Ten days ago, the Rams were inconsolable. After losing to East Brunswick in the Championship Game of the 2009 Middlesex County College Summer League, some of the South River players took things very hard. It would have been nice indeed if the Rams had won the title, but that shouldn’t diminish the fact that they made progress this summer. After getting a new coach weeks before the summer league started, South River still managed to win ten games including playoffs in the MCC league. This team managed to do what only one South River team has done in the near ten year tenure of GMC Hoops by reaching the finals. The last Rams squad to do that was in 2004, and they went on to not only qualify for the state tournament, but reach the semifinals of the 2005 Central Jersey Group I bracket before losing to Metuchen.
Now getting to the state playoffs still might not happen for the Rams, but improvement is likely. There was a different attitude to South River hoops this past summer, and that in itself is a good starting point. New head coach, Rodney Harris has his team playing up-tempo basketball along with a tough man to man defense. Both Brandon Walsh and Shawn Fenton played aggressively on the offensive end, and the Rams played competitively against the likes of Central Jersey Group I qualifiers such as Keyport, South Hunterdon, and East Brunswick Tech while beating South Plainfield, a Group III school, twice. For a first step, the Rams made a very good one, and it could go a long way in bringing about a solid season in 2009-10. Building upon that first step, South River is going to be competing against Monsignor Farrell later this week at the Raritan Bay Summer League, and then in the fall, the Rams will be playing down in the Hoop Group Headquarters Fall League.
The Blue Division looks tough again for the Rams in 2009-10. Bishop Ahr looks to be a favorite again to win the division while Spotswood has many players returning from last year’s successful campaign. Middlesex has lost some key players to graduation, but still has Avery Barnes and Mike Lester, and competed very well in the Bound Brook Summer League. Metuchen played in the Elizabeth Summer League, and has the likes of Mike Crusco, Elijah Sellers, and Evan Carberry returning while Highland Park and J.F. Kennedy look to be tougher than last year. However, the Rams have nowhere to go, but up after enduring several years of just having four, five, or six wins. If you are a South River player, coach, or fan, there is a lot to be excited about this coming season. The excitement was reflected in the solid fan turnout at both the semifinal and championship games of the MCC Summer League. Rams basketball might not be what it was in the 1970s and 80s, but it will be much better this coming season.