Mate’s Chargers off to fast start on hardwood
Spotswood boys and girls win South Amboy Holiday Tournament
Who says size matters? With four victories in its first five games and the South Amboy Holiday Tourney championship, the Spotswood High School boys’ basketball team is standing tall, although its lineup is comprised entirely of players 6-1 and below.
"This is a very small team, and I’ve had to change my approach to adapt to them," said coach Steve Mate, now in his seventh year on the Chargers’ bench. "When they were going to introduce the team at the holiday tournament, someone asked me where everyone played. I told him we’re all guards, and that’s how they announced us."
Mate’s team went on to win the tourney, downing Rutgers Prep and Keyport along the way, and was looking forward to this evening’s meeting with Greater Middlesex Conference Blue Division rival Monroe, also 4-1 on the year.
In the Rutgers Prep game, junior Jean Georges led the way with 35 points on 14-for-26 shooting, while also grabbing nine rebounds. The Chargers were trailing at the half, 29-27, but went on an impressive 29-10 run in the third to pull away.
Then in the tournament final on Sunday, it was Georges again leading the way, as he collected 18 points, six steals, and five assists in the 66-44 win. Once again, the Chargers entered the third quarter in a tight contest, only to pull away from the Red Raiders, allowing only 15 points in the entire second half. Georges was named the tournament’s MVP following the win, and was joined on the All-Tournament team by teammate David Curry.
Spotswood’s success relies, naturally enough, on good outside shooting and an aggressive defense. Mate’s team also likes to run because the Chargers seem to get their share of defensive boards, and several players can take the ball to the hoop.
Georges has developed into the team’s leading scorer in the early going. He’s averaging 23 points, including a 32-point night against Metuchen and the 30-point showing against Rutgers Prep.
A roll player, who came off the bench a year ago, Georges is dangerous from three-point range and regularly guards the opposition’s top scorer.
Another junior, Curry, gives the Chargers another solid threat from long-range. Curry is averaging 11 points in the early going, down slightly from last season, but Mate expects Curry’s numbers to increase as the season progresses.
The remainder of the starting five includes senior co-captains Chris Crisafulli and Bob Patel, as well as sophomore Tim Logan, who plays the point. Crisafulli is the team’s top rebounder, with more than five caroms per game, while also averaging 7.5 points.
Patel at 6-0 generally plays against the opposition’s big man and more often than not holds his own while averaging seven points, Mate said. Logan keys the attack with quick ball movement and can score when necessary. He averages six points and four assists.
"This is a hard-working team," Mate said. "Everyone is pulling down at least a couple of rebounds every game, and they’re making teams work to score."
It helps that Spotswood’s bench is a deep one. Junior Ryan Faust averages five points and provides instant offense when he gets on the floor.
Sophomore Dan Osofsky, who played for the JV last winter, averages seven points and plays a smart all-around game.
Colin Fenes, a junior, and Ricky Pace, a sophomore, are both solid defensively, and Pace has developed a reputation for his intensity and willingness to throw his body after loose balls.
Three sophomores, Bob Sanwaltd, Nelson Stryker and Ryan Scanlon, provided added depth.
"This is the most athletic basketball team we’ve had in a long time," Mate said. "Our offensive production is up. We’re getting more points than we used to, and that takes some of the pressure off of the defense. The team is versatile enough, so that if they’re not hitting from the outside, they can still score."
The Chargers fast start puts the team in good position to again qualify for the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I tourney. Spotswood was eliminated in the first round last season, but has qualified for the tournament in four of the past five years.
"Getting into the state tournament is just one of our goals," Mate said. "We also want to have a strong showing in the conference and do well in the GMC tourney."
And while the boys’ team was on its way to a tournament title, their female counterparts were also staking claim to a trophy of their own, beating South River in the final of the South Amboy Tournament.
After getting by Governors in their first game of the tournament, the Lady Chargers were set to face their division rival in the final on Sunday. And they came ready to play, showing the Rams early on that they had every intention of matching the Spotswood boys’ win.
Spotswood jumped out to a 21-9 halftime lead and never looked back en route to the 47-27 win. The Chargers defense was stifling throughout the first half, as they held the Rams to just two points the entire second quarter.
Offensively, Meagan Faust led the way for Spotswood, scoring 10 points in the final, which wrapped up the tournament’s MVP honors for her. She was joined on the All-Tournament team by teammate Kaitlyn Moriarty, who dropped seven points on South River in the final.
With the win, head coach Graham Peabody’s Lady Chargers improved to 5-1, and have set the tone for what they hope to be a successful season.
The girls’ team returned to action last night when they hosted Mother Seton. Following tomorrow’s matchup with Monroe, the girls will host New Brunswick on Saturday, while the boys will travel to Timothy Christian on Tuesday. Next Thursday, both teams will face South River in what should be important division matchups.
With their fast starts equally noticed, both the boys and girls teams at Spotswood appear to be two of the better teams in the GMC. It will be interesting to see if they can feed off each other’s success and continue to match wins into the postseason.