CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – The Middle Township High School boys basketball team has been preparing for this time of the season.
The Panthers used almost all of the regular season as a building block for the playoffs in hopes of earning a South Jersey Group 2 championship.
The strategy appears to be paying off.
The mental and physical toughness that was formed over the last two months carried them to a 69-55 victory over Haddon Heights in a quarterfinal-round game Monday.
“We played a very challenging schedule for this reason,” Middle coach LaMarr Greer said. “We wanted to make sure we’d be ready for the playoffs.”
Middle (20-8), the second seed in Group 2, never trailed No. 7 Haddon Heights (19-10), but had to fight off several challenges in an exciting game.
The Panthers owned a double-digit lead throughout the second and third quarters, but just when it looked like they were ready to pull away, the Garnets climbed back into contention behind brothers Jake (27 points) and Mike Silvestri (15 points).
JAMIR MCNEIL
Finally, Middle standout Jamir McNeil took over and put the game away. The Rider University-bound guard scored 11 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter.
“I wanted to get my teammates involved earlier in the game,” McNeil said. “But as a leader, I want the ball in my hands in those situations at the end of games.”
A number of players stepped up during the course of the game.
Junior Chase Moore nailed three three-pointers while scoring all 11 of his points in the first quarter before being saddled with foul trouble.
Junior Adam Bouabbache also swished a trio of three-points in the first half, including one from the corner at the halftime buzzer.
Sophomore Mason Murawski hit a pair of clutch three-points in the second half.
“Everybody has a role on this team,” Bouabbache said. “Mine is to play defense, rebound and shoot.”
ADAM BOUABBACHE
The players earned those roles through hard work in practice.
It is there, in an empty gym with no cheerleaders doing back handsprings and classmates shouting in the stands, where they prove to Greer that they belong on the court.
“It’s all about earning trust,” Greer said. “And you earn that trust in practice.”
With the win, Middle will play host to No. 3 Medford Tech in the sectional semifinal round on Wednesday.
A win in that game will likely set the stage for a showdown with top-seeded Camden for the Group 2 title on Saturday.
Last year, Camden beat the Panthers 80-55 in the final.
“That game has been in the back of my mind, but we can’t worry about that now,” McNeil said. “It’s all about taking this one game at a time.”
MIDDLE GIRLS BREEZE PAST STERLING
The top-seeded Middle Township girls team registered an even more convincing victory earlier Monday in the front end of the playoff doubleheader.
The two-time defending South Jersey Group II champions appeared ready to register a three-peat in posting a 56-25 rout over eighth-seeded Sterling (14-14).
SARAH FARROW
Reagan Powell led Middle (25-5) with 19 points while Sarah Farrow added 13 points and 12 rebounds. She scored 10 points in the first quarter to help the Panthers take an 18-0 lead.
Middle will next play host to fourth-seeded Barnegat on Wednesday in the sectional semifinals.
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