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Ramblers
Survive Late Charge From Stubborn Mustangs, 48-46 |
By Greg Machos
December 28, 2007EDISON, NJ—For the third straight year, Carteret and J.F. Kennedy were facing each other for third place in the Gene Haley Memorial Tournament. Back in 2005, current Rambler head coach, Jose Rodriguez, had his coaching debut after then head coach and legendary Carteret player, Keith Hughes was ejected, and Carteret won by a score of 60-53. The next day, CHS won another game against Piscataway Tech for Rodriguez in the Monroe Township Holiday Tournament as Hughes had to sit out a game due to his ejection. Those two wins were the only ones the Ramblers had all that season as they finished 2-18. Last season, the two teams met again after Carteret lost to Edison by a slim margin (48-41) in the opening round, and J.F. Kennedy was soundly defeated by Montgomery (78-46). Both teams went on to have improved seasons last year as the Ramblers qualified for the state tournament for the first time since they won the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament in 2002 while the Mustangs didn't qualify, but ended up winning twice as many games as it did in both the previous two seasons. So far in 2007-08, the two teams have had startling starts. For JFK, the Mustangs had won three of their first four games for the first time since the 2001-02 season, which was one of the last two times Kennedy played for the Haley Tourney Championship (the other was in 2003).
Meanwhile, sixth ranked Carteret, which had a solid off-season including a 5-3 regular season at the inaugural TBSA Summer League followed by an upset of Bishop Ahr in the quarterfinals of that league's post-season tourney before losing to Piscataway in the semifinals, has been up and down so far this season losing their first two games, and winning two in a row entering the holidays. The Ramblers then lost to Montgomery in overtime to come into this contest at 2-3. Last year was a step forward for Carteret Basketball after several years of mediocrity for the traditional Middlesex County powerhouse. Rodriguez, who is now in his second season, managed to get his team to not only qualify for the Central Jersey Group II State Tournament, but win its first round game on the road over Wil Atkinson and Raritan of the Shore Conference, and then give Somerville of the Raritan Division of the Skyland Conference all it could handle, and had a chance to win before succumbing to the Pioneers in overtime. Somerville eventually advanced to the Championship, where it lost to Ewing from Mercer County, and the Colonial Valley Conference. The Ramblers have just about everybody back this year except Anthony Bascilici. Alvin Rodriguez and Manny Rivera return in the backcourt while Al Tampa, Robert "Double-Double" Jackson and Brian Williams return in the frontcourt. In addition, several newcomers including Byron Merricks and Rene Godfrey provide more talent, depth, and athleticism while Byron Lewin, a hero from the gridiron, came back to play after not being on the roster in 2006-07. CHS ended up 11-14 overall, and 7-7 in the GMC White Division.
Across the way at JFK, the Mustangs have a new coach, Chris Banos, the son of referee, George Banos, who had previously served as an assistant to Jamie Panko at JFK before Panko stepped down after last season to take on an administrative position. Banos also was the coach of the 2005 Little Mustangs of Kennedy that earned a second seed in that year's Perth Amboy/GMC Freshmen Tournament, and survived the tumult of that tourney to emerge the champion over a 12th seeded South Brunswick team that knocked off fifth seeded McCarrick in the first round, fourth seeded Edison in the quarterfinals, and eighth seeded Piscataway in the Final Four. Banos' youth and energy has provided Kennedy with a new enthusiasm about hoops, and it paid off with wins over Highland Park (58-44), Dunellen (54-50), and A.L. Johnson (56-52) after suffering its lone defeat prior to the tournament to Blue Division powerhouse, Cardinal McCarrick on opening night (80-58). Couple that with the arrival of Will Roman from Brooklyn along with the return of veterans Jelani Davis (a key member of that 2005 JFK Freshmen team), Joe Marciano, Jonathan Toczynski, Brian Reilly, and John McKenna, and you have something to be excited about in Iselin this winter. In the opening round of the tournament, Kennedy battled Edison, and actually had the lead at one point before losing to the Eagles for the second time in three years, 54-44.
The two teams have battled quite a bit over the years even outside of holiday tournament play. In the 2000-01 season, JFK took a solid Carteret team to overtime in the Central Jersey Group II State Tournament before losing at CHS. The following December, in the 2001 Gene Haley Tournament, the Ramblers minus 6'8" Hofstra bound forward, Omar Alston (foot injury), came together as a team to defeat Kennedy for the Championship. Then, in 2005-06 after the Ramblers had defeated Kennedy in the consolation of that year's Haley Tourney, the two teams met at Carteret's gym on January 28, 2006, and Kennedy won only its third game of the season, 48-45. So, these two teams, which have competed against each other in both the GMC White and the GMC Blue over the years, have accumulated quite a history against one another. In this game, Carteret would get all it could handle from a Kennedy team that is out to prove people wrong. After the Mustangs jumped out to a 13-10 first quarter lead, Carteret rallied back with a 14-7 showing in the second for a 24-20 halftime lead. Then, in the third, the Ramblers got a bit more separation with a 16-12 showing for a 40-32 lead heading into the fourth and final period of play. The Ramblers then scored the first four points of the fourth quarter for a 44-32 lead with 5:34 remaining before Kennedy rallied back with a 14-3 tear over a span of 4:56 to pull within one at 47-46 with 38.2 left in regulation. However, Byron Merricks drew a foul at the 26.4 second mark, and made one of two at the line for a 48-46 lead. With a chance to win, the Mustangs got the ball into the froncourt, and eventually called timeout with 6.2 left to set up a final play. Unfortunately, the play fell apart as sophomore Joe Marciano fired up a three pointer with 5.6 seconds left, and despite an offensive rebound by John McKenna, JFK was unable to score as Carteret hung on for the 48-46 victory.
In the game, Carteret made 18 field goals, a three pointer, and ten free throws for its 48 points while JFK scored its 46 on 15 field goals, 4 threes, and 4 foul shots. Leading the way for the winners was Robert Jackson, who had a game high 26 points and 13 for another one of his patented double-doubles according to the article on the game in the Home News-Tribune. Jackson connected on 12 field goals along with two foul shots for his 26 points, and 54.2 percent of the offense while teammate and senior forward, Brian Williams chipped in with 9 points on two field goals and five free throws. Merricks added 10 points in the win for the Ramblers as well on three field goals, a trifecta, and a foul shot. Alvin Rodriguez (a field goal and a foul shot for three points) and Rene Godfrey (a free throw for a point) rounded out the Carteret scoring. Meanwhile, on the other side of the scoring aisle, J.F. Kennedy, which had nine of its ten players get into the scoring column, was led by John McKenna, who had double figures with 10 points including two three pointers. Brian Reilly (chipped in with 7 points on two field goals and a three while Will Roman added 6 on three field goals. Joe Marciano (a field goal and three foul shots), Jelani Davis (two field goals and a free throw), and Tyler Flowers (a field goal and a three pointer) each contributed with 5 points. Jonathan Toczynski (4 points on two field goals), Jeff Rincavage (a field goal for two points), and Alex Weinstein (a field goal for two points) rounded out the scoring for the Mustangs.
Working on the web site until after 11:00 AM on Thursday morning, GMC Hoops didn't arrive down at the Edison High School gym until the 7:30 mark of the fourth with the Ramblers leading by eight. For the first minute or so, neither team scored until Williams drove to the basket, and missed on a layup attempt, but Jackson was able to pick him up by grabbing the offensive board and scored on the follow for a 42-32 lead with 6:22 remaining. On the next Kennedy possession, Rodriguez drew a charge on Davis at the 6:05 mark, but JFK returned the favor by drawing a charge on Godfrey at the 5:50 mark. Sixteen seconds later though, Jackson swiped a steal, and drove in for a layup that gave the Ramblers their biggest lead of the game at 44-32 with 5:34 left to play. Then, the Mustangs began to mount their comeback attempt. With 5:12 remaining, Marciano passed to Reilly on the left wing for a three pointer that made the score, 44-35. A little more than a half minute later, Weinstein got his only points of the game on a layup that cut the Carteret lead to seven at 44-37 with 4:38 to go. Following a timeout at the 4:34 mark, and a subsquent 30 second timeout to avoid a turnover by the Ramblers at the 4:24 mark, Carteret had a couple chances to score as Jackson grabbed three offensive rebounds that led to a foul on the floor at the 3:48 mark. Five seconds later, Jackson was attacking the offensive glass again, but this time, he couldn't get hold of the rebound as it went out of bounds to the Mustangs at the 3:43 mark. On the next JFK possession, the Iselin school got another score thanks to a give and go between Roman and Marciano that resulted in a three point play for Marciano at the 3:05 mark that closed the gap to four at 44-40.
A short time later, Kennedy got the ball back, but couldn't cash in as Roman threw the ball out of bounds with 2:38 to go. However, the Mustangs did atone quickly for that miscue by getting a steal, and going in for the layup to make it a two point, 44-42 Carteret lead with 2:32 to play. On the next Rambler offensive series, Williams got the ball, and drew a foul that resulted in one of two at the line for the senior to give the Ramblers some breathing room at 45-42 with 2:21 to go in regulation. On the next Mustang possession, Williams came up big again by swiping a steal for a key layup attempt, and foul. This time the forward, who was a wide receiver on Carteret's football team that defeated Rumson Fair-Haven for the Central Jersey Group II Championship this past fall, made good on both foul shot attempts for a 47-42 lead with 1:56 remaining. Following a JFK timeout with 1:48 to go, the Mustangs appeared down for the count when Marciano missed a trey with 53.2 seconds left, but got a second life when the Ramblers stepped out of bounds after getting the rebound. Roman then went to work with four of his six points on the game over the next 15 seconds as the Brooklyn transfer scored on a putback of a Marciano miss with 48 seconds to play, and then picked up a steal for a layup with 38.2 remaining for a 47-46 Rambler lead. After a timeout was called with 33.2 seconds to play, Carteret managed to make it a two point game as Merricks stepped up to the line, and made one of two for a 48-46 lead with 26.4 left to play.
Now, with a chance to tie, or even perhaps win the game, the Mustangs bring the ball up into the frontcourt, move it around a bit while holding for one shot, and eventually called for time at the 6.2 second mark. Emerging from the timeout, Kennedy inbounds the ball, and gets it into the hands of Marciano, who apparently didn't realize how much time was left on the clock since he fired a long three pointer right away from the right wing that was off the mark with 5.6 left on the clock. McKenna scrambled to get the rebound in the right corner, but failed to get the follow off as time expired, and Carteret escaped with a win. With the victory, the Ramblers improved to 3-3 overall, and 2-2 in conference play while J.F. Kennedy finished 2007 with a .500 record at 3-3 overall, and 2-3 in the GMC.
Team |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Carteret (3-3) |
10 | 14 | 16 | 8 | 48 |
J.F. Kennedy (3-3) |
13 | 7 | 12 | 14 | 46 |
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