BOYS NORTH 1B
Thursday, February 1 at Lodi Lanes
New for 2018
Hopatcong is up from G3 to G4, Harrison is up from G1 to G2. Wallkill Valley drops from G2 to G1, McNair drops from G2 to G1, Snyder, Hoboken and Lincoln enter after not entering in 2017. Marist does not enter after participating last year.
What I got wrong
Lots of change in the entry matrix, so my expected drop of Dickinson from G4 to G3 didn't happen. McNair's drop to G1 was unexpected also.
Ranked Teams Participating
#11 Sussex Tech, #12 Wayne Hills, #13 Hudson Catholic, 'Just Missed' St. Peter's Prep, 'Good Argument' West Milford
GROUP I
defending champ: Pompton Lakes
#13 Hudson Catholic finished second here last year, but looks like an overwhelming favorite in 2018. The Hawks took the HCIAL with a 73-11 record and finished with a 198 GA, the best Group I mark in New Jersey. The lineup is loaded, with Geoffrey Origenes and his 217 average becoming a full-fledged star. Jivan Persaud (199), Steven Beck (196), James Pabalonia (190) and Ashook Persaud (188) are all proven talents at this point as well. These guys will make it to Bowlero and are legitimate state title threats once they get there.
Wallkill Valley just missed advancement last year - by a single pin. Now dropped down to Group I, they'll be battling to change that. A solid resume for the Rangers includes a fourth place finish at the Falcon and 5th at HWS. Unfortunately, I have pretty much no individual data: no scores were submitted to nj.com and no standing sheet is out there, but the team's 168 GA is formidable.
Here's how strong the HCIAL was this season: the fifth place team is in a tossup for the #2 choice in this sectional: McNair. The Cougars put up a sneaky-good 163 GA, and while there are no huge averages on the books (Josh Canele leads the team at 178), there are no weak links.
One more team could make G1 interesting here: last year's champs from Pompton Lakes. Much of 2017's talent graduated, but David Neil (192) and Michael Milligan remain to form the Cardinals' core, and a little production from down-lineup could put the NJIC-Colonial champs back in the state finals.
The rest of the field are longshots, with Eastern Christian having slightly better numbers than Secaucus, Hoboken and DePaul.
GROUP II
defending champ: Sussex Tech
105-0 in NJAC matches. Tournament titles at Sparta NYE, Falcon Frenzee and Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex. Two-time defending state champs. #11 Sussex Tech is an overwhelming force in Northwest New Jersey, and it's not going to stop at sectionals. The Mustangs haven't dropped below 2900 this calendar year, and that's plenty good enough to be the favorites here. Joey Steele (222 overall), Matthew Grey (202) and Pat Danielson (200) have all put up big sets (and they're all underclassmen, so these guys aren't going away). Add in solid contributions from Matt Danielson and Danny McNeilly and we may be looking at a three-peat.
Harrison is just one point out of first place in the NJIC-Patriot and is the most likely to take the second TOC spot. Luis Quito averages 175 and has gone as high as 619, but this is another group that features down-lineup ability.
Featuring a lineup with two 180+ bowlers in Ronald Young and Brant Rodriguez, Lincoln was competitive in the HCIAL and will be very competitive here in Group II.
Now, Hawthorne was mid-pack in the NJIC-C, but they have a big talent up top in 200-average Passaic champ Hunter Perry. If Amanda Madara (163) and the rest of the Bears can step up a bit, they can make things interesting.
High Point is probably just out of range of the favorites, but Joe Gramignano is quality bowler and could make some noise in the individuals. Same goes for Manchester Regional (though Shannon Baer is very good), Lenape Valley and Newton.
GROUP III
defending champ: Wayne Hills
This one is gonna be fun, as two great Big North teams go at it in round five of a great rivalry. By the numbers, #12 Wayne Hills is the clear favorite. They're the defending champs after a wonderful 2017 postseason run. They boast huge GA and T5, both are top ten in New Jersey. The Patriots went 78-13 against possibly the toughest schedule in the Big North, and they had the only 3000+ set in the FDU Team Challenge. Most of all, they have a fantastic set of bowlers - the conference's only true 6-deep team. Seniors Matt Klarberg (189), Nick Kent (200), Mason Smith (189) and Steve Neri (201) are joined by two much-improved sophomores, Tom Luchetta (210, 2nd at FDU) and Dylan Heinold (207). The sky's the limit here.
But West Milford isn't intimidated at all. The Highlanders have beaten Wayne Hills in a regular season match, won the FDU Team Challenge in the Baker rounds, and took the Passaic County championship. The numbers may be a bit behind, but part of that is top gun Andrew Finke (209 overall) missing a few matches for basketball. There's firepower down lineup; Tyler Nicol (190), Michael Nicholas (186) and freshman Ralph Utter (196) have all put up big numbers. Tossup.
A handful of teams are capable of springing an upset here, and Lakeland may be the best bet. The Lancers have taken their lumps in a brutal division, but they have talent: Colin Tailman (182) and Ray Schmitt (191) can score. And they were quite competitive in the Passaic, finishing within 100 pins of Wayne Hills.
Wayne Valley was right there in the Passaic, too, and the Indians have a broad base of talent, with three guys: Jarrett D'Alessandro, Mike Natoli and Blake Fenske, over 180. Their top six averages are all underclassmen, too, so this is a program on the rise. Wow, this Big North Independence division is just awesome.
There's no reason we can't have a contender from outside the Big North, and Kearny may well be that team. Finshing 3rd in a very strong HCIAL, the Kardinals have a pair of great bowlers up top in Donovan Battistus (195) and Christian Davidson (188) and no weak links.
Sparta has gone as high as 2700 and could make things interesting, with a nice top three in Brian Trotter, John DePreker and John Ukstins, all over 187. Snyder has a brilliant top two in Terek Alston and Brandon Crawford, each over 200, while Vernon is a step or two behind the contenders.
GROUP IV
defending champ: Dickinson
There are a LOT of worthy contenders here. Group III may play at the highest level, but Group IV will be the wildest and most competitive.
St. Peter's Prep, just outside the top 20, looks like the favorite to me. After a rough start in early season tournaments, they chased Hudson Catholic all season in-conference finished just behind, but beat them late in the season in a dual match, firing over 3100. The Marauders just keep getting better. Jared Ammugauan has been an amazing constant, averaging over 225, but Zack Oswald (195), Jordan Veverka (188) and the rapidly improving Maverick Lindo (300-739 last week) are all making their mark.
North Bergen is a force to be reckoned with. The HCIAA champs feature an excellent top two in Nicholas Dominy (197) and Chris Lopez (206 overall), another strong bowler in Chris Murray (184) and a high set of 2954. Expect the Bruins to be in the mix.
And expect Clifton, too. 11-2 in Big North matches, nobody has more top end talent, with the Mustangs' Johan Gamo (213 overall), Joe Paolillo (211) and Sean Cruz (200) able to match up with anyone north of the GMC. If the depth comes through, Clifton could put up a huge set.
After a second place finish in the Passaic, you have to give Passaic Tech an excellent chance to steal a TOC spot here. The Bulldogs are as built for 5-man events as anybody in the Big North aside from Wayne Hills. Kyron Fairley has been the star, averaging 197, and he has four teammates between 176 and 187 in Kevin Muncion, Marcsus Eusebio, Anthony Dubrino and Dino Stoupakis.
Hopatcong has numbers that are a bit below the others, but a few quality tournament efforts - 3rd at HWS, 5th at Sparta NYE say they're capable. Kyle Harkins has been solid, averaging 180, but the Chiefs are the second best team in the NJAC-North for one big reason: Rhianna Smith and her 210 average.
Finishing 4th in the HCIAL is a good result, and Bayonne is a good team. Matt Nilan (196) and Miguel Florendo (183) lead the attack, and they'll have to be really 'on' to give the Bees a fighting chance. Defending champs Dickinson is in the same boat, with a dynamic top two in Ray Ramos (207) and Kyle O'Mara (195).
Passaic is probably just out of contention, but Michael Polanco (205) is certainly capable of competing for an individual spot. Union City has nice depth and finished over .500 but looks to be just short of firepower.
No comments:
Post a Comment