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.”

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

Staff Writer

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.

By TYLER DONOHUE

Sports Writer

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.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

Staff Writer

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 15^th in its last 16 games.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

Staff Writer

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.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

Staff Writer

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.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

Staff Writer

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.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

Staff Writer

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.