VIDEO: Farrow’s rebounding, Frederick’s big outside shots carry Middle past Wildwood Catholic

Posted: January 31st 2026

Sarah Farrow (15 points, 21 rebounds) and Ainsley Frederick (three three-pointers) helped Middle Township to a 42-38 win over Wildwood Catholic Academy Friday.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

NORTH WILDWOOD – Sarah Farrow and Ainsley Frederick each had reasons to celebrate well before the Middle Township High School girls basketball team took on Wildwood Catholic Academy in a critical Cape-Atlantic American Conference matchup Friday evening.

Both continued their celebrations by making a major impact on the game.

Farrow, who made her college choice earlier in the day, erupted for 15 points and an amazing 21 rebounds and Frederick, who was playing on her 17th birthday, hit three critical three-pointers to help the Lady Panthers to a 42-38 victory.

The win puts Middle (16-1 overall, 8-1 CAL American) in control of the conference race. Wildwood Catholic (14-4, 6-3) fell into a second-place tie with Egg Harbor Township with the loss.

Middle got the victory without the usual output of the team’s leading scorer, Reagan Powell, who was limited to seven points while dealing with foul trouble for most of the game.

“In our division, any road game is just so, so difficult, but especially here,” Middle coach John Leahy said. “This is such a tough place to play and they have a really good team.

“I’m very happy with our group. When you go on the road, it’s about sticking together and fighting through adversity and today we had Reagen in foul trouble, we made some silly mistakes and we missed some foul shots but we still figured it out and that’s what you have to do.”

Farrow’s last two rebounds proved to be most critical to the game’s outcome. She rebounded the misses of second free throws by teammates with Middle leading by just two points in the final 16 seconds to keep Wildwood Catholic from getting a chance to tie or take the lead. Farrow was fouled after the second circumstance and clinched the win for her team by making 1 of 2 free throws to create a two-possession game with four seconds remaining.

For Farrow, who’s been playing through an ankle injury for the past month, the 21 rebounds were a career best. Her performance certainly put smiles on the faces of coaches from Mercer County College, who were in attendance to watch their future player.

“She just has an incredible instinct for the basketball,” Leahy said of Farrow. “We ask her to go dominate the glass and she does. To get two rebounds at the end off missed foul shots is huge. She’s so active. She just wants to go get the ball and get stickbacks or get us extra possessions. She was just a monster tonight.”

Frederick, meanwhile, made her three three-pointers at crucial times. Two of the field goals banked in off the backboard. One came midway through the fourth quarter.

Wildwood Catholic put forth a sensational effort in the loss. The Crusaders, already with a small roster that doesn’t feature much depth, lost sophomore standout Damiya Carter to injury late in the second quarter. But that didn’t stop the team from battling Middle all the way to the finish. An 8-0 run gave the Crusaders a one-point lead late in the third quarter. But two straight baskets from Reagen Powell put Middle in control again.

The Crusaders wouldn’t go away, however. After Middle went up by seven with a minute to play in the game, Wildwood Catholic pulled to within two with less than 30 seconds to go thanks to a Lily King three-pointer and a 16-foot jumper by Blake Barnoski.

But Farrow settled the proceedings with her two monstrous offensive rebounds and her clinching free throw in the final seconds.

Middle is now one CAL American victory away from clinching the regular-season conference title and most likely the top seed for the league playoff tournament. The result also will go a long way toward Middle earning the top seed for the South Jersey Group II Tournament.

“In terms of the conference, this was important, but more importantly, it helps us stay in that No. 1 seed for Group II,” Leahy said.

Dani Daley led Wildwood Catholic with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Both teams are next in action over the weekend in the Elite Eight of the South Jersey Invitational Basketball Tournament at Eastern High School. Wildwood Catholic is scheduled to face Paul VI Saturday evening, while Middle faces Cherokee on Sunday evening.