March 24, 2004
Wrapping up the CAL basketball season
By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist
Competitive high school basketball in New Jersey ended Sunday night with a doubleheader in the
Meadowlands. One team from the Cape-Atlantic League – St. Augustine Prep – was just a win away from
the final game. The only thing left now are the CAL All Star Games on April 3 and a few other all star
games and the 2003-04 season will find its permanent place in history.
But first, 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: Matt Byrnes, Oakcrest; Anthony Farmer, St. Augustine Prep; Ben
Nwachukwu, St. Augustine Prep; Mark Porter, St. Augustine Prep; Kamron Warner, Pleasantville.
ALL CAPE-ATLANTIC GIRLS: Kara Ayers, Absegami; Shantae Barnes, Absegami; Erica Bell, Oakcrest;
Vika Sholokhova, Sacred Heart; Basimah Thompson, Absegami.
PLAYERS OF THE YEAR: Anthony Farmer and Kara Ayers.
ALL ROOKIE BOYS TEAM (freshmen or sophomores with limited prior experience): Dave Beyel, Ocean
City; Dennis Horner, Holy Spirit; Durann Neil, Egg Harbor Township; Frank Turner, Atlantic City; Manny
Valentin, Absegami.
ALL ROOKIE GIRLS TEAM: Jasmine Crew, Holy Spirit; Lauren Howell, Sacred Heart; Chelsi Johnson,
Egg Harbor Township; Mary Lorenz, Our Lady of Mercy; Teena Marsh, Sacred Heart.
ALL TRANSFER TEAM: Chad Davis, Sacred Heart (from Millville); Jordan Dean, St. Augustine Prep (from
Middle Township); Jane O’Donnell, Wildwood Catholic (from Middle Township); Ali Prevard, Atlantic City
(from Millville); Pat Tolomeo, Ocean City (from St. Augustine Prep).
HARD LUCK PLAYER: Jack Nixon, once a promising high school freshman, never played as a senior at Ocean
City and played in less than 30 games during his career because of an incredible series of injuries.
BEST NEW ADDITION: Middle Township opened a new gym this season, one that can handle about 50
percent more fans in more comfort and with improved parking access. The collectible tickets and the rest
of the opening night ceremonies made it more special. It would have been perfect if only they’d included a
brick wall, like the one that made the old gym so unique.
BOYS COACH OF THE YEAR: Sure, his school has become a magnet for young athletes who think they
are good basketball players. But it takes a great deal of skill and patience to mold individual talents into
good teams. St. Augustine Prep’s Paul Rodio does that just about every year against one of the toughest
schedules in South Jersey. This year he also won his 11th South Jersey title (an all-time CAL best) and
his third state title (tied for the best). You could pick Rodio as coach of the year almost any year. This
year he clearly deserves it.
GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR: His team completed another undefeated season (fourth straight) in its
division, lost only once to a CAL team and avenged that loss, played successfully against a very
challenging schedule and reached the South Jersey final with a very young team. Holy Spirit’s Larry
DiGiovanni continues to advance his alma mater’s girls basketball team and has created a program at
Spirit that should compete with the best for a long time.
BIGGEST LOSSES: Mainland senior Mike Bradway was one of two all-American Conference players
returning this year until a knee injury during the football pre-season wiped out both his football and
basketball seasons. The guy who took his place in football, Eric Smallwood, was another key basketball
player and he was also injured during football and missed the hoop season. It was a staggering jolt to the
Mainland basketball program that, nevertheless, had good season.
BEST NEW ADDITION (Part 2): Lower Cape May dedicated its new gym in the middle of the season with
ceremonies similar to Middle. Shirts for all the participants and other distinctive touches made it a
memorable debut.
BOYS GAME OF THE YEAR: Like most seasons, there were many from which to choose. Mainland’s win
over eventual South Jersey Group 3 champion Woodrow Wilson. Narrow wins by St. Augustine over Middle
Township, Pleasantville, Wildwood Catholic and, in the CAL Playoff, over Atlantic City. There was Atlantic
City’s thriller over Holy Spirit and the always-great AC-Pleasantville game. And any number of Ocean City
games – 12 were decided by five points or less, including three in overtime. But the best game was the
overtime win by St. Augustine over Seton Hall Prep in the NJSIAA Parochial A state final. It was St.
Augustine’s first state title in the bigger group and it clearly highlighted not only the brilliance of Anthony
Farmer, Mark Porter and “Big Ben”, but the key roles played by players like Scott Pfeifer and Jarrod
Frazier.
GIRLS GAMES OF THE YEAR: Sacred Heart beat Holy Spirit in a conference-deciding game in January.
Holy Spirit later evened the score in the Parochial B Tournament. Vineland beat Wildwood in December
which, for two months, was Wildwood’s only loss. But it was Absegami that contributed the two biggest
games of the year. Though their season ended on an upset, Gami claimed South Jersey's No. 1 ranking
in January by defeating powerful Willingboro in overtime during the inaugural Cougar Classic at Cherry Hill
East. Then, in early February, Absegami made an incredible rally to remain undefeated against Camden
Catholic in the Shore Shootout at Mainland with Coach Greg Goodwin getting updates in the hospital while
recovering from emergency surgery.
The Cape-Atlantic League basketball season was great again in 2003-04. With so many young players, it
figures to be just as good next year. And it will start in less than 40 weeks.
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Tom Williams' columns