Paterson, N.J……What happened in the Eastside-Hackensack game was surprising and shocking! While it’s not a surprise that Eastside won in the North 1 Group 4 State game, the way it happened and the final score of 77-41 was shocking! With about a minute left in the 1st half the score was tied at 26! Then the sequence which turned the game happened! Junior Quattier Jackson got a dunk off a turnover, another turnover happened and Senior Ky’re Jackson finished with a dunk, then Senior DeAndre Noble-Haywood blocked a dunk attempt off the backboard and Junior Jetor Brown went and knocked down a”triple”! That 7-0 run made the score 33-26 at the half and Eastside finished them off in the 3rd as from the moment of that surge at the end of the half until the end of the 3rd Eastside had went on a 26-4 run to end the quarter leading 52-30 and putting the game away! Senior DeAndre Noble-Haywood played brilliantly in the 2nd half scoring 16 of his 22 points with most coming in the 3rd quarter during the run! Senior Ky’re Jackson finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds as he was also a force throughout the game! But the key to the game may have been the play of Junior Jetor Brown and Senior Jordan Smith! Brown(pictured right) made Hackensack pay on nearly every open look he got as he scored 22 points with 4″triples” and Smith(left) was the most important player off the bench this game as he only scored a deuce but had 6 assists, 5 steals and 4 rebounds with most of his solid play happening in the most important part of the game! His pressure defense caused problems for the Comets up top! It helped hold star Junior point guard Chris Myers to only two free throws! Hackensack finished the season at 22-5 and was led in scoring by Junior Jamiek Moore with 14 points and Junior Keyon Lewis and Sophomore Rashard Figures with 9 points apiece! Eastside is now 25-2 and will  face Passaic County Tech which beat Wayne Valley 53-52 on a Isaac Williams layup at the buzzer at home for the North 1 Group 4 Sectional”CHIP”!

Wayne,N.J………..Depaul started the game tonight on a 10-0 run against Union Catholic and thought it might be an easy night, Union Catholic took the hit and gave the Spartans a big scare! DePaul held on for a 59-52 win but it was far from easy! Senior Davon Jacobs(pictured) put DePaul on his back and carried them to the win! Jacobs scored 19 points, including 7 late in the game and pulled down 16 rebounds with 9 coming from the offensive end to lead DePaul! Union Catholic is going to be a team of the future as they start two Juniors and three Sophomores! There go to guy is Junior guard Damon Lynn and he tried to live up to that scoring 19 points despite heavy defensive pressure from Sophomore guard  Kiy Hester! Lynn’s “triple with 3:40 left in the 3rd cut DePaul’s lead to 34-32, but a layup by Jacobs, a follow up put back by Junior Sanders Green and a free throw by Sophomore Juwuan Carter gave DePaul a 38-33 lead to end the quarter! Both teams battled in the 4th as DePaul kept a slight lead the entire quarter to hold on for the victory! Free throws by Carter, Jacobs and Junior Josh Marquez kept the Vikings at bay! Carter finished with 12 points despite swelling on his shooting hand, Hester scored 10 and Marquez added 9 points and 5 assists! Union Catholic got 11 points and 11 rebounds from Sophomore Devine Eke and 13 points and 8 rebounds from Junior Rob Lewis off the bench! DePaul will now host Don Bosco Prep Monday as Prep beat Paramus Catholic 71-54 to advance!

 Bloomfield, N.J…….#6 seed Wayne Valley went to #3 Bloomfield and thoroughly outplayed them in a 59-40 victory to move into the semifinals of the North 1 Group 4 States! Valley went the majority of the game with their five starters! They outrebounded Bloomfield 33-15! Junior Andrew Keane led Wayne Valley with 18 points and 7 rebounds, Senior Scott Arkin who played great scored 12 points with 8 rebounds and 6 assists! Senior Chris Homsi scored 11 points with 7 rebounds, Senior point guard Jay Mustafa(pictured) finished with 9 points, 11 assists and 3 steals, but Senior James Grevenitz may have been the most important player as he scored 9 points and grabbed 5 rebounds but more importantly was the key defensive player in Valley’s diamond and 1 defense! He helped hold Junior Jameel Patterson to 6 points! Junior Isiah Dockett led Bloomfield with 15 points! Wayne Valley will now face rival Passaic Tech in the Semi’s on Saturday!

( Special thanks to Jon Fass of WGHT 1500)!