Top 25 rankings for North JerseyBoys Basketball
By Greg Mattura /NorthJersey.com
25. Cresskill (8-4)
24. Lodi (10-3)
23. Northern Highlands (4-3)
22. Pascack Valley (6-4)
21. Ridgefield Park (8-4)
20. Paramus Catholic (2-4)
19. Dumont (7-1)
18. Dwight Morrow (4-2)
17. Wayne Hills (9-3)
16. Passaic Valley (9-2)
15. DePaul (6-7)
14. Ridgewood (6-2)
13. Dwight-Englewood (8-0)
12. Ramsey (10-3)
11. Ramapo (4-3)
10. Saddle River Day (10-2)
9. Wayne Valley (8-1)
8. St. Joseph (3-2)
7. Hackensack (8-4)
6. Paterson Charter (7-0)
5. Pascack Hills (11-0)
4. Eastside (9-3)
3. Kennedy (7-1)
2. Don Bosco (6-5)
1. Bergen Catholic (6-0)
Also considered: Clifton (4-4), Glen Rock (9-2), Lakeland (6-5), Leonia (6-2), Mahwah (5-6), Rutherford (8-1), St. Mary (8-3), Secaucus (7-0), Tenafly (5-4)
Around the court
►Paterson Charter’s win over Kennedy could prove to be the most significant in North Jersey during this pandemic-shortened season.
Tuesday’s 54-51 overtime victory over the reigning Passaic County champion was a showdown of Paterson unbeatens and established the Lions as more than just a small-school power.
“What it did for us was show us that we’re part of this thing called the basketball world in the city of Paterson,” coach Jerry Wimberly said. “We’re not just a little charter school sitting on the side that doesn’t play anybody.”
Paterson Charter (7-0) prevailed by forcing a moderate tempo. Senior Michael Ferguson had game highs of 19 points and 11 rebounds and his layup tied the score at 45 and forced the OT. Senior Jahar Pierce had a key three-point play in OT and he scored seven, one of five Lions to contribute five to 11 points.
“The kids paid attention to details, they paid attention to the scouting report,” Wimberly said, “and they followed the plan.”
►Glen Rock (9-2) owns a five-game winning streak thanks to defense and has held nine opponents to less than 48 points. Senior Will McLoughlin averages 11 points and six rebounds for the patient Panthers. Senior Andy Martin hit key three-pointers in last week’s wins over Waldwick and Pompton Lakes. Senior Ryan Baumbach scored 12 of his 16 in the fourth quarter of the 60-55 win over Waldwick. “Historically, we try to keep teams under 50,” said coach Jason Mittelman, whose team leads NJIC Division 1. “It’s naturally a function of our defense, but it’s also a function of our offense.”
►Dwight-Englewood (9-0) leads NJIC Division 3 and has won every game by double-digits heading into Tuesday’s non-league battle with Ramapo, which could be decided in the final minute. Junior David Mager averages 22 points per game. Sophomore Vaughn Foster averages 11 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. Senior Sam Lieberman averages 10 points and five boards, while junior Tyler Koutros averages eight points, four assists and two steals “and is a big engine for our team,” coach Alex Kuchar said.
►Rutherford (8-1) has a four-game winning streak and has a key NJIC Division 4 battle Tuesday against first-place Secaucus. Junior Patrick Rogers is averaging 23.5 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals, and sophomore Tarik Bicic averages 13 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals.
►Secaucus (7-0) is among the five teams from the Big North or NJIC that remain unbeaten entering the final week of the season. Senior Jamling Lama is averaging 19 points and has surpassed 1,200 for his career. Senior Patrick Pantaliano averages 10 points and nine rebounds and is a “calming influence,” coach Tom Curry Jr. said. Junior Kevin Kokomani averages 13 points as an inside-outside threat.
