“I definitely want to play college basketball someday,” said Watt. “And, seeing what Anaya and Kyley have accomplished in reaching the level they have inspires me to just keep working harder each day.”
Watt, listed by nj.com as one of the pre-season sophomores to watch this season, began the 2024-2025 season with a bang when she scored a career-high 25 points to go along with 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals in a 65-51 victory at Abington Heights (Pa.).
Coach Williams and Athletic Director Stephan Zichella made sure that the Mountaineers have had a strong independent schedule to go along with the already challenging Super Essex Conference-American Division slate of foes, and although the team has lost games to Chatham (53-50), Bayonne (58-52) and No. 1 ranked Morris Catholic (53-43), it has played well against teams that are likely to make deep runs in the NJSIAA state tournament.
Chatham and Morris Catholic are in the finals of the Morris County Tournament and Bayonne is the favorite to take home top honors in the Hudson County Tournament before they embark on their state tourney quests.
West Orange has split with talented SEC foe Immaculate, dropping a narrow 42-41 decision to the Lions back on Jan. 4 before then defeating the Montclair-based Catholic school, 41-32, on Feb. 7 as the Mountaineers had a balanced attack led by their top three scorers as Karriem scored 13, Gary-Grayson had 11 and Watt added 10 points.
“I love the great competition we see in and out of our county and it’s all part of helping us become a better team for the (North 1, Group 4) state tournament,” said Watt. “We are excited about meeting Immaculate for a third time this season, now in a county final, and we have play lock-in on defense, score enough offensively, plus don’t let them get out in transition a lot where they can really hurt us.
“We know it’s going to be a very challenging game, but we’re also confident in our abilities to come through with big baskets when we need them most.”
Watt, who had 20 points in her team’s 64-37 ECT quarterfinal win vs. West Essex, also plays for Team Sharp during the spring, summer and fall, an AAU program with different age-group teams that include the presence of top IC players such as Jayah Curtis, Camille Wiley, Nylah Rivera and London Caldwell.
“Those girls are all very talented players, and their coach Jimmy Kreie is also my coach with Team Sharp,” said Watt. “Once the game starts this Saturday it’s all business and I know that we’ll all compete at a high level while trying to help our team win.
“Hopefully, we can repeat history when it comes to what our 2019 team accomplished and we can win a county championship for our great seniors!”
NOTES- Watt’s has a twin brother Aiden who is an outstanding center for the West Orange football team…Their dad Martin is manager of a utility company and mom Rhesha works in the insurance field…Rhyan’s favorite subjects in school are math and science and she hopes to pursue a pre-med track in college with hopes of one day being an anesthesiologist…When not busy with one her sports, Rhyan said she also enjoys shopping at a number of different places, including Jersey Gardens, The Willowbrook Mall, Paramus Mall and Woodbury….She has been playing basketball since the fifth grade and has traveled with Team Sharp to tournaments in places such as Pittsburgh, Atlantic City and Indianapolis and also in states such as Kentucky and Ohio.
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Parents and coaches are invited to visit their website for additional information at www.parisifairfield.com or contact their Director, John Cirilo at 973 227-0199.
***
Essex County Girls Basketball semifinals:
(3) GLEN RIDGE (17-7) 4 12 10 12 -38
(2) WEST ORANGE (19-6) 11 5 8 19 -43
Glen Ridge: Riley O’Sullivan 6-1-1-16, Ally Snyder 1-0-2-4, Katie Powers 2-1-3-10, Caitlin Hood 0-0-0-0, Annabel Koss-Defrank 1-0-0-2, Jorie Boyle 0-2-0-6, Anabel Mira-McKenzie 0-0-0-0. Totals: 10-4-6-38
West Orange: Kyley Gary-Grayson 2-0-5-9, Rhyan Watt 6-0-4-16, Anaya Karriem 4-0-8-16, Kennedy Curry 0-0-0-0, Jordyn Batts 0-0-0-0, Taraji Muhammad 0-0-0-0, Elianna Dennis 0-0-0-0 Totals: 13-0-17-43
(4) UNIVERSITY (11-10) 9 14 14 18 -55
(1) IMMACULATE (16-7) 17 19 21 15 -72
University: Paradise Fisher 3-0-5-11, Aaliyah Littles 1-4-0-14, Brianna Holt 7-0-2-16, Taylor LaRue 3-0-0-6, Ki-Lin Thomas 0-2-0-6, Carryn Grand-Pierre 0-0-2-2, Shanaa Manning-Cook 0-0-0-0, Jayanna Hayes 0-0-0-0, Amira Corbett 0-0-0-0, Jaydah Carswell 0-0-0-0. Totals: 14-6-8-55
Immaculate: Jayah Curtis 0-3-2-11, London Caldwell 4-2-7-21, Nila Giraud 2-1-3-10, Nilah Rivera 3-2-9-21, Camille Wiley 4-0-1-9, Daiya Anderson 0-0-0-0, Niaja Troutman 0-0-0-0. Totals: 13-8-22-72
ECT final, 3 p.m., Saturday (Feb. 22) at Essex County College in Newark
ECT Girls: Most Titles Won:
Shabazz 17
Columbia 6
Bloomfield 4
Clifford Scott 4
Immaculate 4
University 3
East Orange Campus 2
Newark Tech 2
Nutley 2
Most Appearances In Final:
Shabazz 21
University 11
Columbia 9
Clifford Scott 8
Bloomfield 6
Immaculate 6
East Orange Campus 4
West Side 3
Montclair 3
Newark Tech 3
The 49 ECT Girls Finals Year By Year:
2024: Immaculate 75 University 65
2023: Immaculate 60 University 54
2022: Immaculate 67 University 59
2021: no tourney due to covid-19
2020: University 61 Immaculate 34
2019: West Orange 36 Immaculate 25
2018: Newark Tech 71 University 62
2017: Newark Tech 55 West Orange 53 (in OT)
2016: East Orange Campus 42 Newark Tech 40
2015: East Orange Campus 51 Montclair 32
2014: Shabazz 54 Montclair 51
2013: Shabazz 61 East Orange Campus 46
2012: Shabazz 59 Montclair 33
2011: Shabazz 61 University 58
2010: Shabazz 67 Columbia 57
2009: Shabazz 61 University 50
2008: University 65 Shabazz 51
2007: Shabazz 64 University 58
2006: Shabazz 71 Bloomfield Tech 60
2005: Shabazz 70 Bloomfield Tech 55
2004: Shabazz 72 Orange 45
2003: Shabazz 81 East Orange Campus 45
2002: Shabazz 82 East Orange 31
2001: Columbia 59 Shabazz 55
2000: Bloomfield 41 West Side 26
1999: Columbia 57 Orange 45
1998: Columbia 64 Clifford Scott 52
1997: Bloomfield 53 Shabazz 47
1996: Columbia 49 Bloomfield 41
1995: Mount St. Dominic 57 Bloomfield 45
1994: Clifford Scott 59 Mount St. Dominic 53 (OT)
1993: Clifford Scott 46 Livingston 37
1992: Clifford Scott 55 West Side 36
1991: Shabazz 52 Clifford Scott 51
1990: Immaculate 51 University 48
1989: Bloomfield 58 Immaculate 46
1988: Bloomfield 65 University 50
1987: University 71 Shabazz 42
1986: Irvington 57 East Orange 50
1985: Shabazz 58 Irvington 57
1984: Shabazz 51 Belleville 46
1983: Shabazz 62 Clifford Scott 60
1982: Shabazz 61Clifford Scott 55
1981: Clifford Scott 51 East Orange 49
1980: East Orange 53 Barringer 45
1979: Columbia 38 Barringer 37
1978: Columbia 73 Glen Ridge 24
1977: Nutley 56 Columbia 34
1976: Nutley 55 Columbia 33
1975: West Side 55 West Essex 48
*ECT historical information provided by Jeff Goldberg
