Winning Walp Shootout As Well As Other Key Wins Driving Strong Start In Crossovers
Good afternoon everyone. First and foremost, I hoped everyone enjoyed their Christmas holiday, and offer best wishes in the upcoming year. Outside of Greater Middlesex Conference Boys Baksetball, 2008 has been a very tough year for a lot of people including myself. Thankfully, some things began happening toward the end of 2008 that will provide some hope for the future.
Anyway, I wanted to spend some time talking about what has transpired so far throughout the conference this season. One thing is that the teams in the White Division have already gone a long way to supporting the feeling I have that their division is the toughest top to bottom in the entire GMC league.
It is one thing to have four teams in the Pre-Season Top Ten, and a couple others in the Top 15. However, it is completely different when you go out on to the floor, and prove it in competition like this division has already this season. According to the stats compiled by this web site, the GMC White, which is made up of mostly Group III schools, has played in 12 games against other divisions in the GMC, and has gone 9-3. Meanwhile, the GMC Red, which is made up almost exclusively of Group IV schools, has played 14 games, and has gone 5-9.
Included in those contests were the nine games of the 2008 Ryan Walp Shootout, where the GMC White went a combined 6-3 overall versus the GMC Red. In addition, Colonia handed J.P. Stevens a triple overtime defeat (76-73) during the holidays at the 2008 John “Butch” Kowal Tournament. Sayreville also defeated Perth Amboy in regular season competition on December 23rd (63-45) while Carteret downed Edison (43-30) in the 2008 Gene Haley Memorial Tournament.
This start marks the third straight season that the GMC White has jumped out to a big lead in the GMC Hoops Conference Cup Standings. In 2007, the White Division got off to a fast start only to fizzle at the end as the GMC Red caught up, and won that year’s cup. Last year, however, the White got out of the gates quickly again, but this time maintained its lead, and won. In head to head competition with the White, the Red Division is 3-9 with its only two other victories coming against the GMC Blue with St. Joseph’s defeating Bishop Ahr (51-37) in the Roselle Catholic Tournament, and Edison defeating Kennedy (49-42) in the Consolation Game of the Haley Tournament.