I t was like a scene from a championship game victory when the Jackson Liberty High School basketball team defeated Lakewood, the No. 1 ranked team in the Shore Conference, by a 53-51 score on Jan. 6 in front of a packed home gym in Jackson.
The Lions’ victory over the Piners is part of a 7-1 start, the best ever for a team that was picked to finish last in the Shore Conference C Central Division, where Lakewood also plays.
“It was a great night for the basketball program and the entire school, beating the No. 1 team in the Shore Conference, the No. 12 team in the state, in front of our fans, teachers, administrators and coaches from other sports,” Lions coach Mark Lax said. “I will always remember how they rushed the court at the end.”
Ahmad Foster, a 6-1 junior forward who did not play last season, scored 21 points, 10 in the final quarter, including two free throws late in the game that gave Jackson Liberty a 52-50 lead.
Lakewood answered with a free throw, and Jackson Liberty senior guard Ahmad Shalabi closed the scoring with a free throw with :06 left. Foster rebounded a missed shot by Lakewood as the buzzer sounded.
Sophomore forward Dan Niblick contributed 14 points and 13 rebounds for Jackson Liberty. “It’s great beating the No. 1 team in the Shore Conference for a team starting from the bottom,” said Shalabi, the Lions’ captain. “I felt we would win this in the locker room [before the game started]. We got every rebound and played great defense. It’s a great boost for the team. When we get on a roll, we believe we can beat anybody.”
Jackson Liberty and Lakewood will play again on Jan. 27 in Lakewood in another C Central contest.
For now, there is a four-team logjam at the top of the division. On Jan. 3, Jackson Liberty came off the holiday break with a 52-50 division loss to Monsignor Donovan.
Three days later, the Lions were celebrating their win over the Piners.
The Lions played host to Point Pleasant Borough on Jan. 10 (after the deadline for this edition). They will travel to Manasquan on Jan. 13 and host Brick on Jan. 14.
“Now there’s excitement at the school,” Lax said. “We are 3-0 at home and hopefully the crowds will continue to come.”
Lax admits it has all been “surprising” with a lineup that starts one senior in Shalabi and has another senior, Bob Brown, seeing a lot of action off the bench. The other starters with Foster and Niblick are junior guard Dan Johnson and sophomore forward James Sofield, who is the team’s top rebounder.
“They are still very young. It’s surprising they put it together so fast,” Lax said.
The coach credits Foster, who he said “has matured a lot. He has much more of an all-around game. He has become a better defender and rebounder as well a scorer, but he’s also a team player.”
Shalabi said he is enjoying the ride after an 11-13 season and he accepts the challenge put forth early in the season by Lax for Jackson Liberty that “we go as he [Shalabi] goes,” which extends far beyond scoring and other stats and into intangibles.
“It’s great that they’re young. Now they have to make sure they know their roles,” Shalabi said of his teammates. “They just have to follow their coaches and follow their leaders on the team.”