High School Girls Basketball

Former longtime Home News Tribune sportswriter Greg Tufaro speaks at the 24th annual Dan Hayston Memorial GMC Sportsmanship Awards Luncheon at the Pines Manor in Edison on April 9, 2025. (Photo: Robert Morris/Studio Rob)

A few personal thoughts on the loss of a great reporter, and an even better man, Greg Tufaro

When Greg Tufaro, the longtime Middlesex County sportswriter, passed away this Monday, the news was a shock to many. But it really shouldn’t have been.  Not to say we all expected it.  No one did.  But so few people knew he was even sick.  I had heard about it second hand. When we spoke exactly […]

Longtime Middlesex County sportswriter Greg Tufaro. (Source: St. Joseph-Metuchen)

Longtime Middlesex County sportswriter, founder of Marisa Tufaro Foundation, Greg Tufaro passes away

For some three decades, if there was a story to be found in the sports world and beyond in Middlesex County – sometimes the story behind the story – Greg Tufaro was the guy who would have it. And for the past nine years, if there was a good cause, the Marisa Tufaro Foundation – […]

After nearly a decade, and a half-million dollars donated, Marisa Tufaro Foundation wraps up its charitable mission

Ten years would have been a nice round number. But so is a half-million dollars. That’s what the Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated has donated to families and pediatric patients, charitable organizations and scholarship efforts around the state since its founding nine years ago, on July 30, 2017. But all good things must come to an end, and the group’s founders have announced the end of the Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s charitable mission. It was created by longtime Home News Tribune/MyCentralJersey sportswriter Greg Tufaro and his wife, Cyndi, in memory of their daughter, Marisa, who tragically passed away in January of…

Then-Franklin coach Audrey Taylor and now-retired Rutgers Prep coach Mary Klinger before a December 15, 2022 game in Somerset. Taylor will lead the program after Klinger’s retirement. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

A year after joining Klinger’s staff at Rutgers Prep, Audrey Taylor takes the reigns following her friend’s retirement

“I can barely believe I’m writing this, but it’s true: I’m joining the Legendary Coach Mary Klinger’s (Rutgers Preparatory School) staff this season.” That was the first line from a blog post on Audrey Taylor’s website on November 10th of last year. After 13 years coaching at Franklin – with some amazing teams, and players like Diamond Miller and others, who helped the Warriors win not one, but two Tournament of Champions titles and much more hardware in the process – and a year away from the high school game, Taylor was ready to get back into it, and did…

Rutgers Prep head coach Mary Klinger on the sidelines during the Non-Public Group B title game against Morris Catholic at Rutgers on March 8, 2024. (Photo: Dharen Faraon)

Looking back: Mary Klinger reflects on 42 years at Rutgers Prep, as legendary coach announces her retirement

Rutgers Prep girls’ basketball coach Mary Klinger has announced her retirement after 42 years leading the Argonauts, and her assistant last season – former Franklin coach Audrey Taylor – has been named as her successor. READ OUR FULL STORY HERE: Rutgers Prep girls’ basketball coach, AD Mary Klinger retiring after more than four decades; Audrey Taylor to lead program We’ll have a full, one-on-one interview with Taylor later on this morning. In the meantime, Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko got to have an extensive conversation with Klinger. Click below to listen to the interview:

Rutgers Prep head coach Mary Klinger (left) and her college coach, former Rutgers mentor Theresa Grentz, with whom they won the 1982 AIAW National Championship, after Klinger’s 700th win as a head coach on January 18, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Rutgers Prep girls’ basketball coach, AD Mary Klinger retiring after more than four decades; Audrey Taylor to lead program

Longtime Rutgers Prep girls’ basketball coach Mary Klinger is retiring after 42 years at the Easton Avenue school. The Rutgers Prep girls’ basketball team broke the news Wednesday night on Instagram. Assistant and friend Audrey Taylor – the former Franklin coach who won two Tournament of Champions titles there – has been named the program’s new head coach, Klinger confirmed to Central Jersey Sports Radio on Thursday morning. INTERVIEW: Looking back: Mary Klinger reflects on 42 years at Rutgers Prep, as legendary coach announces her retirement Klinger – then Mary Coyle – was a member of the 1982 Rutgers women’s…

A new scoreboard installed two seasons ago at St. Thomas Aquinas also has a shot clock along with it. Now, they’ll be ready to go when the shot clocks are turned on in New Jersey for the 2027-28 season. (File photo)

Shot clock is coming to New Jersey high school basketball, as NJSIAA measure for HS basketball passes narrowly

A well-coordinated effort to bring the shot clock to high school basketball in New Jersey just barely made it to the finish line Monday, winning approval by a slim margin in a vote of the full NJSIAA membership during a meeting at the Pines Manor in Edison. The basketball proposal passed 170-166, and the shot clock will begin when the 2027-28 season tips off. Use of the shot clock will be mandatory for all varsity games, but optional for JV and freshman contests. A similar shot clock measure in lacrosse was defeated however, by a 166-149 margin, with 21 abstentions,…

Greater Middlesex Conference realigns basketball divisions for boys’, girls’ hoops in 2026-27

After its first year of breaking divisions into Red, White and Blue “American” and “National” groupings for girls’ and boys’ basketball, the Greater Middlesex Conference is staying with that format, but still making some adjustments to its alignments for the 2026-27 season. The changes were approved by the GMC’s athletic directors on April 23rd. Only six schools on the boys’ side will find new homes next season, while a dozen will move around on the girls’ side. In most cases, moves down are teams that finished in last place in their division, while some that finished first moved up. In…

East Brunswick head coach Mark Motusesky talks to his team in the huddle during a timeout in a GMC Red Division game against Monroe on January 18, 2024. (Source: EBTV on YouTube)

Longtime East Brunswick boys’ hoops coach Mark Motusesky steps down after 13 years leading the Bears

Coming off one of the program’s most successful campaigns in over a decade, East Brunswick boys’ basketball coach Mark Motusesky has stepped down as head coach after 13 seasons at the helm. Motusesky made the announcement Friday afternoon. “It was a very difficult decision,” Motusesky wrote, “but ultimately it was the right one to be made. My daughter is going to be a freshman, and I know I would regret not being there.” That’s his daughter Ashley, who will be on the freshman team this coming school year. And, the girls’ program is somewhat of a family affair. Sophomore Ava…

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

NJSIAA moving Colonia boys’ basketball up to Group 4 based on new success formula

With the prevalence of charter schools live Thrive Charter and College Achieve Asbury Park in basketball, as well as public schools that draw students from outside their traditional geographical boundaries, the NJSIAA created a success formula, that moves team up in Group size for playoff qualification. And now, Middlesex County has seen its first team be affected by the new rule, as the Colonia boys’ basketball program – which has won five straight sectional titles and six of the last seven – is moving up to Group 4. The news was announced Wednesday by the NJSIAA at its monthly meeting…

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