By Bob Nuse, The Packet Group
Pat Tarrant is hoping for the best when it comes to his team’s health heading into tonight’s Central Jersey Group III tournament game at Neptune.
The Lawrence High boys basketball team hasn’t been healthy for nearly a month now, which isn’t the best way to go into your state tournament opener. But having had eight days off since they last played has given the Cardinals a chance to get healthy.
”This is the best we have looked in a long time,” said Tarrant, whose sixth-seeded team will take a 15-8 record into tonight’s 7 p.m. game at No. 3 Neptune. “It got worse for us after the Hightstown game. We had to cancel our game with New Egypt (last Friday). So we have not played in over a week, which is not the best way to go into a state game. But we’re stronger now than we have been.”
The Cardinals played the Hightstown game without starters Junior Austin and Corey Thomas, who have been battling illness. The one plus to the misfortune health-wise is that the Cardinals have been able to give extended playing time to those players coming off the bench. So J.T. McGahran, Chris Coyle and Chris Boutote have played more down the stretch.
Starters Terrence Bailey, Nick Brackett and Brandon Gowton have been steady in what has been a crazy year for the Cardinals, who have lost three games in overtime and two others by two points or less.
”We had some bad luck at the end, but overall we’ve had a real good year,” Tarrant said. “It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve played a lot of exciting games. It’s been a crazy year with the overtime games and one- and two-point games. It’s tough with the injuries and illness we’ve had the last few weeks. But hopefully we can come together and make a good showing against Neptune.
”I saw them last week. They’re a good team. We’re going to need to play real good defense.”
As the No. 6 seed, Lawrence nearly had a home game. But with just 10 teams in the CJ III field, the Cardinals received a first-round bye.
”It would have been nice to have a home game,” Tarrant said. “But the way it worked out, having the bye, it might have helped us because it gave us a couple extra days to get ready and get people back. We’ll be healthier than if we had played on Tuesday.”
And hopefully they’ll play at their best, which when they have been healthy this year has been pretty good.
”We’ve got a bunch of real good kids,” Tarrant said. “They get along well and they enjoy playing together. It’s been a real fun group to work with this year. It’s been unfortunate what’s happened the last few weeks. It would be nice if we could go to Neptune and play well. That would be good for these guys.”

