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Ramblers
Roll Past Spotswood To Quarterfinals, 66-39 |
By Greg Machos
February 25, 2008CARTERET, NJ—On Monday evening, first round action in many of the various NJSIAA State Tournaments began including the opening round matchup between 11th seeded Spotswood of the GMC Blue Division, and sixth seeded Carteret of the GMC White Division in the Central Jersey Group II State Tournament in Carteret. For the Chargers, a berth in the state tournament didn't seem likely. If you were to ask head coach, Steve Mate if his team would be still playing in the last week of February back in say the thick of the fall league season back in October, he would have probably said no way. With the graduation of key players such as John Berner, Bryan Osofsky, and Justin Carlson from last year's squad that won 18 games the year before in 2006-07, nothing was really expected of this year's edition of the Chargers. However, there was still some talent that made this team good enough to at least make a run at a state tourney berth. With a solid sophomore class that consists of second year varsity player Cody Pace, and fine juniors such as Ross Gerhart and Pat Dwyer, there was some promise. The team has actually done well offensively as it ranks among the top teams in GMC in points scored with around 58 points per contest.
The Chargers started the season at 1-4, and were 2-5 when it took on neighborhood rival Monroe on the first Saturday in the new year. Now while the Falcons were playing with heavy hearts since one of the players had a death in the family earlier that week, Spotswood still came away with the victory, which signaled as a turning point in their season. SHS used that jolt of momentum to get on the winning track with 11 wins in their next 17 games to not only qualify for the states, but also advance to the Round of 16, where it had ended up last year. The Chargers pulled off a couple more solid wins by defeating Metuchen at MHS on January 18th despite a monster double-double from the Bulldogs senior forward, DeJuan Miller, and then upsetting Old Bridge in the Preliminary Round of the 2008 GMCT after actually trailing 28-8 in the second quarter. In addition, Spotswood traveled all the way to Blairstown a couple days after beating Monroe, and registered a nice win on the road over a North Warren team from the Raritan Division of the Skyland Conference that qualified for the North Jersey Section 1 Group II State Tournament. Finally, in their last game before the key February 2nd cutoff for qualifying in this year's state tournament, the Chargers entered the state tourney field by defeating North Plainfield, a team that had knocked off Bound Brook in the Championship of the 2007 Crusader Classic after The Brook defeated Spotswood in the opening round.
Similiarly, the Carteret Ramblers got off to a slow start as well. Thanks largely in part to a very successful football season that saw CHS win the Central Jersey Group II sectional crown over Rumson Fair-Haven, the football players such as Brian Williams and Al Tampa weren't able to practice right away. The football hangover caused the team to start off at 3-4 in its first seven games with the last defeat coming on the road at the hands of then winless Old Bridge. However, the defeat served as a galvinizing force in the Ramblers turnaround. After that loss, Carteret went on to win nine straight before losing at home to Monroe just two days after handing the Falcons their first loss at home in 2007-08. CHS then lost two more games including a contest to Rahway that saw the undefeated Indians go on a 23-2 surge to turn what had been a 41-29 deficit in the middle of the third quarter to a 52-43 lead midway through the fourth, and ultimately won, 61-55. Two days later, the second loss came in truly heartbreaking fashion as Sayreville's 6'9" senior center turned into a guard for a brief moment, and netted a halfcourt shot at the buzzer in overtime to propel the Bombers to an upset win. Carteret did find a way to regroup though with wins in its final two regular season games over South Plainfield and New Brunswick to finish second in the GMC White behind Colonia, and earn the seventh seed in the GMCT.
Facing tenth seeded Sayreville in the Round of 16 after receiving a bye, the Ramblers rambled past the Bombers in the tourney game to not only get revenge for his recent loss to Sayreville some ten days earlier, but also win the season series, 2-1. In the GMCT Elite Eight, the Ramblers got off to a rough start against a second seeded Piscataway team that appeared to have regained some of that early season edge that catapulted the Chiefs to early season wins over Immaculata, Seton Hall Prep, and at J.P. Stevens. In the second quarter though, Carteret, led by junior forward, Robert "Double-Double" Jackson, who collected 22 points on 9 of 11 shooting from the floor, and a 4 of 5 effort from the foul line, and 12 rebounds along with two steals, fought back with a 20-13 showing in the second quarter to pull within two at halftime. Although the Ramblers would ultimately lose the game, they didn't back down, or give up against a Piscataway team that didn't appear as invincible as it had during the regular season. St. Joseph's, a winner over Bishop Ahr in another quarterfinal, would exploit those chinks in the armor, and pull off a huge upset win over the Chiefs in the Final Four to make its record 14th appearance all time in the history of the MCT/GMCT.
Both teams lined up state tourney tune-up games as the Chargers traveled to Raritan High School in Hazlet to take on the Raritan Rockets of the Shore Conference while the Ramblers took on another team from the Shore in Red Bank Catholic. The two teams won their contests as Spotswood downed Raritan by a score of 67-62 while Carteret defeated the Caseys at home by a margin of 79-66. Unfortunately though for one of these teams, and the GMC, which only had two teams in the Central Jersey Group II State Tournament field, one of these squads was going home after this game. Spotswood would be that team as Carteret jumped out to a 22-5 first quarter lead as Tampa, Williams, and Jackson (4 points in frame) combined for 19 of their team's points. In the end Tampa stood tallest of the three in terms of the scorecard with 6 of 10 shooting from the floor including 2 of 3 from three point range, and made 3 of 7 at the line for a game high 17 points while also collecting a double-double with 12 rebounds. Tampa, a 6'5" swingman, who starred as the school's quarterback during football season, also picked up 3 steals, 2 assists, and a block. Jackson didn't get his patented double-double on this night, but still had a fine game with 14 points on 6 of 10 shooting and a perfect 2 of 2 at the line while adding 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist despite picking up two quick fouls in the first half.
Carteret senior forward, Brian Williams, came off the bench to chip in with 12 points on 6 of 9 shooting along with 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block. For Spotswood, junior guard, Ross Gerhart led the way despite the adverse situation that lay before him and his teammates. Gerhart finished with a team high 14 points on three field goals and 8 of 12 from the foul line as well as collected 2 rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Sophomore Cody Pace chipped in for the losing cause with 7 points on a field goal, and 5 of 6 free throws while also picking up 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. For the rest of the individual statistics from this contest, please check out the stat page in the GMC Hoops Game Stats section. Looking at the team statistics, Carteret outscored Spotswood in each period except the third when there was a 13-13 tie. The Ramblers also scored in double figures in each frame while the Chargers managed to do that in only the final three periods. For the game, Carteret compiled its 66 points on 27 field goals including two three pointers while also netting 10 of 16 from the foul line. Spotswood on the other hand, only made 10 shots the whole game including three from beyond the arc while tallying 41 percent of its total points from the line by going 16 of 24 for 66.7 percent. The Ramblers managed to still outperform the Chargers by a significant margin despite turning the ball over some 15 times in the last 19:15 of the contest.
Due to the longer than anticipated duration of the Championship Game of the 2008 Perth Amboy/GMC Freshmen Tournament between top seeded East Brunswick and second seeded St. Joseph's-Green (won by the Little Falcons, 62-51) at Perth Amboy High School, GMC Hoops did not arrive at Carteret High School until there was about 3:15 to go in the first half with the Ramblers already handily in front, 30-11. Over the final three plus minutes of the second quarter, Carteret padded its lead with a 9-4 run that consisted of four offensive rebounds including three in a stretch of just 1:04 for a 39-15 halftime lead. The Chargers were the first to get on the board after GMC Hoops arrival with a couple free throws before Williams answered with a layup that made the score 32-13 in favor of the Ramblers with 2:12 to go in the first half. Neither team would score for the next 40 seconds or so before senior guard, Alvin Rodriguez, netted on one of two free throws at the 1:33 mark for a 33-13 lead. On the missed second shot, Tampa grabbed the first of the three offensive rebounds, and tried to put it back in when he drew a foul that resulted in one of two from the line, and a 34-13 lead at the 1:31 mark. On Tampa's missed second foul shot, junior Rene Godfrey grabbed an offensive rebound, and put it back in successfully for a 36-13 lead. Things continued to go from bad to worse for Spotswood as the Chargers would turn it over on its next possession.
Carteret's senior point guard, Byron Merrick's forced the turnover by swiping a steal, and going the length of the floor for a layup that made the score, 38-13 with 1:06 to play before the intermission. Almost forty seconds later, Carteret would get on the board for the final time as Tampa stepped to the charity stripe, and made one of two for a 39-13 lead. As with the previous Carteret trips to the line, Tampa missed the second free throw, but grabbed the offensive board, and attempted a jumper on the follow that missed. Godfrey attacked the offensive glass in the hopes of getting the rebound, but was assessed a foul on an over the back violation with about 25 seconds left in the first half. Gerhart, who was fouled on the play, connected on both free throw attempts for Spotswood, which made no field goals over the final 3:15 of the second, and trailed by two dozen at the half, 39-15. In the third period, Jackson returned, and made his presence felt with 6 points in the frame including 2 of 4 field goals, and both his free throws while picking up an three rebounds, an assist, and a steal as the Ramblers maintained their 24 point cushion. However, things didn't start out that way for Carteret as Spotswood made one last stand with a 12-7 showing over the first 5:20 to trim the deficit under twenty at 46-27 with 2:40 to go in the period. Gerhart started the comeback attempt with one of two from the charity stripe just 20 seconds into the new half for a 39-16 Carteret lead. Following a subsequent Carteret score on a layup by Jackson from Merricks, Charger junior forward, Pat Dwyer, made two free throws at the 6:46 mark for a 41-18 CHS edge.
Over the next 2:53, Spotswood would score four of the next six points including scores by Gerhart and senior center, Nick Olesinski, to close the gap to 43-22 with 3:53 to go in the stanza. Things got a bit brighter for the Chargers as Carteret picked up its sixth team foul some twenty-one seconds later. Spotswood continued to try to trim the deficit as Olesinski took a shot a short time later, but it was blocked by Tampa, who then grabbed the rebound, and proceeded down the court for a three pointer from the left wing for a 46-22 lead with 3:15 to play. Spotswood refused to lay down though as the visitors from the Blue Division scored the next five points including a steal and layup by Gerhart as he was fouled for a three point play that made it a 46-27 score at the 2:40 mark. Unfortunately for Charger fans though, Spotswood was unable to get any closer. Following a timeout called by second year head coach, Jose Rodriguez at the 2:30 mark, the Ramblers closed out the third with six of the final seven points including a putback and the two free throws by Jackson for a commanding, 52-28 lead. At the start of the fourth, CHS picked up right where it had left off in the third with 10 of the first 14 points of the fourth. Highlighting the early final period spurt was a layup by Tampa off an assist by Williams, and layups by Merricks and sophomore Shaquille Jackson as well for a now insurmountable, 62-32 lead with 3:35 to play. From there Carteret cruised even though Spotswood's reserves outscored the Rambler bench by a 7-4 margin to close the game with the 66-39 score.
Team |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Carteret (17-8) |
22 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 66 |
Spotswood (13-12) |
5 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 39 |
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