March Madness struck the Freehold Regional High School District last week. In what may have been the district’s finest week for boys state tournament basketball action, Colts Neck and Howell, respectively, took down the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds and threw the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV state sectional tournament bracket into complete chaos.
Marlboro High School’s Craig Helfgott (3) tries to put a shot up over North Brunswick’s Shaliek Short during the first half of an NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV state sectional tournament semifinal on March 6 in Marlboro. The Raiders edged the Mustangs, 70-67 in double overtime. For more photos, see Photo Galleries at www.gmnews.com. ERIC SUCAR staff Coach Brian Quick’s Howell Rebels started the fireworks on March 2 when they went to Trenton to face No 2 seed Trenton Central and pulled off the biggest tournament win in school history, a 48-47 stunner. A lay-up by Kendall Simmons that beat the buzzer was the game-winner. The Rebels overcame the Tornadoes’ press and a hostile crowd to pull off the upset. Guard Ryan Keegan led the way with 14 points for the No. 15 seed.
On the same night that No. 2 Trenton Central was sent packing by Howell, No. 7 seed Sayreville War Memorial High School was ousted by No. 10 seed Marlboro in Central Jersey Group IV action.
Marlboro’s new head coach, Andrew Theokas, had the Mustangs playing defense well all season and they took that defensive effort on the road to surprise the Bombers, 54-50. Andrew Goldstein poured in a game high 22 points to lead the Mustangs, and Sean Hickey added 12 points.
Also on March 2, Coach Lou Piccola’s Colts Neck Cougars hosted Pennsauken in the No. 8 vs. No. 9 match-up. It was the speed and quickness of the Indians against the size of the Cougars’ Chris Cassidy.
For a half the Indians won out, but they eventually had no answer for Cassidy and his 24 points and 10 rebounds. Kyle Mobbs caught fire in the second half and chipped in with 18 points, and Sean O’Reilly added 12 points as Colts Neck outscored Pennsauken 26-10 in the fourth quarter to pull out a 66-52 win.
Then it was on to the March 4 Central Jersey Group IV quarterfinals where Marlboro found itself hosting Howell thanks to the Rebels’ upset of Trenton Central.
Howell had a 2-1 edge over Marlboro in the regular season, but the Rebels had no answer in a game that turned into Marlboro’s most complete defensive effort of the season. Goldstein hit two three-point field goals early to get the Mustangs jump-started and the defense did the rest. The Mustangs held Howell to seven points in the first half and coasted to a 45-23 victory and the program’s first trip to the state sectional tournament semifinals.
Much to the Mustangs’ delight, they learned that No. 11 seed North Brunswick had taken out No. 3 seed East Brunswick. That meant the No. 7 seed Mustangs would host the sectional semifinal on March 6.
Marlboro should have been careful what it wished for. Once again the Mustangs gave their fans a lot to cheer about, but the visiting Raiders became the official Cinderella team of the Central Jersey Group IV bracket when they outlasted the Mustangs in double overtime and won a 70-67 thriller.
Goldstein was off the charts in scoring a game high 37 points. Craig Helfgott scored 11 points for the Mustangs, who finished the 2009-10 season with a 16-11 record, the boys basketball team’s best finish since the 1970s.
Meanwhile Colts Neck was doing its part to shake up the Central Jersey Group IV bracket in its quarterfinal game. The Cougars took out defending champion and No. 1 seed Monroe Township, 71-63.
The Cougars got contributions across the board as O’Reilly led the scoring parade with 16 points. Cassidy had 15, Mobbs added 13 and Hunter Wysocki chipped in with 12 as Colts Neck, like Marlboro, was one game away from playing for the Central Jersey Group IV title.
With Marlboro and North Brunswick both seeded below the Cougars, a win at Montgomery in the March 6 sectional semifinals would have assured a home game for the Cougars in the sectional final.
The Cougars came about as close as you can to getting to the championship game. It took a three-point field goal at the fourth quarter buzzer from Montgomery’s James Loupos for the No. 4 seed to force overtime. In overtime, Montgomery only made one shot from the field, but the Cougars went 11-12 from the free thrown and won 59-55.
It is doubtful when the week began that Montgomery (23-5) expected to be playing the state sectional tournament final on its home court in Skillman.
Cassidy scored 17 points in his final game for Colts Neck, with sophomores Brian Kenny (14) and O’Reilly (11) also hitting for double figures. The Cougars finished the season with a record of 13-10 and with a lot of promise for the future.
Freehold High School certainly did not want to see a shake-up in Central Jersey Group III. The Colonials were the No. 1 seed and everyone had to go through Freehold Borough to win the sectional championship.
Unfortunately for Freehold, the upset bug hit this state sectional tournament, too. The Colonials lost their Central Jersey Group III semifinal game to Lakewood, 49- 44, before a loud, jam-packed crowd in the borough on March 5.
If heart were enough to win a game, Freehold would most certainly have been playing in the March 9 sectional final, but the Colonials could not come up with enough support behind Christian Garcia to overcome the Piners.
Garcia scored a game high 21 points, but no one else was close to double figures. Chris Cotroneo and Brandon Reynolds both came off the bench to hit big three-pointers, but the Colonials, who were playing without point guard Lance McKenzie (violation of school rules), were playing catch-up all night against the Piners.
Garcia banked home a three-pointer at the buzzer to pull the Colonials within one, 31-30, at the end of the third quarter. But the Piners’ Anthony Walker opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer of his own and the lead was back to four (34-30). Cotroneo answered with a three-pointer for Freehold to make it 34-33 and the home fans were on their feet.
Lakewood responded to Cotroneo’s basket with a 7-0 run that pushed the lead to 41-33.
The Colonials made one last run. Reynolds’ three-pointer from deep in the corner got the Colonials to 42-40 with 1:14 remaining, Lakewood’s William Hawking answered with a lay-up (44-40). Two free throws from Jesse Hunt pulled the Colonials within a basket, 44-42, but a pair of free throws by Jarod Davis and a steal by Hawking and the lay-up that followed put it away for the No. 5 seed Piners, who had previously beaten No. 4 seed Monmouth Regional.
Lakewood improved to 19-8, while the Colonials finished the 2009-10 season with a record of 21-6.
Freehold reached the Central Jersey Group III semifinals by beating Lawrence, 57-45, in the first round on March 1. Garcia and McKenzie each scored 18 points in the win.
In the March 3 quarterfinals, the Colonials beat Long Branch for the third time this season, 66-64. Garcia netted a game high 23 points and McKenzie added 19 points.
Sterry Codrington hit two clutch free throws with :14 to play to give Freehold a decisive 66-62 lead.
Although there was a chance that three boys basketball teams from the FRHSD could have been playing for a Central Jersey title last night and in the end none made it to a championship game, the locals nevertheless provided their fans with a very exciting week of playoff basketball.