Veteran St. Mary (Jersey City) boys’ basketball coach Tom Lalicato kept relaying one message to his team all week long, as the HCIAA Seglio Division playoffs began.
“I told them that it was our title,” Lalicato said. “And like in heavyweight boxing, you have to knock out the champ to get the title. So I told them that everyone we played would have to knock us out to get our title. I told them that all week.”
The Ramblers were the defending HCIAA Seglio Division champs, having rolled through the league undefeated at 16-0 during their first season in the new division. But this was a different year and basically a new team. Sure, there were some holdovers from the prior championship team, but these Ramblers were going to have to, er, ramble on their own.
When the Ramblers faced Hoboken for the Seglio crown last Saturday at Yanitelli Center, they were battle tested and ready, taking on the persona of a warrior, not relenting, unwilling to part with the prize they captured a year ago.
“But this was basically a new team, a team really hoping and searching for a leader,” Lalicato said. “After the loss of [last year’s Hudson Reporter Player of the Year Devon] Stanberry, we needed someone to establish himself as the leader. That was Justin Gardenhire.”
Gardenhire, who averaged nearly 20 points per game all season, was the main cog in the Ramblers’ return to county glory.
“Gardenhire was the key all season,” Lalicato said. “He’s just a blue-collar guy who puts in his work every day. He just comes in and shines. We never would have gotten to the point of playing for another championship without Justin.”
While Gardenhire emerged as the Ramblers’ leader all season, the remainder of the Ramblers’ five seniors stepped it up in the title game against the Red Wings, all contributing in some fashion.
Probably the biggest inspiration came from senior guard Yasien Beatty, who suffered a serious knee injury two weeks ago and was thought to be lost for the season.
“He did his therapy and worked his way back,” Lalicato said. “It was very inspirational having Yasien come back. He played about at 75 percent and scored four points [against Hoboken], but he gave us leadership and played his customary defense.”
The other seniors, namely Joe Neals, Lamar Williams, Chris Gonzalez and Rodney Jean-Baptiste, all played admirably as well, giving the Ramblers the victory over Hoboken and the second straight HCIAA Seglio title.
Neals was the game’s Most Valuable Player, scoring 14 points and making big play after big play.
“I’m very proud of these kids,” Lalicato said. “They fought tooth and nail to get another championship. This gives the school recognition and inspires the younger players to uphold the standards established by the older players. We have six underclassmen and it’s their job now to keep it going. But it’s a tribute to the kids that they won back-to-back. This is something we can use as motivation for the future.”
After going nearly 20 years without an HCIAA basketball title, St. Mary now has two in a row, adding another banner to the tiny gym on Third Street in downtown Jersey City.
“We’re all excited here,” Lalicato said. “I’ve already ordered another banner to put up. I’ve been coaching a long time and events like these keeps rekindling the fire.”
And shooting for a “three-peat.” Suddenly, life in the Seglio isn’t half bad for the running Ramblers of St. Mary. – Jim Hague