By Fred Siegle
FAIR LAWN - It took Fair Lawn's volleyball team a little time to find its rhythm. But once they did, the Cutters
looked like a team that could definitely be playing for the NJSIAA North section championship.
Senior Artem Makarenko had 11 kills to lead the third-seeded Cutters (23-7) to a 25-21, 25-11 victory over No. 11 Passaic Valley in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Fair Lawn plays at No. 2 Bayonne in the section semifinals on Friday.
"That second game was probably one of the best games we've played this year,'' Makarenko said. "We only made a few errors.''
"We always start out a little slow,'' said setter Jon Bashan, who had 23 assists. "It takes us a little time to get in the swing. But once we get going, we're able to play with a lot of emotion and that helps carry us.''
Fair Lawn led for most of the first game, but it was pretty much back-and-forth. The Cutters had a 19-15 lead, but two straight kills by Mike Hrehovcik made it 19-17 before a service error gave Fair Lawn its 20th point. The Cutters went up 21-17 on a kill by Makarenko, but a kill by Hrehovcik, a Fair Lawn error, and an ace by Matt Billig cut the score to 21-20. But, after a time out, Makarenko had another kill and the Cutters finished out the game. Jamie Oliver had 2 of his 5 kills during that stretch.
Fair Lawn took a 6-2 lead in the second game, stretched it to 14-4 after three straight aces by Ryan Kolenovic, and cruised from there.
"In the second game, our passing dropped off,'' said co-coach Tom Deeney.
Hrehovcik and Colin McNeill each had 7 kills to lead Passaic Valley (14-12), which had upset No. 6 seed Garfield in the previous round. The Hornets played the end of the first game and the whole second game without senior left side Joe Altomonte, who had tried to play on an injured ankle.
"When Joe went out, I think it took something out of us,'' Deeney said. "The other guys got a little nervous.''
The Cutters will be trying to avenge a regular-season loss to Bayonne, which beat No. 7 Vernon on Wednesday. But they'll probably be playing without right side Matt Agnew, who suffered an injury, probably to a ligament, late in the second game when he landed on McNeill's foot on a play at the net.
"As much as it sucks that Agnew's hurt, we're not a one-man team,'' Makarenko said. "We have other players who can come in and hit and block.''
Makarenko and Bashan said their team will try to put on a better performance than the first meeting with Bayonne.
"I feel like they didn't see us at our best when they came here to play us,'' Bashan said. "Now we have to go there and beat them. We have to play clean volleyball, we lost the first time because of errors, I think we had 37, and out of 50 points, that's a lot.''
''Whoever comes out and plays the best defense is going to win that,'' Makarenko said. "I feel like our defense is going to win it.''
Note: The first official in the match was Tom San Giacomo, who coaches the Fair Lawn players on their club team. It's possible Passaic Valley officials will question the situation with the NJSIAA.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Bayonne repeats in Hudson County
By Fred Siegle
JERSEY CITY - Last year wasn't a fluke.
That's what the players for Bayonne were determined to show when they met St. Peters Prep for the second straight year in the Hudson County Tournament final. The Bees had ended St. Peter's long reign as the top team in the county with an upset victory in 2006.
On Wednesday, Bayonne made it two in a row with a 25-17, 25-20 victory at St. Peters College.
"Last year, everybody thought it was a fluke, we just got lucky and had a good day,'' said Bayonne senior Justin Beaumont. "This proves it wasn't a fluke, we deserved to win.''
Beaumont finished with 13 kills, 5 digs and 5 blocks and was named Bayonne's MVP for the tournament. None of his kills was more important than his 13th, which came with the score tied 20-20 in the second game. Beaumont ended a long rally by putting away a back-row attack on the second touch after a dig by a teammate, choosing to hit instead of setting someone else. That made it 21-20, and and the Bees went on to score the next 4 points - a St. Peters error, a St. Peters net violation, a big kill by Coco Ostorga (3 kills, 2 digs), and a block by Pat Rujznica (5 kills, 2 digs, 2 blocks).
"I just wanted to attack on that play, if we kept giving them free balls, they're a good team when they're passing well,'' Beaumont said. "I just wanted to be aggressive. We came into this match determined to be aggressive and to play good defense.''
Bayonne survived a scare midway through the second game when setter Mark Gacki (2 aces, 21 assists, 8 digs) cut his chin while diving in a save attempt. When he hit is chin on the floor, he reopened a cut that first occurred during the Livingston Tournament three weeks ago. Bayonne led 12-7 when Gacki left the game to get the injury taken care of, and the lead was down to 12-10 when he returned. The Bees had lost the game at Livingston when he was hurt.
"When that happened at Livingston, we broke down without Mark in the game,'' said middle blocker Danny Kochanski (4 kills, 2 blocks). "We knew we had to play harder with him out.''
Matt Whitford led St. Peters with 9 kills, while libero Kevin McNerney, who was named the Marauders' MVP, had 6 digs. Nick DeBenedictis had 4 kills and 3 digs, and setter Gil Estupinan had 16 assists.
"We just didn't pass at all,'' coach Don Guide said. "If we don't pass well, we can't win.''
Bayonne (26-4) took a 2-1 edge in their rivalry with St. Peters for 2007. The two teams could meet again in the North section final of the NJSIAA Tournament in two weeks, but both will have to win three matches before they get that chance. No. 1 seed St. Peters hosts No. 16 Wayne Valley, while No. 2 Bayonne hosts No. 15 Montclair in matches on Thursday.
"We played a lot better today (than their last meeting with St. Peters, which St. Peters won),'' Gacki said. "We know we have to come out strong against them. Hopefully, we'll keep playing well throughout the states.''
"We just have to concentrate on Wayne Valley right now,'' Guide said.
If both teams do make it to the North final, which will be played June 6 at South Brunswick High School, they'll be ready for each other.
"We know who their go-to guys are, we know what they like to do,'' Kochanski said. "We just had to put up a block and play defense. They know what we like to do, too.''
JERSEY CITY - Last year wasn't a fluke.
That's what the players for Bayonne were determined to show when they met St. Peters Prep for the second straight year in the Hudson County Tournament final. The Bees had ended St. Peter's long reign as the top team in the county with an upset victory in 2006.
On Wednesday, Bayonne made it two in a row with a 25-17, 25-20 victory at St. Peters College.
"Last year, everybody thought it was a fluke, we just got lucky and had a good day,'' said Bayonne senior Justin Beaumont. "This proves it wasn't a fluke, we deserved to win.''
Beaumont finished with 13 kills, 5 digs and 5 blocks and was named Bayonne's MVP for the tournament. None of his kills was more important than his 13th, which came with the score tied 20-20 in the second game. Beaumont ended a long rally by putting away a back-row attack on the second touch after a dig by a teammate, choosing to hit instead of setting someone else. That made it 21-20, and and the Bees went on to score the next 4 points - a St. Peters error, a St. Peters net violation, a big kill by Coco Ostorga (3 kills, 2 digs), and a block by Pat Rujznica (5 kills, 2 digs, 2 blocks).
"I just wanted to attack on that play, if we kept giving them free balls, they're a good team when they're passing well,'' Beaumont said. "I just wanted to be aggressive. We came into this match determined to be aggressive and to play good defense.''
Bayonne survived a scare midway through the second game when setter Mark Gacki (2 aces, 21 assists, 8 digs) cut his chin while diving in a save attempt. When he hit is chin on the floor, he reopened a cut that first occurred during the Livingston Tournament three weeks ago. Bayonne led 12-7 when Gacki left the game to get the injury taken care of, and the lead was down to 12-10 when he returned. The Bees had lost the game at Livingston when he was hurt.
"When that happened at Livingston, we broke down without Mark in the game,'' said middle blocker Danny Kochanski (4 kills, 2 blocks). "We knew we had to play harder with him out.''
Matt Whitford led St. Peters with 9 kills, while libero Kevin McNerney, who was named the Marauders' MVP, had 6 digs. Nick DeBenedictis had 4 kills and 3 digs, and setter Gil Estupinan had 16 assists.
"We just didn't pass at all,'' coach Don Guide said. "If we don't pass well, we can't win.''
Bayonne (26-4) took a 2-1 edge in their rivalry with St. Peters for 2007. The two teams could meet again in the North section final of the NJSIAA Tournament in two weeks, but both will have to win three matches before they get that chance. No. 1 seed St. Peters hosts No. 16 Wayne Valley, while No. 2 Bayonne hosts No. 15 Montclair in matches on Thursday.
"We played a lot better today (than their last meeting with St. Peters, which St. Peters won),'' Gacki said. "We know we have to come out strong against them. Hopefully, we'll keep playing well throughout the states.''
"We just have to concentrate on Wayne Valley right now,'' Guide said.
If both teams do make it to the North final, which will be played June 6 at South Brunswick High School, they'll be ready for each other.
"We know who their go-to guys are, we know what they like to do,'' Kochanski said. "We just had to put up a block and play defense. They know what we like to do, too.''
Friday, May 18, 2007
State seeding (south/central)
Here's the South/Central seeding with record and winning percentage at the time of the state cutoff (May 15).
1. Southern (31-0, 1.000). Head-to-head with anybody that would have been considered.
2. East Brunswick (21-2, .913). Head-to-head with St. Joes (2x).
3. St. Josephs (19-6, .760). Head-to-head over CBA.
4. CBA (18-3, .857). Only losses to No. 1 and 3 teams. Head-to-head over Old Bridge.
5. Old Bridge (15-7, .682). Strength-of-schedule (Only losses were to already seeded teams and No. 1 St. Peters in North).
6. Washington Township (13-3, .813). Head-to-head over Williamstown, RPI and winning percentage.
7. Williamstown (18-7, .720). Strength-of-schedule, winning percentage.
8. South Brunswick (14-6, .700). Win over seeded team (St. Joes). (One of the more contentious debates at the meeting. "It (seeding South Brunswick over Eastern) will have an opportunity to be verified next Thursday,'' said Eastern coach Tom Armour.)
9. Eastern (13-4, .765). Head-to-head over Cherry Hill West.
10. Cherry Hill West (17-8, .680). Head-to-head over Moorestown. Wins over seeded teams Williamstown and Washington Township.
11. Moorestown (16-10, .615). Strength-of-schedule over Bridgewater, Hillsborough.
12. Bridgewater-Raritan (9-6, .600). Strength-of-schedule over Hillsborough (split matches with them).
13. Hillsborough (15-3, .833). Common opponent victory (Bridgewater) vs. West Windsor-South.
14. West Windsor-Plainsboro South (10-8, .556). Wins over seeded teams South Brunswick, Hillsborough.
15. Clearview (14-5, .737). Head-to-head over Collingswood.
16. Collingswood (13-5, .722). Win over seeded team (Moorestown).
17. Howell (11-5, .688). Win percentage, RPI over J. P. Stevens.
18. J.P. Stevens (11-9, .550). Win over seeded team (West Windsor South).
19. Long Branch (12-9, .571). Wins over Colts Neck and Manchester, strength-of-schedule.
20. Cherry Hill East (9-9, .500). Head-to-head over Cinnaminson.
21. Cinnaminson (11-8, .579).
22. Manchester (10-8, .556). Head-to-head over Colts Neck.
23. Colts Neck (14-7, .667). Wins over seeded teams Howell, Long Branch.
24. Sterling (12-9, .571). Head-to-head over St. Augustine.
25. St. Augustine (11-8, .579).
26. Marlboro ?????
1. Southern (31-0, 1.000). Head-to-head with anybody that would have been considered.
2. East Brunswick (21-2, .913). Head-to-head with St. Joes (2x).
3. St. Josephs (19-6, .760). Head-to-head over CBA.
4. CBA (18-3, .857). Only losses to No. 1 and 3 teams. Head-to-head over Old Bridge.
5. Old Bridge (15-7, .682). Strength-of-schedule (Only losses were to already seeded teams and No. 1 St. Peters in North).
6. Washington Township (13-3, .813). Head-to-head over Williamstown, RPI and winning percentage.
7. Williamstown (18-7, .720). Strength-of-schedule, winning percentage.
8. South Brunswick (14-6, .700). Win over seeded team (St. Joes). (One of the more contentious debates at the meeting. "It (seeding South Brunswick over Eastern) will have an opportunity to be verified next Thursday,'' said Eastern coach Tom Armour.)
9. Eastern (13-4, .765). Head-to-head over Cherry Hill West.
10. Cherry Hill West (17-8, .680). Head-to-head over Moorestown. Wins over seeded teams Williamstown and Washington Township.
11. Moorestown (16-10, .615). Strength-of-schedule over Bridgewater, Hillsborough.
12. Bridgewater-Raritan (9-6, .600). Strength-of-schedule over Hillsborough (split matches with them).
13. Hillsborough (15-3, .833). Common opponent victory (Bridgewater) vs. West Windsor-South.
14. West Windsor-Plainsboro South (10-8, .556). Wins over seeded teams South Brunswick, Hillsborough.
15. Clearview (14-5, .737). Head-to-head over Collingswood.
16. Collingswood (13-5, .722). Win over seeded team (Moorestown).
17. Howell (11-5, .688). Win percentage, RPI over J. P. Stevens.
18. J.P. Stevens (11-9, .550). Win over seeded team (West Windsor South).
19. Long Branch (12-9, .571). Wins over Colts Neck and Manchester, strength-of-schedule.
20. Cherry Hill East (9-9, .500). Head-to-head over Cinnaminson.
21. Cinnaminson (11-8, .579).
22. Manchester (10-8, .556). Head-to-head over Colts Neck.
23. Colts Neck (14-7, .667). Wins over seeded teams Howell, Long Branch.
24. Sterling (12-9, .571). Head-to-head over St. Augustine.
25. St. Augustine (11-8, .579).
26. Marlboro ?????
State seeding (north)
Here's the north seeding (with record at time of the cutoff date - May 15):
1. St. Peters (24-5, .828 winning percentage). Split matches with Bayonne, earned seed based on strength-of-schedule.
2. Bayonne (23-4, .852 winning percentage). Split with St. Peters, head-to-head win over Fair Lawn.
3. Fair Lawn (21-7, .75). Based on strength-of-schedule, with all losses coming against top teams (St. Joes 2x, Bayonne, St. Peters, Southern 2x, East Brunswick).
4. Clifton (21-2, .913). Head-to-head win over Livingston.
5. Livingston (16-3, .842). Head-to-head win over Garfield (2x).
6. Garfield (14-5, .737). Head-to-head win over Vernon.
7. Vernon (15-3, .933). Head-to-head win over Wayne Hills (2x), strength-of-schedule.
8. Wayne Hills (10-5, .667). Victory over seeded team (Garfield).
9. Don Bosco (15-3, .833). Higher win percentage, RPI than Lakeland.
10. Lakeland (12-8, .600). Strength-of-schedule, head-to-head win over Passaic Valley (2x).
11. Passaic Valley (11-8, .579). Strength-of-schedule, victory over seeded team (Clifton).
12. Bloomfield (16-5, .762). Winning percentage, RPI higher than Wallington.
13. Wallington (11-4, .733). Winning percentage higher than Belleville, victory over seeded team (Passaic Valley).
14. Belleville (12-8, .600). Victory over common opponent (Bloomfield) with Montclair.
15. Montclair (15-7, .682). Strength-of-schedule, winning percentage.
16. Wayne Valley (12-8, .600). Victories over seeded teams (Garfield, Lakeland, Passaic Valley).
17. Lincoln (19-6, .760). In three-way head-to-head with Memorial and North Bergen (all were 2-2 vs. each other), North Bergen got the last spot because of a loss to Union Hill, which the other two beat. Lincoln then got spot based on head-to-head, better RPI, and winning percentage vs. Memorial.
18. Memorial (16-7, .696). See above.
19. North Bergen (16-9, .640). Winning percentage over Hackensack.
20. Hackensack (12-8, .600). Winning percentage.
21. Kennedy (10-10, .500). RPI, wins over seeded teams (Don Bosco, Hackensack).
22. Ridge (11-2, .846). Strength-of-schedule.
23. Millburn (7-5, .583). NOTE: Millburn had to take two forfeit losses in order to meet NJSIAA requirement of 12 matches.
NOTE: Union Hill chose not to enter because of a conflict with their prom.
1. St. Peters (24-5, .828 winning percentage). Split matches with Bayonne, earned seed based on strength-of-schedule.
2. Bayonne (23-4, .852 winning percentage). Split with St. Peters, head-to-head win over Fair Lawn.
3. Fair Lawn (21-7, .75). Based on strength-of-schedule, with all losses coming against top teams (St. Joes 2x, Bayonne, St. Peters, Southern 2x, East Brunswick).
4. Clifton (21-2, .913). Head-to-head win over Livingston.
5. Livingston (16-3, .842). Head-to-head win over Garfield (2x).
6. Garfield (14-5, .737). Head-to-head win over Vernon.
7. Vernon (15-3, .933). Head-to-head win over Wayne Hills (2x), strength-of-schedule.
8. Wayne Hills (10-5, .667). Victory over seeded team (Garfield).
9. Don Bosco (15-3, .833). Higher win percentage, RPI than Lakeland.
10. Lakeland (12-8, .600). Strength-of-schedule, head-to-head win over Passaic Valley (2x).
11. Passaic Valley (11-8, .579). Strength-of-schedule, victory over seeded team (Clifton).
12. Bloomfield (16-5, .762). Winning percentage, RPI higher than Wallington.
13. Wallington (11-4, .733). Winning percentage higher than Belleville, victory over seeded team (Passaic Valley).
14. Belleville (12-8, .600). Victory over common opponent (Bloomfield) with Montclair.
15. Montclair (15-7, .682). Strength-of-schedule, winning percentage.
16. Wayne Valley (12-8, .600). Victories over seeded teams (Garfield, Lakeland, Passaic Valley).
17. Lincoln (19-6, .760). In three-way head-to-head with Memorial and North Bergen (all were 2-2 vs. each other), North Bergen got the last spot because of a loss to Union Hill, which the other two beat. Lincoln then got spot based on head-to-head, better RPI, and winning percentage vs. Memorial.
18. Memorial (16-7, .696). See above.
19. North Bergen (16-9, .640). Winning percentage over Hackensack.
20. Hackensack (12-8, .600). Winning percentage.
21. Kennedy (10-10, .500). RPI, wins over seeded teams (Don Bosco, Hackensack).
22. Ridge (11-2, .846). Strength-of-schedule.
23. Millburn (7-5, .583). NOTE: Millburn had to take two forfeit losses in order to meet NJSIAA requirement of 12 matches.
NOTE: Union Hill chose not to enter because of a conflict with their prom.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Southern sweeps to 30-0
By Fred Siegle
METUCHEN - Another Saturday playing some of the top teams in the state, and Southern Regional remains unbeaten.
The Rams, No. 1 in the Powerzonevb.com rankings, won four matches at the St. Joseph Super Six Showcase on Saturday, including three-set victories over No. 2 East Brunswick and No. 3 St. Joseph to improve to 30-0. They also beat No. 5 Bayonne and No. 8 Fair Lawn and are sure to be the top seed in the NJSIAA South/Central playoffs.
Each of the third-game wins were mirror images for the Rams. They had to come back from 14-11 deficits in both, and won both 25-21. Southern has now beaten its top rivals five times (3 wins over St. Joes, and two over East Brunswick).
"It's huge, having had to come back,'' coach Eric Maxwell said. "As good as we've played all year, we felt we had to beat St. Joes and East Brunswick again today to solidify our spot. It was good in a way that we had to come back in both, because it forced us to battle a bit. We fought off some tough situations.''
The Rams almost had a miraculous comeback in Game 2 against East Brunswick, which would have eliminated the need for the third game. They trailed 24-17 after a kill by Fran Hodgson (15 kills, 5 blocks in the match) when Nolan King went back to serve. They then scored 8 straight points, with King earning two aces, to take a 25-24 lead. But Travis Heilman kept East Brunswick alive with a kill (he had 3 more, 2 on 10-balls) and the Bears won 30-28.
He finished with 14 kills in the match.
King had 6 kills, Jeff Elsasser had 8, Bryan Batiste contributed 7 kills, and Eric Sharkey contributed 5 kills in the win over East Brunswick. Hodgson, Southern's 6-7 middle, helped Southern control the third game with 5 kills and 3 blocks.
"The thing about Fran, he's so physically imposing,'' Maxwell said. "When he decides to take over, that's a great weapon to have on your side.''
Southern has played an impressive schedule in amassing its 30 wins, with much of its toughest competition coming in Saturday events like its tournament last week where it played and beat No. 5 St. Peters, No. 7 Old Bridge, and Fair Lawn, and a quad earlier in the season with East Brunswick, St. Joes and Moorestown.
This week, they play No. 7 Old Bridge in a doubleheader on Wednesday, face No. 4 CBA for the third time on Friday, and then participate in the St. Peters tournament on Saturday.
"We still have a tough schedule, that will keep us on top of our game,'' Maxwell said. "Winning these games today when we were down, that has to give us confidence. You have to figure, sometime in the state tournament, we're going to run into some tough situations.''
East Brunswick (19-2) and St. Joes (19-8, with five losses against Southern and East Brunswick) each went 3-1 at the Showcase, beating Bayonne, Fair Lawn and Moorestown. Bayonne (22-3) and Fair Lawn (20-7) each beat Moorestown (15-9).
"We're going to keep practicing hard, we're going to practice for them (Southern),'' East Brunswick coach Greg Rutz said. "They're our nemesis right now.''
METUCHEN - Another Saturday playing some of the top teams in the state, and Southern Regional remains unbeaten.
The Rams, No. 1 in the Powerzonevb.com rankings, won four matches at the St. Joseph Super Six Showcase on Saturday, including three-set victories over No. 2 East Brunswick and No. 3 St. Joseph to improve to 30-0. They also beat No. 5 Bayonne and No. 8 Fair Lawn and are sure to be the top seed in the NJSIAA South/Central playoffs.
Each of the third-game wins were mirror images for the Rams. They had to come back from 14-11 deficits in both, and won both 25-21. Southern has now beaten its top rivals five times (3 wins over St. Joes, and two over East Brunswick).
"It's huge, having had to come back,'' coach Eric Maxwell said. "As good as we've played all year, we felt we had to beat St. Joes and East Brunswick again today to solidify our spot. It was good in a way that we had to come back in both, because it forced us to battle a bit. We fought off some tough situations.''
The Rams almost had a miraculous comeback in Game 2 against East Brunswick, which would have eliminated the need for the third game. They trailed 24-17 after a kill by Fran Hodgson (15 kills, 5 blocks in the match) when Nolan King went back to serve. They then scored 8 straight points, with King earning two aces, to take a 25-24 lead. But Travis Heilman kept East Brunswick alive with a kill (he had 3 more, 2 on 10-balls) and the Bears won 30-28.
He finished with 14 kills in the match.
King had 6 kills, Jeff Elsasser had 8, Bryan Batiste contributed 7 kills, and Eric Sharkey contributed 5 kills in the win over East Brunswick. Hodgson, Southern's 6-7 middle, helped Southern control the third game with 5 kills and 3 blocks.
"The thing about Fran, he's so physically imposing,'' Maxwell said. "When he decides to take over, that's a great weapon to have on your side.''
Southern has played an impressive schedule in amassing its 30 wins, with much of its toughest competition coming in Saturday events like its tournament last week where it played and beat No. 5 St. Peters, No. 7 Old Bridge, and Fair Lawn, and a quad earlier in the season with East Brunswick, St. Joes and Moorestown.
This week, they play No. 7 Old Bridge in a doubleheader on Wednesday, face No. 4 CBA for the third time on Friday, and then participate in the St. Peters tournament on Saturday.
"We still have a tough schedule, that will keep us on top of our game,'' Maxwell said. "Winning these games today when we were down, that has to give us confidence. You have to figure, sometime in the state tournament, we're going to run into some tough situations.''
East Brunswick (19-2) and St. Joes (19-8, with five losses against Southern and East Brunswick) each went 3-1 at the Showcase, beating Bayonne, Fair Lawn and Moorestown. Bayonne (22-3) and Fair Lawn (20-7) each beat Moorestown (15-9).
"We're going to keep practicing hard, we're going to practice for them (Southern),'' East Brunswick coach Greg Rutz said. "They're our nemesis right now.''
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
WEEK 5 TOP 10
A little late, but here we go. Records through Monday's matches.
6. St. Peters Prep (20-5). Every loss for the Marauders has been to teams ranked ahead of them. They face their biggest match of the season on Thursday when they host Bayonne.
Fred
1. Southern (23-0). Last week: 1. Week 3: 2. Week 2: 3. Preseason rank: 3. The Rams have now beaten nearly every top team in the state, and will get their chance vs. Bayonne on Saturday at the Super Six. They put up a better block than nearly every team they play, but still have solid ball control skills. They also serve more aggressively than most teams. Another win over East Brunswick on Saturday makes Southern the unchallenged top seed in the NJSIAA South/Central playoff bracket.
2. East Brunswick (16-1). Last week 2, Week 3: 1. Week 2: 1. Preseason rank: 2. Of the top South/Central teams, the Bears play the least aggressive schedule. Often, the best competition they're getting in a given week is at their practices between their first and second string. They'll face some tough teams at the Super Six, where they'll get their second chance against Southern. But even with a victory, the Rams' strength of schedule may be too much to overcome when it comes time for seeding.
3. St Josephs (14-5). The Falcons finished 7th at the tournament in Ohio over the weekend, where one of their losses was to the 4-time defending state champions from the host state. Their loss to South Brunswick doesn't hurt them much because of all their victories over the other top teams.
4. CBA (14-3). St. Peters' wins over Old Bridge and Fair Lawn help the Colts move up because of their victory over the Marauders early in the season. There are many similarities between Bayonne and CBA. Neither team is very big, but both are highly skilled. Teamwork is also a strength for each, and they also play hard on every point. The Colts won't give up against anybody. They play Old Bridge on Saturday.
5. Bayonne (19-0). The Bees have a big match with St. Peters on Thursday, where the top seed in North Jersey will probably be decided. Wins or losses at the Super Six probably won't mean much for seeding, but will show where the Bees stand against the top teams.6. St. Peters Prep (20-5). Every loss for the Marauders has been to teams ranked ahead of them. They face their biggest match of the season on Thursday when they host Bayonne.
7. Old Bridge (9-6). The Knights lost twice - to St. Peters and Southern - at Southern's tournament last Saturday to drop them in the rankings. They still are one of the most feared teams in the state, but haven't really put together a complete match against any top team. The Greater Middlesex Tournament, which starts next week, might be their last chance before the state tournament to show that they can live up to their potential.
8. Fair Lawn (16-4). The Cutters have also failed against every top team they've faced. They have two solid options for setter John Bashan in Artem Makarenko and middle Alex Bylinkin, and right side Matt Agnew has also been able to put the ball down. But they just don't seem to be able to finish against the top teams.
9. Clifton (16-1) The Mustangs played Passaic Valley in the Passaic County Tournament on Wednesday. Their record is nice, but the only top 10 team they've played is Old Bridge, which accounts for their one loss. Matches against St. Joes and Bridgewater were canceled.
10. South Brunswick (13-4). The Vikings have to get some kind of credit for the win over St. Joes. Plus, they've beaten Hillsborough as well.
(I'll add in the extras, like previous rankings and such, when I get a chance!)Fred
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Southern stays unbeaten; St. Peter's beats Fair Lawn
By Fred Siegle
MANAHAWKEN - It's looking more and more like the road to the NJSIAA finals is going to go through Southern Regional for the South/Central bracket, and Hudson County in the North bracket.
Southern, No. 1 in the the Powerzonevb.com rankings, won four matches Saturday to capture the title at the Southern Invitational, staying unbeaten for the year. They beat St. Peter's (19-5) in the final, but the Hudson County power showed that it may be the only real challenger to unbeaten Bayonne, their Hudson County counterpart, for the No. 1 seed in the north by going 3-1, including victories over Fair Lawn and Old Bridge, which were both ranked higher.
Old Bridge, ranked No. 4, lost to St. Peters in pool play and also lost to Southern in the semifinals, and went 2-2 for the day. Fair Lawn, ranked No. 5, lost to Southern in pool play and St. Peters in the semis and also was 2-2. Cherry Hill West (1-3 for the day) and Williamstown (0-4) were also at the tournament.
Southern's Nolan King was named the tournament MVP, registering 28 kills for the day, including 12 in leading the Rams to a comeback win over Old Bridge in the semis, and 5 in the final against St. Peter's.
The Rams beat Old Bridge 25-22, 25-17, but the Knights had a 7-1 lead in one of the games before King took over.
"In that game, he carried us for a little while until everyone else got back on track,'' said Southern coach Eric Maxwell. "We had to fight our way back into it in that game, and Nolan got extremely hot. He kept us close, 2-3 points behind, by siding out. Then we broke through and won.''
The Rams beat St. Peter's 25-10, 25-19. Fran Hodgson had 9 kills and 5 blocks in that match, while Jeff Elsasser contributed 7 kills and 2 blocks. Both were also named to the all-tournament team.
The tournament provided the Rams with their first real test since they took over the No. 1 spot by going undefeated in a quad match with former No. 1 East Brunswick and No. 3 St. Josephs.
"We're just trying to stay consistent,'' Elsasser said. "We know the competition is going to come after us, so we're trying to step up and play better every match, every week. At this point we've played just about everyone, we know what we have to do. And being No. 1 puts extra pressure on us, because everyone wants to beat us.''
St. Peters beat Fair Lawn 25-19, 25-19. Matt Whitford led the way with 11 kills in that match, while libero Kevin McNerney had 10 digs. Both were named to the all-tournament team.
The Marauders lost to Bayonne earlier in the season, but will meet their county foes again on Thursday, probably with the top seed in North Jersey on the line. Bayonne has already beaten the Cutters.
"That's a big game no matter what happened here,'' coach Don Guide said. "But I think North Jersey seeding comes down to that match now. Fair Lawn doesn't have any way to recoup from those losses. There might be another team or two that might think they have a claim to the top spot, but in my mind, whoever wins on Thursday won't have to play away from home in the playoffs until the tournament shifts to neutral sites. (For the final in each section).''
Also named to the all-tournament team were Lance Rogers and Joe Nemeth of Old Bridge, and Alex Bylinkin of Fair Lawn.
MANAHAWKEN - It's looking more and more like the road to the NJSIAA finals is going to go through Southern Regional for the South/Central bracket, and Hudson County in the North bracket.
Southern, No. 1 in the the Powerzonevb.com rankings, won four matches Saturday to capture the title at the Southern Invitational, staying unbeaten for the year. They beat St. Peter's (19-5) in the final, but the Hudson County power showed that it may be the only real challenger to unbeaten Bayonne, their Hudson County counterpart, for the No. 1 seed in the north by going 3-1, including victories over Fair Lawn and Old Bridge, which were both ranked higher.
Old Bridge, ranked No. 4, lost to St. Peters in pool play and also lost to Southern in the semifinals, and went 2-2 for the day. Fair Lawn, ranked No. 5, lost to Southern in pool play and St. Peters in the semis and also was 2-2. Cherry Hill West (1-3 for the day) and Williamstown (0-4) were also at the tournament.
Southern's Nolan King was named the tournament MVP, registering 28 kills for the day, including 12 in leading the Rams to a comeback win over Old Bridge in the semis, and 5 in the final against St. Peter's.
The Rams beat Old Bridge 25-22, 25-17, but the Knights had a 7-1 lead in one of the games before King took over.
"In that game, he carried us for a little while until everyone else got back on track,'' said Southern coach Eric Maxwell. "We had to fight our way back into it in that game, and Nolan got extremely hot. He kept us close, 2-3 points behind, by siding out. Then we broke through and won.''
The Rams beat St. Peter's 25-10, 25-19. Fran Hodgson had 9 kills and 5 blocks in that match, while Jeff Elsasser contributed 7 kills and 2 blocks. Both were also named to the all-tournament team.
The tournament provided the Rams with their first real test since they took over the No. 1 spot by going undefeated in a quad match with former No. 1 East Brunswick and No. 3 St. Josephs.
"We're just trying to stay consistent,'' Elsasser said. "We know the competition is going to come after us, so we're trying to step up and play better every match, every week. At this point we've played just about everyone, we know what we have to do. And being No. 1 puts extra pressure on us, because everyone wants to beat us.''
St. Peters beat Fair Lawn 25-19, 25-19. Matt Whitford led the way with 11 kills in that match, while libero Kevin McNerney had 10 digs. Both were named to the all-tournament team.
The Marauders lost to Bayonne earlier in the season, but will meet their county foes again on Thursday, probably with the top seed in North Jersey on the line. Bayonne has already beaten the Cutters.
"That's a big game no matter what happened here,'' coach Don Guide said. "But I think North Jersey seeding comes down to that match now. Fair Lawn doesn't have any way to recoup from those losses. There might be another team or two that might think they have a claim to the top spot, but in my mind, whoever wins on Thursday won't have to play away from home in the playoffs until the tournament shifts to neutral sites. (For the final in each section).''
Also named to the all-tournament team were Lance Rogers and Joe Nemeth of Old Bridge, and Alex Bylinkin of Fair Lawn.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Bayonne defeats Fair Lawn
By Fred Siegle
Bayonne staked its claim to supremacy in the north section of the state on Tuesday with a 25-16, 33-31 victory over Fair Lawn.
The Bees, ranked 7th in the Powerzonevb.com top 10, remain unbeaten at 17-0, while No. 5 Fair Lawn suffered its second loss and first against a team from the north. Bayonne has also already beaten St. Peters, another top contender in the north.
"We've beaten both of them, now we have to keep moving forward,'' said senior Justin Beaumont, who led the Bees with 10 kills, 10 digs, 4 blocks and 4 aces. "This shows we're the best team in the north.''
Bayonne still plays St. Peters a second time, on May 10, and will also play in the Super Six Showcase at St. Josephs on May 12. That will feature top teams Southern, St. Joes, East Brunswick, Moorestown and Fair Lawn.
Coco Ostorga had 6 kills, 6 digs and 3 blocks for Bayonne, while Danny Kochanski added 6 kills and 6 blocks. Krystoph Bogdan had 3 kills and 3 digs, James Capello had 12 digs, and setter Mark Gacki contributed 18 assists and 2 aces.
"It was a good match, and the best thing was, we didn't let up,'' Beaumont said. "Against St. Peters, we kind of let down a little in the second game, we got nonchalant. This time we pushed hard all the way through.''
Bayonne staked its claim to supremacy in the north section of the state on Tuesday with a 25-16, 33-31 victory over Fair Lawn.
The Bees, ranked 7th in the Powerzonevb.com top 10, remain unbeaten at 17-0, while No. 5 Fair Lawn suffered its second loss and first against a team from the north. Bayonne has also already beaten St. Peters, another top contender in the north.
"We've beaten both of them, now we have to keep moving forward,'' said senior Justin Beaumont, who led the Bees with 10 kills, 10 digs, 4 blocks and 4 aces. "This shows we're the best team in the north.''
Bayonne still plays St. Peters a second time, on May 10, and will also play in the Super Six Showcase at St. Josephs on May 12. That will feature top teams Southern, St. Joes, East Brunswick, Moorestown and Fair Lawn.
Coco Ostorga had 6 kills, 6 digs and 3 blocks for Bayonne, while Danny Kochanski added 6 kills and 6 blocks. Krystoph Bogdan had 3 kills and 3 digs, James Capello had 12 digs, and setter Mark Gacki contributed 18 assists and 2 aces.
"It was a good match, and the best thing was, we didn't let up,'' Beaumont said. "Against St. Peters, we kind of let down a little in the second game, we got nonchalant. This time we pushed hard all the way through.''
Week 4 Top 10
This is based on matches before Tuesday!
Powerzone has been busy, so I haven't had a lot of time. Here's the top 10, I'll try to add more info when I get a chance - Fred.
1. Southern
2. East Brunswick
3. St Josephs
4. Old Bridge
5. Fair Lawn
6. CBA
7. Bayonne
8. St. Peters
9. Moorestown
10. Washington Township
Powerzone has been busy, so I haven't had a lot of time. Here's the top 10, I'll try to add more info when I get a chance - Fred.
1. Southern
2. East Brunswick
3. St Josephs
4. Old Bridge
5. Fair Lawn
6. CBA
7. Bayonne
8. St. Peters
9. Moorestown
10. Washington Township