Rancocas Valley’s Cinderella Run To State Final Goes Through Two GMC Teams
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–For the second straight year, a double-digit seed reached the Championship Game of the Central Jersey Group IV State Tournament. Last year, two double digit seeds, North Brunswick (11th seed) and Marlboro (10th seed) played an unforgettable double overtime classic that was won by the Raiders to catapult them into the Championship Game only to lose to Montgomery. This year, not only did the double digit seed reach the final, but it also claimed the sectional crown.
Rancocas Valley, a perennial power in Boys Basketball, which won the Group IV State Championship in 2008, won the CJ Group IV Championship, and reached the state final again before losing to Paterson Eastside. The Red Devils, which finished the season 19-12 after losing to the Ghosts, was seeded 10th in the sectional, and played every game on the road throughout the tourney. Rancocas Valley first had to travel to Hillsborough, and knock off a very tough Raiders team (67-64) that just simply reloaded after reaching the North Jersey Section 2 Group IV final last year.
After that, RVHS, which competes in the Burlington County Scholastic League against the likes of defending Tournament of Champions winner, Trenton Catholic, went through the heart of the Greater Middlesex Conference to get to the final. It defeated two of the best GMC teams this season with a combined record of 41-11. First, the Red Devils knocked off two seeded East Brunswick by the score of 63-52, and then upended third seeded North Brunswick by a score of 72-64. Then, in the final, Rancocas soundly defeated Jackson Memorial, which upset top seeded Middletown North to reach its first sectional championship game since 1971. The Red Devils punched its ticket to the RAC with a 73-66 victory over South Jersey power, Shawnee in the state semifinals.
Hats off to Rancocas Valley for a good run in a very tough field. Look for EB and North Brunswick to contend for the sectional championship next year along with a junior loaded South Brunswick squad.