VIDEO, PHOTOS: Middle passes latest tough test by edging TCA at Boardwalk Classic

Posted: January 1st 2024

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

WILDWOOD – John Leahy played his high school basketball under Tom Feraco at Middle Township High School.

Now the longtime girls coach at his alma mater, Leahy has used one of Feraco’s most precious principles in building and maintaining his program – play just about anyone, anywhere at any time.

“This is who we are,” Leahy said.

Middle, facing yet another difficult opponent early in the season in Trenton Catholic Academy, came out on top of an extremely physical battle to win, 52-49, in a showcase game on the final day of the 2023 Boardwalk Basketball Classic Sunday.

Middle (5-2) has had mixed results against the top competition so far this season. In addition to TCA, they’ve beaten Williamstown and Holy Spirit but have dropped games to Lenape and Mainland.

But at this juncture, the wins and losses really don’t matter to Leahy. The experiences gained do.

“We don’t schedule any cupcakes,” Leahy said. “We need to be tested. That’s something that Coach Feraco always stressed to us when we were in high school that you have to be battle tested by the end of the (regular) season, so I was really happy to get a chance to play a really good team like Trenton Catholic. They’re going to have a great season. Win or lose, this was a game that was going to make both our teams better. Obviously, I’m happier about it since we won the game.”

Middle trailed by four at halftime but went on a 21-8 run in the third quarter to take a nine-point lead into the fourth. TCA made several runs at Middle in the final period and even cut the deficit to a single point with less than a minute remaining but Hannah Cappelletti made three straight free throws at critical junctures to secure the Lady Panther victory.

“I thought in the third quarter we won a lot of the 50-50 balls and a lot of the long rebounds and we were strong with the ball and that led to a lot of run-out (layups) for us,” Leahy said. “Our defense was pretty good. We didn’t hit a lot of jump shots but unlike in the first half when we left maybe 10 points out there on missed layups, we made them in the second half.”

Madison Palek scored nine of her team-high 17 points in the third quarter for Middle. Mackenzie Palek was also in double figures with 11 points and Sara Farrow added eight points off the bench.

Cianni Thompson hit five three-pointers and scored a game-best 19 points for TCA (5-2), which played without second leading scorer Saniyah Spell (ankle injury).

Middle Township is next in action Wednesday against Ocean City at home, before a major Cape-Atlantic American Conference showdown at Wildwood Catholic on Friday.