Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Chatham mounts remarkable comeback to win the Group II Championship.
At halftime, the Chatham Cougars may have felt that they missed the train heading to the Tournament of Champions. The lightning fast and furious Haddonfield Bulldogs ran up and down the court during the first half and irked Chatham’s offense, holding the Cougars to only 5 points in the first quart. But, at half time, the Cougars regrouped, focused on the team effort and relied on each other while using their depth to wear down the Bulldogs. The Cougars may have just caught their own train, called momentum, and rode it all the way to the Tournament Champions. Along the way, the Haddonfield Bulldogs may been asking for the license plate on that vehicle as, what started off to be, solid victory turned into one of the most memorial upsets in Morris County Basketball history.
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The Chatham Cougars improved to 31-1 and tallied onto their already impressive, now 30-game, winning streak with a 48-42 come from behind stunner over perennial Group 2 power Haddonfield (26-5). As any one of the Chatham players or coaches will tell you, it was not one spark that helped mount the comeback, but a team effort. In what may have been a speech worthy of Coach Rockne’s Gipper speech, Coach Ervin had his team leaving the locker believing. Coach’s plan was simple ... allow no lay-ups, contest all threes and pound in inside. It all seemed logical after the fact. In fact, Billy Oliver, an ever-present scoring force, MVP of the Morris County Tournament, a well know warrior in the paint, was 0-5 from 3-point land. You don’t have to go back and reread that, he was 0-5 from behind the arc. Going inside was the obvious plan. But, surprise, surprise, 6’-8” Oliver was not the offensive go-to guy in the third. Group 2 Final MVP Kevin Conroy was lights out. The 6’-6” Senior turned in a Jordan-esk third quarter knocking in 13 points, after a 6-point 1st half. The Cougars outscored the tiring Bulldogs 20-10 in the 3rd frame and stole any momentum that Haddonfield had so dominantly built in the first half.
Opening the second half down 30-19, Conroy notched his first two just 52 seconds into the quarter. The Cougars forced a turnover with swarming-D on the other end. On the return trip, Conroy was fouled going to the hoop and was able to convert on 1 of 2 of the free throw. The Chatham crowd, that was ready for the second half just as much as the players, was louder than ever and it was beginning to feel like a Chatham home game. Not good for the Bulldogs, as the Cougars were undefeated at home. Bulldog Senior Spencer Reed took it to the hoop for two and put the lead back to 12, just 23 seconds later. Conroy, making the best of his coaches’ advice, was fouled going to the basket and converted both free throws, getting Chatham back to ten. Another Conroy basket and Chatham was within eight until Haddonfield’s Keith Hurley hit one of two free throws. Senior Cougar Matt McHugh added two followed by a huge three from Andrew Kovonuk cut the deficit to a comfortable six. If there was ever a time that the Cougars won over the neutral fans, right there and then was it. The RAC erupted, giving the feel of the best March Madness games and momentum officially jumped into the crowd with the white-out sixth man sitting high up in the rafters. The basket was the Cougars’ first from 3-point land and made the Morris County School 1-9 from deep.
Haddonfield answered after the ensuing time out with two just twenty seconds later, giving the South Jersey school a 37-29 advantage. Conroy, not to be outdone, answered with a long range two. The scoring spree continued, as Haddonfield standout Greg Steinberger knocked down a three. The nine point lead with less than two minutes o play in the 3rd may have seemed like a comfortable lead, but Chatham, inspired by their outrageous fans, rolled off the final six points of the quarter. Oliver’s easy lay-up was sandwiched between two Conroy baskets and just like that, the lead was cut to three entering the final frame.
The Bulldogs tried to slow Chatham down in the fourth, but to no avail. Haddonfield had hit their first, and only, field goal of the 4th to gain a 42-37 lead, only to watch shots fall short or bounce out the rest of the way. The Cougars literally took over the court. Offensively, Chatham scored the final 11 points of the game and sported a 17-2 run over the final 10 minutes of the Championship Game. Oliver, who had been quiet all night, converted both free throws with 4:05 left and gave the Cougars their first lead since the 4:00 mark of the first quarter. Things went back to normal for the seasoned Cougars. Oliver was then fouled the next trip back down the court and turned in the conventional three point play. With Cougars flying high, fatigue had set in for Haddonfield. Andrew Kovonuk was left wide open and made the best of it, banking in an easy look from the block. The Senior Guard gave Chatham a 46-42 lead with just 2:30 left to play. Kovonuk added another basket to close the scoring secure the first Group 2 State Championship for Chatham Basketball.
Chatham’s #22 Kevin Conroy on his Jordon-esk third quarter: “Coming in we knew that we had the height advantage on them. The whole game we just wanted to get it down low and pound it inside. Luckily, I got some open looks and I was able to finish them.”
Coach Todd Ervin on his team’s total team effort and the keys to winning this game on the defensive end: “To beat a team like Haddonfield without Billy scoring a lot is just a team win.” And on the solid defense, “We had to defend at the end. I don’t know how many over the backs they had in the fourth quarter, but I know that Burt (Burton Gildersleeve) had two great block outs, got two over the back calls, so I mean that’s what won the game. Defending them … yeah. Defending them was the difference.
Coach Todd Ervin on off-the-bench stand out Andrew Kovonuk : “We got a couple of easy looks from (Andy) Kovonuk penetrating off of breaks … which were big baskets. He fed Billy (Oliver) for a three point play. He kept us in it. He played his normal game. He’s just relentless defensively. On offense he’s really aggressive. He tried to get the basket and drive. He’s a pass first player. He gets in there and gets us some great looks.”
Kevin Conroy on not giving up after the first half: “We are one of the few teams in the state that can go nine deep. So, we just want to wear team down. We knew with start to wear them down with us pressing the whole game. I think that would lead to easy buckets.”
The Chatham starters on the win: “It’s just awesome, it’s a Holiday … This is just as good as Christmas.”
A Chatham player on the great Chatham Sixth-Man/White Outters: “Our students have been great all year. They’ve been behind us. We were undefeated at home. They made our home court really hard to play at. It’s just a tribute to them too … this Group Championship.”
Oliver on his three blocks in the last 2 minutes and the teams’ great defense in the second half: “It’s a great feeling getting your hand on the ball like that, but it was not just the blocks. I don’t think they scored in the last three minutes.” - Actually 5:39 – “ It was all attributed to our defense.”
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Randolph 4 - Watchung Hills 2
Rams overpower Warriors, 4-2
March 9, 2007
Randolph (20-0-5) v. Watchung Hills (15-8-2)
The Rams opened the game up with bang. Senior Jeff Zamor picked up a loose puck in the corner and moved towards the Watchung Hills keeper, Dan Schroeder. Zamor made a nice move and took Schroeder top shelf giving the Rams an early 1-0 lead. “I just wanted to fake the pass, get the goalie to bite and hit the top corner. I saw him bite, saw the top corner and hit it,” said the senior about the opening goal.
Watchung Hills, coming off a 4-0 win over Ramapo, answered less than two minutes later. Ellie Klein found a loose puck in front the net and converted to notch the game up at one. The early action faded as both teams tightened up. The Rams killed the only penalty of the first period and held a 6 to 2 advantage in shots.
As one Hills fan put it, “”It’s amazing how it could all change in a couple of minute.” A couple of minutes, a quick burst and a mind for the net enabled the top seeded rams to explode to a 4-0 lead.
About halfway through the first, Rams Defenseman Kyle Krannich fanned on a shot just above the circle. An eager Chris Maloney picked up the loose puck and fired a low shot that finds the back of the net. The goal gave the Rams lead 2-1. Just two minutes later, the Rams took advantage of a power play as Rob Kral was able to gain his balance and composure just in time to burry the puck through the five-hole for a 3-1 lead.
Kral on his game winning goal: “I was able to get control and find my balance. It was such a great pass. I think it caught them off guard. I just gained my composure and shot.”
With a little less t
Junior, Forward Chris Tamminga beats the Warriors defense and deeks the keeper for the near side deposit and an important 4-1 lead.
The final Watchung Hills goal was scored by Ellie Klein. The 4-2 victory advance to the Meadowlands and will face Morris Knolls for the fourth time this season. The Golden eagles beat Fair Lawn 5-1 in the night cap. Randolph out-shot the Warriors 20 to 12. The victory for Randolph was their 13th out of the last 14 and sixth in a row since losing to CBA on February 16th.
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Kinnelon runs to Championship Game (3-2-07)
A Thirty-Four Point 2nd Half is too much for the Cougars
Kinnelon runs to Championship Game (3-2-07)
Every time Kinnelon tried to put the game out of reach, Cresskill’s Colleen Ahern had the answer. The Colts battled through a slow tempo and methodical first half only to explode for 34 points in the second. The Colts had no answer to stop Ahern in the first, so what do you do in the second? Switch the tempo and play Colt’s style basketball. The quiet first half was a vast contrast to the scoring bonanza of the run-and-gun, fast paced style at which Kinnelon excels. Kinnelon improved to 18-7 with a 56-48 victory over Cresskill in Group I action. Kinnelon, the top seed in Group I – Section I advances to the finals against Butler. The Bulldogs beat New Milford in overtime. The Championship Game will be held at Bayonne HS on March 5 at 6:00 PM. It will be the first game of a double-header with the second being the North I, Group III Final - Old Tappan v. Teaneck at 8:00
Kinnelon opened to a quick 9-2 lead just 2 minutes into the first quarter. Stephanie Prall hit for five of the nine in the run, but five straight points form Colleen Ahern cut the lead to two as the quarter expired.
Prall dropped a bucket just 15 seconds into the quarter, but Cresskill may have just found their legs between quarters. The Cougars jumped to 14-11 lead with about 4 minutes left in the half. Then, both teams unleashed their offensive weapons. Prall, Vicky Koziol and Hayley Ryan combined for the Colts’ thirteen points of the second frame. Most importantly the trio helped spark a 7-0 run to close the half and give the 1-seed a 22-18 lead going into the intermission. With single digits on the clock and the Colts up by one, Hayley Ryan took a rebound off of a desperation three and put it back for the basket and one. Ryan completed the traditional three-point play.
Kinnelon reverted back to the style of play that guided them to 17 victories prior to this afternoon’s show. Prall and Masterson, both seniors playing in their final game in the Kinnelon gym, combined for 28 of the Colt’s 34 second half points. Kinnelon may have turned up the heat just at the right time. The Colts did not have an answer for the sophomore standout from Bergen County. Ahern connected on nine field goals and went 12 of 15 from the free throw line to lead all scorers. Ahern not only dropped 30, she added 15 rebounds, most on the offensive end. Cresskill Senior Megan Thomas added six points in the fourth quarter, but the Cougars could not cut the lead below six in the closing 
The Colts looked much more comfortable running and pushing the ball and were able to answer every all but one of Cresskill’s scores in the fourth. Kinnelon held a 50-38 lead with 3 minutes left on the clock when Thomas and Nicole Barretta converted baskets. Barretta’s basket and one cut the lead to 50-43. Seven points was as close as this strong Kinnelon squad would allow. Thomas’ basket with 12 seconds left closed the scoring at 56-48.
The Colts led for all but 5 minutes in the second quarter, but seemed control the pace of the game. Cresskill managed to stay within striking distance, but the Kinnelon Seniors would not allow a comeback. Kinnelon starts four seniors. Stephanie Prall finished with 20. Melissa Masterson knocked down 17. Hayley Masterson added 11 and Vicky Koziel scored four with 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
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KINNELON (17-7): Prall 5-4-2-20, Masterson 6-2-1-17, Ryan 4-3-0-11, Koziol 2-0-0-4, T. Prall 2-0-0-4 Totals: 19-9-3-56 CRESSKILL (16-8): Thomas 3-0-0-6, N. Barretta 1-1-0-3, Ahearn 9-12-0-30, Cerone 1-1-0-3, Azelby 1-0-0-2, Durakis 2-0-0-4 Totals: 17-14-0-48
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(4) Hanover Park 44 - (5) Morristown 34 (1-10-07)
CT Quarterfinals @ Morris Knolls (1-10-07)
Momentum is a fickle thing in most high school basketball games. In a County Tournament Quarterfinal match up on a neutral court, momentum shifts can be the life blood of the game. Hanover Park used a 19 point fourth quarter to erase a one point third quarter deficit into a ten-point victory. The Hornets sank 10 of 12 free throws in the final frame to edge away from the Colonials. Lindsey Cassinis lead all scorers and tallied 14 points in the fourth quarter. The senior guard may have played the best game of her high school career leading advancing the Hornets to the final four.
Hanover jumped out to a 6-0 and 7-2 lead early in the first quarter. Cassinis tallied 4 of those 6, with Ashley Addison scored the other two. The Colonials were able to cut the lead to 7-5. With just about two minutes left to play in the opening quarter Alycia Ryan's three pointer put the Colonials within two. Cassinis closed the first quarter scoring with a layoff off a well executed inbound play to give Hanover a 9-5 lead.
The second quarter went well for the Hornets. Cassinis and Jenna Wormann answered Ryan's opening basket and the Hornets lead 13-7 with just under six minutes left in the first half. The Hornets jumped out to a 21-10 lead with just under a minute left in the half. Hanover was in control and looking to enjoy a double digit lad at the half. Three sport standout Alycia Ryan dropped a two and picked off a Hanover pass for a uncontested lay up as time ran out in the half. The four point run was just a taste of the what Morristown had in store for the third quarter.
Tra
The Colonials took a 26-25 lead into the fourth. Ryan, who finished with 19 points added a two free throws near the six minute mark giving Morristown a three point lead at 28-25. Cassinis answered with a lay up and the game was tied at 28. Hanover took the momentum and never looked back. The Hornets outscored the Colonials 16-6 to close the game, most on free throws.
Hanover advance to FDU for the second year in row. The Hornets hung tough threw a Morristown charge early in the third maintained composure late from the line, when games of this importance are won.
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