|
| 
Plainfield, which is the top ranked boys basketball team in the Garden State, has several fans in Queen City, including longtime team historian Martin Cox and his wife Stephanie, who are ardent followers of Cardinals who will face Roselle Catholic in Sunday's Union County Tournament final at Kean U's Harwood Arena. (photos courtesy of Cox family)
Jersey's Top-Ranked Public School Ready
To Face RC For 88th UCT Championship |
By Steve Tober
For sidelinechatter.com |
What has already been a very impressive season for Plainfield can now begin to figure in championship hardware as the No. 4 ranked and top-seeded Cardinals (22-3) prepare to face No. 2 ranked and second-seeded Roselle Catholic in the 88th Union County Tournament at 1 p.m. Sunday in Kean University’s Harwood Arena.
Coach Michael Gordon’s talented team from the Queen City is the top ranked public school in New Jersey and will be seeking its fifth UCT title and first since 2012 when it faces a familiar foe in RC (21-5) which will be appearing in its seventh straight final while winning all four of its titles since 2018.
Plainfield, which will be appearing in its 12th UCT final, has split its two regular season Union County Conference-Watchung Division meetings with RC as the Cardinals won, 70-54, at home on Jan. 9, before RC returned the favor, 73-69, Feb. 1, in the Lion’s Den.
Plainfield is also the No. 1 seed in the NJSIAA North 2, Group 4 state tournament field and will open up action in that event vs. 16-Perth Amboy on Thursday, Feb. 27. Another familiar UCC-Watchung Division rival, Elizabeth, is the No. 2 seed in the N2G4 field.
The Cardinals hope to advance to the state sectional final at the court of the highest seed on Saturday, March 8. The overall Group 4 final is slated for Sunday, March 16, at Rutgers University’s Jersey Mike’s Arena.
Plainfield is led by one of the state’s top forwards in 6-10, 255-pound senior Na Jai Hines, a transfer from North Carolina, who averages a ‘double-double’ with 17.4 points and 16.3 rebounds per game in the 19 contests he has appeared in for the Cardinals.
Among his monster outputs during the regular season was a 23-point, 26-rebound performance in a 67-51 win vs. Elizabeth on Jan. 18.
Plainfield had lost to the Minutemen, 59-57, back on Dec. 19, before Hines’ arrival on the scene. The Cardinals hold a 2-1 edge vs. Elizabeth so far this season including -most recently – a 69-61 UCT semifinal Plainfield win on Tuesday (Feb. 18). with a potential fourth meeting looming should both top two seeds advance to the 2025 N2G4 final on March 8.
Elizabeth defeated Plainfield 69-67 in last season's N2G4 title tilt as the Cardinals' 2023-2024 campaign concluded with a 19-8 record.
This season's Plainfield squad is one of its strongest in recent memory and in addition to its much coveted big man Hines other vital cogs include the electrifying sophomore guard Micah Gordon, who had 23 points in the UCT semifinal win vs. Elizabeth. His backcourt mate, junior Devin Thomas, and junior forward Rashawn Williams are other consistent scorersg for a team that has to be considered a frontrunner for 2025 Group 4 state title.
First up, however, is RC which features one of the state’s top backcourts with a 3-headed proficient output from junior guards Trevon Lewis (17.1 ppg), Tyrese Hunter (14.7 ppg) and Jalen Grant (12.8 ppg.).
The Lions defeated defending UCT champion Union Catholic, 57-46, in its semifinal contest.
FRANK J. CICARELL UCT BOYS' BASKETBALL
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SCORES, WINNING COACHES:
2024: Union Catholic 66 Roselle Catholic 56 – Dr. Jim Reagan Jr.
2023: Roselle Catholic 64 Linden 55 – Dave Boff
2022: Roselle Catholic 63 Elizabeth 58- Dave Boff
2021: No tournament because of COVID
2020: Patrick School 56, Roselle Catholic 42 - Chris Chavannes - Kean
2019: Roselle Catholic 71, Patrick School 66 - Dave Boff - Kean
2018: Roselle Catholic 68, Patrick School 58 - Dave Boff - Kean
2017: Patrick School 58, Linden 44 - Chris Chavannes - Kean
2016: Patrick School 58, Roselle Catholic 54 (2OT) - Mike Rice - Kean
2015: Linden 60, Roselle Catholic 56 - Phil Colicchio - at Kean
2014: Patrick School 62, Linden 54 - Chris Chavannes - at Kean
2013: Patrick School 44, Linden 42 - Chris Chavannes - at Kean
2012: Plainfield 72, Roselle Catholic 66 - Jeff Lubreski - at Kean
2011: St. Patrick 70, Linden 58 - Kevin Boyle - at Kean
2010: St. Patrick 82, Plainfield 45 - Kevin Boyle - at Kean
2009: St. Patrick 89, Elizabeth 72 - Kevin Boyle - last one at Dunn
2008: St. Patrick 67, Linden 56 - Kevin Boyle
2007: Linden 63, St. Patrick 51 - Phil Colicchio
2006: St. Patrick 65, Plainfield 52 - Kevin Boyle
2005: St. Patrick 77, Linden 68 - Kevin Boyle
2004: Elizabeth 58, St. Patrick 51 - Donald Stewart
2003: St. Patrick 68, Linden 62 - Kevin Boyle
2002: Elizabeth 75, St. Patrick 61 - Pat Brunner
2001: Linden 76, St. Patrick 59 - Phil Colicchio
2000: St. Patrick 69, Linden 55 - Kevin Boyle
1999: St. Patrick 52, Union 43 - Kevin Boyle
1998: St. Patrick 76, Union 45 - Kevin Boyle
1997: St. Patrick 61, Elizabeth 48 - Kevin Boyle
1996: St. Patrick 65, Elizabeth 47 - Kevin Boyle
1995: Elizabeth 50, St. Patrick 49 - Ben Candelino
1994: St. Patrick 63, Hillside 47 - Kevin Boyle
1993: St. Patrick 45, Elizabeth 41 - Kevin Boyle
1992: Elizabeth 69, Linden 57 - Ben Candelino
1991: Elizabeth 76, Linden 49 - Ben Candelino
1990: Elizabeth 96, Roselle 67 - Ben Candelino
1989: Elizabeth 65, Roselle 57 - Ben Candelino
1988: Linden 50, Elizabeth 45 - Wilbur Aikens
1987: Elizabeth 62, Linden 61 - Ben Candelino
1986: Elizabeth 50, Union Catholic 43 - Ben Candelino
1985: Elizabeth 70, Rahway 56 - Ben Candelino
1984: Elizabeth 57, Plainfield 42 - Ben Candelino
1983: Linden 66, Roselle 60 - Wilbur Aikens
1982: Linden 86, Union Catholic 67 - Wilbur Aikens
1981: Johnson Regional 73, Hillside 61 - Steve Petruzzelli
1980: Union 65, Plainfield 63 - Tom Fox
1979: Plainfield 70, Linden 68 - Rico Parenti
1978: Elizabeth 62, Plainfield 60 - Ron Kelly
1977: Roselle 75, Rahway 54 - Dick Young
1976: Roselle 61, Union 54 - Dick Young
1975: Plainfield 69, Rahway 64 - Rico Parenti
1974: Union 61, Cranford 48 - Tom Fox
1973: Linden 69, Roselle 53 - Wayman Everly
1972: Jefferson 50, Linden 43 - Ron Kelly
1971: Roselle 73, Linden 71 - Dick Young
1970: Jefferson 68, St. Mary's 61 - Ron Kelly
1969: Jefferson 55, St. Mary's 47 - Ron Kelly
1968: Linden 63, Jefferson 62 - Joe Gaines
1967: St. Patrick 58, Plainfield 50 - Ed "Buzzy" Fox
1966: Linden 61, St. Patrick 56 - Joe Gaines
1965: Westfield 61, Cranford 52 - Bob Sanislow
1964: Cranford 68, Linden 61 - Bill Martin
1963: Westfield 65, Roselle Catholic 45 - John Lay
1962: St. Mary's 40, Linden 30 - Al LoBalbo
1961: Roselle 45, St. Mary's 43 - Ralph Arminio
1960: St. Mary's 53, Jefferson 43 - Al LoBalbo
1959: Westfield 54, Cranford 46 - John Lay
1958: Roselle 66, Cranford 64 - Ralph Arminio
1957: Rahway 64, Jefferson 51 - Bob Berger
1956: Plainfield 58, Sacred Heart 51 - Bill Brann
1955: Jefferson 52, St. Mary's 44 - Bill Tranavitch
1954: Jefferson 57, Springfield 44 - Bill Tranavitch
1953: Linden 59, Union 38 - G. St. Andrassy
1952: St. Mary's 48, Linden 30 - Al LoBalbo
1951: St. Mary's 37, Jefferson 36 - Al LoBalbo
1950: Jefferson 69, Hillside 57 - Bill Tranavitch
1949: Jefferson 42, Hillside 41 - Bob Cox
1948: Jefferson 33, Springfield 32 - Bob Cox
1947: Springfield 31, Linden 29 - Walter Hohn
1946: Springfield 37, Linden 34 - Walter Hohn
1945: Jefferson 39, Roselle Park 23 - Abner West
1944: St. Patrick 40, Roselle Park 36 - Ken Milsop
1943: Rahway 34, Jefferson 33 - Earl Walter
1942: Rahway 46, Jefferson 30 - Earl Walter
1941: Rahway 32, Hillside 24 - Earl Walter
1940: Springfield 35, Cranford 33 - Bill Brown
1939: Linden 30, Plainfield 20 - Les Goodwin
1938: Springfield 25, Rahway 24 - Bill Brown
1937: Rahway 27, Hillside 17 - Earl Walter
CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Jefferson-Elizabeth 21
St. Patrick-Patrick School 21
Linden 11
Rahway 5
Roselle 5
Springfield 4
St. Mary’s, Elizabeth 4
Plainfield 4
Roselle Catholic 4
Westfield 3
Union 2
Johnson Regional 1
Cranford 1
Union Catholic 1
Follow Steve Tober on 'X' @Chatermeister
|
Plainfield, a school with plenty of hoops history, will face Roselle Catholic in Sunday's UCT final at Kean. Lions are led by superb junior backcourt, from left, Tyrese Hunter (24), Jalen Grant (11) and Trevon Lewis (21). (SC photo and courtesy of Cox family)
copyright 2005 Sideline Chatter - comments - contact the webmaster
|
|
