North Jersey Interscholastic Conference
DIVISION 1
Butler will remain competitive after winning 11 games last season. Bulldogs’ senior returnees are Gs Cris Verrico, Eddy Hererra and Nick Flinn and juniors Shane Timpanaro, 6-3 Mike Mizzone, 6-4 Gabe Gnecco and 6-5 Matt Willian.
Eastern Christian continues to rebuild after closing last season with two victories for a six-win season. Three seniors return for the Eagles, Gs Richard Jones and Alex Perez and F Isaac Reitz, as well as sophomore F Jean Italien.
Glen Rock has the size and experience to win Division 1. Will McLoughlin, a 6-7 senior F/C, leads the Panthers, and a lineup with a dozen returnees also includes 6-5 senior F/C Andy Martin and senior G Ryan Baumbach.
Hawthorne could vie for the division title. Bears’ returnees: senior G/Fs Miguel Melendez and Ryan Loll, senior Gs Chris Sanchez and Brian Tousignant, 6-2 junior F Lirim Sulejnani and junior Gs Michael Palmer and James Reyes.
Hawthorne Christian can contend for a winning season under new coach Aaron Nadzan. Defenders’ senior returnees include 6-7 C Chris Eelman, Gs Jaiden Fuller and Brian Sanchez, F Andrew Hart and G/F Jayson Gonzalez.
Pompton Lakes can win several games if newcomers step up. Top Cardinals’ returnees are senior G Quadir Williams and junior G Adam Campbell, New faces include 6-6 senior F Ryan Scannelli, 6-3 junior F Ben Gordon and 6-3 senior F Alex Adegbite.
DIVISION 2
Cresskill can remain a winner despite graduating four starters. The Cougars have size and depth. Kiel McGee, a 6-3 F/C, is joined by three fellow senior returnees in 6-4 F/C Vincenzo DiRese, F Daniel Ferrara and G Brian McQuillen, and 6-4 junior Oliver Urena.
Emerson can make strides after a five-win season. Top Cavos’ returnees: senior Gs Jimmy Csapo and Gianni Mandile and 6-4 junior Khalid Itani. Also contributing: seniors Thomas Trimble, Frankie Savino, Dillon Bueno and junior Thomas Gibbard.
Midland Park will remain a winner, one year after a breakthrough Bergen County Jamboree bid. Top Panthers are 6-8 junior C David Luberoff, senior Gs Brett Murray and Tyler Sansone, senior F Ben Schaefer and junior G/F Michael Herlihy.
Park Ridge can vie for a winning season under new coach Brian Koch. Owls returnees include five seniors: Gs Jordan Spagnola, Mathew Golembiewski and Dan Flaherty, 6-3 C Brendan McDowell and 6-3 F Zach Uhl; and junior G Evan Burns.
Saddle River Day is two-time defending NJIC champ and favored to win Division 2. Top Rebels’ returnees include senior G/F Sebastian Gianotti, 6-3 senior F Sean O’Neill, senior Gs Ryan Cassels and Gabe Diaz and sophomore G Richie Machado.
Waldwick can vie for a .500 campaign after a 10-win season. Warriors’ top returnees are junior Gs Logan Wejnert and Kyle Jahnke. Returning seniors: 6-4 C Tom Dell’Aglio, Gs John Tortorelli and Steve Minervini, Fs Marvin Fawzy and Anthony George.
DIVISION 3
Bogota’s roster is up in the air due to the pandemic. The Bucs’ top projected returnees from a 19-7 team include senior G Taj Collins, 6-3 junior F Evan Meberg, 6-6 senior F Ashanti Caviness and junior Gs Vincent Ducut and Jaden Feliz.
Dwight-Englewood is favored to win Division 3. David Mager, a 6-4 junior G, is among the NJIC’s best. Bulldogs’ also back are fellow junior Gs Tyler Koutros and Ajani Rasbury. Veteran seniors: G Sam Lieberman and Fs Jack Berg and Ary Gummakonda.
Leonia can finish in the division’s top half despite graduating four starters from a 19-win team that reached the Bergen Jamboree. Senior G/F Jeremiah Donmartin leads the Lions and will be supported by junior Gs Marcus Kim and Alex Coello.
New Milford is rebuilding after an eight-win season and can be competitive with five returnees: Knights’ senior veterans: Fs Darius Ferreras and Victor Arroyo; junior veterans: 6-3 C AJ Scrivanich, G Andrew Medina and F Kai Wright.
Palisades Park continues to rebuild and will make progress after a two-win season. There are six Tigers’ returnees: seniors: G AJ Kim, Cs Jeffrey Kuhl and 6-4 Oomer Syed, Fs Caleb Yang and Rohit Chatterjee; and junior G Danny Diaz.
Ridgefield continue to rebuild after a five-win season. The Royals rely on 6-5 junior F Justin Price and junior G Jon Shaqiri. They return senior Fs Angelo Severino and Thomas Marasriuio, and expect support from sophomore G Montique Nedd Jr.
DIVISION 4
Harrison might have North Jersey’s youngest, most inexperienced roster, with the majority underclassmen. Blue Tide seniors include Gs Adrian Ruiz, Sergio Flores, Alan Calle and Chris Mendez, and 6-3 F Kevin Morejon and 6-2 F Justyn Melo.
Lyndhurst could approach .500 if players with limited experience step up. Senior Sean Mayer and junior Johnny Lembo are a solid backcourt duo. Golden Bears also back: senior F Kevin Dmochoski, junior G Anthony Maldonado and junior F Ricky Rainey.
North Arlington continues to build after a three-win season. Contributing Vikings include seniors Joe Witt, Pete Ziakos, Fernando Baez and Hazam Mohamed, juniors Oscar Torres and Will Hannan, and sophomore Daniel Janoesek.
Rutherford could vie for the Division 4 title. Patrick Rogers, a 6-5 junior F, and senior G Dominick Ciani lead the Bulldogs. Also contributing: 6-4 senior F Evan Ward, sophomore F Ahmet Djurkovic, senior G/F Brendan Kelly and junior G Zack O’Rourke.
Secaucus can challenge for the Division 4 championship if juniors emerge. The Patriots have six returnees, featuring senior G Jamling Lama, a 1,000-point career scorer, as well as 6-3 senior F Patrick Pantaliano and senior G Mark Dehnert.
Weehawken’s speed and quickness could help it approach .500, one season after a 13-14 campaign. The Indians’ returnees are senior F Andrew Ortiz, junior G Dmitri Wilder, sophomore F Tristen Cole and junior G Carlos Rameirez.
DIVISION 5
Becton will keep winning after a 21-win season that included a Bergen Jamboree bid. Wildcats’ senior veterans include Gs Marcus Duran, Robert Esposito, Nick Morales and Tyler O’Connor, and Fs Frankie Perez, 6-4 Joey Crifasi and Ryan Reid.
Bergen Charter hopes to remain competitive. The Yellow Jackets feature five returnees: senior G Joshua Hughes and senior F Hakim Barnett, and a trio of juniors: 6-3 F Christian Hughes and Gs Isaiah Rodriguez and Sebastian Linarez.
Hasbrouck Heights will vie for the Division 5 crown. Leading the Aviators is senior G Steven Faussette, and he’ll be joined by fellow senior Gs Daniel Viola, Rocco Minichiello, and Brandon Govea, junior G Jake Diaz and sophomore G Anthony Peterson.
St. Mary has the experience and depth to contend for the Division 5 title. Top Gaels’ returnees include five seniors: Gs Julian Hernandez and Damir Stone, F Andrew Sepp, 6-3 F/C Nick Gillies and 6-6 C Alan Konopka.
Wallington will rely on a plethora of new faces to remain competitive. Returning Panthers are junior G Jordan Vega and senior G Salem Ahmemulic. Seniors include Fs Greg Koc and John Kulbabinski and G Chris Vallas.
Wood-Ridge is inexperienced and needs newcomers to step into supporting roles to succeed. Blue Devils’ returnees are 6-2 senior F Stephen Crandall, 6-4 senior F Matthew Dellapena, and juniors Gs Trey Packen and Nicholas Rizos.
DIVISION 6
Elmwood Park is young and it will be a challenge to remain above .500. Sophomore G Essam Assaf and senior G Jeet Patel are the lone Crusaders’ veterans. The other three seniors are Fs Jason Castillo and Ethaniel Estrella and G Idris Mosticchio.
Garfield might have enough talent and experience to stay above .500. Senior G/F Zack Cook and senior G Mahajlo Bebekoski return for the Boilermakers, as do fellow senior Gs Wilfredo Marquez, Jomar Pimentel and Devin Miller, and C Xavior Schofield.
Lodi has enough size and experience to produce a winning season. Top Rams’ players include senior Gs Roland Leiva, Robert Klawans and John Purisima, 6-4 senior F Aaron Moravick, 6-3 junior F Artan Celaj and 6-5 sophomore F Ermal Kuci.
Manchester, due to graduation and transfers, might be North Jersey’s most inexperienced team. The Falcons’ seniors are F Saul Ortega, C Brian Cepeda and Gs Justin Santana, Ravel Nueisi and Erick Pelen.
Paterson Charter is fast, talented and favored to win Division 6. Lions’ senior returning Gs Jahar Pierce, Michael Ferguson and Jamir Belfield are joined by two Manchester junior transfers, All-North Jersey G Asim Jones and G Jashair Rosa.
Saddle Brook returns four starters and will show progress following a two-win season. Falcons’ returnees include senior starting Gs Paul Figueroa and Derek Muoio, and two returning junior starters, G Joe Quimby and F Michael Ramos.
Greg Mattura is a high school sports reporter for NorthJersey.com. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis from our Varsity Aces team, subscribe today. To get breaking news directly to your phone, sign up for our newsletter and download our app.
Email: mattura@northjersey.com Twitter: @gregmattura
