HS BOYS BASKETBALL
Perfect blend of stars, role players led Nottingham to state title
Nottingham High coach Chris Raba built a perfectbeast boys basketball team with a senior J-Squad of 1,000-point plus scorers Cliff Joseph, Richie Jones and Darell Johnson.
Performances by these three stalwart seniors helped the Northstars capture a firstever NJSIAA Group 3 boys state championship.
Starters Ku’jane Johnson and Kostro Montina and key reserve Deonte West represented the nucleus of Nottingham’s powerhouse that delivered a record 29-2 mark, Mercer County Tournament championship, first sectional title and first-ever state championship.
Kudos to starters who deliver talent, hard work and stuff that makes ginormous dreams attainable.
Volumes have been penned about Jones, Johnson and Joseph. However, a group of players deserve honorable mention, forever available for website search engines.
Nottingham Northstars 2017-2018 boys basketball team should etch in eternity the role players.
Bench and practice team members rarely receive headlines, although their contributions remain key to winning.
Imagine showing up for practice, running daily, early-morning rises and being offered as shadows of players for Nottingham’s next opponent.
Being a practice player requires a special mindset, an unselfish effort that places team before ego.
While every basketball fan knows Nottingham High’s starters, other Northstars earned lineage to this outstanding season.
These young men exhibit a special dedication that never registers in box scores despite the fact that the tale of their not taped efforts made a significant offering toward Nottingham Northstars success.
Raba called his practice hard players keys to his Northstars’ success. “Antonio Brown, Derrick Williams, Javon Jenkins, Eli Willie, my son, Brandon, Martique Perry and Urias Giadyus, even though he was hurt much of the season, all were important members of this team,” Raba said.
Unsung heroes, including cheerleaders, exist on many sports teams. Here’s to all Nottingham Northstars who had important roles in this amazing season.
Finally, there’s got to be a spot in one of the local St. Patrick’s Day parades. Continue the party. Build a float for cheerleaders, coaches and players.
*** Nottingham High begins Tournament of Champions play Tuesday night (7:30 p.m.) against fifthseeded Haddonfield at Toms River North, but Raba’s wife, Tina, and this writer have cashed in our 2017-2018 loyalty for respect and great memories.
“She’s not going,” Raba said. “She wants to remember our team as winners walking off the Rutgers University court.”
Same here. Wow, it’s an amazing event to witness this type of basketball season, especially a 29-2 mark when the Northstars had myriad firsts.
You had to see guard Cliff Joseph hoist the NJSIAA Group 3 trophy and present it to Nottingham’s faithful student body. Magical. Joseph then walked the trophy around toward parents and other Northstars fans. (And you had to see Raba’s son, Brandon, decked out in purple footgear. Memorable).
My February-March basketball Jones has subsided. Wish Nottingham all the best, but if history means anything then this TOC title will be hoisted by top-seed Roselle Catholic or second-seed Don Bosco Prep.
Third-seed Shawnee takes on sixth-seed Woodbury at 5:30 p.m. A Nottingham victory means a date with Roselle Catholic, while Don Bosco Prep awaits the Shawnee/ Woodbury winner.
Shawnee did win a lone TOC championship in 1992, then lost a championship game against St. Anthony (13 TOC titles) in 1995.
A Group I or 2 school has never won this championship while only four public schools, Elizabeth (1990), Orange (1994) and Camden (2000), plus, Shawnee have claimed this elusive championship. Non-public programs have won the last 17 TOCs.
No thank you, NJSIAA. No intention to give money or time to an unfair and overrated contest that deprives teams and fans of the feeling of leaving a court or field as final-game winners.
That’s a final memory for Tina Raba and me, as well.
L.A. Parker is a Trentonian columnist.