Earning a spot in the state tournament was a preseason goal. Despite losing two of three games last week, the Jackson High School boys’ basketball team is still alive in its quest for postseason play.
The Jags squared off against Toms River South Tuesday. Jackson hosts Southern at 7 p.m. Friday. The Jags need a victory to qualify for the state tournament.
"We had a chance to earn the berth last week, and we didn’t get it done," Jackson coach Rob Goodall said, referring to his team’s loss to Brick. "That (Brick) is a team we should have beaten. Now we’ve backed ourselves into a corner. We have two games this week; we need to win one. Both contests are going to be close games. Hopefully at least one goes our way."
Jackson’s offense will get a boost when junior forward Gary Healy returns to the lineup Friday.
"He gives us a lot more than just scoring a punch," Goodall said. "He gives us good size on the inside. And more importantly, he is a leader. The players like and respect him. He knows how to motivate teammates."
At 6-foot-3, Healy can play both inside and outside. Last season, he averaged 12 points per game. Goodall is hoping he can improve those numbers for the rest of the season.
"He has a good jump shot, and he slashes to the basket," Goodall said. "He can finish around the goal on a fast break. There’s no doubt we’ll be a better team with him in the lineup."
The Jags dropped a 73-64 decision to Toms River North Tuesday, then followed that with a 63-57 win over Middletown South Thursday. On Friday, Brick posted a 60-57 victory over the Jags.
Jackson finds itself now with a record of 8-8 overall and 4-5 in the conference.
In the win over Middletown South, Jeff Warner paced the Jags with a team high 15 points. Lead guard Ryan Moglia and Justin Fields chipped in with 14 points apiece.
Moglia, who has been playing hurt for the last two weeks with an injured calf, managed to play most of the game. Goodall said the leg still bothers his point guard, but not enough to keep him on the bench.
"He’s starting to play more minutes and the leg feels a little better," Goodall said. "But he’ll probably have this through the duration of the season."
Jackson was particularly impressive from the free-throw line, connecting on 20 of 23 shots.
"Our offense was much more fluid in that game," Goodall said. "We put together a whole game where we made shots, played defense, and limited turnovers and mistakes. We don’t shoot free throws very well, but we did this night. It was a good win for us."
Jax girls win a pair
The Lady Jaguars posted victories over both Middletown South and Brick to improve their record to 11-5 overall.
Jackson followed a 35-33 victory over Middletown South Thursday with a 44-41 win over Brick on Friday.
In the win over Middletown South, junior forward Danielle Gressey led the Lady Jags with 16 points. Senior Casey Bartolf contributed eight points, and junior Jen Murray had four.
Jackson got off to a slow start, scoring just three points in the first quarter. However, the Jags led 20-14 at the half.
Jackson led 30-21 after three quarters. Middletown South made a run in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Jags, 12-5. But it wasn’t enough as Jackson held off the come-from-behind attempt.
Murray sparked the Jags in the win over Brick. Murray scored a team high 12 points, including making six of eight from the charity stripe. Bartolf added 10 points.
Jackson played at Toms River South Tuesday. The Jags travel to Southern at 7 p.m. Friday, and New Brunswick at 7 p.m. Monday.