The third annual Friends of South Amboy basketball benefit will again pit local rivals Cardinal McCarrick High School against South Amboy High School in a series of three games on Dec. 20.
Proceeds from the games will go to three local families in need, said Tom Reilly, who serves as president of the Friends of South Amboy. The group was founded in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, which decimated parts of the city. The first benefit, in 2012, raised upwards of $25,000 to help local families affected by Sandy. Last year, $15,000 was raised to help two local girls in their fight against cancer.
Following the superstorm, several local people were looking for ways to help bring the city together. Several of the “Friends” attended St. Mary’s High School (the forerunner of Cardinal McCarrick) or South Amboy. Since the two schools no longer played each other unless matched in a tournament, the organizers looked to rekindle the rivalry. Both schools agreed and set the stage for the benefit.
“There are a lot of people involved in this, and they pretty much want to remain anonymous. So, I don’t want to be taking the credit,” Reilly said. “People across the town have really come together, and it’s really amazing because there are always people in need.”
The benefit is actually a series of games beginning with a matchup between the boys junior varsity teams at 4 p.m. At 5:30 p.m., the girls varsity squads will square off, and the boys varsity contest is set to start at 8 p.m.
Last year, there was a fair amount of excitement on the floor. Cardinal McCarrick’s girls edged South Amboy, 38-34, in a seesaw affair. This year’s game will match the Governors’ Amanda Lavigne, who averaged 19 points a year ago, against the formidable Eagles front line of 6-foot-1 Joyce Loda and 5-foot-10 Kimberly Szilagyi.
While Cardinal McCarrick will feature a younger team that also includes returnees Maria Wise and Victoria Zayas this time around, the Governors have several key players back. They include Kara and Kelsey Kuhn, Beth Kudelka, Beth Noble and Emily Trzeciak.
In addition, Cardinal McCarrick coach Lynn Ust has a foot in both schools. The Eagles’ mentor is South Amboy’s career points leader. Chris Dill, who scored 1,000 points for South Amboy, and Sue Wilson, who scored 1,000 points for St. Mary’s, will serve as honorary coaches.
The boys game looked like a rout last year, as the Eagles took a 13-point lead into halftime. South Amboy came roaring back to tie things up in the third quarter before eventually falling in overtime. Joe Fruncilla led the Governors with 31 points, and Steve Herdman added 19 points. Sky Harris topped Cardinal McCarrick with 24 points, while Aaron Lewis, Keyshawn Roache and Ryan O’Leary contributed 10 points apiece.
O’Leary has since transferred to South Amboy and will be suiting up for new coach John Zammit. The Governors’ lineup will also include Tim Kales, Kiere Ford, Julian Munoz, Hugh Rone and Max Garcia.
Zammit played for South Amboy, where he graduated in 2008, before going on to Monmouth University. He now teaches in the Woodbridge district. Zammit’s assistant, Matthew Wiater, played for Cardinal McCarrick.
“The teams kind of took a break from playing each other because they’re in different divisions, but we did play them in the [Greater Middlesex Conference] quarterfinals in 2008,” Zammit said. “It’s great that we can play on a regular basis for a good cause. This is a prime example of a small community coming together because there are always people in need. It’s also good for the kids to participate in something like this.”
Cardinal McCarrick, meanwhile, is looking to rebound from a pair of losing seasons following the departure of longtime successful coach Joe Lewis, who played at and graduated from South Amboy. The Eagles have brought in Ben Gamble, who spent the last 14 years as an associate head coach under Bob Hurley at St. Anthony’s High School in Jersey City.
George Krzyzanowski, who scored 1,000 points for St Mary’s and went on to coach at South Amboy, will be the Governors’ honorary coach. Bob Howarth, who played and later coached at St. Mary’s, is the Eagles’ honorary coach.
Tickets are priced at $10 for the general public and $5 for students and senior citizens. There will also be a tricky tray, and the New Jersey Devils have donated several items for auction, including a stick signed by future Hall-of-Famer Jaromir Jagr.
For more information, call 732-439-5693 or e-mail [email protected].