Falcons soar on basketball court deep into postseason play

By Benjamin Chadwick

For the first time in five years, the Saint Joseph High School boys basketball team found themselves in a New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association State Tournament Sectional Championship.

Their journey to postseason play was led by seniors Josh Ingram and Anthony Williams and junior Jeremy Clayville, a transfer from DePaul Catholic, Wayne.

“I knew I would be stepping into a much bigger role this season,” Ingram said. “With seniors such as our leading scorer Ethan Simmon graduating, not only would I be the primary ball handler, but I’d also be our senior captain.”

Ingram’s 21.6 points per game led the team to their eventual 18-11 record with several wins against top 20 teams in the state and high seeds in the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Tournament and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public A, South Tournament.

In the first round of the GMC Tournament against Spotswood, the Maglio Gymnasium was packed for a very special occasion, Ingram was just 15 points away from joining the prestigious 1,000-point club.

Ingram found himself one point shy of the milestone in the second quarter, when a floater from the paint sent the gym into a frenzy and Ingram into the history books.

“I found myself counting down the points with every shot,” Ingram said. “It was one of my goals when I got to Saint Joe’s -- to see my name go up on that banner and to be in the company of basketball legends like Jay Williams and Karl Anthony-Towns is truly an honor.”

Ingram led the Falcons with a career-high 38 points as the Falcons took home a thrilling 75-72 victory over the Chargers.

After a comfortable win in the quarterfinals over South Plainfield, the

Falcons’ GMC Tournament run came to a close in the semifinals, 91-49, to St. Thomas Aquinas, Edison, but there was still more to play for.

Entering the state tournament, the No. 6-seed Falcons enjoyed a 74-61 victory over The Pingry School, Bernards, in the first round of the state tournament, followed by a 78-75 win at No. 3 Immaculata High, Somerville. Ingram scored 33 points in the victory for his fifth 30-point game in a 12-game span.

In the section semifinals, the Falcons hosted No. 10 Rutgers Prep, and did not disappoint. Trailing by 10 points late in the third quarter, Ingram, Williams and Clayville led a fierce second-half comeback to punch the Falcons’ ticket to the finals for the first time in five years.

Williams led the way with 24 points and 18 rebounds, while Ingram added 17 of his own points. Clayville swished a three- pointer during the late rally that sent the Falcon Flock into a madhouse.

In the NJSIAA Non-Public A, South championship game against Union Catholic, Scotch Plains, at Lenape High, Medford, and the Falcons rallied for 31 points in the fourth quarter, but fell 86-72.

“Nobody outside our locker room thought we had a shot at making a run,” head coach Jan Cocozziello said. “We only knew that our players and coaches believed in the team, and that’s all we needed.”

Chadwick is a senior at Saint Joseph High School

Top photo, Anthony Williams, a senior forward at Saint Joseph High School, Metuchen, lofts a shot during the No. 6 seeded Falcons’ 71-68 victory over No. 3 seed and host Immaculata High School, Somerville, in a NJSIAA Non-Public A, South quarterfinal round game. Williams, who scored 12 points, is watched by a teammate, junior forward Owen Griffin. Senior guard Josh Ingram led the Falcons with 33 points. Davis Adams led Immaculata with 16 points. Below right, Ingram, who led the Falcons in scoring this season with a 21.6 points per game average, assesses his options with the ball. Below left, the two teams stand for the National Anthem.