Trio of teams in mix for division title PRINCETON
On paper, the Colonial Valley Conference’s Colonial Division looks to be the most competitive league this season.
Trenton, Hightstown and Notre Dame are all contenders to claim the title that Notre Dame ran away with last year.
The Irish lost five players to transfer over the summer and Bob Turco resigned as head coach. Athletic Director Rich Roche has taken over, and while the program still has some talented shooters, the Irish are young and inexperienced.
Trenton could be the favorite after adding size and depth to one of the county’s better teams last season, when the Tornadoes nearly upset Ewing in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals and then won a road playoff game in Central Jersey Group I V.
Versatile senior guard/forward Ji’Ayir Brown is entering his fourth year as a starter and leads Trenton’s traditional defensive pressure.
Two years after winning 20 games, Hightstown has the potential to bounce back strong this year. Senior guard Jamal Anderson, who is 112 points shy of 1,000, leads an explosive, more experienced group of guards.
Princeton and West Windsor-Plainsboro South are aiming for improvement after sub-.500 campaigns. Charles An 6-0 Sr. G
Ev Filion 6-0 Jr. G
Michael Frost 6-0 Sr. G
John Girouard 6-0 Sr. G Yannick Ibrahim 6-0 Sr. G
Ben Amon 6-0 Jr. G
Jay Jackson 6-0 So. G
Amon Jakisa 6-0 So. G
Jaylen Johnson-Levy 6-4 Jr. F Jack McMahon 6-0 Jr. G
Riley McMahon 6-0 So. G
Will Poston 6-0 Sr. G Brendan Rougas 6-0 Jr. G
Sam Tarter 6-0 Sr. G
Isaac Webb 6-0 Jr. G
Head Coach — Pat Noone (second season).
Assistant Coaches — George Neville, Jamie Majeski, Rob McMahon, Shahid Karim, Steve Henessey, Jamie Majeski, Rob McMahon.
Last Season — 12-14 overall, 3-5 CVC Colonial, NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV first round.
Outlook — It’s hard to envision the Little Tigers being better than they were a year ago after losing 1,000-point scorer Zahrion Blue and some key experience in the backcourt. Expect this squad to be solid defensively. Players to watch are Doran, Johnson, Reilly McMahon and Jackson.