Boys qualify for state tournament

RAIDER ROUNDUP

By: Rudy Brandl
   
   The Hillsborough High boys’ basketball team clinched a berth in the Central Jersey Group 4 playoffs for the second straight season and third time in head coach Kevin McGuire’s four years at the helm with a pair of road victories last weekend.
   Hillsborough (9-6) ended a three-game losing streak with back-to-back wins within less than 24 hours to qualify for the playoffs. With surging Bridgewater-Raritan and Delaware Division contender Hunterdon Central on this week’s slate, the Raiders didn’t want to make things interesting. They took care of business by completing a sweep of division foe North Hunterdon (69-47) Friday night and coming from behind to defeat Westfield (52-39) Saturday afternoon.
   The Westfield game sounds like a blowout, but the HHS boys scored half of their points in a 26-7 closing spurt that erased a six-point deficit. Senior forward Chris Haas, the team’s scoring leader this winter with a 13.6 average, fueled the comeback with a huge fourth period. Haas netted 18 of his game-high 25 points in the final eight minutes, mixing low post moves, jump shots and free throws.
   HHS also clamped down on Westfield standout Jan Cocoziello, who scored a team-high 16 points but was blanked in the final quarter. Haas provided most of the offense, while the team combined for another solid defensive outing. The victory at Westfield marked the seventh time in 15 games the Raiders held the opposition under 40 points.
   The Raiders showed a little offensive flair in Friday night’s triumph in Clinton. HHS won all four quarters and matched their season high in points.
   Junior center Mike Malko led the balanced winning attack with 15 points. Senior guard Courtney Robinson netted a career-high 14 points, while Haas also fired in 14. Malko and Jon Leonard (8 points) each drained two 3-point shots.
   McGuire got a rare opportunity to empty his bench late in the game and a season-high 11 players got into the scoring column.
   Hillsborough will try to improve its record this week to gain a more favorable seed in the CJ 4 bracket. At 9-6, the Raiders will likely play all their playoff games on the road. Two losses this week will put them in an even tougher spot. Two victories could land the Raiders in the middle of the field and provide a home game.
Wrestlers post two
comeback victories
   
After dropping yet another close match to Delaware Valley in the middle of the week, the HHS wrestling team responded with its first two-match win streak of the season to remain in contention for a state playoff berth. The Raiders needed big comebacks to defeat Franklin (41-24) at home Thursday night and Warren Hills (38-30) on the road Saturday.
   Warren Hills won three straight matches from 160 to 189 to take a 24-9 lead, but the Raiders came roaring back. Mark Amerman started the six-bout win streak by pinning Jeremy Todd in 3:04 at 215 pounds and heavyweight Antonio D’Amelio followed by flattening Mike Hoyt at 1:43.
   Undefeated senior 103-pounder Andrew Gewain gave his team a 27-24 advantage by decking Jason Hollenbeck at 2:42. Junior 112-pounder Tye Wagner followed with a solid 4-0 shutout of Dan Olah.
   Senior Kevin Herlihy (119) and sophomore Kevin Lynch (125) worked hard to get bonus points and win their bouts by eight points for major decisions. Those victories provided an insurmountable 38-24 cushion with one bout remaining.
   Junior Mike Detsis returned to action after missing the previous three matches with a pinched nerve in his back. Detsis provided an immediate lift, pinning Terrance Moore in 2:57 at 135 pounds to give the Raiders an early 6-0 lead. Pat Jastrzebski added an 8-4 win over Nolan Cody at 152 for the other Hillsborough points.
   Hillsborough’s big men didn’t have a great night against Franklin, but the Raiders won the first five weight classes. Amerman and D’Amelio dropped tight decisions but the little guys came through against an improved Franklin squad.
   Gewain, Wagner and Herlihy won by fall. Lynch posted a technical fall and Chris Damiano provided a pin at 130 pounds.
   Freshman Dale Mathewson posted his first victory with an 11-8 decision at 145. Jastrzebski won by decision and John Newman (160) scored a fall.
   The Raiders dug themselves a huge hole and nearly came all the way back against Del Val. The Terriers prevailed in the first six bouts for a 24-0 lead, but the Raiders rallied to win the next four weight classes.
   Amerman posted the team’s only pin of the night, while D’Amelio and Gewain blanked their opponents and won by decision. Gewain’s 5-0 triumph over Brian Costello came in a match of undefeated wrestlers. Wagner’s major decision at 112 cut the Delaware Valley lead to 24-16.
   The turning point of the match came at 119 pounds, where Herlihy was clinging to a one-point lead in the waning seconds of his bout against Chris Kelly. A six-point swing occurred when Kelly scored a takedown with three seconds remaining for a 7-6 decision. Instead of trailing by five points, the Raiders were now down by 11.
   A Lynch decision and a Damiano major left the score at 27-23 with the match in the hands of 135-pounder Joe Ambrose. Del Val’s Mike Rosinski posted a 9-2 decision to clinch the team victory.
   The Raiders were scheduled to host Hunterdon Central and Bridgewater-Raritan in a pair of Delaware Division matches this week.
Swim teams roll
in dual meet action
   
The HHS swim teams dominated last week’s home meet against neighboring rival Somerville. The boys remained undefeated at 10-0 with a 119-51 rout, while the girls improved to 10-1 with a 125-45 romp.
   Several swimmers from both Hillsborough squads got into the act and posted victories. The girls swept all 11 events, while the boys won all but two races.
   Devon Trabilsy was the lone individual double winner for the girls, taking the 200 individual medley (2:30.03) and 500 free (5:43.47). Other girls taking first place were Missy McCormick (200 free, 2:15.78), Ashley Padvelskis (50 free, 27.78), Kristen Mendez (100 fly, 1:01.41), Courtney DeLucia (100 free, 59.88), Shannon Mitch (100 back, 1:10.71) and Maggie Henry (100 breast, 1:22.01).
   All three HHS girls’ relay teams also prevailed. Mitch teamed with Jean Hsu, Nicole Murphy and Annie Ippolito on the 200 medley (2:11.84) and combined with Danielle Mattei, Madison Goldberg and Trabilsy on the 400 free (4:18.69). The 200 free relay team of Alyssa Barberio, Mendez, Hsu and Bernadette Mehrtens won in a time of 1:54.01.
   Nick Giacopelli led the way for the boys, taking two individual events and helping two relay teams win. Giacopelli captured the 200 free (1:55.92) and 100 free (51.25). He also joined Mark Green, Peter Cole and Bryan Zeiher in the 200 medley relay (1:49.47) and teamed with Green, Sean Downey and Scott Prow in the 200 free relay (1:40.61).
   Ippolito also won two individual races – the 200 IM (2:13.56) and 100 breast (1:08.67). Other individual winners for the boys included Downey (50 free, 24.09), James Lyon (500 free, 5:27.02) and Green (100 back, 58.23).
   The HHS teams were scheduled to swim at North Hunterdon this week before competing in tomorrow’s Skyland Conference Championships.