This has been a very trying time for Highschool athletics! With the pandemic that is facing the State it has been difficult to have the normal events that we have always been use to such as the Playaz Basketball Club and Paterson Recreation sponsored FallBall Basketball League! But in a different format it will go on starting Monday Sept.14th!

The difference will be it will take place outside at Glenfield Park 119 Bloomfield Av Montclair, N.J.! Games will be played on two Courts on Monday’s and Wednesday’s at 5:15 6:15 and 7:15! Both days have an assortment of solid teams competing! Mondays teams consist of Montclair, Newark Tech, Union, Barringer, Clifton, Hackensack, St. Mary’s(Ruth.), Newark Central, DePaul, Bloomfield,Teaneck and Paterson Charter! The Wednesday’s lineup has Gill St. Bernard, Columbia, Immaculate, Morris Catholic, Saint Patrick, St. Peters Prep, Paterson Kennedy, Bergen Catholic, Hudson Catholic, Paterson Eastside, Don Bosco Prep and Newark Eastside!

I have some small undone business to finish and thank God that I am in a position to complete it!

Gardenstatehoops has not blogged for over 2 months and the reason has been the Pandemic that has swept the area. You see I was straight in the middle of this life changing situation that has taken over our daily lives for I was stricken with Covid19 and the time I spent fighting this virus has given me a new perspective on life! Because the one thing I realized is that I was not ready to leave this crazy world. I understand that decision is not ours to make, that it is a higher being that makes the choice for us and there is a reason behind every decision He makes, but I wasn’t ready and honestly who ever is. This virus has taken people on many different journeys to the point where what may destroy one person may be a drop in the bucket to another which is why we cannot make a judgement on what this thing is or gonna become. It’s something we have never seen in our lifetime and it has made this the New Normal. The thing is I didn’t want to leave yet not because of gigantic things I want to do on Earth to change the world. No, it got real simple… I just wanted to tell my friends and family how much I Love Them and to continue to give a little miniscule faith to young kids playing the game of Highschool Basketball! I still owe you guys an All-Bergen County Team, an All-Passaic County Team and an All-State Team and Player’s, Coaches and Teams of the year and I owe these kids I cover their small acknowledgement for giving the best they can! And I want the world to know what My Family meant to me in my time of trouble. There were moments where I didn’t think I would be here to do this as the idea of being quarantined meant there was a good chance I would never see the love of my life, my daughter Sydney ever again and that anxiety alone made leaving this Earth with No hand to hold as you take your last breath a scary situation.. But my family did not quit on me! I had friends and family call everyday or text everyday and even when I didn’t have the strength to respond they continued to give me encouragement! But what truly carried me was the love I received from my wife of 6 months Mari, which showed me it’s never too late to find your true love also the love of my beautiful bonus children, my tremendous nephews and the love I got from my sister Wanta! I am not the most religious person in the world, but I thank God everyday for what they did for me during my most trying time as my wife and sister both would look at me and tell me to Fight! And it was at a moment where I was ready to Quit! They pushed me through and when I finally turned for the better I let a lot of bottled up emotions come out and I am now trying hard to not sweat the Little Stuff and concentrate on what’s important which for me is Friends, Family and still Helping the Youth in Anyway I can!!! I have Love for you all! Thanks for letting me vent and get it off my chest! Now Back To Highschool Basketball!!!

Bloomfield, N.J….Paterson Charter played a complete team game in defeating University 65-50 on there way to becoming The Group 1 North Champion and having the greatest Season in it’s school history, becoming the first charter school to ever win a title! All 8 of their players scored, with six having at least 8 points and four scoring in double figures! University led at the end of the 1st quarter 12-10, but Charter took the lead for good in the 2nd taking a 30-21 spread into the half! They managed to hold on despite University making numerous runs as they game was in doubt until late in the 4th! Senior Troy Medlock led the scoring with 13 points and Senior Marquis Harris added 11, while Junior Jamir Belfield and Junior Michael Ferguson came off the bench to score 10 points each and Junior Jahar Pierce added 9, hittin gshots early to help his team gather itself! University struggled from the perimeter as they only made 2 “triples” the entire contest! Junior Justin Hardcourt led University with 12 points, while Tye Artis added 10!