Double Home Win for Basketball Bulldogs in State Tournament

Bulldog fans were in for a treat Wednesday night as they watched both the boy’s and girl’s basketball teams move into the semifinals of the NJSIAA tournament with big wins on the (RFH) home basketball court.

The first game, which began at 5 pm, was no indicator of the excitement to come later as the Lady Bulldogs cruised easily to victory, 63-37, over the Crusaders from Arthur L. Johhnson High School. The RFH Girl's Varsity basketball team led from the opening seconds, seizing the lead and keeping it throughout the game.

The win was the RFH's second in the state's post-season tournament.  They defeated a depleted Matawan squad last Monday, 47-27. But, things will definitely heat up for the lady Bulldog's as they advance into tougher competition.  They will face Gov. Livingston High School from Berkley Heights in the semifinals of the tournament.

Things were quite the contrary in the later game, which pitted the boy's varsity team against a tough, physical group from Carteret. 

As seems to be a common theme for the boy Bulldogs of late, a case of opening game jitters allowed their adversary to jump quickly to a 7-0 lead two minutes into the contest.

The Carteret Ramblers extended that lead to a quarter-high nine points midway through the period following an uncontested layup and a foul. The Bulldogs found themselves in an 11-2 hole with little more than three minutes remaining in the opening period. Then RFH began showing their mettle, embarking on a 9-2 run over the Ramblers to end the quarter only down by two, 15-13.

Following an uncommon Kevin 'Pookie' Alter three-point miss to open the second quarter combined with a crumbling Rambler offense, Senior Jack Donnelly hit a shot to knot it up at fifteen apiece. The Bulldogs then took their first lead of the night. Head Coach Chris 'Shempy' Champeau had his team initiating an early-game, full-court, defensive press to try and hold off the opposition.

But Carteret prevailed, and after trading buckets with the dawgs for the rest of the first half, found themselves leading RFH by one at the halftime break, 34-33.

In the third period the see-saw battle between the two teams started getting physical, a brand of basketball that the boy bulldogs have thrived on the entire season, most times against favored opponents, and almost always against bigger ones.

Scratching, clawing, and fighting to hang with the Ramblers, the Bulldogs couldn't manage to regain the lead even once during the entire third period.  Tight defense kept them close though, and when the buzzer sounded ending the next-to-last quarter of the game the scoreboard read: Home-46, Away-49.

The fourth and final quarter began with a full minute-and-a-half scoring drought by both teams.  Then, with 6:28 showing on the clock, Jack Wise hit a shot to tie it up at forty-nine a piece.

The Bulldogs had just over six minutes to figure out how to advance to the third round of the States, and they did. RFH Center Jack Keating began the dog barrage, grabbing an offensive rebound and laying it in for a 51-49 lead. The Bulldogs then went on a 15-0 tear, cementing their second round victory against the Carteret Ramblers. 

The Bulldogs finally allowed a Carteret, fourth-quarter bucket with roughly thirty-eight ticks showing on the clock, but by then it was too little, too late.

Carteret managed only three points the entire last period, thanks in part to a defensive scheme put in place by the RFH Head Coach Shempy, leaving the final score, 68-52.

"Of course it helps to also score nineteen in one quarter," remarked Coach Champeau following his squad's win and advancement to the third round of the tournament. The Bulldogs will face the Ewing Blue Devils in the next round on March 4.

"Packline defense" were the two words Coach Shempy used to describe his team's ability to finally hold off their adversary's offense. "But wait," the ebullient coach added.  "Don't forget the most  important word: heart. Those kids played with heart tonight!"

The evening's excitement wasn't restricted to just coach and players.  Bulldog supporter Max Brignola, 7, was in attendance with his dad older brother.

"The bulldogs are a good basketball team," the young fan said.  "And they're strong and tough, too!” Brignola, a student at Sickles Grade School, is a lifelong Fair Haven resident which makes him a Bulldog fan from birth.

Not only did the team excite their fans with the big win, but they inspired some also.  "I want to be a Bulldog someday!" said Brignola with a big smile.