Teams gain experience at Maroon and White camp

By MATTHEW ROCCO
Correspondent

 St. John Vianney High School’s Zoe Pero, left, looks for some space to take a shot while being defended by Red Bank Catholic High School’s Jennifer Bagnell. The rival teams were playing on July 30 at the Maroon and White Team Basketball Camp held at Red Bank Regional High School.  STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC SUCAR St. John Vianney High School’s Zoe Pero, left, looks for some space to take a shot while being defended by Red Bank Catholic High School’s Jennifer Bagnell. The rival teams were playing on July 30 at the Maroon and White Team Basketball Camp held at Red Bank Regional High School. STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC SUCAR The Shore’s top girls basketball teams showcased their talents at the Maroon and White Team Camp last week, getting a head start on the new season while playing in front of college recruiters.

The three-day camp at Red Bank Regional High School featured St. John Vianney High School, Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, Holmdel High School, Middletown High School North, Red Bank Catholic High School and others, with each team playing two games a day. Malcolm X Shabazz High School, last season’s NJSIAA Tournament of Champions winner, also participated.

The Maroon and White Team Camp had something for everyone. Coaches got an early look at their teams and Shore Conference competitors, while players got time on the court as recruiting season shifts into high gear. The event received NCAA certification two years ago.

“They work extremely hard, even in the spring,” St. John Vianney head coach Dawn Karpell said, as some of the Lancers played 30-35 games in July. “That’s when a lot of their scholarships get earned. For a lot of kids, their junior year is a big year for recruiting.”

St. John Vianney played in the Maroon and White camp after making a trip to Maryland for five games. In the span of a week, the Lancers squeezed in 11 games.

“The recruiting schedule in July is crazy,” Karpell said. “Needless to say, they’ve been playing a lot of basketball.”

Karpell said playing rival Shore Conference schools in the summer is a valuable opportunity. Nine returning letter winners were on the court for St. John Vianney in Red Bank. Junior Kelly Campbell, who will be a key part of the 2014-15 team, arrived in time for the camp’s final day of play after attending the Nike Nationals in South Carolina.

So far this summer, the Lancers have shown improvement since last season ended in March, Karpell said.

“That has us excited for the season,” she added.

George Sourlis, the head coach at Rumson Fair Haven, said he was “very happy” with the way his Bulldogs played at the Maroon and White camp, although it’s tough to draw any conclusions since most teams are still experimenting on the court.

“You don’t get the full picture, but you certainly get a clearer picture,” Sourlis said.

Rumson-Fair Haven, which will have plenty of veteran experience on its roster — led by seniors Sam Sabino and Grace Stant — is working on playing at a faster pace than last season. Sourlis said that while “it’s unfair to expect them to be there at this point,” Rumson-Fair Haven has some work to do before it reaches the same level as the “upper-echelon” of the Shore Conference.

“We need to be more disciplined on defense,” he said.

Sourlis also said James Young, his counterpart at Red Bank Regional, did a great job organizing the Maroon and White Team Camp, which just completed its sixth year.

“It gives the girls a chance to play in front of colleges and gives us coaches a chance to see them play in a game setting,” Sourlis said.