Tag: Timothy Christian

by Mike Pavlichko

Good night for local boys’ squads in the NJSIAA state tournament, as five of seven advance

It was a good night generally for teams from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area, as five advanced Wednesday night in the NJSIAA boys’ state basketball tournament, including two GMC schools that will meet for the first time this season with a sectional semifinal on the line.

In North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3, top-seed South Plainfield and 4th-seed Colonia both advanced, and will play for a trip to the title game Friday at 5:30 pm in South Plainfield. Click here for more detailed coverage of the game, including postgame interviews with Tigers’ head coach John Greco and Colonia head coach Jose Rodriguez.

In Non-Public South A, two area teams moved on to quarterfinal action. Sixth-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen got a game-high 27 points from senior Anthony Williams and led most of the way in a 75-61 victory over 11th-seed Pingry, while 7th-seed Rutgers Prep also led most of the way in knocking out 10th-seed Christian Brothers of Lincroft, 74-58. Senior Cameron Piggee, the hero of the Somerset County Tournament title game, scored 24 points, while fellow senior Jadin Collins added 22.

In Non-Public North B, eighth-seed Timothy Christian got past 9th-seed Eastern Christian 82-59 in Piscataway behind a career-high 33 points from sophomore Myles Dickerson.

The only teams to get knocked out Wednesday night were 6th-seed Manville in Central Jersey Group 1 – losing 58-46 at third-seed Point Pleasant Beach – while 5th-seed Calvary Christian of Old Bridge was bounced by 12th-seed Doane Academy of Burlington County, 63-36, in Non-Public South B play.

Below are results for all area teams, including full results in sections with area teams remaining. Scroll further down for the upcoming schedule, including games resulting from Wedensday night’s wins.

Central Group 1 Quarterfinals
#3 Pt. Pleasant Beach def. #6 Manville, 58-46

North 2 Group 3 Quarterfinals
#1 South Plainfield def. #8 Summit, 55-51
#4 Colonia def. #5 Chatham, 60-51
#6 Snyder def #3 Mendham, 56-53
#7 Payne Tech def. #2 West Morris, 69-59

Non-Public South A First Round
#8 Red Bank Catholic def. #9 Notre Dame, 65-51
#5 Union Catholic def. #12 St. John Vianney, 69-51
#4 Paul VI def #13 Donovan Catholic, 90-32
#6 St. Joseph-Metuchen def. #11 Pingry, 74-61
#7 Rutgers Prep def. #10 Christian Brothers, 74-58
Byes: #1 Camden Catholic, #2 St. Augustine, #3 Immaculata

Non-Public North B First Round
#8 Timothy Christian def. #8 Eastern Christian, 82-59
#5 Morris Catholic def #12 Morristown-Beard, 82-41
#4 Roselle Catholic def. #13 Koinonia, 101-25
#6 Montclair-Immaculata def. #11 Pioneer Academy, 79-43
#10 Hawthorne Christian at #7 Saddle River Day (score unavailable)
Byes #1 St. Thomas Aquinas, #2 Gill St. bernard’s, #3 St. Mary-Rutherford

Non-Public South B First Round
#12 Doane Academy def. #5 Calvary Christian (Old Bridge), 63-36

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

THURSDAY

Central Group 4 Quarterfinals
#8 West Windsor-Plainsboro South at #1 Trenton
#5 Middletown South at #4 Jackson Memorial
#6 South Brunswick at #3 North Brunswick
#7 Marlboro at #2 Freehold Twp.

Central Group 2 Quarterfinals
#9 Point Pleasant Boro at #1 South River
#5 Rumson-Fair Haven at #4 Bound Brook
#6 Delaware Valley at #3 Raritan
#7 Roselle at #2 Manasquan

North 2, Group 4 Quarterfinals
#8 Newark East Side at #1 Ridge
#13 Scotch Plains-Fanwood at #5 Westfield
#6 Columbia at #3 Hillsborough
#7 Franklin at #2 Linden

North 2, Group 2 Quarterfinals
#8 Science Park at #1 Caldwell
#5 McNair at #4 Newark Collegiate
#14 West Side at #11 Bernards
#10 Hanover Park at #2 Madison

FRIDAY

North 2 Group 3 Semifinals
#4 Colonia at #1 South Plainfield
#7 Payne Tech at #6 Snyder

Non-Public South A Quarterfinals
#8 Red Bank Catholic at #1 Camden Catholic
#5 Union Catholic at #4 Paul VI
#6 St. Joseph-Metuchen at #3 Immaculata
#7 Rutgers Prep at #2 St. Augustine

Non-Public North B Quarterfinals
#8 Timothy Christian at #1 St. Thomas Aquinas
#5 Morris Catholic at #4 Roselle Catholic
36 Montclair-Immaculata at #3 St. Mary-Rutherford
Winner of #10 Hawthorne Christian/#7 Saddle River Day at #2 Gill St. Bernard’s

by Mike Pavlichko

Playoff update: Girls’ Basketball Non-Public Sections

Central Jersey Sports Radio continues its breakdown of playoff sections with Saturday’s NJSIAA cutoff fast approaching. Here’s a section-by-section look based on official standings available on NJ.com as of 11 pm Monday:

Non-Public South B: This could come down to the wire, as Rutgers Prep (15-1) sits in first with 417 points, just eight ahead of Wildwood Catholic (16-4, 409 points.) But those are the only two teams in the same realm of power points, as St. Rose of Belmar in third has only 315 points, trailing by 94. This one could come down to residuals for the Argonauts, and Sunday’s game against statewide No. 1 St. John Vianney won’t count – it’s after the Saturday NJSIAA cutoff. Calvary Christian (12-2) out of the GMC Gold is fifth at 269, with Timothy Christian (6-7, 164) in 10th.

Non-Public South A: It’s St. John Vianney leading the pack here by a wide margin, 19-0 with a whopping 501 power points, 99 ahead of Paul VI (15-3, 402). Red Bank Catholic (18-3, 392) is next, followed by St. Thomas Aquinas (14-3, 366). It’s unlikely they could make up enough ground, which sets up a potential matchup with SJV in the sectional semis. It’s no better for fifth=-place Immaculata (11-7, 334), as the winner of that potential 5/4 quarterfinal game would get the Lady Lancers in the semis. Mount St. Mary (10-5, 301) would get them in the quarters if they hold in eighth place. Mother Seton (2-5, 72) brings up the rear.

Non-Public North B: The only real threat here is Gill St. Bernard’s, which is 11-3 with 289 points and sitting in 5th. Even though two of their 13 games are losses, even a couple of wins probably aren’t enough to propel them into third (currently held by Montclair Immaculate at 13-4, 345 points) and away from top-seed Saddle River Day (16-1, 486 points) until the sectional finals. Also in this section: Wardlaw-Hartridge (1-12, 89) in 12th.

Non-Public North A: The only area team here is Pingry, which is 6-10 with 209 points, and sitting ninth in the standings. The Big Blue could edge up into the top eight and even the top seven if they play their cards right. Top seven would avert an early matchup with top-seed Immaculate Heart (16-4, 399 points).

by Mike Pavlichko

Playoff Update: Boys’ Basketball Non-Public Sections

All this week, Central Jersey Sports Radio will take a look at playoff projections for Greater Middlesex Conference and Somerset County teams. Here’s a look at the Non-Public sections on the boys’ side, using the NJSIAA’s official standings available on NJ.com as of 11 pm Monday:

Non-Public South A: It’s not going out on a limb to say all the non-public sections are tough, but this one is a bear even for the local teams at the top. It says something when St. Augustine – the only undefeated team left in New Jersey – is only sixth in the section. Red Bank Catholic (17-3) leads the section with 475 points, followed by St. Thomas Aquinas (20-1), with 457 points. Can the Trojans get a top seed? It would be difficult. The NJSIAA this year counts the best 13 games on a team’s schedule for power points. Right now their lowest power point value is 25, which means they would have to earn more than 25 points in a game between now and Saturday. Sayreville Tuesday is a 25 point game, and won’t move the needle much. But a win over Gill St. Bernard’s might. They’re a Group 1, so a win would get them 7, and their residuals would get them likely 35 points for a total of 42. Add 17 to their total and you get 472. But if Gill sneaks another game onto the schedule somewhere, they could hit 475. Ah, intrigue! Rutgers Prep is third, right behind the Trojans, at 16-1 with 424 points. St. Joseph-Metuchen (14-4) is in fifth, 15 behind Christian Brothers, and 4 points ahead of St. Augustine. They could make a move into the top four, for sure. Immaculata (7-11, 253 points) is 11th, while Pingry (7-5, 186) is in 13th.

Non-Public North B: This is where the third-ranked team in the state sits fourth in the standings. That’s how tough a section this is. Gill St. Bernard’s (11-5) is that fourth place team, with 365 points. They certainly could gain when you consider the “top 13” rule. Since they’ve only won 11 games, any win would likely boost their power points by a significant amount, because their power points include 11 wins and 2 losses as their best 13 games. On the schedule: Hillsborough on Wednesday at Aquinas – with its 20 wins – Saturday night at 7:45 on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Even a win over Hillsborough should make up the four points they would need to pass third-place Morris Catholic (15-2, 368), and they may even have a longshot at second, which is held by Saddle River Day (14-2, 402). Moving to second or third avoids seeing top team Roselle Catholic until a potential North B Final, which would be at their place. The Rams are 17-2 with 473 points, uncatchable at this point. Also in this section, GMC Gold leader Timothy Christian (12-4, 256) is 7th, with Wardlaw-Hartridge (9-4, 213) in 9th.

Non-Public South B: The only area team in this section is GMC Gold Division team Calvary Christian of Old Bridge, which is 11-4 with 213 points, good for eighth out of 14 teams. They are just four points behind Wildwood Catholic (8-9, 217), and moving up just one spot would keep them away from likely top-seed Trenton Catholic (11-4, 363).

by Mike Pavlichko

Franklin picks up second win since COVID stoppage with 76-44 win over Timothy Christian

The Warriors might have won by 32 points, but considering how the day started – with bus issues that delayed the game by a half an hour – it could have been a lot worse.

And like everyone involved in the third game of the Skyland-GMC Coaches vs. Coronavirus Challenge at Bound Brook would agree, at least it had nothing to do with COVID.

But it did, in a way, for Franklin, which played its opening game December 17th, but due to COVID-related issues, was shut down for over two weeks, until resuming play this Tuesday against Hillsborough, picking up a win.

Against Timothy Christian, the Warriors (2-2) bounced back after a heartbreaking two-point home loss to Hunterdon Central, getting 15 points from game MVP Jake Novielli, including three treys, in a 76-44 win.

Josh Migledolph chipped in 14 while Cameron Brown added 11 off the bench. All of that coming with starting point guard Darnell Marche and starting center Peyton Bonds missing the game for non-COVID-related issues.

Guard James Hayes led Timothy Christian (3-3) with 13 points in defeat, while Jonathan McNulty added 11.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from junior Jake Novielli and head coach Tony Mento:

Franklin guard Jake Novielli
Franklin head coach Tony Mento
by Mike Pavlichko

Eight teams, four games, one day: Bound Brook hosts Skyland-GMC Coaches vs. Coronavirus showcase

Starting anything outside the confines of a pandemic is challenging enough, but doing so in the midst of one is hit or miss.

And so it went last year with what should have Bound Brook head coach Anthony Melesurgo’s inaugural Coaches vs. Coronavirus showcase, a fundraising event meant to raise money for those hit hard by the the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year? He again got plenty of interest, and the fates have smiled on the event, at least for the participants.

Though cases continue to surge in New Jersey – and across the U.S. – spurred by the omicron variant, all eight teams are healthy enough to play in today’s event, including the Crusaders, who are coming off a two-week layoff and only got back onto the practice floor as a group yesterday.

Scroll down for previews and notes on today’s games.

Click below to hear organizer and Bound Brook head coach Anthony Melesurgo talk about the event with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Skyland vs. GMC Coaches vs. Coronavirus Schedule
Saturday, January 8 – Bound Brook High School

Dunellen vs. South Hunterdon, 12 pm
South Plainfield vs. Pingry, 2 pm
Franklin vs. Timothy Christian, 4 pm*
Bound Brook vs. Middlesex*

*games broadcast live on Central Jersey Sports Radio; click here to listen

READ MORE:

by Mike Pavlichko

Timothy Christian unfazed by big schools; Tigers face Franklin Saturday in Skyland-GMC Challenge

They play in in opposite counties, in divisions perched on opposite ends of the size spectrum.

Timothy Christian is a member of the GMC Gold Division, which features Middlesex County’s smallest teams, like South Amboy and East Brunswick Tech.

Franklin plays in the Sklyand Conference Delaware Division, which features some of the largest schools in Somerset County, like Hillsborough and Bridgewater-Raritan, as well as perennial powerhouse Gill St. Bernard’s.

But that doesn’t matter to third-year Tigers’ head coach Dennis McNulty, who likes to challenge his team, and, in fact, already has done so this year, having scheduled a last-minute tussle less than a week before Christmas against Monroe.

Though the Tigers lost 18-point per game scorer Ronnie Burwan from last year, they return senior guard Gian Wagner, who also scored 18 a game last season, while averaging four rebounds. And others have helped dampen the blow as well.

Saturday, it’s another large school on the docket for TCS, which plays Franklin at 4 pm in the Skyland-GMC Coaches vs. Coronavirus Challenge at Bound Brook. You can hear the game on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Mike Pavlichko calling all the action; pregame is set for approximately 3:45. You can listen for free by clicking here.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Timothy Christian head coach Dennis McNulty:

by Mike Pavlichko

Franklin still getting back in a groove as Warriors face Timothy Christian in Skyland-GMC Challenge

After a long layoff for Franklin, one of many teams across Central Jersey that were in COVID protocol over the Christmas break, the Warriors got back on the court this week, and are still working to find that groove.

Following an 88-45 season-opening loss at Rutgers Prep, the Franklin boys’ basketball team – along with the girls at the same time – had to pause due to COVID-19. Both were able to resume play this week.

For Tony Mento’s boys’ team, they picked up a hard-fought win over a good Hillsbroough team in their return to action, their Skyland Conference Delaware Division opener. Josh Mingeldolph scored 15 and Jake Novielli added 14 in a 53-40 road win over the Raiders.

But the followed it up with a tough 68-66 setback at home against Hunterdon Central.

Saturday afternoon, Franklin with take on Timothy Christian out of the GMC Gold Division in the Skyland-GMC Coaches vs. Coronavirus Challenge at Bound Brook. Game time is 4 pm. Mike Pavlichko will call all the action live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with pre-game slated for approximately 3:45.

Click below to hear Franklin head coach Tony Mento talk about the early season, and the matchup with the Tigers:

by Mike Pavlichko

Instant Replay: EB Tech bats explode in 5th to beat Timothy Christian 12-5

East Brunswick Tech saw its early 3-0 lead erode, but the Tigers stormed back with a six-run fifth inning to beat Timothy Christian Tuesday 12-5, clinching at least a share of the GMC White Division title.

Now 10-1 overall, 9-0 in the division, EB Tech got a solid relief outing from sophomore Scott Pede, didn’t allow a hit over the final three innings and got the win.

Pede seemed to get stronger as the game wore on, striking out the side in the seventh inning to end the ballgame.

Click below to listen to the entire game broadcast of East Brunswick Tech’s 12-5 home win over Timothy Christian:

by Mike Pavlichko

East Brunswick Tech clinches share of GMC Gold with 12-5 win over Timothy Christian

Sophomore Scott Pede struck out five – including the side in the 7th inning – and helped East Brunswick Tech (10-1) clinch at least a share of the GMC Gold Division with a 12-5 win over Timothy Christian Tuesday afternoon at Ray Cipperly Field.

In a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, ace starter Joe Moye struggled to find the plate early. He’d already been put on a 50-pitch limit by head coach Todd Sak, who wanted to save him a bit for Friday’s rematch against TCS in Piscataway.

With one out in the third, Pede came in the game from second base, and took over.

Even though he allowed two more Timothy Christian runs in the fourth, to allow the visiting Tigers to take a 5-4 lead, he settled down once EB Tech sent 11 men to the plate in the fifth to regain a lead the home Tigers would never relinquish.

Pede finished strong, not allowing a single hit over the last three innings, striking out the five, six and seven hitters to end the game.

Click below for combined postgame reaction from 2B/reliever Scott Pede, starting pitcher/1B Joe Moye, and head coach Todd Sak: