Former St. Anthony High School basketball standout Marcus Williams finally has a collegiate home. Williams, who was an All-State selection two years ago, when he led the Friars to their second straight Tournament of Champions title and the national championship, signed a national letter of intent to attend St. Francis of New York and will play for the Brooklyn-based school next season.
The 6-1 Williams has been playing at junior college Globe Tech in New York for the last two years and has been averaging 17 points per game at Globe. He decided to go to St. Francis because he wanted to stay close to his Jersey City home, his fiancée, and their two children.
Williams is the fifth player from that national championship team to earn a Division I college scholarship, joining Sean McCurdy (Arkansas), Derrick Mercer (American University), Ahmad Nivins (St. Joseph’s) and Barney Anderson (Rider)…
Speaking of McCurdy, did anyone catch the shot he made a few weeks ago for Arkansas?
McCurdy took the ball on an inbounds play from about 75 feet away and fired it at the basket. It swished. It was the play of the night on ESPN SportsCenter that evening…
The local high school basketball season is about 25 percent complete and there are some points of note. First, there is reason for hope and optimism at two of the Jersey City public schools. Both the Lincoln and Dickinson boys’ teams are enjoying somewhat surprising success in the early part of the season.
First, coach Troy Smith’s Lions are 7-2 so far and 3-0 in the HCIAA Coviello Division. Derrick McCord has been a consistent scorer for the Lions and Farod Robinson is a nice compliment. They could be headed for a playoff berth, which would be a major accomplishment.
Coach Bill “Red” Drennan’s Dickinson Rams are 7-1 overall and 2-0 in the league, after the Rams’ thrilling 43-42 win over Snyder last week. The Rams are very young, with Xavier Clinton and Eric Hankerson leading the way. Drennan has to be totally overjoyed with the progress of his young team. They also look like a playoff contender…
On the girls’ front, St. Dominic Academy might be the most improved team in the county. The Blue Devils won only five games all of last season and have already matched that total this year. Ashley McAdam and Stefanie Phillips have been rock steady…
On the football front, Memorial head coach Brian Cooney has announced his resignation to devote more time to his family. Cooney was the head coach for three seasons. There is no word on his successor.
There were some rumors circulating that former Memorial standout athlete Gabe Infante, currently an assistant coach at Queen of Peace, might be contacted. The same is being said about former Marist football coach and current Memorial teacher Gene Pagnozzi.
Stay tuned. It could get interesting…
Don’t forget about the Dan Finn Classic that will take place at the newly refurbished Jersey City Armory on Sunday, Jan. 22.
Here’s the talent-packed lineup for that day.
St. Peter’s Prep vs. Hudson Catholic, 12 Noon (Boys) Pascack Valley vs. Bayonne, 1:30 p.m. (Girls) North Bergen vs. Marist, 3 p.m. (Girls) Cardinal McCarrick vs. St. Anthony, 4:30 p.m. (Boys) Paterson Catholic vs. Bloomfield Tech, 6:15 p.m. (Boys) St. Benedict’s vs. Linden, 8 p.m. (Boys) That’s a litany of some of the finest boys’ and girls’ programs in the state, all coming to the Armory, all for the price of one ticket, with the money going to a good cause. If you want tickets, feel free to call Ed Finn at (201) 997-5791 or via e-mail at efinsr@aol.com. It should be a great day of basketball excitement…
— Jim Hague