Tag: Tony Mento

by Dom Savino

Franklin boys hope third time’s the charm in rematch with Rutgers Prep, with SCT finals berth on the line

You’ll have to forgive the youngest members of Franklin’s boys basketball team for not attending the program’s most recent appearance in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals.

It happened in 2007. They hadn’t been born yet.

Fast forward 16 years, and the Warriors have returned to Somerset County’s Final Four. With their eyes on a championship, they’ll have to get by a familiar foe to continue their postseason run.

Five-seed Franklin travels to top-seeded Rutgers Prep on Thursday night to play for a berth in the County Finals. Central Jersey Sports Radio will broadcast the game live at 7 pm, with the pregame at 6:45 following the girls’ matchup between the same teams at 5:00. Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino will call all the action. Click here to listen.

The Warriors are hoping the third time is the charm against Rutgers Prep, which won both of the regular-season meetings between the crosstown rivals. Both games were decided by single digits.

The more recent of the two games happened more than a month ago, though. And since then, Franklin has played its best basketball of the season, winning 10 of its last 11.

That includes Tuesday’s mini-upset of 4-seed Hillsborough in the Somerset County quarterfinals. The Warriors led wire-to-wire and got 20-point performances from Cam Brown and Cam Snowden. Before that, Franklin opened the tournament with a 25-point win over Bernards, led by Jake Novielli’s career-high 32 points.

Click below to hear Franklin head coach Tony Mento talk about his team’s hot streak and rematch with Rutgers Prep:

by Mike Pavlichko

Novielli’s trey with :12 left helps Franklin to signature win over No. 9 Watchung Hills in dramatic fashion

With too many ties and lead changes to count, Franklin and 9th-ranked Watchung Hills waged an epic battle Tuesday night. Neither team led by more than six points at any point of the game, and even that came early when Franklin got out to an 8-2 lead.

It was a low-scoring affair, but the kind of slugfest that could only truly be enjoyed by someone without a horse in that race. Otherwise, it was an Alka-Seltzer type of night.

In the second-half, big three-balls swung momentum like the biggest of pendulums. There was Brian Zhang of Watchung Hills, the junior who scored all of his 11 points after the break, with three triples. Junior Jake Novielli had two treys, until Franklin got the ball with under 40-seconds to play, tied up at 41 all.

Running some time down, Novielli found himself open in the right coffin corner, and buried his third triple of the half, second of the final quarter. Franklin 44, Hills 51.

Then, Zhang found himself with a chance to send it to OT with just a few seconds left from the left corner. But his shot was off, and the rebound not far enough to give Watchung another chance at a three-ball. Ball game over.

Click below to listen to the final sequence, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio:

The win snapped a five-game win streak for Watchung Hills (8-2), but will have them fired up when they take on first-place and No. 3 Gill St. Bernard’s Thursday night. For Franklin, the win was a major resume builder come seeding time for the Somerset County Tournament, putting them at 3-2 in league play, 5-4 overall.

Click below for postgame reaction on the air with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino:

Franklin junior guard Jake Noviello, who had the game-winning three-pointer
Franklin head coach Tony Mento
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

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: