The J.F. Kennedy Mustangs boys basketball program has only managed to have four 20-win seasons since the school opened in 1964. However, two of those seasons are among the best in the history of Middlesex County hoops.
The 1989-90 JFK boys basketball team was the best ever at the school with a 28-3 record, while the 1973-74 JFK boys hoops squad finished 24-3 and defeated Perth Amboy twice in three meetings, which was very difficult to do back then. GMC Hoops put together this Tale of the Tape to compare these two legendary J.F. Kennedy boys basketball teams.
Jamie Panko (left) and Jay Jorgensen were the top scorers and rebounders for their respective Kennedy teams. Panko averaged 17.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game for the 1989-90 Mustangs, while Jorgensen led the 1973-74 Mustangs with a 17.2 points per game average and combined with teammate Dom Corica to dominate the boards.
Tale of the Tape – Comparing J.F. Kennedy’s Greatest Teams
| Category | 1973-74 JFK Mustangs | 1989-90 JFK Mustangs |
| Head Coach | Ray Newman | Ken Pace |
| Assistant Coaches | Al Tagliaroni and Bob Lanigan | Lou Urbano and Jerry Smith |
| Conference | Middlesex County Athletic Conference | Greater Middlesex Conference |
| Games Played | 27 | 31 |
| Wins | 24 | 28 |
| Win % | 0.889 | 0.903 |
| Longest Winning Streak | 16 straight | 15 straight |
| Div/Conf. Wins | 12 | 14 |
| Div/Conf. Win % | 1.000 | 1.000 |
| Non-Conference Record | 8-1 | 4-1 |
| Points Scored | 1,718 | 2,001 |
| PPG | 63.6 | 64.5 |
| PPG Rank | 7th | 6th |
| Points Allowed | 1,309 | 1,631 |
| PAPG | 48.5 | 52.6 |
| PAPG Rank | 3rd | 5th |
| Margin of Victory | 15.1 | 11.9 |
| PDPG Rank | 2nd | 4th |
| 1,000 Point Scorer | Jay Jorgensen | Lenny Reyes |
| Rank on JFK All-Time Scoring List | 1st (1,403 points) | 4th (1,207 points) |
| Leading Scorer – Season | Jay Jorgensen (17.2 ppg) | Jamie Panko (17.0 ppg) |
| Leading Rebounder – Season | Jay Jorgensen | Jamie Panko (13.0 ppg) |
| Top Three Scorers – Combined PPG | Jay Jorgensen, Dom Corica, and Rick Ullrich – 41.0 ppg | Jamie Panko, Lenny Reyes, and Jason Smith – 44.7 ppg |
| Top Three Scorers – % of Team Scoring | 64.5% | 69.3% |
| Holiday Tournament | Lost to South Plainfield (39-38) in First Round of 1973 Colonia Classic | Defeated Woodbridge (73-45) in Championship of Dickinson Holiday Tournament |
| County/Conference Tournament | 1974 MCT Runner-Up (Lost to Perth Amboy 72-59) | 1990 GMCT Championn (Defeated Perth Amboy 54-53) |
| Sectional Tournament | 1974 NJSIAA CJ Group 3 Champion (Defeated Perth Amboy 59-53) | 1990 NJSIAA CJ Group 3 Champion (Defeated Long Branch 62-59) |
| State Semis and Championship | Lost to Camden (59-55) in State Semifinals | Lost to Snyder of Jersey City (65-46) in State Championship |