Heaping helping of holiday hoops; Bruins cause some ruin
The holiday season brought out the best of Hudson County’s basketball teams, as several local squads fared very well at tournaments and action throughout the state – and in some cases, points south.
The North Bergen boys’ basketball team may own a 3-2 record thus far, but the record is very deceiving, considering that the Bruins have a 3-0 record against top-flight and well-respected New Jersey opponents – and their two losses came against opposition from across the Hudson River.
Veteran head coach John Barone’s team has already defeated strong teams such as Union, Sayreville and Paterson Eastside on the road, while falling to Frederick Douglass High School of the Bronx and Wadleigh of Harlem in overtime.
"We’ve already played five tough games," said Barone, "and we could very well be 0-5. So I’m really happy with 3-2. We never beat Union or Sayreville before, even when we had Rick (Apodaca, the all-time leading scorer in Hudson County history)."
Plus, the Bruins were able to win both of those games without the services of top player Mawel Soler, who was serving a school suspension. In the first two games, 6-8 junior center Paul Williams came through in a huge way, scoring 29 and 28 respectively.
"Without Mowie, Paul stepped up big," Barone said. "And playing without Mowie was probably the best thing that happened, because it woke him up and he’s been really great ever since."
Upon his return, Soler, a junior guard, has been brilliant, scoring 36 in the convincing win over Paterson Eastside.
"He put on a clinic in that game," Barone said. "If he can keep focused, he can have a great year. And I think he will."
The third cog in the Bruins’ wheel has been senior guard Mike Vijande, who has been a steady performer, especially from the perimeter.
"Mike is a big game player who never loses his head," Barone said of Vijande. "I think he really keeps us all focused."
Junior forward Noel Colon has been a steady force, but the 6-4 Colon has missed the last two games with a knee injury. His status for the remainder of the season remains in question, after undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam.
"Colon won the Sayreville game with some big shots down the stretch," Barone said. "We hope to get him back as soon as possible."
Senior point guard Juan Maldonado represents the glue of the team. The multi-talented Maldonado, who is also an accomplished musician and a member of the school band, runs the show for the Bruins.
"We go as Juan goes," Barone said. "He’s a great, great kid who does everything for us and does everything for the school. I know music is his thing, but he’s a good basketball player as well."
Some of the key Bruins off the bench have been 6-3 senior center Hector Rodriguez, 6-1 junior forward Robert Cortes and 5-9 junior guard Steve Negron.
Even though the Bruins have played a competitive schedule thus far, they’re far from done facing tough non-league opponents. The Bruins will face St. Anthony in a regularly scheduled game, will tangle with Atlantic City in the Battle by the Bay Tournament, and will face Lawrenceville Prep in the Great Hoop Shootout in Trenton next month.
"It’s always been my philosophy to schedule tougher games early in the season," Barone said. "If we play tough outside the county, we should be right there in the county."
Meaning the HCIAA playoff race, which the Bruins will definitely be a part of come late February…
Another team that has enjoyed the early going has been the Marauders of St. Peter’s Prep, who have started off the season with a 6-0 record, including the championship of the Blue Jacket Christmas Tournament in St. Petersburg.
After the first weekend of the season, senior forward Jarett Love had all of three points, scoring one point in the win over Hudson Catholic and two points in the win over Don Bosco Tech.
But last week, at the Florida tourney, Love earned the Most Valuable Player honors, scoring 16 points in the title game against Clearwater Central Catholic, a team that owned a 15-0 record prior to the contest against the Marauders…
The Marist girls’ basketball team enjoyed a fine holiday season, capturing the championship of their own Lady Knights Christmas Tournament for the first time since 1994.
Marist didn’t take the easy route to earn the title, having defeated Paterson Kennedy, with standout performer Nicole Louden, 69-65, then knocking off previously undefeated St. John Villa of Staten Island, 51-48, to earn the title.
Marist’s sensational senior Tara Walker earned the MVP award at the tournament and scored 19 points in the final game. During the course of the tourney, Marist coach Bill DeFazio earned the 400th coaching victory of his career ….
CAPTION
PROUD START – North Bergen head coach John Barone (center) is happy with the performance of his team, which owns a 3-2 record, with wins over Paterson Eastside, Union and Sayreville already.