Brandon Bell (26) wraps up an Absegami ball carrier last season. (Credit: R.J. Liberatore)
By TYLER DONOHUE
Sports Reporter
MAYS LANDING – Oakcrest High School junior Brandon Bell continues to attract attention from the country’s top-tier collegiate football programs. The Falcons’ standout linebacker recently received full scholarship offers from Rutgers University, West Virginia and University of Connecticut.
Connecticut formally made an offer to the 6-foot-2, 215-pound playmaker on Friday, Feb. 17. Rutgers, one of the Huskies’ rivals, responded by extending an offer of its own two days later, when Bell spent Sunday visiting the university’s campus.
West Virginia joined the hunt on Wednesday. Oakcrest graduate Ismail Showell earned a spot on the Mountaineers’ roster this season as a walk-on freshman player.
Schools from all over the country have contacted Falcons head coach Chuck Smith about his star linebacker. College programs are not permitted to directly contact Bell during his junior year, so Smith has been a liaison.
“Recently, I feel like I’m Brandon’s mailman or secretary,” Smith said with a laugh. “I spend so much time talking to college coaches every day.”
Vikings forward Gebriel Chandler (with ball) scored six second-half points as Atlantic City overcame Holy Spirit. (Credit: Brandon Obermeier)
By TYLER DONOHUE
Sports Writer
HAMMONTON – In one dramatic evening of postseason basketball, the Atlantic City boys basketball team pulled off two accomplishments. The Vikings defeated Holy Spirit, 35-32, on Tuesday in the Cape-Atlantic League semifinals to eliminate a longtime conference rival from championship contention and move one step closer to capturing a league title.
A senior-laden lineup overcame an unimpressive start to the contest at Hammonton High School and ramped up its defense late in the game to hold off talented Holy Spirit. While many of the Spartans’ key contributors have at least another year at the high school level, most of Atlantic City’s playmakers are in the midst of their final run under Vikings head coach Gene Allen.
“Those are seniors,” Allen said. “So they have that sense of urgency that you may not find in younger players. They don’t want to see the season end, so they’re really working hard.”
HAMMONTON – When the clock wound down under 10 seconds, it appeared the Middle Township High School boys basketball team would have trouble getting off a good shot.
But then Tom Catanoso got his hands on the ball, drove hard toward the right wing and knocked down a fall-away jump shot from 12 feet away to lift the Panthers to one of their biggest wins of the season.
Catanoso’s shot, which fell through the basket 1.8 seconds before the buzzer sounded, gave Middle a 50-49 win over St. Augustine Prep in a semifinal game in the inaugural Cape-Atlantic League Tournament Tuesday night.
Holy Spirit guard Paul Moore led the Spartans to a 62-61 overtime victory at Pleasantville on Feb. 17. The junior scored 22 points after halftime, including a pair of free throws with two seconds remaining that pushed the Cape-Atlantic League quarterfinal game into overtime.
Moore also hit a go-ahead three-pointer for Holy Spirit late in the overtime session to send the Spartans to a CAL semifinal matchup with Atlantic City. Tip-off between the American Conference rivals is scheduled for 5 p.m. today at Hammonton High School.
WILDWOOD – If the Wildwood High School boys basketball team proved anything Monday afternoon, it is this: the Warriors might be a very difficult out when the South Jersey Group I Tournament begins next week.
Playing against a competitive Group IV team in Mainland Regional, the Warriors reeled off a 27-9 second-half run to turn a two-point lead early in the fourth quarter into a commanding 82-65 victory, the team’s 15th in its last 16 games.
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP – Three Cape May County high school wrestlers won championships and five others place second or third at the District 32 Tournament held this weekend at Absegami High School.
All eight wrestlers will advance to the Region 8 Tournament at Egg Harbor Township High School.
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – On a night when the Middle Township High School girls basketball team’s top players were limited by strong defense from an opponent, the Lady Panthers’ other players showed why the team is one of the most balanced in the Cape-Atlantic League Friday night.
Middle got 12 points from Olivia Schwartz and 11 points, four assists and four steals from Sarah Roberts en route to a 52-44 victory over Cedar Creek in an opening-round game in the inaugural CAL Tournament.
NORTH WILDWOOD – The Middle Township High School basketball drew on its close-game experience to scratch out a victory in a playoff game in the inaugural Cape-Atlantic League Tournament Friday night.
The Panthers, seeded sixth in the tournament, fought back from a three-point deficit at the close of three quarters to top third-seeded Wildwood Catholic, 44-41, to advance to Tuesday’s semifinal round, where they’ll play top-seeded St. Augustine Prep at Hammonton High school at 7 p.m.
After months of debating proposals and counter-proposals, the Cape-Atlantic League has finally decided on a football alignment for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, the league announced earlier this week.
Gone is the three-conference format the league has used over the past two seasons. It will be replaced by the more traditional two-conference format, with nine teams in each.
MAYS LANDING – Oakcrest High School junior Brandon Bell continues to attract attention from the country’s top tier collegiate football programs. The Falcons standout linebacker is expected to receive a full scholarship offer from the University of Connecticut today, according to Michael O’Brien, Oakcrest’s Director of Football Information.
Bell, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound playmaker, already holds a scholarship offer from Northwestern University.
Both Connecticut and Northwestern field NCAA Division-1 football programs. Connecticut competes in the Big East Conference with the likes of Louisville, South Florida and Rutgers University. Northwestern is a member of the Big Ten Conference, which includes University of Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State and Penn State.
Bell has blossomed into one of the more highly-touted members of New Jersey’s football recruiting class of 2013. Rivals.com, one of nation’s premier recruiting websites, ranks him at No. 17 on the list of the state’s top junior players.
Holy Spirit's Paul Moore puts up a shot against Woodrow Wilson during the Olympic-Cape Challenge (Credit: Brandon Obermeier).
BUENA VISTA _ A major fundraiser for cancer research took place last weekend at St. Augustine Prep. The 12th annual Olympic-Cape Challenge basketball tournament featured squads from the Olympic Conference and Cape-Atlantic League to benefit a cause close to many: The Shoot Down Cancer Foundation.
“We wanted to do something basketball related for cancer research,” explained tournament director Dave Catalana of the Shoot Down Cancer Foundation. “My son was sick and we wanted to give back to Children's Hospital. Now [he is] a 17-year-old, who started out as a ball boy and works here at the tournament. For me, that's what it’s all about.”
The 13-game Olympic-Cape Challenge fundraiser helps fund cancer research at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia.
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Most people who follow high school football in this area know about the talent level of Middle Township’s Zak Vogelei.
But now, quite a few more people know about it, too.
Last weekend, Vogelei was named to the All-Combine team at the Philadelphia stop of the Nike Football SPARQ Combine tour, an event that drew nearly 1,200 high school athletes. The combine was held at the Philadelphia Eagles’ NovaCare Complex.
OCEAN CITY - The Red Raiders boys basketball team of Ocean City High School won't be crashing the Cape-Atlantic League postseason party this February. Talented senior Matt Bosch may have taken some of that frustration out on playoff-bound Holy Spirit on Wednesday, Feb. 15.
Bosch bullied the Spartans throughout the mid-evening contest, scoring a career-high 30 points to lead Ocean City to a 64-60 victory in overtime. The Red Raiders needed an extra session after rallying from a five-point fourth-quarter deficit to finish regulation locked in a 52-52 stalemate with Holy Spirit.
Ocean City senior Chris Turner contributed mightily on both ends of the court. The 5-foot-9 guard tallied 15 points, while swiping eight steals against the Spartans.
Bosch, a surefire first-team all-league forward, and Turner had high hopes entering the season. A Cape-Atlantic League championship surely stood among the loftiest of their goals, but the Red Raiders fell short of a playoff berth when St. Augustine and Middle Township took the National Conference's two postseason slots.
Ocean City (13-9, 8-8 in CAL) will still have a chance to chase down a tournament title. The Red Raiders earned the fourth seed in the NJSIAA Group III playoffs and host Burlington Township in the first round, which begins on Feb. 29.
Holy Spirit (16-6, 12-4) has suddenly lost four of five CAL contests, casting doubt on the team's upcoming league playoff run. The Spartans head to Pleasantville on Friday, Feb. 17 for a first-round matchup against the Greyhounds.
Paul Moore scored 29 points to lead Holy Spirit against Ocean City. Larry Jones chipped in with eight points and 13 rebounds.
Atlantic City looks to cap off a strong season in the CAL. Here, Vikings junior Gebriel Chandler works inside against Paul VI on Sunday, Feb. 12. (Credit: Brandon Obermeier)
By TYLER DONOHUE
Sports Writer
Cape-Atlantic League officials released finalized seeded brackets for the upcoming boys and girls basketball playoffs on Tuesday morning. For the first time in league history, the playoff field has expanded to a six-team format.
Boys Bracket
1 St. Augustine Prep
2 Atlantic City
3 Wildwood Catholic
4 Pleasantville
5 Holy Spirit
6 Middle Township
Girls Bracket
1 Sacred Heart
2 Ocean City
3 Holy Spirit
4 Middle Township
5 Cedar Creek
6 Atlantic City
The top two seeds in both brackets earned a first-round bye, meaning St. Augustine Prep and Atlantic City’s boys and Sacred Heart and Ocean City’s girls teams can take a few extra days to prepare. The first-round matchups take place Friday, Feb. 17, with the higher seeded team hosting.
In boys hoops, Middle Township travels to Wildwood Catholic to renew a longstanding rivalry on Friday. Pleasantville hosts Holy Spirit in other opening round action.
The first-round girls games also occur on Friday, Feb, 17. Atlantic City travels to take on American Conference rival Holy Spirit and Cedar Creek heads south to face Middle Township for the right to advance toward a title.
The Cape-Atlantic League officially released finalized seeded brackets for the upcoming boys and girls basketball playoffs on Tuesday morning. Here’s a quick look at how the eight-day postseason schedule is laid out.
BOYS
1. St. Augustine (first-round bye)
2. Atlantic City (first-round bye)
3. Wildwood Catholic
4. Pleasantville
5. Holy Spirit
6. Middle Township
The first-round matchups take place Friday, Feb. 17. Pleasantville hosts Holy Spirit, while Wildwood Catholic welcomes in Middle Township.
GIRLS
1. Sacred Heart (first-round bye)
2. Ocean City (first-round bye)
3. Holy Spirit
4. Middle Township
5. Cedar Creek
6. Atlantic City
The girls first-round matchups also occur on Friday, Feb, 17. They feature Atlantic City traveling to take on American Conference rival Holy Spirit and Cedar Creek heading south to face Middle Township.
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ERMA – It was setting up to go down to the wire. But then a technical foul late in the fourth quarter changed the complexion of the game.
Trailing by two points with a little more than two minutes to play, the Lower Cape May Regional boys basketball team was whistled for a technical foul after committing a common foul, and rival Middle Township used the opportunity to pull away for a 37-29 win.
This trio of Absegami soccer stars each earned athletic scholarships. From left are Erica Skroski (Rutgers University), Alexis Robinson (Catawba University) and Kelsey Tierney (Iona). (Photo submitted by Julie Hazard)
By TYLER DONOHUE
Sports Writer
GALLOWAY – Four Absegami High School seniors signed their national letter of intent with the collegiate athletic programs of their choice on Wednesday, Feb. 1. The act meant that each of the student athletes, all girls, accepted their respective scholarship conditions and agreed to university academic standards.
Feb. 1 was National Signing Day, an annual event when high school athletes across the country confirm their commitment to attend a specific school in the upcoming fall semester. Essentially, it is the culmination of a lengthy recruiting process that presents outstanding senior athletes with various post-secondary athletic and academic options.
WILDWOOD – The Clayton High School boys basketball team made a ridiculous 15 three-pointers against Wildwood Friday night.
The Clippers, however, simply couldn’t stop the Warriors from scoring at the other end of the floor.
Wildwood exploded for a 26-point first quarter, had 48 points by halftime and cruised to a nowhere-near-as-close-as-it-looks 81-71 victory over the Clippers on Senior Night. The win was the team’s 13th in 14 games. It also left the Warriors needing only to win Tuesday’s game at winless Pennsville to at least tie for the Tri-County Conference’s Classic Division title.
Pleasantville is still competing with Wildwood Catholic for a conference title/ (Credit: Jen Arthur)
By TYLER DONOHUE
Sports Writer
After nearly two months of Cape-Atlantic League basketball competition, we finally know the teams that will vie for a CAL crown. The league’s first inaugural six-team postseason tournament is now fully filled for both girls and boys hoops.
The top two teams in each group earn a first-round bye in the three-round playoff format. The CAL championship games take place on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Richard Stockton College.
Though identities of the CAL playoff participants are now known, the order of seeding still must shake out.
The boys bracket includes St. Augustine (17-2), Atlantic City (15-4), Holy Spirit (15-4), Middle Township (13-6), Wildwood Catholic (16-6) and Pleasantville (14-6).
Wildwood Catholic failed to clinch the United Conference title and a first-round bye when it lost to Sacred Heart on Thursday, Feb. 9. That loss opened the door for Pleasantville to tie things up atop the conference (both teams are 10-2 against United opponents).
“We obviously wanted to get into the CAL playoffs any way possible and knew that if we took care of business on our end it was going to happen,” Greyhounds coach Ken Johnson said. “It shows how important it is to win games that you should win. You can’t look past any team in this league.”
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