March 30, 2005
The best of a great CAL hoop season
By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist
Competitive high school basketball in New Jersey ended recently with a doubleheader in the Meadowlands.
One team from the Cape-Atlantic League – Absegami’s girls – was just a win away from the final game.
The only thing left now are the CAL All Star Games, which move to Ocean City High School April 9, and
the 2004-05 season will find its permanent place in history.
And it will be a special place, with three state champions for only the second time in history - plus Paul
Rodio reaching 600 wins, Tom Feraco 500 and John Bruno 200.
In addition to the Gami girls, the Atlantic City boys and the Sacred Heart girls – all state champions - the
Ocean City boys and Holy Spirit girls also reached South Jersey finals.
However, before we put this CAL season into the books, it is time for our basketball buffet, a list of the
best (and occasionally, the worst) of the just completed season from one point of view.
So, here we go.
ALL CAPE-ATLANTIC BOYS: Bill Care, Mainland; Ed Keyes, Atlantic City; David Smith, Middle Township;
Mark Crumble, Atlantic City; Anthony Farmer, St. Augustine Prep.
ALL CAPE-ATLANTIC GIRLS: Tara Booker, Absegami; Tasha Cannon, Atlantic City; Danielle Parks,
Absegami; Krissy Rosario, Absegami; Whitney Walker, Oakcrest.
PLAYERS OF THE YEAR: Anthony Farmer and Tasha Cannon.
ALL ROOKIE BOYS TEAM (freshmen or sophomores with limited prior experience): Darnell Davis, Atlantic
City; Jerell Lecator, Sacred Heart; Tre Severs, Cape May Tech; Gene Teague, St. Augustine; Datrell
Williams, Millville.
ALL ROOKIE GIRLS TEAM: Tara Booker, Absegami; Teena Marsh, Sacred Heart; Sara Mostafa,
Absegami; Sally O’Donnell, Wildwood Catholic; Nancy White, Ocean City.
ALL TRANSFER TEAM: Jen Evans, Our Lady of Mercy (from Holy Spirit); Chelsi Johnson, Holy Spirit
(from Egg Harbor Township); Ed Keyes, Atlantic City (from Pleasantville); Carlos Mercado, Pleasantville
(from Holy Spirit); Tre Severs, Cape May Tech (from Ocean City).
BEST NEW ADDITION: Ocean City High School’s gym. It could have used a little more room around the
edges of the court and larger locker rooms but, for the first time in decades, Raider players could walk
down the hall after school to one of the two gyms instead of waiting until 6:30 to start practice in the
Intermediate School. The fact that the two OCHS teams had a combined 39 wins is probably not a
coincidence.
BOYS COACH OF THE YEAR: For nearly 90 years, Atlantic City has had basketball teams that were
among the best in South Jersey. They’d won a few South Jersey titles along the way and dominated their
leagues and conferences. But this year, for the first time, they won the state championship. Gene Allen
had talent to work with, but certainly not the best talent the school has enjoyed. The transfer of Ed Keyes
was the final piece. But Allen kept this team focused and moved them steadily and surely toward the
elusive goal. He deserves to be this year’s Coach of the Year.
GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR: Rebuilding years are among the greatest aggravations to coaches.
They’ve usually had a pretty good season, then the bulk of the talent graduates. But the fans enjoyed the
success and they want it to continue. Greg Goodwin had as good a rebuilding year this season as anyone,
taking a program that had lost five of its first six players from the year before to the first state title in school
history. He is clearly the Coach of the Year. But next year he’ll face a different challenge – expectations.
Six of his first seven players from this state championship team will return.
BEST SHOES: It’s easy! Bill Care’s bright green footwear (plus his deadly jumper) helped bring color to all
of Mainland’s games.
BIGGEST LOSS: Holy Spirit’s girls played a tough schedule to get ready for the challenges at the end of
the year. The Spartans held their own throughout but, a few weeks before the big games of February and
March started, they lost sophomore Jasmine Crew, their scoring leader. Spirit re-grouped and played well,
but it was too big a loss to overcome in the big games.
BOYS GAME OF THE YEAR: Like most seasons, there were many from which to choose. Ocean City’s
overtime buzzer-beater by Dave Beyel to beat EHT on opening night. A couple of games involving Middle
Township – the Panthers win over St., Augustine and loss to Holy Spirit on Dennis Horner’s buzzer-beater.
Atlantic City’s 45-17 second half blitz against Shawnee in the South Jersey final after trailing by two at the
half. There were some great ones. But the nod goes to Ocean City’s 82-81 double overtime win over
Woodrow Wilson in the Group 3 tournament, decided when 5-foot-8 Phil Schaffer grabbed an offensive
rebound and tossed the ball in at the buzzer.
GIRLS GAME OF THE YEAR: Absegami was a talented team, though a young team, and sometimes dug
a hole for itself. But the Braves pulled those games out – beating Holy Spirit in overtime in the Battle by
the Bay and rallying past Montclair in the Group 4 state final, for example. Trailing by 11 in the third
quarter, Absegami rallied to beat Montclair by five. Sacred Heart had a good game with Gami and two
great ones with Holy Spirit, including the South Jersey final. But the game of the year wasn’t the closest
game, it was the most incredible performance. In January, defending state champion Morris Catholic beat
Sacred Heart by 13 points at the Cougar Classic in Cherry Hill. Earlier this month, Sacred Heart beat
Morris Catholic by 37 points in the state final – a 50-point turnaround. The Hearts shot 50 percent from the
field and 71 percent from the line, limiting Morris Catholic to 18 percent shooting. It was the performance of
the year for Steve DiPatri’s Lions in their biggest game of the year.
The Cape-Atlantic League basketball season was great again in 2004-05. There are many young players
returning, so things figure to be just as good next year. And, just think, it all starts in less than 40 weeks.
Read more of
Tom Williams' columns