RAIDER ROUNDUP
By: Rudy Brandl
The Hillsborough High boys’ basketball team entered this week with a tough task breaking a four-game losing streak against undefeated Bridgewater-Raritan.
Hillsborough (4-6) lost its fourth in a row Friday night at Montgomery, which broke open a tight game in the second half and posted a 59-40 triumph. The offensive woes continued for the Raiders, who managed a total of only 81 points in losses to Franklin and Montgomery last week.
No Raiders reached double figures at Montgomery. Team scoring leader Chad Barbieri was held to six points. Barbieri hit just one 3-point field goal in the games at Franklin and Montgomery.
Sophomore guard Tom Molarz nailed five threes and scored a career-high 20 points to account for nearly half the team offense in the 58-41 loss at Franklin. The Raiders hit more threes (7) and free throws (8) than standard 2-point field goals (6) at Franklin. The Raiders are averaging only nine 2-pointers in the last four games.
Friday’s offensive struggles at Montgomery were compounded when senior point guard Brandon Shamy picked up three fouls in the first quarter. Molarz and senior center Joel Brissett scored nine points apiece to lead the Raiders.
Poor first quarters have killed the Raiders in all four games. They scored four points in the first quarter at Hunterdon Central, nine vs. Watchung Hills at home and then four and six, respectively, in last week’s setbacks. Despite holding Central to five, Franklin to nine and Montgomery to 11 points, the Raiders have trailed after the opening period in every game in the New Year.
One critical spurt has also been killing the Raiders each game. The team was hanging with Franklin until Mike Tyree fired in three consecutive bombs to help the Warriors take a 21-12 lead at the break. HHS clawed back into the Montgomery game at halftime but the Cougars went on a late run in the third period and took a 12-point lead into the final eight minutes.
The Raiders must salvage at least a split of this week’s games to stay in the hunt for the state playoffs. If they can’t get it done vs. Bridgewater, the HHS boys must win tomorrow night when Immaculata comes to town. The Spartans defeated Watchung Hills, so the Raiders will have to recapture their early season form to get back on the winning track.
Swimmers use balance
to sweep Watchung Hills
Eleven different HHS individuals won races when the Raiders swept Watchung Hills at Berkeley Aquatic Center last week. Hillsborough also notched victories in four relays.
The HHS girls improved to 5-3 with a 96-60 triumph over the Warriors. Individual winners included Missy McCormick in the 200 free (2:06.50), Jessica Stever in the 50 free (26.97), Sara Miller in the 100 free (1:00.87), Madison Goldberg in the 100 back (1:12.04) and Amanda Kautz in the 100 breast (1:14.72).
Miranda Steel, Kautz, McCormick and Stever combined to win the 200 medley relay in 2:02.70, while Julie Bianchini, Miller, Jessica Parker and Stever prevailed in the 200 free relay in 1:51.37.
The Raider boys won their seventh straight dual meet with a 95-61 victory over Watchung. Pat Kuehne won the 200 individual medley (2:10.90), Scott Prow took first in the 50 free (23.97), Sean Downey prevailed in the 100 fly (1:00.50), Tim Rauch captured the 500 free (5:16.28) and Eric Horowitz finished first in the 100 back (1:01.05).
Austin Steel, Frank Ippolito, Downey and Prow teamed to win the 200 medley relay in 1:48.89, while Horowitz, Kuehne, Downey and Prow combined to take first in the 200 free relay in 1:37.25.
The HHS boys (7-2) ran into state power St. Joseph’s of Metuchen Thursday and the Falcons won all but one race in a 120-50 victory. Raider coach Todd Sudol pointed out that all of the races were extremely close, but St. Joe’s posted some impressive times to win most of them.
Kuehne was the lone winner for the Raiders, posting a time of 1:02.67 to win the 100 breast.
The Raiders will spend the week training for next Friday’s Somerset County Championships.
Wrestlers drop two
matches on road
The Raider wrestlers made two more tough road trips last week and returned home with losses to North Hunterdon (42-24) and Lawrence (47-27). The team showed some spunk in both matches and actually only lost the Lawrence match by two points on the mat. Three forfeits beefed up the home team’s point total.
HHS gave away bouts at 103, 152 and heavyweight and won six of the 11 contested bouts. Lawrence combined four pins with the 18 free points and added a technical fall to win by 20.
Adam Kull (119), Kevin Lynch (140) and Frank McLaughlin (145) produced pins for the Raiders. Bobby Wolf (135), Chris Monticchio (171) and Ernie Guaimano (189) added hard-fought decisions to keep the Raiders in the match.
North Hunterdon avenged last year’s first-ever loss to Hillsborough with a win on its home mats in Clinton. The Lions dominated the lower weights, with Kull winning the only match for the Raiders between 103 and 135. Kull edged Dennis Boyle in a 5-4 decision. Lynch, Monticchio and Guaimano also won by decision.
Hillsborough received pins from McLaughlin and Scott Sliker (215). McLaughlin decked Rob Grambor in 5:20 and Sliker decked Sam Doyle in 3:18.
Girls survive scare
against Franklin
The Lady Raider basketball team played its closest game against Franklin in over a decade but managed to pull out a 36-33 victory. The three-point margin was the closest during HHS head coach Jim Reese’s tenure.
HHS owned a 24-18 lead at the half but scored only 12 points in the final 16 minutes. Ebony Jones was the only Lady Raider in double figures with 10 points.
Franklin trailed by nine entering the fourth quarter but rallied with an 11-5 closing spurt. The upset-minded visitors fell short at the end but held the Lady Raiders to a season-low point total.
"Thank God we played defense," Reese said.

