Another ho hum week at the Shore

Posted by Tim McCollum

Here we are in the dog days of the season where nothing ever happens. The good teams are rolling through their divisional schedules while there are no exciting showcase events to be found.

Yeah, I’m kidding.

I guess I’ll have to give my two cents on yesterdays upset of CBA. I’m intentionally not using the 78 point font to indicate the 48 game winning streak is over. Middletown North had boatloads of talent last year that was either still developing, or inconsistent or both. Over the off season North began to get a large amount of hype based on their efforts in the off season leagues they were in.

Then the hype machine really started rolling. The forums were buzzing most of summer and fall with their fans stoked with anticipation for the upcoming season. Could North dethrone CBA and end the streak? Could they realize their potential and win the SCT? Could they *** gasp *** be state champions?

I acknowledged this hype in my divisional previews when I said that if theycan indeed put their talent together I wouldn’t be surprised to see them beat CBA. Next thing is they very skillfully justified their hype by coming out of the game like gang busters and running through any team put into their way.

That made the hype meter go through the roof for Thursday’s game at CBA. I’m a working stiff so I couldn’t make it to the game but everyone who I have spoken with has indicated the atmosphere in the building was insane, and neither team disappointed to deliver a game that will stand out as one of the best games this season.

Now we can all safely say this group of kids in the flourescent orange uniforms are for real.

So how many of these questions can be answered. The first one is easy, the streak is over. However the division chase is far from it. With road games against teams eager to pick them off running the table is not a given. Plus their is the rematch. I have said that I would not be surprised if North won at CBA and I will similarly not be surprised to see CBA return the favor.

Can they dethrone CBA and win the SCT? Well, clearly they have to be considered in the discussion of the favorites to do so, if not THE favorite. However, I’m sure at least Lakewood and, yes, CBA will want to have something to say about that.

As far as the state tournament is concerned I would say that this win places the minimum of expectations at the sectional final level.

Everyone has been talking about what this means for North. What does it mean for CBA?

The short is …. well …. not very much.

CBA is used to playing these kind of games, they win more than their fair share of them. If any club can shake off a loss like this one and potentially even thrive from it is CBA. In fact, I would not be surprised at all if CBA scored the win against Lincoln tomorrow. The reality is CBA doesn’t like to lose. It’s a good thing because they don’t lose (at least in the shore conference)  too often. This is a very proud program filled with a bunch of kids anxious to get back to the winning track again. At the very least it will make round two even more interesting.

The last exciting thing to come out of this is tomorrow’s game between North and Lakewood has oodles of more intrigue now because the winner of the game will be the new #1 team in the Shore. It’s quite convienent for me and anyone else who makes a poll because now I won’t have to play eenie meenie miney moe to choose between Lakewood and North.

Now that I’ve made the segway into the Battle on the Boardwalk Showcase let’s make some quick predictions….

Game 1: New Egypt’s reputation preceeds them and I can’t imagine Jackson matching size with them. My prediction is a 74-58 win for New Egypt.

Game 2: North and Lakewood has gone from just another sexy matchup to the clash of the titans. This will be an exciting slugfest from wire to wire. My prediction is North 82 Lakewood 78 in an up and down affair.

Game 3: I expect Jarelle Reischel and Anthony Duszczak to land counter punch after counter punch to the other team all game but it is the Mike Rotando versus Sean Grennan matchup that will decide this one. I predict 20+ points for both Jarelle and ZZ with Rotando matching Grennan as well. How will the Garnet Gull’s mad bombers fare against the stingy Griff defense. I’m predicting Mondon 60 Beach 58.

Game 4: This is my upset pick of the day. Lincoln has an enormous frontline and terrific guard play (well at least they did last year). I think CBA uses much of the game plan it did against Neptune. Zone them to death, spread the floor and make them defend. If Lincoln can’t shoot the lights out and if they aren’t disciplined on defense they will be in big trouble. CBA’s role players have to defend well and knock down the open shot when they get it. Is there a team more snakebit in this event than CBA with all their last second losses? Is there a team with more high profile upsets and near upsets in this showcase than CBA? I’m saying the latter and not the former. CBA 74 Lincoln 71.

Game 5: The home team takes on the best highest ranked public school in the state polls. Kirkwood is huge in this game because Eastside has a pair of guards who are supposed to be special. Neptune has Calderon who is one of the fastest players I’ve ever seen with the ball in the open floor. Woods has to continue his recent strong play. I suspect this will be somewhat of a coming out party for Jenkins and Kirkwood. Close but no cigar though. Eastside 75 Neptune 69.

Remember I’ll be chatting from the arena from beginning to end tomorrow. I’ll make a second post shortly with a link to the chat. Stumpy will also place the link on the main page of the site tomorrow. See you then!

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