • Izabella Pardo, Perth Amboy
  • Ghelsey Go, Edison
  • Jennah Johnson, Woodbridge
  • Stella Sweeney, South Plainfield
  • Paula Antunes, JFK
  • Layla Gutierrez, Kaelynn Hester, North Plainfield
  • Trisha Nair, JP Stevens
  • Coach of the Year: Derek Eatman
  • Sportsmanship: JFK

Girls’ All-Blue Division

  • Lizzie Calandruccio, Gabby Hill, Ava Fama, Spotswood
  • Jahaysia Ledesma, Anilah Diggs, Carteret
  • Madison Vitucci, Natalia Vera Cruz, South River
  • Vanessa Kohler, Highland Park
  • Kaitlyn Connors, Vicky Zaniecki, Metuchen
  • Coach of the Year: Kathy Glutz, Metuchen
  • Sportsmanship: Calvary Christian

Girls’ All-Gold Division

  • Rhaiyna Brown, Leah McNulty, Timothy Christian
  • Matti Miller, Piscataway Magnet
  • Dhanashri Balamurugan, Woodbridge Magnet
  • Wendy Woll, Sophie Jiminez, Dunellen
  • Arlette Batista, Perth Amboy Magney
  • Emma Kalantis, South Amboy
  • Kayla Martel, Italia Penevolpe, Wardlaw-Hartridge
  • Coach of the Year: Keith Connery, Dunellen
  • Sportsmanship: South Amboy
by Mike Pavlichko

All high seeds but one advance in Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals; now a quick turnaround to Thursday’s semis

With the Somerset County Tournament having to move its quarterfinal round to Wednesday evening due to Tuesday’s snowstorm, no one really got an extra day for prep; schools were closed all over the state.

Now the double-whammy: the eight teams that advanced to the semifinals have to come back in just 24 hours to play again.

It sure beats the alternative, which is going home.

All top seeds but one – fifth seed Franklin on the girls’ side advanced.

And Central Jersey Sports Radio will carry a boys’ SCT semifinal Thursday in Montgomery, where the second-seeded Cougars will entertain third-seed Watchung Hills at 6 pm. Mike Pavlichko has the call with pregame at 5:45 pm; click here to listen.

Here’s a look at Wednesday night’s quarterfinal action:

SCT GIRLS’ QUARTERFINALS:

(1) Rutgers Prep 86, (8) Ridge 40: The Lady Argonauts continue to dominate Somerset County competition. They have’t even lost to a county school since 2019’s SCT final, when they lost to eventual Tournament of Champions winner Franklin, which finished 32-0. In this one, Rutgers Prep exploded for 29 first quarter points and led by 15 after the first eight minutes, then 48-24 at halftime. Vanderbilt commit MIkayla Blakes scored 28 points, while sophomore Gigi Battle added 17 and six rebounds for Prep (19-4), which will host five-seed Franklin at 5 pm Thursday in the semifinals. Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Vin Ebenau will have a game story and postgame reaction when it’s all over. Ridge (10-15) was led by Sophia Georgiades, who scored 15 in defeat.

(5) Franklin 59, (4) Pingry 40: The Lady Warriors led this one most of the way up in Martinsville, ahead 18-12 after one and 27-21 at the break. Aleah Sunkins led the way for Franklin (14-11) with a double-double of 15 points and ten rebounds. Debra Hill led all scorers with 17 points for Pingry (16-6), adding 12 rebounds for a double-double of her own. Franklin travels to Rutgers Prep at 5 pm Friday, trying to snap a seven-game skid against the Argos, who have won those games by an average 32 points, including two this year by 40 and 43.

(3) Hillsborough 41, (6) Mount St. Mary 33: In the lowest scoring game of the night on the girls’ side, the Lady Raiders were in control most of the way, up 13-7 after one quarter, and 21-13 at halftime, extending its lead to double digits in the second half before the Lions got it back down to eight. Mya Loniewski notched her first double-double of the season, with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Mount St. Mary fell to 13-11 with the loss. Hillsborough (16-7) will head up to Gill St. Bernard’s to take on the second-seeded Knights Thursday at 5:30 pm.

(2) Gill St. Bernard’s 74, (7) Somerville 31: The Knights stepped on the gas from the opening tip, holding the Pioneers to single-digit scoring in the first quarter, after which GSB led 23-7. They opened that up to a 42-20 lead going into the locker room for halftime. Five players scored double-figures for the Knights (22-3), led by Brooke Baisley with 17, 12 each for Tessa Lozner and Gandy Malou-Mamel, which Maya Abramson chipped in 11 and Sydney Quinn scored 10. Somerville (21-4) was led by Kaylee Lauber with 9 points. Third-seed Hillsborough will visit Gill at 5:30 pm Thursday.

SCT BOYS’ QUARTERFINALS:

(1) Rutgers Prep 82, (8) Pingry 56: Pingry kept it tight in the first quarter, down by just six after the first eight minutes, but the Argonauts burned rubber peeling away in the second quarter, holding the Big Blue to just three points en route to a 45-16 lead at the break. Myles Parker led all scorers with 26 points, while Andrew Kretkowski chipped in 11 for Rutgers Prep (17-6), which will host 4th-seed Hillsborough – which they beat twice in the regular season – Thursday at 7 pm.

(4) Hillsborough 62, (5) Ridge 56: The Raiders (15-7) got one shy of a season-high from Phil Unangst, who dropped in 24 in the victory, and went 11-of-13 from the foul line. Zion Harrison added 18. Hillsborough led a good portion of the game until a furious fourth quarter comeback – Ridge won the final eight minutes 26-8 – fell short. Three players – led by Luke Kreitz with 17 and Quinn Dashefsky with 16- finished in double figures for the Red Devils (14-9). Hillsborough visits Rutgers Prep in Thursday’s semis at 7 pm.

(3) Watchung Hills 50, (6) Franklin 47: A tight one throughout, the Warriors had a strong third quarter to reverse a one-point halftime deficit and take a 39-33 lead going into the fourth quarter. Zach Patetta was one of three Watchung Hills players to score in double figures, leading with 13, while Dean Smith scored 12 and Aidan Hockmeyer chipped in 10. Franklin (13-11) got a game-high 18 from Landen Miller in defeat. The Warriors (17-6) will travel to play second-seed Montgomery Thursday at 6 pm in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

(2) Montgomery 58, (7) Gill St. Bernard’s 51: Gill led 30-24 at the half, but the Cougars clamped down defensively out of the locker room, holding Gill to just seven third-quarter points en route to a seven-point win, a 13-point swing from the break. Montgomery (20-2) got 24 points from Steve Donahue, a game-high, while Josh Moore added 11 for the home team. The Knights (10-14) were led by Stanley Njekwe with 18. It’ll be the first time since 2020 and only the second time since 2010 Gill won’t be in the Somerset County Tournament title game. Montgomery will host 3rd-seed Watchung Hills Thursday night at 6 pm in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

by Mike Pavlichko

St. Thomas Aquinas wins thriller over St. Joseph in GMCT semis, giving Trojans a chance to win fourth straight county title

The way the first half was going, everyone at Monroe Township High School knew this one would come down to the wire.

Fourth-seed St. Thomas Aquinas knocked off GMC Red champ and top-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen – the same Falcons they lost to twice in the regular season – 56-51 Thursday night at Monroe Township High School, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The Trojans (16-9) will play second-seed Colonia in Friday night’s final at 8 pm back in Monroe, a game that can be heard on CJSR immediately following the 6 pm girls’ final, which will feature the same two schools – Colonia and Aquinas.

Rinelson Dilone led the Trojans with 21 points, while Jeremy Clayville led St. Joe’s (18-8) with 24. 

But defense was the name of the game for Aquinas, which had lost twice to the Falcons in the regular season, 80-61, and 81-79 in overtime. There were no 80s this night for the Falcons, who were held to their third-lowest scoring total this season.

Click below for postgame reaction from Falcons’ senior Rinelson Dilone and head coach Bob Turco:

by Mike Pavlichko

Aiden Derkack’s 27 help Colonia boys get back to GMCT final for first time in three seasons

Whether the Colonia boys’ basketball team gets another crack at St. Thomas Aquinas – the team that beat them in the GMC Tournament finals two seasons ago, last time they were there – or faces top-seed St. Joseph doesn’t matter to them.

They’re back in the finals for the first time since 2022, and that’s all that counts.

Speaking of counting, you could be forgiven if you had a hard time keeping track of how many points sophomore Aidden Derkack had for the Patriots. He finished with 27, almost equally distributed among all four quarters, as 2-seed Colonia used a huge third quarter to extend a six-point halftime lead, beating 6-seed South Plainfield 70-37 Wednesday night in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Jaeden Jones had 13 for Colonia (17-8), even though he didn’t score until the third quarter. Thanks to Derkack, he didn’t have to.

South Plainfield (18-7) was led by Dante Dupiche, who had 13, including three triples.

Click below for postgame reaction with Colonia’s Aiden Derkack and head coach Jose Rodriguez:

white and black tree illustration
by Mike Pavlichko

As big snowstorm socks Northeast, county tourney skeds in Middlesex, Somerset take a hit

Mother Nature was relatively kind to the winter sports season this year, so in the end, maybe we were due.

Either way, the snowstorm that raced through New Jersey early Tuesday and into the afternoon in some places cancelled school all across the region, and led to the postponement of ten county tournament games locally, eight in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals – four each on the girls’ and boys’ side – and the two GMC Tournament semifinals.

Tuesday night would have had second-seed Colonia playing 14th-seed Middlesex at 5 pm and 5th-seed Monroe taking on top-seed and four-time defending champion St. Thomas Aquinas tipping at 7 pm at Monroe Township High School in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament girls’ semifinals. With snow wiping out those games, they’ll be played at the same time on Wednesday evening, but at Spotswood High School, which also hosted the GMC.

Monroe High School will be occupied with the boys’ semifinals, featuring second-seed Colonia and 6th-seed South Plainfield in the 5 pm opener, and top-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen against four-seed St. Thomas Aquinas, the GMCT winner three years’ running.

Central Jersey Sports Radio will broadcast both of the boys’ games, with Mike Pavlichko calling all the action. Plus, we’ll have an extended pregame starting at 4:15 pm as Alec Crouthamel reports live from the girls’ semis in Spotswood, including pregame interviews with all four coaches. Click here to listen. We’ll also carry Friday’s finals, with the girls at 6 pm and the boys at 8 pm.

As far as the Somerset County, all four games on both sides were moved to Wednesday, but that means they will play back-to-back nights this week, and three games in five days, with the semifinals still on Thursday night at higher seeds, and the championship doubleheader Saturday at Montgomery, with the girls at 1 pm and the boys at 3. Central Jersey Sports Radio will broadcast the finals live as well.

Immaculata Athletic Director Tom Gambino – who runs the tournaments – says the decision was made to keep Thursday’s and Saturday’s games where they are mainly due to the availability of officials. 

SCT BOYS’ QUARTERFINALS:

  • (8) Pingry at (1) Rutgers Prep, 7 pm (following the girls’ game)
  • (5) Ridge at (4) Hillsborough, 6:30 pm (following the girls’ game)
  • (6) Franklin at (3) Watchung Hills, 6 pm
  • (7) Gill St. Bernard’s at (2) Montgomery, 6 pm

SCT GIRLS’ QUARTERFINALS

  • (8) Ridge at (1) Rutgers Prep, 5 pm
  • (5) Franklin at (4) Pingry, 5 pm
  • (6) Mount St. Mary at (3) Hillsborough, 5 pm
  • (7) Somerville at (2) Gill St. Bernard’s, 5:30
by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep, Middlesex earn sectional top seeds as NJSIAA releases girls’ basketball state tournament brackets

The NJSIAA has come out with its girls’ basketball brackets for the 2024 state tournament, and 36 teams in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area qualified.

Rutgers Prep – the two-time defending Non Public South B champion got the top-seed in that section – while 20 of the 36 that qualified will open the playoffs with home games.

The state tournament begins next week, and we’ll have the full daily schedule then, updated each night with results and links to individual game stories.

All brackets are official as of noon on Wednesday, February 14th:

Central Jersey Group 4:
(16) Marlboro at (1) Hightstown
(9) Montgomery at (8) Old Bridge
(12) Freehold Township at (5) East Brunswick
(13) West Windsor-Plainsboro North at (4) Jackson Memorial
(14) Long Branch at (3) Monroe
(11) Northern Burlington at (6) South Brunswick
(10) Middletown South at (7) Princeton
(15) West Windsor-Plainsboro South at (2) Howell

Central Jersey Group 3:
(16) Allentown at (1) Ewing
(9) Hopewell Valley at (8) Colts Neck
(12) Carteret at (5) Robbinsville
(13) Freehold Borough at (4) Red Bank Regional
(14) South Plainfield at (3) Somerville
(11) Middletown North at (6) Neptune
(10) Brick Memorial at (7) Steinert
(15) Brick Township at (2) Ocean Township

Central Jersey Group 2:
(16) Point Pleasant Boro at (1) New Providence
(9) South River at (8) Delaware Valley
(12) Bound Brook at (5) Wall)
(13) Roselle at (4) Voorhees
(14) Johnson at (3) Rumson-Fair Haven
(11) Holmdel at (6) Spotswood
(10) Bordentown at (7) Metuchen
(15) Monmouth at (2) Manasquan

Central Jersey Group 1:
(16) Somerset Tech at (1) Middlesex
(9) Keansburg at (8) South Hunterdon
(12) Henry Hudson at (5) Manville
(13) South Amboy at (4) Point Pleasant Beach
(14) Florence at (3) Shore
(11) Perth Amboy Magnet at (6) Highland Park
(10) Keyport at (7) New Egypt
(15) Woodbridge Magnet at (2) Dunellen

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 4:
(16) Union at (1) Plainfield
(9) Woodbridge at (8) Phillipsburg
(12) Westfield at (5) Elizabeth
(13) Ridge at (4) JP Stevens
(14) Irvington at (3) Bayonne
(11) Scotch Plains-Fanwood at (6) Franklin
(10) Piscataway at (7) Hunterdon Central
(15) Linden at (2) Hillsborough

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 3:
(16) North Hunterdon at (1) Chatham
(9) Randolph at (8) Summit
(12) West Morris at (5) North Plainfield
(13) Governor Livingston at (4) Cranford
(14) Ferris at (3) Mendham
(11) Nutley at (6) Warren Hills
(10) Snyder at (7) Payne Tech
(15) Belleville at (2) Colonia

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 2:
(16) Parsippany at (1) Secaucus
(9) Caldwell at (8) Hanover Park
(12) Ridgefield Park at (5) Becton
(13) Science Park at (4) Newark Central
(14) Hackettstown at (3) Madison
(11) Dayton at (6) Lyndhurst
(10) Bernards at (7) Verona
(15) Arts at (2) Rutherford

Non-Public North B (eight team field, no byes):
(8) St. Mary-Rutherford at (1) Morris Catholic
(5) Roselle Catholic at (4) Saddle River Day
(6) Villa Walsh at (3) Gill St. Bernard’s
(7) DePaul at (2) Montclair-Immaculate

Non-Public South B:
(9) Timothy Christian at (8) Bishop Eustace, winner at (1) Rutgers Prep
(12) Moorestown Friends at (5) Trenton Catholic
(12) Calvary Christian at (4) Gloucester Catholic
(14) St. Joseph-Hammonton at (3) St. Rose-Belmar
(11) Koinonia at (6) Holy Spirit
(10) Holy Cross Prep at (7) Ranney, winner at (2) Wildwood Catholic

Non-Public South A:
(9) Mount St. Mary at (8) Notre Dame, winner at (1) Red Bank Catholic
(12) Donovan Catholic at (5) Pingry
(13) Camden Catholic at (4) St. John Vianney
(14) Princeton Day at (3) St. Thomas Aquinas
(11) Union Catholic at (6) Our Lady of Mercy
(10) Immaculata at (7) Paul VI, winner at (2) Trinity Hall