Cougar boys fall in CJ IV opener

MHS hoops drops a narrow decision

By: Bob Nuse
   If you just look at the record, there wasn’t much difference between the Montgomery High boys’ basketball team this year and the one that took the court a year ago.
   After going 12-14 last year, the Cougars followed that up by going 12-13 this year. But wins aside, this year Montgomery took the next step in building its program.
   "If you look at our motto for the season, it was ‘take the next step,’ and I think we did that," said Montgomery coach Kris Grundy, whose team was eliminated from the Central Jersey Group IV tournament with a 59-51 loss at Brick Township on Monday night. "We went from a No. 9 seed in the (Somerset) county tournament to a No. 4 seed. We went from two conference wins to three conference wins. We went from not making the state tournament to making the state tournament.
   "I realize that when you look at the records, they’re pretty much the same. But I felt like we definitely made progress this year with the program."
   Monday night’s loss to Brick was typical of so many for the Cougars this season. It was a close game where they just came up a little short in the end. This season, Montgomery suffered seven of its losses by six points or less.
   "With the exception of two games, we were not blown out by anybody this year," Grundy said. "Our conference schedule was so tough. All six teams in our division made the state tournament, which is pretty impressive. I think that shows how competitive it is, and that’s 10 games right there on our schedule. It’s tough."
   But for the most part, the Cougars were up to the challenge all season. There were wins over Hillsborough, Watchung Hills and Franklin in conference play, as well as winning the championship of the Gene Haley Holiday Tournament.
   It was a solid season for a senior group that has helped lay the groundwork for an improving program.
   "Nick Cafiero did everything we possibly could ask of him and more," Grundy said of the senior, who led the team with 17 points in the loss to Brick. "He averaged 16 points a game and led our offense. Walter Rockhill was one of, if not the best, defensive players in our conference. Josh Schnieder had some good games for us. T.J. Tarca came off the bench and gave us some good minutes. And the same with Mike Neri when he played as well.
   "This was a good group of seniors. No one really expected a lot from them. But they got to the state tournament and they got a No. 4 seed in the county tournament. They have a lot to be proud of. They’ve been a big part of what we’re trying to build here."
   Montgomery trailed Brick by a point after the first quarter Monday night, and trailed 24-21 at halftime. A big third quarter for Brick extended the lead to 41-30, before the Cougars got closer in the fourth quarter.
   "It was like a lot of our games this season," Grundy said. "We were close, but not quite able to get the win."
   Next year, Montgomery has a solid nucleus back as it looks to turn some of those narrow losses into wins.
   "The future looks good," Grundy said. "But as I was telling my staff, the future also looks good for every other team in our conference. So we’re going to have to keep working hard and improving."