GMC Hoops Blogosphere

GMC Gridirion Preview–Week Four–J.F. Kennedy @ Bishop Ahr

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–On Friday night, GMC Gridiron plans to head down to Bishop Ahr High School to see another matchup in the GMC White between the Trojans of Bishop Ahr, a winner over New Brunswick last week and J.F. Kennedy, which is still looking for its first victory of the season. Here are the particulars for this game:

Current Weather Conditions–South Plainfield, New Jersey at 6:30 PM on Friday evening

• Sky Conditions: Cloudy
• Temperature: 69 degrees
• Humidity: 56 percent
• Dew Point: 53 degrees
• Barometer: 29.62 inches of Hg (Mercury) and Steady
• Winds: NE @ 1 mph with gusts up to 5 mph
• High Temperature: 78 degrees
• Low Temperature: 54 degrees

Weather Forecast–North Edison at 7:00 PM EDT on Friday night

We have a repeat of the weather that we had last week in Perth Amboy for our week three game of the week matchup. There is a threat of rain in the forecast for later this evening. Hopefully, the game will be done by then. It was quite a nice day here in Central Jersey. Sunny skies and balmy temperatures. Humidity levels were a bit high, but it was still comfortable. Like last week, we have been dealing with an upper level low over the Midwest, and that has created an alleyway for moisture to move through the Garden State from the south. Over the last week, South Plainfield has seen 1.2 inches of rain. Of that latest rainfall, 0.69 came in the past two days. More rainfall has occurred to the north and west. See more details on the latest weather in the GWC Blog and Journal.

The forecast for Friday night at Bishop Ahr High School from the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly calls for showers and thunderstorms. Low temperature will fall into the upper 50s by morning. So, dress warmly and stay dry.

Weather information provided by Greg’s Weather Center.

Directions to Bishop Ahr High School

Address: –1 Tingley Lane, Edison, NJ 08820

From Points North or South on Garden State Parkway:

• Take Garden State Parkway to Exit 131.
• From Parkway Southbound: Bear right onto Route 27 to first traffic light (Wood Avenue).
• From Parkway Northbound: Bear right onto Route 27 to second traffic light (Wood Avenue).
• Make a right onto Wood Avenue. at next light (top of hill) make a left onto Oak Tree Road.
• At 3rd light, on Oak Tree Road, turn right onto New Dover Road. The school is behind Krauser’s store on the left.

From Points North or South on NJ Turnpike:

• Take Turnpike to Exit 11 Garden State Parkway North; proceed as above.

From Route 287 South:

• Get off at Durham Road, Metuchen exit.
• At light make a left. At Shell Gas Station, bear left and continue to traffic light (Central Avenue) and turn left.
• Continue on Central Avenue which becomes Plainfield Road.
• After going through third light, Plainfield Road becomes New Dover Road. School is immediately on left after going through the intersection.

Game Outlook

On Friday night, the Mustangs of John F. Kennedy and the Trojans of Bishop Ahr will be renewing their neighborhood rivalry at Ahr Country. The Mustangs are still looking for their first win of the season after losses to Jackson Liberty (35-7), Perth Amboy (20-12), and Carteret. Meanwhile, the Trojans got their first win of the season and first victory since mid-October last fall with a win at New Brunswick. BGA has a new head coach and a new offense (Wing-T). However, the Trojans still have capable playmakers in Kenny Virden and Roger Kilgore. Ahr also has more experience coming back this year while Kennedy lost its top rusher from last year in Mark Weber. Top receiver and basketball standout, Daishon Robinson also graduated.

See our pick in the GMC Football Week Four Capsules for Friday night.

GMC Gridiron–Week Four–Game Capsules–Friday Night

Brief Look At Week Four Contests Around The GMC On Friday Night

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–Due to the lack of time that I have tonight (I have to get over to Bishop Ahr High School in 45 min), I’m just going to post my picks for Friday night, and post my picks for Saturday’s games later this evening. There are two games scheduled around the Greater Middlesex Conference gridiron on Friday night. The featured matchup is between Bishop Ahr and J.F. Kennedy, which are renewing their battle of Oak Tree Road. Below are the match-ups for Friday and our picks:

J.F. Kennedy (0-3) at Bishop Ahr (1-2)–The Trojans of Bishop Ahr got off to a rocky start with a loss at home to Neptune (28-7) on opening weekend, and a surprise upset at the hands of neighborhood rival South Plainfield on the road (18-14) in week two. They rebounded with a sound victory at New Brunswick last week. BGA will be looking to even their record at .500 when it hosts another neighborhood rival in J.F. Kennedy. These two teams have battled each other often over the years from the league’s inception in 1986. The Mustangs showed promise in a 20-12 loss at Perth Amboy, but then were crushed by Carteret last week. The Trojans have plenty of weapons with sophomore QB Billy DeMato along with running backs Kenny Virden and Roger Kilgore. Tight end Dillon Salva also adds talent to the air attack. Joe Stone and Tom Farley lead Kennedy while hoops standout, Josh Kamenas anchors the line. Trojans have more experience after beating JFK on the road last year. Prediction: Bishop Ahr wins 40-14.

New Brunswick (0-3) at South Plainfield (1-2)–Last year, the Tigers played New Brunswick on the road, and won. South Plainfield will be hosting this time, and are playing with much more confidence. If it wasn’t for five costly turnovers including two on special teams last week at Perth Amboy, they may have made the game close. SPHS also defeated Bishop Ahr two weeks ago after losing handily at Manchester Township on opening night. Brendan Wilson does a good job of throwing and passing in the Wing T offense for head coach Flip McGuane. Twin brother Colin Wilson can run the ball well, and make plays in the air. Jamil Canes has the ability to break a big gain on the ground while Quinn Cochrane helps anchor a defense along with Frank Malecki. New Brunswick showed promise with a hard fought loss on the road at Raritan in week one, but have followed that up with rough losses to North Brunswick and Ahr. We took a risk on the Tigers and lost. This time will get it right with this safe bet. Prediction: South Plainfield wins 26-12.

GMC Hoops will be posting the preview for the GMC Gridiron Game of the Week shortly.

Hoop Group Headquarters–September 19, 2011

NEPTUNE, NJ–Last Monday night, the first day of action took place at the 2011 Hoop Group Headquarters Fall League. GMC Hoops took the long 40 mile drive down to Neptune to take in the action including both opening night games involving the GMC teams in the league. Each contest happened during the 9:00 PM hour as Perth Amboy battled Barnegat on the Celtics Court while Metuchen squared off against St. Rose on the Sixers Court.

Perth Amboy Hangs On To Defeat Barnegat, 49-48

One of the two GMC teams in this league, Perth Amboy opened its fall league campaign with a matchup against Barnegat from Ocean County.  The Panthers played competitively during the summer at both the East Brunswick Team Camp and the Rahway Summer League.  Amboy reached the quarterfinals at Rahway before losing to Red Division rival, J.P. Stevens.

Over the first three minutes of the game, the Bengals got off to a fast start with a 7-2 spurt that included a layin off a drive through the middle at the 17:45 mark, and then a three pointer from the left wing at the 16:59 mark.  Perth Amboy, which opened the game with two free throws for a 2-0 lead, didn’t get its first field goal until the 14:54 mark on a three pointer from the left side for a 7-5 Barnegat lead.

The three ignited a 8-0 run that included a steal for a breakaway layup at the 14:05 mark, and then a three pointer following three offensive rebounds after a steal for a 10-7 lead with 13:47 to go in the first half.  There was a lull in the scoring of over two minutes before David Rogers got the Panthers on the board again with a putback at the 11:34 mark, and then a layup in transition at the 11:18 mark for a 12-0 tear and a 14-7 lead as the Bengals called for time.

Following the timeout, Barnegat made a game of it with a surge of its own.  Over the next 11:13, the Bengals outscored the Panthers by a margin of 19-9 to take a 26-23 lead.  Amboy was able to wrestle the lead back going into the break with the final four points of the half including a three pointer from the left corner with 5.4 seconds left for a 27-26 edge at the intermission.

Amboy started the second half with the first three points including a drive through the middle for a high arching floater that bounced in for a 30-26 lead at the 17:30 mark.  Barnegat would battle back with a three point play at the 16:30 mark, and then after a number of scoring chances that they couldn’t convert, the Bengals drew a foul at the 14:45 mark, and made one of two from the line to tie the game at 30-30.

Barnegat then went out in front with a three pointer for a 33-30 score at the 14 minute mark, and then got a steal for a layup at the 12:57 mark for a five point lead.  The Panthers fought back though with a three of their own, and then a breakaway layup for a 35-35 tie when the officials called for time after a Bengals played was injured at the 12:07 mark.

Shortly before the midway point of the second half, Perth Amboy went back out in front after the Panthers cashed in on a couple of offensive rebounds with a jumper that banked in from the right wing at the 10:15 mark.  Amboy then added a three pointer for a 40-35 lead with 9:25 to go as Barnegat called for time.  

The Bengals chipped into the lead for a bit, but the Panthers maintained a 47-44 advantage after the Ocean County team was called for traveling with three minutes to play.  Barnegat then trapped Amboy along the  left sideline, and forced a turnover.  Then, the Bengals swooped in for a layin while being fouled, but missed a free throw that would have tied the game with two minutes left.

Perth Amboy got some much needed breathing room thanks to a wide open jumper from the right side with 55.3 seconds left for a 49-46 lead.  Barnegat wouldn’t got away by converting a layup with 33 seconds left to pull back within one at 49-48.  The Bengals weren’t able to tie or go ahead despite having a last second chance to score.  Rogers, who missed a dunk seconds earlier, redeemed himself by poking away the ball from a Barnegat player as time ran out.

St. Rose Rolls Past Metuchen, 74-27

The other GMC team in the Hoop Group Headquarters Fall League this year is Metuchen.  The Bulldogs are a young team with a new coach.  Former assistant, Jon Korellis took over the program this summer after Rich Stoner stepped down earlier this year.  With the likes of Brian Eustace and Hunter Clarke, the Bulldogs are a team of the future.

This past season, Metuchen had 18 players come out as freshman.  While they lost the likes of the talented backcourt of Mike Crusco and Elijah Sellers, the Bulldogs have a promising future.  Entering this league was a good first step in developing the young talent against very tough competition from the Shore Conference.

The Bulldogs opened up the fall league season against St. Rose of Belmar on Monday night.   The Purple Roses, a consistent contender in Non-Public B South every year, moved up to Non-Public A South along with Holy Cross of Delran.  St. Rose competes in many if not all of the Hoop Group Headquarters off-season high school leagues and team camps.

St. Rose got off to a strong start with a 15-6 lead over the first eight plus minutes of the game.  The Roses then added a three pointer from the right wing at the 11:20 mark, and then another basket a short time later for a 20-6 lead when Metuchen called for time about midway through the first half.  The Purple Roses had too much experience, strength and size for the Bulldogs.

Over the next four minutes, St. Rose scored 11 unanswered points including a bucket at the 6:36 mark for a commanding 31-8 lead.  After the Roses scored four more points, Metuchen ended the barrage with a jumper from the right side at the 4:45 mark for a 35-10 St. Rose advantage.  The Purple Roses then closed the first half with the final ten points for a 47-10 lead at the intermission.

Metuchen played with passion and for respectability at the beginning of the second half.  Over the first 8:53, the Bulldogs scored 9 of the first 12 points including a jumper from the right side by Eustace to close the gap to 50-19, but St. Rose responded with  a three pointer at the 11:07 mark to take a 53-19 advantage before the Bulldogs called for time.

Following the timeout, St. Rose added another three points before Metuchen got a bucket to close the gap to 56-21 with 8:21 left.  From there, the Roses outscored the Bulldogs by an 18-6 margin to close out the 74-27 victory.  Metuchen was much more competitive in the second half as the Bulldogs were only outscored by a 27-17 margin.

2011 Hoop Group Headquarters Fall League–Week One–Standings

NEPTUNE, NJ–On September 19th, the first day of action took place at the 2011 Hoop Group Headquarters Fall League. GMC Hoops traveled out to the Hoop Group HQ, and saw both GMC teams competing in the league in action as Metuchen took on St. Rose while Perth Amboy faced off against Barnegat. There are 20 teams in this league spread across two divisions with two of the teams coming from the Greater Middlesex Conference. Below are the standings in both Division A and Division B.

2011 Hoop Group Headquarters Fall League–Division A–Standings

• CBA (JV) (1-0)
• Colts Neck (1-0)
• Jackson Memorial (1-0)
• Neptune (1-0)
• Perth Amboy (1-0)
• Barnegat (0-1)
• G-Force (0-1)
• Holmdel (0-1)
• Manasquan (0-1)
• Ocean (0-1)

2011 Hoop Group Headquarters Fall League–Division B–Standings

• Brick Memorial (1-0)
• Central (1-0)
• Freehold Township (1-0)
• Marlboro (1-0)
• St. Rose (1-0)
• Howell (0-1)
• Lacey (0-1)
• Metuchen (0-1)
• Middletown South (0-1)
• Toms River East (0-1)

GMC Hoops will be posting the week one summary shortly.

Teams In The 2011 Hoop Group Headquarters Fall League

NEPTUNE, NJ–On September 19th, GMC Hoops received information on the Hoop Group Headquarters Fall League, which gets underway tonight. There are 20 teams in this league spread across two divisions with two of the teams coming from the Greater Middlesex Conference. A full schedule for both GMC teams competing will be posted soon. We do have the list of teams competing in Division A and Division B.

2011 Hoop Group Headquarters Fall League–Division A

• Neptune
• Manasquan
• Colts Neck
• Holmdel
• Jackson Memorial
• Ocean
• Barnegat
• Perth Amboy
• CBA (JV)
• G-Force

2011 Hoop Group Headquarters Fall League–Division B

• Metuchen
• St. Rose
• Toms River East
• Marlboro
• Brick Memorial
• Middletown South
• Central
• Howell
• Freehold Township
• Lacey

GMC Hoops will be posting the week one standings shortly.

2011 Hoop Group Headquarters Fall League–Week One–Results–September 19th

NEPTUNE, NJ–Last Monday night, GMC Hoops traveled over to the Hoop Group Headquarters for the first week of action from the 2011 Hoop Group Headquarters Fall League. Both GMC teams in the league were in action as Perth Amboy edged Barnegat while St. Rose rolled past Metuchen. Below are the results from the games played.

2011 Hoop Group Headquarters–Week One–Results–September 19th

• Marlboro 58–Toms River East 51
• CBA 39–Manasquan 37
• Colts Neck 56–Holmdel 48
• Jackson Memorial 57–Ocean Township 37
• Brick Memorial 45–Middletown South 42
• Central 56–Howell 48
• Neptune 52–G-Force 33
• Perth Amboy 49–Barnegat 48
• St. Rose 74–Metuchen 27
• Freehold Township 73–Lacey 38

GMC Hoops was back out at the Hoop Group Headquarters on Monday night for week two action.

St. Joe’s Stars Brix, DeCosey Make College Decisions

By Alex Schiffer
(Twitter: @TheSchiffMan)
 
​St. Joe’s stars Quenton DeCosey and Dan Brix have probably just made one of their biggest decisions in their lives. St. Joe’s star players recently decided on where they will be playing college basketball next winter at their respective colleges. Brix has committed to attend Division II power Stonehill while DeCosey has decided on Temple.
 
​DeCosey, the senior swingman from Union, has verbally committed to play at Temple where he is expected to see immediate playing time with the Owls. DeCosey is arguably the best player in the county, as he has took home numerous accolades this past season including the 2011 GMC finals MVP award for his performance on the court. DeCosey has been St. Joe’s most highly recruited player since Andrew Bynum.
 
DeCosey has been watched as early as his sophomore year by the likes of Virginia Tech, Syracuse, and Boston University, and emerged as a top recruit to many others after leading St. Joe’s to a second consecutive county title this past season. DeCosey had garnered so much attention heading into the summer that at the Hoop Group Showcase this past summer, more than a handful of division one schools where front and center when DeCosey stepped on the court.
 
​DeCosey ultimately chose Temple over Penn State, Richmond, West Virginia, and a few others. When he begins his freshman season with the Owls in the winter of 2012, DeCosey is expected to see immediate minutes with the team as he will be used as a point guard, shooting guard, and small forward.
 
​St. Joe’s head coach Dave Turco thinks Temple is a good fit for Quenton saying “Temples a great for Q, Coach Dunphy and the rest of the Temple staff have been great through this and it’s great that their giving a great opportunity to play right away.”
 
​While at Temple, DeCosey will have the chance to play for a program that has a habit of going deep into the NCAA tournament. The Owls last year beat Penn State on a buzzer beater to head to the second round of the tournament. They would lose in the next round to San Diego State.
 
In his first season with the Falcons, Brix was a huge reason why the Falcons went back-to-back county titles this past season as he shared the scoring duties with DeCosey. Brix also helped man a young Falcons back court that needed experience after graduation had left St. Joes with a young, inexperienced group.
 
Brix said he chose Stonehill because he really liked the campus as well as the coaches. He added that Stonehill made him feel that he would be in the perfect spot to contribute to a Division II power. Brix chose Stonehill over Quinnipiac, HartfordBentley, Caldwell, Concordia and Lehigh among others. Brix also had the option to play for UPenn where he would be teammates with former St. Joe’s star Steve Rennard.
 
​Dan said one of the biggest influences was his older brother, and former Monroe star Tim who currently plays for Division III Centenary. Tim’s opinion was the one that Dan wanted to hear the most from, as his older brother told him to go to a college that he would love even if he weren’t playing basketball there. Brix also credits St. Joe’s head coach Dave Turco for is opportunity to play at Stonehill, Turco played a huge role in Brix’s recruitment, calling schools to help him get schools to look for him. On entering his final season with the Falcons, Brix said “I just feel honored to be apart of an elite high school program and then continue my career at an elite college. I’m looking forward to this season and my next step into college basketball.”

GMC Gridiron–Schedule–Week Four

Two Games On Friday Night And Ten More On Saturday

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–On Friday night, week four of the 2011 GMC Football schedule kicks off. On Friday night there will be only two games thanks to the Jewish holiday while another ten games will occur on Saturday afternoon and evening. The GMC Gridiron featured matchup of the week is at Bishop Ahr High School, where the Trojans will take on J.F. Kennedy in a key matchup in the GMC White Division. Elsewhere in the GMC White, South Plainfield will be hosting New Brunswick on Friday night. Meanwhile, while North Brunswick and Carteret square off in a GMC White battle on Saturday. Woodbridge hosts East Brunswick from the GMC Red and Spotswood hosts Dunellen in a GMC Blue clash. Below is the schedule for both Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

GMC Gridiron–Week Four Schedule–Friday Night–September 30, 2011

• J.F. Kennedy at Bishop Ahr, 7:00 PM
• New Brunswick at South Plainfield, 7:00 PM

GMC Gridiron–Week Four Schedule–Saturday Afternoon and Evening–October 1, 2011

• St. Joseph’s at Blair Academy, 1:00 PM
• Dunellen at Spotswood, 2:00 PM
• Cardinal McCarrick at South River, 2:00 PM
• Perth Amboy at Colonia, 2:30 PM
• East Brunswick at Woodbridge, 3:00 PM
• Highland Park at Middlesex, 7:00 PM
• Old Bridge at J.P. Stevens, 7:00 PM
• Monroe at Piscataway, 7:00 PM
• Sayreville at Edison, 7:00 PM
• North Brunswick at Carteret, 7:00 PM

GMC Gridiron plans to be out at Bishop Ahr High School to take in the action from the football contest between the Trojans and J.F. Kennedy. On Saturday, the site is planning on seeing three different games including Dunellen at Spotswood, East Brunswick at Woodbridge, and North Brunswick at Carteret.

GMC Gridiron–Top Ten–Through Week Three

South Brunswick Remains At Top While Woodbridge Moves Into Second Spot

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–With its victory over Edison last Friday night, South Brunswick remained in the top spot of the GMC Gridiron Top Ten. Meanwhile, Woodbridge climbed into the number two position thanks to its win over Piscataway. The Chiefs dropped to fourth while Carteret and Perth Amboy held their spots. St. Joseph’s climbed into the poll for the first time this season. Below is the latest poll.

GMC Gridiron Top Ten–Through Week Three

1. South Brunswick (2-0)
2. Piscataway (1-1)
3. Sayreville (1-1)
4. Woodbridge (2-0)
5. Carteret (2-0)
6. Perth Amboy (2-0)
7. Dunellen (2-0)
8. Highland Park (2-1)
9. St. Joseph’s (2-1)

Other teams getting consideration: Colonia, North Brunswick, Old Bridge, Monroe, Edison, and Middlesex.

GMC Gridiron Preview–Week Three–South Plainfield @ #6 Perth Amboy

SOUTH PLAIINFIELD, NJ–On Friday night, GMC Gridiron plans to head down to Perth Amboy High School to see an early season showdown in the GMC White between South Plainfield, an upset winner over then fifth ranked Bishop Ahr and sixth ranked Perth Amboy winners of two straight, and looking to go 3-0 for the first time in school history. Here are the particulars for this game:

Current Weather Conditions–South Plainfield, New Jersey at 6:29 PM on Friday evening

• Sky Conditions: Cloudy
• Temperature: 71 degrees
• Humidity: 98 percent
• Dew Point: 71 degrees
• Barometer: 29.94 inches of Hg (Mercury) and Falling
• Winds: NW @ 1 mph with gusts up to 5 mph
• High Temperature: 72 degrees
• Low Temperature: 69 degrees

Weather Forecast–Perth Amboy at 7:00 PM EDT on Friday night

We have a slow moving cold front in the region, and it has provided an alleyway for a ton of tropical moisture to stream in from the south. Moisture coming from an upper level trough in the Western Atlantic. There could be heavy rain falling by game time. There has been a brief window of no rain or light rain here in Central Jersey. However, moderate to heavy rain is surging southward from Southeastern Pennsylvania. The heavy rain could last throughout the game, and not dissipate until after midnight. See more details on the latest weather in the GWC Blog and Journal.

The forecast for Friday night at Perth Amboy High School from the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly calls for mostly cloudy skies and chilly conditions. Low is expected to be around 68 degrees before a high of 77 on Saturday afternoon. So, it won’t be chilly, but bring the umbrella because there is going to be a lot of rain.

Weather information provided by Greg’s Weather Center.

Directions to Perth Amboy High School

Address: –300 Eagle Ave, Perth Amboy, NJ 08861

From Parkway South

• Take the US-9 exit- exit number 129- toward RT-440/WOODBRIDGE/I-287/PERTH AMBOY.
• Keep LEFT at the fork in the ramp
• Keep RIGHT at the fork in the ramp.
• Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto CR-501/KING GEORGES RD. Continue to follow KING GEORGES RD.
• KING GEORGES RD becomes NJ-184.
• Turn SLIGHT LEFT to take the ramp toward AMBOY AVE.
• Stay straight to go onto PFEIFFER BLVD.
• Turn RIGHT onto CR-653/AMBOY AVE.
• Turn LEFT onto EAGLE AVE.

From Parkway North

• Take the RT-9 N/RT-440 exit- exit number 127- toward I-287/WOODBRIDGE/STATEN ISLAND.
• Take the RT-440 S/INDUSTRIAL AVE ramp toward I-287 N
• Take the RT-440 N ramp toward STATEN ISL.
• Merge onto NJ-440 E.
• Take the RT-184 exit toward RT-35/AMBOY AVE/PERTH AMBOY.
• Take the ramp toward AMBOY AVE.
• Stay straight to go onto PFEIFFER BLVD.
• Turn RIGHT onto CR-653/AMBOY AVE.
• Turn LEFT onto EAGLE AVE.

Game Outlook

This game wasn’t expected to be a very important one when the season began, but South Plainfield’s victory over Bishop Ahr last week at home changed all of that. The Tigers have been gradually improving since the end of the season last year. Led by head coach, Flip McGuane, the Tigers run the Wing-T offense with Brendan Wilson anchoring the team at QB. Quinn Cochrane is a player to watch in the defensive backfield for the Tigers. SPHS also has solid defensive lineman with Liam McDermott and Frank Malecki.

Meanwhile, Perth Amboy has a solid offense led by QB Fonzie Saucedo, who helped put the Panthers on the map last season with a victory over Bishop Ahr. He has talent around him with the likes of Amboy Tech hoops standout Rashad Adams at wideout and Ray Arce at running back. Amboy also has gotten solid efforts from Rodery Jimenez and Christian Pacheco. The Panthers will be at home, and the rain will give their passing game an edge.

See our pick in the GMC Football Week Three Capsules for Friday night.