Lots Of New Faces To The T Of C This Year

Four Schools Make Their First Ever Appearance In Boys Basketball’s Clash Of Champions

TOMS RIVER, NJ–On Tuesday, the 2011 Tournament of Champions kicked off with two quarterfinal matchups, and continued with two semifinal games on Friday night. The quarterfinal contests matched up teams that had never been in the T of C before in the 23 year history of the event. The only schools in it this year that have been in it before are St. Anthony’s and St. Augustine’s. The four new faces to the scene this year either never won a state title before, or won a state championship prior to the first year of the T of C.

Asbury Park, the Group I Champion, last won a state title in 1987 when it was a Group II school. Newark Central, the Group II Champ, last won a state title in 1964 while Plainfield, the Group III State Champ, last won a statewide championship in 1984. Meanwhile, Paterson Eastside, which reached the state title game for the third time ever, had never won before. The Ghosts actually lost to GMC school, Woodbridge in the 1975 state final while Lenape defeated them in the 2009 state final. Eastside also lost to Piscataway in the 2008 state semifinals.

It was a far cry from years past where teams such as Seton Hall Prep, St. Patrick’s, Bloomfield Tech, Science Park, University, Haddonfield, and Linden had dominated in recent years. Last year, five of the six teams in the T of C field were making at least their second appearance in the event all time. Only Cherokee was making its first ever appearance in the T of C. Two years ago, five more teams were making at least their second appearance ever in the T of C. The only school that was new to the scene was University of Newark.