Tag: Bohdan Biekietov

by Mike Pavlichko

Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Boys’ Basketball Team of the Year: Montgomery Cougars

Starting out a season, there can be multiple goals. Win your division. Win your county. Win a state title.

Only ten teams will get to play in the last game of the year. And this year, the Montgomery boys’ basketball team was one of them.

But that wasn’t all. The Cougars checked off the box next to division champs, winning the Skyland Conference Raritan with a 10-0 record. And while they fell in the county semifinals to Rutgers Prep, they won a second straight Central Jersey Group 4 title – both coming at home – defeating West Windsor-Plainsboro North to claim another piece of hardware.

The state final? Hey, they went up against to No. 1-ranked team in New Jersey in Plainfield, which won the game and the Group 4 title, and should finish as the top team in the Garden State this year.

Not a bad resume.

And yet, even bringing key parts back from last year, who knew how it would play out?

Senior Christian Hill had to play a bigger role. Ethan Lin was coming off a horrific ankle injury late last year that kept him out of the entire postseason run, both in the county and state tournament; how would he rebound? Would Ukrainian import Bohdan Biekietov be as dominant with teams now aware of his skill. And how would his fellow countryman Kyryl Streltsov fit in with the bunch.

There’s no guarantee, even with a good core back, but Montgomery answered the bell time and time again. Their loss to Plainfield? It was their only public school loss this season, and only the second public school they’ve lost to in two years. The other? Lenape, which beat them last year in the regular season and again in the Group 4 semifinals.

But Montgomery checked that box, too, avenging those defeats with a dominant win over the Indians in this year’s Group 4 semis to get to Jersey Mike’s Arena this past Sunday.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Montgomery seniors Christian Hill, Braden Ginsberg, Bohdan Biekietov, and Kyryl Streltsov, junior Ethan Lin, and head coach Kris Grundy:

by Mike Pavlichko

Two fundraisers support former and current Central Jersey H.S. athletes

Every so often, a fundraiser will pop up on GoFundMe for some important cause, or someone who needs financial help after a personal setback.

It just so happens there are two going on now for a couple of Central Jersey high school athletes.

The first to come up was one for Bohdan Biekietov. He’s a junior at Montgomery who only arrived in this country in September with his sister and mother from Odesa, Ukraine. Bohdan is the starting big man on the Cougar basketball team that won the Central Jersey Group 4 title this year, and was named the Central Jersey Sports Radio Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year.

Montgomery’s Bohdan Biekietov goes up for the opening tip against Rutgers Prep in the Somerset County Tournament final on February 17, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

His father is back at home, working with the military, helping to shoot down Russian missles that rain down night after night on Ukraine. Limited in how much he can work, a GoFundMe for the Biekietov family started on March 14th aims to raise $10,000 for the family to adjust to life here in the U.S. It’s passed that amount with nearly 100 donations, and the new goal is $15,000.

TO DONATE TO THE BIEKIETOV FAMILY ON GOFUNDME, CLICK HERE

But a second fundraiser has been going on for even longer, this one for a former Woodbridge football player.

Garrett Mozolic played for the Barrons and then-head coach Brian Russo in the mid-2000s, graduating in 2007. He rushed for 2,459 yards in a three-year varsity career, with 23 touchdowns, and was a thousand-yard rusher his senior year, going for 1,126 yards and nine TDs.

Former Woodbridge football standout Garrett Mozolic. (Source: Woodbridge Football on MaxPreps)

Now 35 years old and living with his wife in Hawaii – where they first met – he’s been diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer that has spread to other organs, according to the GoFundMe description of a fundraiser that went live in January.

But Garrett is not just in a fight for his life; he’s also thinking about helping others at the same time. “Any unused donations will be going to St. Jude’s or directly to children of need,” he writes on the fundraiser site.

Former Woodbridge football standout Garrett Mozolic. (Source: Woodbridge Football)

“My battle ahead is to beat the spread of cancer that has moved from my colon to my liver and lungs. Upon conquering the first battle, then moving on and eradicating the tumor in my colon. I’m taking a combined approach of treatments to attack this best as I can. My faith is in God and I know I’m in his hands. I’m mentally strong to face this head on, although my body is not physically as strong as it once was,” he added.

In a little over two months, the fundraiser has picked up nearly $31,000 with a goal of raising $40,000 for medical expenses.

TO DONATE TO GARRETT MOZOLIC ON GOFUNDME CLICK HERE

by Mike Pavlichko

Biekietov fled Ukraine, helped lead Montgomery to CJ4 title, named CJSR Boys’ Player of the Year

Sorry folks, no one can argue with this one. Don’t even try.

Every high school basketball player, no matter their talent level, has to overcome some adversity. Maybe it’s not on the court, but in algebra, or something at home.

But to do it like Bohdan Biekietov of Montgomery, in a new country, with his father helping defend his native Ukraine, well, that’s a different story.

Montgomery’s Bohdan Biekietov (#33 in white) goes up for the opening tip against Rutgers Prep in the Somerset County Tournament final on February 17, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Biekietov’s homeland – he hails from Odesa – has been ravaged by war. His father remains, looking after Bohdan’s grandfather while assisting the Ukrainian military with missile defense. His mother Olga and sister Sofia came here with him, landing in Montgomery. That story is one of a connection made by Bohdan via basketball in Spain, and a desire for a better life. But we’ll let him tell that story.

Biekietov joined the Cougar family, welcomed with open arms not just by his teammates and coaches but the entire school, and was one of the most critical parts of his team’s success in 2023-24, capped off by Monty’s first sectional title in 14 years. He finished the season averaging a double-double, just over 12 points and 10 rebounds a game.

But Player of the Year isn’t just points and rebounds, or slam dunks. And so, without a doubt, with all that he did in basketball, and all that he’s overcome to get here, Bohdan Biekietov is the Central Jersey Sports Radio Player of the Year.

We will see him again next season, to the chagrin of many opponents. He’s just a junior. He’ll be playing summer AAU ball. And he just got his first college offer, from Robert Morris. And offer which may save his life.

Because when his school days are done here, whether high school or college, he’ll have to go back to the Ukraine and enlist. Who knows what the future holds for Biekietov, but for now, it’s about keeping his family together. And now, that family includes the entire Montgomery community.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with 2023-24 Central Jersey Sports Radio Player of the Year, Bohdan Biekietov:

by Mike Pavlichko

Fromelt, Biekietov fuel 3rd quarter comeback, push No. 4 Montgomery past No. 10 Hillsborough, earn Cougars likely 2-seed in SCT

His father is fighting against Russia, and his starting point guard went to the hospital with a lower leg injury.

Bohdan Biekietov had a lot on his mind coming out of the locker room, and on top of it, No. 4 Montgomery was down 22-18 against rival No. 10 Hillsborough Saturday afternoon.

So what?

He and Jack Fromelt combined for 14 third quarter points, in a decisive stretch that gave Montgomery its first lead of the game, one they’d never surrender, and ride out for a 51-37 victory that should earn the Cougars the No. 2 seed in the Somerset County Tournament when the coaches get together for Monday night’s seeding meeting.

Biekietov finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds for a double-double, and also tallied a mammoth nine blocks. 

Hillsborough (11-7) took an early lead and never trailed in the first half, playing sollid defense, and getting a pair of threes from Zion Harrison, and another from Phillip Unangst. But Montgomery (16-2) came out of the locker room hit, getting back-to-back threes from Jack Fromelt, and eight points – including 4-of-4 from the line – from Biekietov.

Once Montgomery took the lead in the third, the Cougars didn’t look back. Hillsborough briefly tied it at 24, but would never take the lead again.

Sophomore point guard Ethan Lin went down to a lower left leg injury in the first half and was taken to the hospital; head coach Kris Grundy said after the game he was headed there next to check on his condition.

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

Montgomery junior Bohdan Biekietov
Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy