Posted by Scott Stump
It was a busy Thursday with plenty of crucial divisional games making the picture a little clearer in most cases, plus some tough news out of Jackson Memorial. I’ll sum up where we’re at in the divisional races and more below.
Player of the Night
Hunter Wysocki, Sr., F, Colts Neck
In the biggest game of the week in the Shore, Wysocki scored a game-high 23 points and made several big fourth-quarter buckets down the stretch to help the Cougars finally vanquish Neptune with a 53-48 win. That not only means the Cougars will probably share the Class B North title, it also means they will be the new No. 1 team in the Shore. It also was just a major psychological boost after so many fourth quarters had gotten away from them in the past against Neptune. A win like that tells Colts Neck that it has what it takes to win its first Shore Conference Tournament title.
I also think Freehold Township senior guard Casey Skievaski deserves mention after registering 26 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals to power a 60-59 win over Manalapan that helped the Patriots take a huge step toward winning at least a share of the overall Class A North title.
Bell Done for the Season for Jackson Memorial
Senior point guard Elliot Bell has been suspended for the remainder of the season for a violation of school rules, according to Jackson Memorial head coach Joe Fagan. This marks the second straight season that Bell has failed to make it to the end with Jackson Memorial, as he was declared ineligible last January because of a residency issue.
This definitely hurts No. 4 Jackson (14-1), as Bell was a four-year starter on a team that relies heavily on its starting lineup. Bell was a solid ballhandler who was good in transition, but most importantly, he was a good on-the-ball defender who could pressure the smaller, quicker opposing guards. His dismissal means that senior guard Brian Kenny will have to do the lion’s share of the ballhandling and that the Specht twins and junior guard Salam Simon will have to step up and play more meaningful minutes.
Bell’s situation also may mark the debut of the All Shore Media cover jinx, as I wrote about Bell in the latest issue of our newspaper here. While Bell’s transgression was bad, it’s not even close to when I was at The Asbury Park Press in the early 2000s and wrote stories on Lakewood running back Dwayne Jones and Middletown South running back Trent MacCray changing their lives and moving on from getting into trouble only to have both of them eventually commit armed robberies that landed them in jail for multiple years.
Breaking Down the Divisional Races
Class A North
Freehold Township’s win over Manalapan looks to have all but guaranteed the Patriots at least a share of the overall Class A North title. They still have games against Howell, Marlboro and Middletown South, who are a combined 7-33, in order to clinch it. Head coach Brian Golub wasn’t having any of it when I indicated that they have cleared the last significant hurdle to a title yesterday because Marlboro and Howell are rivalry games and Middletown South has played some good teams tough this season. Howell did take Manalapan to double overtime in one loss, but I still think as long as Freehold Township doesn’t have any kind of major letdown, the Patriots will get their piece of the pie. I don’t think too many people were thinking they were going to be champs in the preseason, especially with Middletown North as the heavy favorite, so that’s a great job (so far) by the Patriots.
Middletown North can still tie Freehold Township for the overall crown. The crucial game looks to be when the Lions travel to Christian Brothers Academy on Feb. 6 for a rematch after beating the Colts by 19 in their first meeting. Middletown North has never swept CBA in the regular season in the history of its program, but will almost certainly have to do it in order to get a piece of the A North title. CBA, meanwhile, would love nothing more than to ruin Middletown North’s shot at a crown. If CBA wins, that most likely means Freehold Township will win its first overall outright division title since going unbeaten in Class A North in 2006-07 when it finished No. 1 in the Shore Conference.
Class A Central
The division crown essentially comes down to Tuesday’s game at Raritan against visiting Holmdel at 6:30 p.m. The Hornets’ only loss to a Shore Conference team so far this season was an 18-point setback against Raritan, the defending division champion, in their first meeting. If Holmdel gets the win, it would have a one-game lead on Raritan with two games to go against St. John Vianney and Red Bank. So if its beats Raritan and then St. John Vianney, it’s guaranteed no worse than a tie for the title and can win it outright by winning all three or by having Raritan lose another divisional game. The Rockets, meanwhile, would have a one-game lead on Holmdel with three divisional games left it they win. They would have to beat St. John Vianney and Red Bank Regional to guarantee at least a tie for the title unless Holmdel loses another divisional game and could win it outright by beating Holmdel and then beating SJV, RBR and Matawan.
Class A South
Jackson Memorial has not lost a game in this division since the 2009-10 season, but Southern is only one game behind. The rematch is on Feb. 7 at Southern. If both teams win out up to that point, that game will be for either an outright title for Jackson or a shared overall title, but if either team loses before then, it changes everything.
Class B North
This division is all but settled after Colts Neck’s win over Neptune last night. No one else in the division has come close to beating these teams all season, so now that they split two games, it most likely means they will each win out and then share the division title.
Class B Central
Everyone in the division keeps doing favors for Asbury Park, and last night was another example as Mater Dei Prep upset Point Beach to put the Blue Bishops in sole control of first place. The Blue Bishops did some heavy lifting of their own, as they went on the road and edged a red-hot Keansburg team to gain first place. If Asbury Park wins its next two divisional games against Point Beach next Thursday and Keyport on Feb. 6, it will clinch at least a tie for the division title and could clinch it outright if Keansburg suffers another loss in its next two divisional games. Point Beach can still give itself a shot to tie Asbury Park by beating the Blue Bishops next week and winning the rest of its divisional games. Keansburg also has a chance to get a piece of its first division title ever if Asbury Park loses one of its final three division games and the Titans win out.
Class B South
This division can all but be over tonight if Lacey beats Central, which will give the Lions no worse than a tie for the title. They could officially wrap up the outright championship with a victory over last-place Pinelands on Tuesday.
Class C Central
Lakewood can clinch at least a tie for its second straight Class C Central title with a win over Jackson Liberty at home Friday night, and you know the Piners are eager for that one after losing to the Lions for the first time in school history in their first meeting this season. With a win there, the Piners can close out the outright title with a victory over Monsignor Donovan on Tuesday.
Notes/Thoughts
—That’s a huge win for Colts Neck over Neptune. This is what the Cougars wanted, to show everyone they are the best, so now comes having to handle the crown of No. 1, which several teams have not been able to do this season. Colts Neck had been right there for three quarters so many times with Neptune over the past few seasons only to struggle in the final period. They finally closed one out, and their confidence is sky-high right now. They are a multi-dimensional team, as they could rely on senior scoring machine Hunter Wysocki to handle that part down the stretch while senior guard Sean O’Reilly focused on stifling Neptune senior guard Jaheem Woods, who was held scoreless after halftime by O’Reilly.
While the loss of 6-9 center Steven Faust was tough after he was injured in a car accident, they have revamped themselves into a sleeker team that pushes the ball more and finds more space for Wysocki inside to operate. Now that the Neptune burden is off their back, the next challenge will be winning a tournament, which has proved elusive when they have been very close in the state tournament in recent seasons. They need to ride this momentum into a trip to the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals and then take it from there.
—Neptune has had tough losses before and bounced back. The guards continue to play well, but the Scarlet Fliers need more production out of their frontcourt in big games if they are going to ever fulfill the promise of this group and take home a tournament title. They can either make this Colts Neck game a hiccup or a road block.
—Took in Freehold Township’s 60-59 thriller over Manalapan in the Patriots last huge hurdle in A North, and the tandem of Casey Skievaski and John Horrigan got it done. Skievaski is a sneaky player in that doesn’t wow you with athleticism but is so smart and poised. He turns the corner off the high pick and is so dangerous because he can pull up from 3-point range, pull up from the foul line or find Horrigan and others on the block for layups when teams rotate to pick him up. His family moved to Freehold Township from Florida before his sophomore season, so that was a nice stroke of luck for the Patriots. He rebounds, he plays defense, he hits free throws and he makes big plays. If the Patriots continue to excel, he has to get some All-Shore consideration along with Horrigan.
—If Manalapan’s Andrew Saray and Evan Pruden are going to shoot that well from 3-point range in the postseason tournaments while complementing junior standout Anthony Firkser, the Braves will be tough. They kept Manalapan right in the game by hitting from long range when Firkser was being smothered by a few defenders. Boston College and UConn have been in to see Firkser recently for football, as he is also a standout wide receiver who may project as a tight end at the next level if he does not decide to play Division I basketball, where he also has interest.
—Heard it was a great atmosphere at Holmdel for the Hornets’ 52-35 win over Rumson with a packed house and everyone decked out in “Hornets’ Nest” T-shirts. The enthusiasm has definitely been renewed in that program as it rattled off its eighth straight win. Rumson is struggling with center J.J. Conklin out with a concussion and point guard Drew Corsi also out of action.
—Break up Mater Dei Prep! The Seraphs were 3-11 but have won two straight against B Central leaders Asbury Park and Point Beach. Their scoring and defense have both improved, and sophomore guard Sam Miles, who had 19 in the win over Beach last night, continues to play well. Tonight is an interesting game as the Seraphs play a streaking Ocean team in a nondivisional matchup. Mater Dei has become the monkey wrench in the B Central race to make things even more interesting down the stretch, so it will be interesting to see how the Seraphs compare to a solid team from Class B North.
—Brick Memorial suffered a tough blow when senior guard Vince Lombardi, the team’s second-leading scorer at 12.2 points per game, recently suffered a season-ending torn ACL and partially torn meniscus, according to coach Ed Sarluca. The Mustangs have been snakebit much of the season, whether it’s with injuries or losing games at the buzzer.
—Wall has also dealt with playing without some key players. Its top player, senior forward Derek Gardner, will miss Friday night’s divisional game against Point Boro because of a football recruiting trip to Marist and also missed the previous Friday game because of a trip to Stonehill. Also, guard Jordan Petitta has a possible torn meniscus and has missed two straight games, according to head coach Michael Puorro.
