Tag: Kris Grundy

by Mike Pavlichko

With Biekietov back, Lin returning from injury, Montgomery expects to be in the mix again

After one of the most successful years in school history, including a trip to the Somerset County Tournament Semifinals, and a Central Jersey Group 4 championship, the Montgomery boys’ basketball team expects to be right there again among the best in the area.

The Cougars – who finished 25-4 last year, and No. 3 in the Central Jersey Sports Radio rankings – will lose three key players to graduation, in Steve Donahue, Miggy Aguilar and Josh Moore, but return two big pieces, one of whom missed a good chunk of last year.

That’s Ethan Lin, the point guard who was starting as a sophomore but suffered a terrible ankle injury against Hillsborough on February third and missed the entire postseason run. After a summer off to recoup, head coach Kris Grundy says he had a good fall and is ready to go.

Then there’s Lin’s European travel ball buddy, Bohdan Biekietov, who came here from Ukraine last year with his mother and sister, while his dad remains behind to fight in the war with Russia. Biekietov was a huge bright spot for the Cougars last season, and was the Central Jersey Sports Radio Boys’ Player of the Year.

And, of course, others will be needed to step up for Montgomery. They include senior Christian Hill, who spent the spring running track, going to the Meet of Champions as a Central Jersey Group 4 champion in the long jump.

Braden Ginsberg is another who’ll be relied upon by head coach Kris Grundy, who calls him “our Swiss Army knife,” able to slash through defenses and pick off passes on defense.

Click below to hear Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy talk about the Cougars’ upcoming season:

Montgomery opens its season this Saturday in the finale of its inaugural Tip-Off Showcase, which features seven games, and includes local girls’ and boys’ teams from Montgomery and Rutgers Prep, as well as Colonia. Grundy’s Cougars host Hudson Catholic at 7 pm.

They’ll make an appearance on Central Jersey Sports Radio the following Saturday night at 8:00 when they take on GMC foe St. Joseph-Metuchen in the Friends of South Amboy Showcase at South Amboy High School.

You can find our full 2024-25 High School Basketball Broadcast Schedule here.

by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery’s Grundy named Central Jersey Sports Radio boys’ basketball Coach of the Year

The last time Montgomery was in a state sectional final, let alone won it, Karl-Anthony Towns was still playing high school ball in Metuchen.

But getting through injuries, a grueling schedule, integrating a Ukrainian with international playing expereince, and winning its first state sectional title in since 2010 all helped Montgomery boys’ basketball coach Kris Grundy earn the Central Jersey Sports Radio Coach of the Year award for 2023-24.

The Cougars challenged themselves out of their conference, which already provided a daunting enough schedule, with the likes of Hillsborough, Gill St. Bernard’s, Watchung Hills, and Rutgers Prep.

And they more than handled themselves throughout. In a 25-4 season, the Cougars only lost to two teams, twice each to Prep and Lenape, once each in the regular season, and once each in the postseason. Montgomery fell by three in the Somerset County Tournament championship game, and after winning the Central Jersey Group 4 title by beating Monroe, they lost to Lenape to end their season in the Group 4 semifinals.

Besides the daunting schedule, late in the regular season, talented sophomore guard Ethan Lin went down with a season-ending ankle injury. His experience last year with Steve Donahue out – also to injury – had been paying off. But Grundy was able to work it all out, with the supporting cast of Miggy Aguilar, Brandon Hill, Jack Fromelt, and an emerging junior named Bohdan Biekietov, a refugee from the Ukraine who landed here with his mother and sister in September while his father helps defend his homeland against Russia.

Click below to hear Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy talk about Montgomery’s 2023-24 season:

by Mike Pavlichko

Lenape’s hot fourth quarter dooms Montgomery in Group 4 semifinals; Cougars fall 57-43

One of the greatest seasons in Montgomery history came to an end down at the Jersey Shore Wednesday afternoon.

In its second meeting with Lenape this season – this time in the Group 4 semifinals – the Cougars fell to the Indians 57-43, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The game was in the balance the entire afternoon, almost. Nobody had led by more than seven points until the fourth quarter, which started tied up at 33-all.

The signs of trouble really came in the third quarter, though, when the Indians were able to keep Steve Donahue out of the scoring column. While Miggy Aguilar and Jack Fromelt each hit threes, and Bohdan Biekietov had four points, it was a sign the Cougars could be in trouble.

Then again, Donahue hit a three early in the fourth to give Monty some hope it could pull away for the win. But Lenape took its last lead early in the quarter, and turnover after defensive stop, make after make on the other end, they were the ones to pull away.

Donahue finished with 13 points to lead the Cougars in what turned out to be the final scholastic game for the Franklin & Marshall-bound senior. Biekietov had ten, while Fromelt scored nine, all from beyond the arc.

Montgomery’s season ends at 25-4, while Lenape – led by Merrimack-bound Tye Dorsett with 18 – is now 28-3 and will face the winner of tonight’s 7:00 North semifinal between Elizabeth and Ridgewood 4:30 Saturday afternoon at Rutgers University’s Jersey Mike’s Arena.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery looks to reach unprecedented heights, seeking trip to first-ever state final when they face familiar foe Lenape

With its second NJSIAA state sectional title plaque firmly planted in its trophy case, the Montgomery boys’ basketball team isn’t done.

They’ve got two now, from titles this season and in 2010, and have only been to three sectional finals, but they’ve never been to a state championship.

A trip there, however, is on the line Tuesday afternoon down at the Jersey Shore when the Central 4 champion Cougars (25-3) battle South 4 champion Lenape (27-3) out of Medford Lakes at Central Regional High School in Bayville. That game tips off at 4:30 pm, and Central Jersey Sports Radio will be there will live coverage. Tune in at 4:10 for the pregame with Mike Pavlichko. Click here to listen.

Montgomery players enjoy their Central Jersey Group 4 championship trophy after beating Monroe in the sectional final on March 1, 2024. (Photo: Chris Tsakonas)

Though these two teams have only hooked up four times going back to 2013, one of those matchups came earlier this year. Back on January 6th, the Indians beat Montgomery, 56-50, in their own Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout.

In that game, Steve Donahue scored 28 points – more than half his team’s total – and the Cougars had no one else in double figures. It’s one of just three losses in the Montgomery ledger this year to two teams; they lost twice to Rutgers Prep, once in the regular season, and a second time in an instant classic Somerset County Tournament final on their “neutral court” home floor.

Only once since then – in a February 3rd home win over Hillsborough – has Monty not had at least two players in double figures. Often there have been three of four.

And the most common combo of double-figure scoring has been Donahue and Bohdan Biekietov, the second of whom has been just about a lock for a double-double these last few weeks, since a season-ending ankle injury to guard Ethan Lin.

Montgomery and Hillsborough play a Skyland Conference crossover game on February 3, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

That’s been the key to the Cougars’ success of late, and it will need to continue if their playoff run is to do the same.

Lenape, meanwhile, has won 19 straight, its last loss coming to Camden Eastside on January 11th.

Click below to hear both head coaches talk about Tuesday’s matchup in the Group 4 semifinals:

Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy
Lenape head coach Matt Wolf
by Mike Pavlichko

It’s been a while, but it’s Montgomery and Monroe squaring off tonight for CJ4 title

One way or another, at least one team from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area is guaranteed to win a state sectional title this season.

No matter what anyone else does in any other game, we’ll have a champion from either the Greater Middlesex Conference or Somerset County, as top-seed Montgomery hosts second-seed Monroe Friday evening for the Central Jersey Group 4 championship.

It’s a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Justin Sontupe and Chris Tsakonas joining you for the pregame show at 5:40 pm, and tip-off at 6:00. Click here to listen.

The Cougars are 23-4 on the season, their best year since 2014, which is also the last time they made a sectional final. They fell in the title game at home to Trenton Central before a packed house and raucous crowd in Skillman. Montgomery is ranked tenth in the state, and the third-highest-ranked public school in New Jersey at the moment.

But while Monty has been handling its opponents fairly well, Monroe (19-7) has been challenged in the state tourney, and been able to survive and advance. They beat North Brunswick in the quarterfinals on a near-buzzer-beater – a trey by Brody Piscitelli with three seconds left – then won by three again two nights later in the semifinals at home against Manalapan.

Montgomery is led by Franklin & Marshall-bound Steve Donahue, averaging 16 points a game. Bohdan Biekietov is averaging 11.8 points a game, and had another double-double Wednesday night – 12 points and 10 boards – against Marlboro in the semifinals. And others like Jack Fromelt and Josh Moore have picked up their games in the absence of sophomore guard Ethan Lin, whose season ended prematurely about a month ago when he broke his ankle in a game.

Picture a lot of threes Friday night, as these two teams have combined for 370 through 53 games, an average of almost seven per. Monty has hit 170 times from beyond the arc, with Monroe connecting on 180, with senior Myles Marabuto – the team’s leading scorer at 17.2 points per game – hitting 63 of them. Mark Laughery is right behind with 50, averaging 10.6 points a game, while Piscitelli has hit 38 triples on the season, including the winner Monday night against North Brunswick.

North Brunswick and Monroe players battle for a rebound in the Central Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals in Monroe on February 26, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

While the Cougars’ last trip to a sectional final was ten years ago, it’s been even longer for Monroe. Their last appearance was in 2006.

One of those teams will rewrite their own history with a win, and pick up some nice hardware, to boot.

Click below to hear both head coaches talk about their matchup in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game Friday night:

Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy
Monroe head coach Jeff Warner
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

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

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

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 4 Montgomery set to make its case for SCT top seed when top dog No. 1 Rutgers Prep visits

The field began narrowing when Hillsborough knocked off Gill St. Bernard’s to open the 2023-24 boys’ basketball season. With the Raiders dropping their first two division games last week, the field is down to two, at least for the time being.

It’s widely considered Rutgers Prep and Montgomery are the two teams left that have the best, legitimate shot at getting the top seed in the Somerset County Tournament when it’s seeded next Monday. So, when they square off this Tuesday in Skillman (7 pm on CJSR) against Rutgers Prep (11-5, 6-0 Skyland Delaware Division) everything will be on the line, whether or not it’s actually decided.

And Montgomery has the horses to do it.

Of course, Rutgers Prep has had great success the last several years, and has won 23 straight games against Somerset County public schools in the regular season dating back to 2018-19, when they lost twice to – you guessed it – Montgomery.

The Cougars (14-1, 7-0 Skyland Valley Division) have not lost to a conference foe all year, their lone loss coming out-of-league to Lenape back on January 6th, by a mere five points.

Otherwise, it has been a steady dose of wins for head coach Kris Grundy’s club, which has been getting contributions from all over the court. Steve Donahue and Jack Fromelt can knock down the three with ease. Ethan Lin distributes the ball and gets to the foul line more than anyone. Bodhdan Biekietov cleans up the glass and alters shots. 

And so on, and so on.

Donahue was one of the missing pieces last year. He broke his arm in the team’s final preseason scrimmage, and was only able to manage playing the last three games of the year. And Ethan Lin was pressed into starting duty as a result.

Turns out, Lin’s experience in that 11-14 season – an anomaly under Grundy – paid off, and now Donahue’s return has added extra spark to what has been a spectacular season so far, including a signature win over Dave Boff’s state-ranked College Achieve Asbury Park a couple of weekends ago.

You can hear Monday night’s game on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas calling all the action. Pregame is at 5:45 pm; tip-off is at 6:00; click here to listen. 

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy:

by Mike Pavlichko

Monster fourth quarter gives No. 6 Montgomery big-time win over College Achieve Asbury Park

As with many high school basketball games across the state the past few weeks, the results have been counter to the old post office motto. You know the one: ”Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow…”

Yeah, all of that has messed with the schedule the last few weeks.

But Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy is quick to thank all those that enabled his Cougars to keep their date with College Achieve Asbury Park, the Dave Boff-led charter school that was ranked tenth in the state this week.

All of those efforts, from the principal, buildings and grounds, down to football coach Zoran Milich taking the mic on PA on a rare Sunday afternoon, paid off for the Cougars, the No. 6 team in the latest Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten.

After getting off to a slow start, allowing College Achieve a 9-0 run to start the game, the Cougars got back into it, and saw a tight game until the fourth quarter, when they outscored Achieve 28-11 to come away with a double-digit 78-62 home victory.

If no one was paying attention to Montgomery basketball before, they will now.

Ethan Lin led all scorers with 25 points, while Jack Fromelt added 24 – including six treys – and Steve Donahue chipped in 19, with three more from downtown. 

The Cougars are now 11-1, their best start since the 2013-14 team that went 27-2 with an undefeated regular season. Their only losses that year were to Hillsborough in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, and to Trenton in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game on their own home floor.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk about the win with Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy: