Tag: boys' basketball

by Mike Pavlichko

It’s musical chairs in GMC basketball, as teams move to new divisions on boys’ and girls’ sides

After a two-year scheduling cycle with large divisions – some as big as nine teams – the Greater Middlesex Conference has its new alignments for the next two years in girls’ and boys’ basketball, with the biggest changes on the boys’ side.

Now with 33 teams playing boys’ basketball in the GMC, the league added a Silver Division at the bottom – as it’s done in other sports, including baseball – to lessen the extremes from the top to the bottom in each division. Overall, 17 boys’ teams moved around, while ten of the 34 girls’ schools got shuffled.

Blue and Gold see most movement in boys’ hoops…

More than two thirds of the Red Division stayed in tact, with Colonia, Monroe, Old Bridge, Piscataway, South Brunswick and St. Thomas Aquinas remaining. East Brunswick (14-14) moved down one to the White along with South Brunswick (6-18), while JP Stevens (8-14) moved down two notches to the Blue.

In the White Division, North Brunswick, Perth Amboy, Sayreville, South Plainfield and Woodbridge stayed put. Edison (7-17), New Brunswick (6-17) and North Plainfield (8-17) moved down to the Blue.

Five of the nine teams in the GMC Blue moved down. While most from the Red and White that moved down were in the bottom third of the division, a mix of Blue teams got shuffled. Defending champion Spotswood (20-7) goes down to the Gold, along with third-place Middlesex (13-14), South River (13-14) and Metuchen (12-14), while Wardlaw-Hartridge (3-22) goes down two divisions to the Silver.

GMC Gold Champion Calvary Christian (19-7) is the only Gold Division team to remain, joined by the five from the Blue that moved down. Everyone else moves to the new Silver, along with Wardlaw-Hartridge coming down from the Blue.

Here are the 2024-25 Divisional Alignments for GMC Boys’ Basketball:

  • Red Division (6): Colonia, Monroe, Old Bridge, Piscataway, St. Joseph-Metuchen, St. Thomas Aquinas
  • White Division (7): East Brunswick, North Brunswick, Perth Amboy, Sayreville, South Brunswick, South Plainfield, Woodbridge
  • Blue Division (6): Carteret, Edison, JP Stevens, New Brunswick, North Plainfield, Timothy Christian
  • Gold Division (6): Calvary Christian, JFK, Metuchen, Middlesex, South River, Spotswood
  • Silver Division (8): Dunellen, East Brunswick Magnet, Highland Park, Perth Amboy Magnet, Piscataway Magnet, Somerset Tech, South Amboy, Wardlaw-Hartridge

Fewer changes on the girls’ side…

Virtually the entire Red Division stayed in tact, with only last-place North Brunswick (5-21) moving down to the White. North Plainfield (18-7) takes the Raiders’ place in the Red, even though they were the second-place team, keeping first-place JP Stevens (20-6) in the same division with Edison. The two bottom teams in the division – JFK (4-18) and Sayreville (1-24) move down to the Blue.

GMC Blue champion Spotswood (21-6) moved up to the White as well, leaving Carteret, Highland Park, Metuchen and South River behind along with JFK and Sayreville coming down from the White. The bottom three teams – Calvary Christian (6-11), New Brunswick (4-16) and Somerset Tech (1-17) move down to the Gold.

And most of the Gold stays the way it is, plus the three new additions, while second-place Dunellen (18-9) and third-place Timothy Christian (15-9) move on up to the Gold. Division winner Wardlaw-Hartridge (15-4) stays behind with Mother Seton, South Amboy and the Middlesex County Magnet schools (East Brunswick, Perth Amboy, Piscataway and Woodbridge).

Here are the 2024-2025 Divisional Alignments for GMC Girls’ Basketball:

  • Red Division (8): Colonia, East Brunswick, Monroe, North Plainfield, Old Bridge, Piscataway, South Brunswick, St. Thomas Aquinas
  • White Division (8): Edison, JP Stevens, Middlesex, North Brunswick, Perth Amboy, South Plainfield, Spotswood, Woodbridge
  • Blue Division (8): Carteret, Dunellen, Highland Park, JFK, Metuchen, Sayreville, South River, Timothy Christian
  • Gold Division (10): Calvary Christian, East Brunswick Magnet, Mother Seton, New Brunswick, Perth Amboy Magnet, Piscataway Magnet, Somerset Tech, South Amboy, Wardlaw-Hartridge, Woodbridge Magnet

by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery, Monroe boys should grab top two seeds in CJ4 playoffs; 34 teams expected to qualify when brackets come out Wednesday

It’s already been a heck of a season for Montgomery. They won the Skyland Conference Valley Division, checking one box, with two more goals in sight: a county championship and a state title.

And the Cougars appear to have picked up as much of an advantage as possible, likely earning the top seed in the Central Jersey Group 4 playoff section, with Monroe right behind them at No. 2.

Overall, we project 34 area teams will make the NJSIAA playoffs when the brackets are announced this Wednesday.

Scroll down for a section-by-section look at how things will likely shake out. Our standings are based on NJSIAA power point standings as officially reported by NJ.com. These numbers may not have been checked for accuracy by the state or any of the participating schools, and the NJSIAA does not typically release opt-outs or teams disqualified for the tournament, so the projected matchups may change from what is printed here:

Central Jersey Group 4: Montgomery (19-2) ends the weekend right where it started, at No. 1. That would give them the potential for a home game in the CJ4 title tilt, should they get there. Their first-round opponent appears to be 16th-seed West Windsor-Plainsboro South (7-15). Monroe (15-7) held on to the second-seed, as expected, and the Falcons are projected to host No. 15 Freehold Township (8-14) in the opening round, with home court guaranteed through at least the sectional semis. Old Bridge (13-9) dropped from third to fifth at the cutoff, and should host 12-seed West Windsor-Plainsboro North (12-11). North Brunswick (14-10) also dropped two spots on the final day, and appears to have grabbed the seven-seed, which means they would host tenth-seed Sayreville (15-9) in a GMC White Division playoff matchup. The Raiders beat the Bombers twice this season, by five and six points. East Brunswick (12-13) held on to the eighth spot, and would host Hightstown (13-11) in the 8/9 game if everything holds.

Central Jersey Group 3: Only two area teams will qualify here, with both looking like they will start on the road. Somerville (10-14) is projected as the nine-seed, opening up at 8-seed Robbinsville (16-8). Carteret (14-10) looks like the 12-seed, but note they’re only a point ahead of Lawrence (11-12), so if there are any errors, that could change. As of now, they would visit five-seed Colts Neck (13-7). The top-seed here should be Red Bank Regional (17-4).

Central Jersey Group 2: Manasquan – which beat South River in the final here last years – will be the top seed at 18-5, with Spotswood (16-6) the highest CJSR-area team, checking in at No. 5. That would put them in a first round home game against 12-seed Willingboro (10-12), if everything holds. Right behind the Chargers are Bound Brook (15-10), which would host the 13th-seed Delran (9-14). Middlesex is in at No. 1, and should be at 7-seed Point Pleasant Boro (13-9) in the opening round, while 14th-place Metuchen (12-12) should open at Rumson-Fair Haven (17-6). But the next news here may be that last year’s runner up, South River (12-12), appears to have squeezed in at the last minute over Hillside by a single point, after the Rams beat Highland Park Saturday and the Comets lost to Pemberton.

Central Jersey Group 1: Henry Hudson (18-4) will be the top seed here, and the other non-CJSR area team of interest is Dave Boff’s College Achieve Asbury Park, which looks like it has the third seed at 15-7. After that, it gets complicated. In a tie for fourth are Manville (12-11) and Brearley (10-7), but the Bears won the head-to-head, so they should get the No. 4 seed, while the Mustangs drop to five. That would have Manville opening up against the 15th-seed, which we think will be Keyport in a 16th-place tiebreaker with Academy Charter. The two didn’t meet head-to-head, but Keyport beat Common opponent Keansburg twice, while Academy beat them just once. But Academy will still make the playoffs, even after falling to 17, due to the ineligibility of South Amboy and College Achieve Central, where multiple players from both teams were disqualified, automatically barring both from the state playoffs. We think that even gets Highland Park in at 6-16 at No. 18, which would put them at top-seed Henry Hudson. Elsewhere, Perth Amboy Magnet (12-8) appears to be the six-seed, which we think will have them at 11-seed Point Pleasant Beach (11-11). Dunellen (11-11) should be the nine-seed, and would open up at defending sectional champion Eagle Academy (11-11). Somerset Tech also appears to be the 13 seed, which would put them at 4-seed Brearley in the opening round.

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 4: It has been Phillipsburg atop this section for a while now, and they look like they finish there with a 20-2 record. But in second is Watchung Hills (16-6), so it looks like the Warriors will get home court through at least the sectional semis, and would host 15-seed Columbia (11-10) in the opening round. Ridge (14-8) closes out the top four, so the Red Devils could get at least two guaranteed home games, likely opening against 12-seed Scotch Plains-Fanwood (13-10) at home. Hillsborough finished in fifth place at 14-7, climbing two spots on the final day with a win over Scotch Plains, and should host 12-seed Linden (14-10) in the opening round. Franklin fell a spot to seven as a result, and would host a very tough out in Westfield (13-11). Woodbridge (15-7) appears to have just missed a top eight seed and a first-round home game, and they should open at 8-seed Plainfield, which also is 15-7. A loss to Franklin in the Somerset County Tournament Saturday likely cost Bridgewater-Raritan the final playoff spot, as they fell to 17 with the loss at 10-14, behind Bayonne (13-11).

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 3: Nothing changed at the top here, so Cranford should hold on to the number one seed, followed by the only local teams that qualified in this section: South Plainfield second at 1706, and Colonia third at 15-8. The Tigers would likely host 15-seed Fort Lee (9-13) in the opening round, while the Patriots would entertain Governor Livingston (10-8).

North Jersey, Section 1 – Group 2: As expected, Arts (19-6) held on to first place here, with the only area team – Bernards (14-8) – hanging on to seventh place at the cutoff. That would have them hosting 10-seed Hanover Park (14-9) if all holds here.

Non-Public North B: No major changes here, as Morris Catholic gets the top-seed are 20-2 by a good margin, while the four CJSR-area teams remain right where they were heading into the cutoff. That includes St. Thomas Aquinas in fourth place in this 15-team section, though that could get smaller, as 14th-place Wardlaw-Hartridge – which tied with 5-13 Golda Och for last – could opt out, if anyone could, at 1-19. Either way, expect the Trojans to host 13th-seed Koinonia (4-19). Timothy Christian finished in sixth place at 15-8, and the Tigers – who gave St. Joseph-Metuchen a run for their money Saturday in the GMC Tournament quarterfinals – should 11-seed Pioneer Academy (8-11) in the opening round. Right behind them in seventh is Gill St. Bernard’s (10-13), and we expect the Knights to host t0th-place Morristown-Beard (4-15) in the first round. If Wardlaw does stay in, they’ll end at 15th, and would have to go up to 2nd-seed Montclair-Immaculate (18-6). (This section was updated to project Timothy Christian playing Pioneer Academy instead of Eastern Christian.)

Non-Public South B: The only area team here is Calvary Christian (17-3), which looks like the four-seed in a 14-team section, hosting 13th-seed Moorestown Friends (5-13). Top-seed St. Rose of Belmar (23-2) would get an opening round bye before beginning play in the quarters against the winner of the 8/9 game, likely between Wildwood Catholic (9-15) and Ranney (10-11).

Non-Public South A: Christian Brothers appears to have picked up the top-seed at 17-5, while Rutgers Prep (16-6) is in third, the highest CJSR-area team. In a 13-team field where no drop-outs are expected – everyone has at least ten wins, and only two of the 14 are slightly below .500 on the season – the Argonauts would get a bye, and host the winner of 6-seed Red Bank Catholic (14-11) and 11-seed Notre Dame (11-10).  St. Joseph-Metuchen (18-7) finished fourth, and we project them to host 13-seed Immaculata (10-12) in the opening round. Right in the middle of it all is Pingry, with the Big Blue 16-4 and in eighth, likely hosting a first round game against nine-seed Camden Catholic (13-9).

by Mike Pavlichko

GMC Red “one time through” scheduling doesn’t change standings much

The Greater Middlesex Conference’s Red Division was decided long ago, while others are still up in the air, all part of the league’s “once time through” pilot program that ends this year.

The schedule change – which first took effect last year – allows teams in that division to play each other only once. Of the nine teams in the division, the only public school to rematch with the non-publics was Colonia, which faced St. Joseph twice and plays St. Thomas Aquinas for a second time Thursday evening.

That changes the overall standings just a bit, though not at the top.

It’s important because of the GMC’s unique seeding procedure. No team can be seeded ahead of a team it’s behind in the standings.

Here’s a look at the GMC Red based on only the first matchups:

After the first run through, Monroe earns the tiebreaker over St. Thomas Aquinas thanks to the Falcons’ head-to-head win on January 4th, and East Brunswick gets the tiebreaker over JP Stevens with a head-to-head win over JP Stevens on January 15th.

These standings differ slightly from what the somewhat full standings look like, with many of the public schools playing each other twice. The only difference was St. Thomas Aquinas moves up to fourth, swapping places with Old Bridge.

by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery three-point barrage buries Bridgewater-Raritan in Cougar Classic finale

Montgomery used another career night from senior co-captain Steve Donahue en route to a 88-46 win over visiting Bridgewater-Raritan Friday afternoon in the finale of the 2023 Cougar Classic.

Donahue – who will play his college ball at Franklin and Marshall – only played the first three quarters, with his team up 68-31 at that point. But he finished with a career high 27 points – matching his effort in a win at Morris Knolls on December 27th – and a new career best six from downtown.

Monty improved to 6-0, going 2-0 in this year’s round robin event, and is the last remaining Skyland Conference team with an unblemished record. And they’re already more than halfway to last year’s win total of eleven, in an 11-14 season for head coach Kris Grundy’s club.

They beat the Panthers with solid defense on one end of the floor, making the BR look flustered, and with a half-court offense that was humming like a well-oiled machine. 

They also found good looks for a ton of treys – 14 total in the game – and when they drove to the basket, drew contact and got to the foul line, for more buckets, building up to a 43-17 halftime lead.

Ethan Lin and Miggy Aguilar each finished with 10, with Aguilar scoring eight in the first quarter alone, erasing an early 5-0 Bridgewater lead to go up 22-12 after one quarter.

The 88 points scored by the Cougars was not only a season high, but the most they’ve scored against a Somerset County opponent since Kris Grundy became the head coach in 2005-06.

Bridgewater-Raritan dropped to 4-3 on the season. Ramses Binns finished with 11 and Matt Lyne with 10 to lead the Panthers, with Lyne hitting twice from beyond the arc in the game.

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

Spotswood at South River
by Mike Pavlichko

South River Rams, who enthralled a whole town and a whole league in ’23, are CJSR Boys’ Basketball Team of the Year

First, a disclaimer. For as long as I have been doing this, traditionally, the No. 1 team at the end of any sports season is the team of the year. And usually, the stars align, where that team wins a state championship, goes undefeated, etc.

But one team was so compelling this year, almost from the opening tip-off of the entire season. They captivated the Greater Middlesex Conference – and of course, their community – packing their tiny gym with loud fans that left your ears ringing after you left the joint.

That team was the South River Rams. And while St. Thomas Aquinas was clearly and without dispute the No. 1 team in the final Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten – they dominated all year, won the GMC Tournament, and it wasn’t their fault they ran into the state’s No. 1 team, Roselle Catholic, in the sectional semifinals of Non-Public South B – South River was the team of the year.

Part of it was because those teams don’t come around very often. There were some titles in the ’40s and ’50s. There was the era of Kenny Jackson in the late ’70s, even though he would me more widely known for his football exploits, and the 79-80 Group 2 champions. There was the 1990-91 team, the last to win a title, in Central Jersey Group 1.

This team was on a par with them until they ran into another group two juggernaut in Manasquan with a point guard who would not be denied.

But their journey with a 22-point win over Metuchen on opening night, then took a most interesting turn the day after Christmas, when the Rams went up to St. Joe’s – in a Blue vs. Red Division matchup – and beat the Falcons 74-66.

South River’s Alex Grospe drives the lane against St. Joe’s on December 26, 2022. (Image courtesy St. Joe’s Student Media)

Everyone stood up and took notice. Would it be a fluke? Could they keep it up? If they kept winning, could they get a three-seed in the county tournament? All the talk about bias against the Blue and Gold Divisions of the past years meant nothing since those teams often didn’t play up. South River put its money where its mouth was.

They wound up winning their first eleven games before falling to Piscataway, but finished the regular season as Blue Division Champions, still picked up the third-seed in the GMC Tournament, behind St. Thomas and Colonia. St. Joe’s got the four.

Though they got knocked out in the GMC semis by South Brunswick, their next life would begin in the state tournament, as the top-seed in Central Jersey Group 2. They rolled past East Brunswick Magnet and beat Point Pleasant Boro. They filled the place against a damn good Bound Brook and beat them by six.

South River's gym
The stands are filled in South River’s tiny gym during the JV game before the main event, the huge rivalry between Spotswood and the Rams on January 20, 2023. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Then came Manasquan.

This was a senior-laden group, and the story after that oh-so-heartbreaking defeat in the Central Jersey Group 2 title game could be told in the lingering crowd thereafter. Family, friends, neighbors. As head coach Brandon Walsh talked to his team, talked, and talked some more, one by one, the seniors would come out.

Roman Santos. Laz Rodriguez. Jeremy Grospe. Kobe Taylor. Isaac Linarez. Gavin Franco.

Each got a round of applause and standing O as they emerged from the locker room.

The Rams didn’t just go 26-4. They drove the student body bonkers every night with long three balls, pesky defense, and transition basketball. They lifted a community’s spirit.

They gave South River a basketball season it will never forget.

That’s why they’re Central Jersey Sports Radio’s 2023 Team of the Year.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with head coach Brandon Walsh and senior Laz Rodriguez:

South River’s Laz Rodriguez looks to make a move against Manasquan in the Central Jersey Group 2 title game in South River on February 28, 2023. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
by Mike Pavlichko

Team play, upset wins earn South Brunswick’s Joe Hoehman CJSR Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year honors

They were the upset specials of the GMC and state tournament. But then again, were they really?

It might be hard to notice South Brunswick when the teams finishing above you are St. Thomas Aquinas, Colonia and St. Joseph-Metuchen, the first two of whom only joined the GMC Red Division this year.

But maybe the Vikings didn’t care if anyone was paying attention. They put together a nice regular season with a great young point guard and a center who’s like another coach on the floor, and were primed to do damage come GMC Tournament time.

And that they did. As the 7th-seed, they took care of JP Steven in the first round, then pulled off back-to-back “upsets” en route to the finals, first knocking off 2nd-seed Colonia 63-43, then eliminating Cinderella third-seed South River 53-41 in the semifinals.

They would play top-seed St. Thomas Aquinas to within three-points in a dramatic championship game, with a chance to tie it with under ten seconds left that just didn’t work out. Had they won, they would have been the lowest seed to take home a GMC Tournament trophy.

Then came the states, Central Jersey Group 4. As the sixth-seed, they easily beat Old Bridge in the opening round, then were back to their old tricks. They knocked off rival and third-seed North Brunswick in the quarterfinals 72-46, before getting a surprise home game against 7th-seed Marlboro, which they won by 11. The quest, however, would fall short at top-seed Trenton in the sectional final.

Through it all, the Vikings finished 20-7 and were one of just four boys teams in our coverage area – three from the GMC Red Division – to make it to a sectional title game.

For his efforts in guiding that squad through a challenging schedule, pulling off upsets, and showing how teamwork can build success, South Brunswick head coach Joe Hoehman is our 2023 Central Jersey Sports Radio Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year.

Click below to hear his conversation about the season with Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Falcons’ Josh Ingram finished strong for St. Joseph, earning him CJSR Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year honors

Josh Ingram – like a lot of other basketball players in Middlesex and Somerset Counties – had a very fine 2022-23 season. He averaged 22 points a game, nearly eight rebounds, nearly four assists, and shot just under 60-perccent from the floor, 37-percent from downtown, and a nice 83-percent from the free-throw line.

In the early season, he provided enough offense as St. Joseph-Metuchen – missing some key pieces for various reasons – tried to find itself. Later in the season, with things hanging in the balance, and starter Jeremy Clayville out, Ingram “turned it up to eleven.”

In his final ten games of the season, which included not one, but two wins over Rutgers Prep and a run to the Non-Public South A title game against Union Catholic – the eventual Group A winner – Ingram turned averaged 23.6 points a game, had 33 in the regular season win over the Argonauts, and cracked 30 points four times, including a wild GMC Tournament first-round win over Spotswood, where he notched a career high 38 points.

Those efforts have earned him Central Jersey Sports Radio Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year honors for 2023.

He was virutally unstoppable from the time Clayville went down January 27th to the point that when he returned, it was just gravy.

“It’s been a privilege to coach Josh and watch him grow into the player and person has become,” said Joe’s head coach Jan Cocozziello. “His talent is undeniable, but he’s also a leader with a team mentality. He’s a selfless player who steps up when his team needs him.”

Scroll down for honorable mention selections.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with 2023 Boys’ Player of the Year Josh Ingram of St. Joe’s:

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Deuce Jones, St. Thomas Aquinas: There was a lot of talent on the Trojans’ roster this season, but as head coach Bob Turco has said about Jones, “he’s the straw that stirs the drink.” He averaged six assists a game, while still scoring 16.5 points a game for the three-time GMC Tournament Champions. What made it more impressive is that the junior was playing just his first season in North Edison, a transfer from Trenton Catholic. But he fit seamlessly into a solid core that included players like Jalen “Pop” Pichardo, Terrell Pitts, Kamal Lee, and more.

St. Thomas Aquinas junior guard Deuce Jones (right) talks with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Justin Sontupe after a 69-46 win over Colonia in Edison on January 12, 2023. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Jadin Collins, Rutgers Prep: An outstanding two-year varsity starter for Matt Bloom’s club, he averaged 19.2 points per game in that span and four-and-a-half assists as the Argonauts’ point guard, while also racking up 224 steals. This year, he averaged 20.5 points per game for 22-8 Prep en route to the Somerset County Tournament Championship, a year after they won the 2022 Non-Public South B title on his then-career-high 33 point effort – kitting key bucket after key bucket down the stretch.

Jordin Collins of Rutgers Prep brings the ball up the floor in the second half against Gill St. Bernard’s on January 24, 2023. Collins finished with a game-high 22 points. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Jordan Summers, Bound Brook: Summers – who just signed on with Caldwell Monday – has been a stalwart from a great recent basketball family in The Brook. Summers finished with 1,456 career points, and scored 690 this year in 27 games, averaging an area-best 25.5 points per game – that’s tops among boys and girls in the CJSR coverage area. But it was the intangibles, leadership and unselfishness that made him most valuable to his team. “I have seen Jordan grow in front of my eyes since he was a kid, says head coach Anthony Melesurgo. “I am so proud of the young man he has become. The sky’s the limit for him!” He’ll also be playing in the North-/South All-Star game this Sunday at 2 pm at Rutgers Prep, the second player in as many years to do so; Quadir Harrell played last year.

Jordan Summers of Bound Brook – surrounded by teammates – signs on for a full scholarship with D2 Caldwell on March 6, 2023. (Photo courtesy Anthony Melesurgo)
by Mike Pavlichko

Ramapo too much for Colonia down the stretch, as Patriots’ season ends in the Group 3 semis – again

Colonia has now won back-to-back sectional titles in North 2 Group 3, and has taken the title in three of the last four playoff years.

But they just can’t seem to get over that hump, that hump called Ramapo.

For the second year in a row, the Patriots lot to the North 1, Group 3 champions in the Group 3 semifinals out at Phillipsburg High School, last year by ten, this year by four.

Maybe the third time will be the charm.

But that was little consolation on Wednesday night out on the State Line, where Colonia – unlike last year – led going into the fourth quarter, albeit by one, thanks to a Jaeden Jones bucket.

But Ramapo got out to a slim lead in the fourth quarter, by two, three, four; never quite enough to seal the deal until the end, but enough to keep the Patriots in catch-up mode.

Colonia ends its season 25-5, while Ramapo goes on to the Group 3 finals at Rutgers University’s Jersey Mike’s Arena Saturday at a time to be determined against Central Group 3 champ Nottingham, which beat South 3 winner Moorestown 56-49 down at Brick Memorial High School Wednesday night.

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: Boys’ Central Jersey Group 2 Final – #2 Manasquan 60, #1 South River 52

The top-seeded South River Rams fell just a win short in their quest for their first state title since 1991, falling 60-52 to second-seed Manasquan in South River. Senior Laz Rodriguez led the Rams with 15 points, while sophomore Alex Grospe had 13 – 10 of which came in the fourth quarter – including three treys.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko call all the action on February 28, 2023 on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

by Mike Pavlichko

St. Joseph looks to claim first state sectional title since Towns era, battles Union Catholic tonight in South Jersey

Falcons head coach Jan Cocoziello has said more than once this season something to the effect of: “People forget, this isn’t your Karl Towns St. Joe’s.”

And he’s not wrong, of course. Talented as they are, there certainly is no one the caliber of Karl-Anthony Towns, the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. Few teams have anyone like that.

But shades of that era – when the Falcons went to back-to-back Tournaments of Champions, and won it all in 2014 after reaching the finals in 2013 – are creeping back into the minds of fans, and likely for the first time into the minds of the Falcon Flock, the loud boisterous student section, even though the oldest of them would have been just nine years old when Towns shook the rims at the Maglio Gymnasium.

The 2022-23 campaign got off to a slow start in the ’22 part of the schedule, by St. Joe’s standards. They lost Game 3 to new Red Division member Colonia – up from the White – by five, then were shocked at home the day after Christmas by South River in Metuchen, 74-66, to send them into the New Year at 3-2.

Follow Sportsplex at Metuchen on Instagram for the latest on open gym sessions on their courts and turf!

But Cocoziello’s squad would challenge itself the rest of the way, with games against the likes of Linden and Seton Hall Prep out of conference, get swept two games by St. Thomas Aquinas, but avenge their December loss to Colonia.

They would also beat Rutgers Prep on February second, the top team in Somerset County at that point, 73-61 in Somerset, a sign this team could be turning the proverbial corner. Just over three weeks later, it proved to be an omen, as Joe’s again topped the Argonauts, this time at home, back on Monday in the Non-Public South A semifinals.

And the 70-66 win came in the most dramatic of ways. The Falcons trailed 21-9 after one quarter. But they chipped away, cutting the deficit to nine at halftime, and three at the end of the third quarter. The gym was jumping the entire second half.

Now, 6th-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen (18-10) takes on fifth-seed Union Catholic (19-9) in the Non-Public South A Championship Game down in South Jersey. Game time is 7 pm at Lenape High School in Medford Lakes. Central Jersey Sports Radio will have complete postgame coverage after the game is over.

The contest will be a rematch of a late January meeting in Scotch Plains, where the Falcons won 60-55 behind 20 points from team leader Josh Ingram, who also had seven rebounds and dished out four assists.

But one key difference from that game will be a new player added to the mix for UC: Chimeziri Okeoma, who wouldn’t become eligible for four more days after the first meeting with Joe’s. All he;s done in a dozen games since sitting due to transfer rules is score 18.9 points per game, while scoring 43 combined in the last two, with wins over Paul VI in the quarterfinals, then top-seed Camden Catholic by eight in the semis.

Then again, Joe’s also missed shooter and creator Jeremy Clayville in that first matchup, who’d been injured and just played his first game back on Monday, chipping in seven points to the effort.

But in the last game, Joe’s also got a huge contribution from Anthony Williams, a senior forward who has stepped in Clayville’s absence, but even with him back in the lineup, led all scorers in Monday night’s game, with 24 points.

Tonight’s South A winner will face the North A winner on Friday night at 5 pm in the Non-Public Group A Championship Game at Jersey Mike’s Arena at Rutgers University in Piscataway. The North A final features 5-seed Bergen Catholic – the defending champ, which beat Rutgers Prep in the Group A final last year at Rutgers – taking on 3rd-seed St. Peter’s Prep out of Jersey City.