Monroe boys’ hoops team continues to turn heads
Slew of local teams
advances to GMC
tourney’s second round
FARRAH MAFFAI Monroe’s Marcello Henriquez puts up a shot past Allentown’s Chris Krantz during the Falcons’ win over the Redbirds at Allentown on Feb. 7.
The great turnaround continued in Monday’s opening game of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, as Monroe Township High School battered Dunellen, 79-39, after building a 50-9 half-time lead.
Coach Pete LoPresti’s 10th-seeded Falcons, who went 8-12 last year, upped their record to a sterling 16-4 with the effort.
"We have a real good chemistry," LoPresti said of his squad. "The nucleus of our team has varsity experience, and we’re able to get the ball and transition. We’re a fast-break, press and perimeter-shooting team, and we exploit that as much as possible."
The two team spark plugs are senior guards Chris Felix (6-2) and Matt Gigliello (5-11).
Felix, who is averaging 18.2 points a game, led the team with 17 in the Dunellen game, while Gigliello, a 16.6 ppg. shooter, added 16 in the county contest. Gigliello has also averaged more than five steals a game.
Senior center Tom Woolfolk, who stands 6-4, has pulled down about nine rebounds a game. Rounding out the club, 6-1 senior Mario Zygadlo is at forward, along with Eric Gaston, a 6-1 junior. Another junior, Marcello Henriquez (6-2), plays point guard.
Other 11th-graders include 6-3 forward Peter Grad, and Danny Palma. Jimmy Gastion (6-0) is a senior guard, Richie Narvaez (6-1) is a senior forward, and Kyle Bossard (6-3) also plays on the varsity.
LoPresti is assisted by Mike Gigliello, Keith Hudak and Ray Ruiz.
The Falcons were set to face 15th-seeded East Brunswick, a 72-52 winner over J.P. Stevens of Edison on Monday, last night in the second round of the county tournament.
Other teams returning to action last night in Round Two included Sayreville (a 84-44 winner over Perth Amboy Tech on Monday), who faced Highland Park in the second round; Spotswood (a 66-47 winner over Piscataway Tech), who faced 11th-seeded St. Joseph’s; and Old Bridge, the No. 9 seed, who was set to face eighth-seeded Cardinal McCarrick last night. The Knights topped Woodbridge 67-56 in the opening round.
On the girls’ side of play, top-seeded East Brunswick will face 16-seeded Piscataway tonight in their second-round game. Fifth-seeded Sayreville will host Middlesex, who topped South River in their opening-round contest.
The sixth-seeded Old Bridge squad will face No. 11 Bishop Ahr, while Spotswood, who beat Metuchen in their opening-round game, will take on South Amboy. The Chargers are the No. 7 seed in the tournament.