Succeeds Lenny Reyes As Fourth Guvs Boys Coach In Past Six Seasons
SOUTH AMBOY, NJ–On Monday night, GMC Hoops learned that South Amboy native and 2008 graduate, John Zammit has been hired as the new head coach of the boys basketball program at the high school. Zammit succeeds Lenny Reyes, who guided the team to a 20-7 record this past season, and a berth in the 2014 GMCT Boys Basketball Quarterfinals.
Zammit was a member of the 2007-08 South Amboy Governors boys basketball team that was led by Mark Simko, who went on to play college ball at Stockton College, and Larry Lenahan, who played college hoops at Centenary College. The 2007-08 Guvs finished 17-8 overall, won its holiday tournament, clinched its only division title, and made its first ever appearance in the GMCT Quarterfinals.
Zammit, who teaches in the Woodbridge school district, and previously served as the boys JV and varsity assistant under former head coach, Mark Truhan, was selected from a solid group of candidates that included former McCarrick JV and varsity assistant, Jesse Holovacko. Zammit also has worked previously as a high school basketball official. Zammit is the fourth head coach of the boys basketball program at South Amboy in the past six years. Prior to that, long time head coach, George Krzyzanowski coached at the school for the better part of three decades before retiring on a high note with that 2007-08 team.
The South Amboy Governors of that 2007-08 season, defeated the likes of J.F. Kennedy and Edison outside the division and defending GMC Gold Division champ, Dunellen twice including a come from behind, 81-78 division clinching victory on Feburary 5th, which had the Guvs trailing by seven with 1:34 remaining before they rallied to win on a last second three pointer by Mark Simko as fans poured on to the court. The Guvs then defeated ninth seeded Monroe (89-74) in the 2008 GMCT Round of 16 before losing to eventual champion, and crosstown rival, Cardinal McCarrick (82-61) in the GMCT Quarterfinals. South Amboy later defeated Metuchen (59-56) in the opening round of the state playoffs before losing to Asbury Park in the quarterfinals.
Zammit inherits a South Amboy program that lost all of its starters to graduation, but has some promising talent. The Guvs will be returning the likes of reserves Tim Kales and Ryan Kudelka along with the likes of Max Garcia, Riley Rone, and Nick Regan, who is coming off a season ending knee injury this past season. South Amboy will also have Ryan O’Leary, who transferred into the school from Cardinal McCarrick, where he played some as a freshman this past season. One of O’Leary’s best performances was in a benefit game against South Amboy, where he scored 10 points including two threes in the second quarter on opening weekend.
South Amboy has been playing in the Raritan Bay Summer League, and have been competitive despite just having a 1-3 record in games covered by GMC Hoops so far this summer. This past season, the Guvs went 20-7 under Lenny Reyes, and despite its third place finish behind division winner, Timothy Christian, and CJ Group I semifinalist, South River, the Guvs managed to win the South River Holiday Tournament, and became the lowest seed in the history of the GMCT to reach the quarterfinal round. Seeded 24th, the Guvs defeated 25th seeded South River in the play-in round, 9th seeded Monroe in the preliminary round, and 8th seeded Timothy Christian in overtime in the Round of 16 before falling to top seeded and eventual champion, St. Joseph’s in the quarterfinals.