By Warren Rappleyea
Old Bridge High School’s boys basketball team has posted 17 wins this winter and earned the right to host an NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group IV tournament game.
The Knights are seeded sixth in the tournament and were scheduled to welcome 12th-seeded Trenton Central High School (12-12) to the township March 1. The two teams met in the opening-round each of the last two years, with Trenton prevailing on both occasions, including last season’s 62-60 nail-biter.
“Our guys worked hard all year long to get a home game,” Old Bridge coach Jim Macomber said prior to the game. “Hopefully, things will be different this time.”
Macomber’s team had been playing its best basketball of the season prior to dropping a 69-36 contest to second-seeded South Brunswick High School in the quarterfinals of the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Tournament Feb. 21.
“South Brunswick just beat us; they were the better team,” the coach said. “They’re defense is outstanding, it’s the best in the GMC in my opinion.”
After stumbling to a 59-53 loss to East Brunswick High School Feb. 4, Old Bridge caught fire. Sharp-shooting Connor Romano, who was held to six points by the Bears, was the catalyst as the Knights reeled off an impressive five-game win streak.
Romano, who averages 20.2 points to lead the team, scored 23, 27, 32 and 34 points as Old Bridge downed Monroe Township High School, North Brunswick Township High School, New Brunswick High School and North Bergen High School in succession.
“Connor really went on a tear and that spurred us on,” Macomber said. “He had a rough game against East Brunswick, but he turned it on after that and bounced right back.”
In the opening round of the GMC Tournament, the seventh-seeded Knights hosted J.P. Stevens High School. The visitors managed to slow the game down and take control — at one point in the third quarter, the Hawks led by 10 points. Old Bridge stormed back with 21 fourth-quarter points to squeeze out a 46-44 win. Stephen Strom led the offense with 22 points, seven of them coming from the free-throw line, while Romano added 12 points.
“That was a good test for us,” Macomber said of the J.P. Stevens game. “They dictated the pace and we had to adapt. It was frustrating at times, but our guys kept going and had a big fourth quarter. We only had 25 points after three periods; it was a good comeback win for us.”
Strom, who averages nearly 15 points, has combined with Romano to produce much of Old Bridge’s offense. Macomber noted that junior forward Kyle Paris chipped in with 12 points per game while also giving the Knights a presence under the rim. Zach Attianese, who missed several weeks with a sprained ankle, is a solid defender whose work was particularly noteworthy in the J.P. Stevens game. Attianese averages 4.5 points.
C.J. Santoro has been solid in sharing the point on offense with Romano. The senior handles pressure well and can score when needed, as evidenced by his 18-point night against New Brunswick. Rich Calandrino, a senior guard, is a good defender who can shoot from the outside.
“We’re where we want to be at this time of the year,” Macomber said. “The guys are playing well and we’re in the state tournament.”