CHATHAM, NJ -- Chatham's 8th Grade Girls Blue team defeated Warren, 45-38, to win the championship of the Jersey Basketball League last Thursday.
It was the second Jersey Basketball League title in the last three years for the team, which finished the 2024 season 15-2.
Members of the 8G Blue: Lucy Arps, Sophia Burgo, Riley Furst, Analia Garcia, Kendall Kiraly, Caroline Kreuzer, Addison McDonough, Leyla Morelli, Madison Tuli, Emma Vermillion, and Tess Vogt.
The head coach was Megan Furst, with assistant coaches Kevin McDonough and Suzanne Vermillion.
]]>CHATHAM, NJ -- The preliminary school budget for the 2024-2025 school year is on the agenda for the regular meeting of the Chatham Board of Education on Monday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Chatham Middle School Auditorium.
Also on the agenda is the 2024-2024 SDOC calendar.
The full agenda for the Monday, March 18 meeting at the Chatham Middle School can be viewed HERE
]]>CHATHAM, NJ -- They've put in the time and the money.
Chatham residents Susan and Jay Allen helped fund the current construction project at the Library of the Chathams with a $125,000 donation and have worked as members and consultants to the Library Board of Trustees.
“Susan and Jay Allen’s impact on the Library of the Chathams is important and unmatched,” Andy Hollander, president of the library board of trustees, said. “The library wouldn’t be the same without their amazing work and support.
"Our community owes them a large debt of gratitude, and I know I speak both for the community and the Board of Trustees in expressing our heartfelt thanks.”
The Allens were longtime residents of Chatham Borough before moving to Chatham Township. They donated in 2018 and have since seen the project "A Space for Everyone" take shape with the renovation of the rear entrance and the creation of the "Teen Center."
“Susan and I have seen the library become the community center for the Chathams, serving as much more than a source of reading and reference materials,” Jay Allen said. ”The library provides after-school programs for children and teens, an activity center for seniors, programs to inform and enhance the community, and so many other functions that add to the vitality and culture of our community.
"With funds provided by the Chathams not sufficient to meet the changing needs of the library, Susan and I felt a duty to make this donation to bridge this funding gap and demonstrate our recognition of the importance of the Library to the Chathams.”
As a member of the Chatham Historical Society, Susan Allen especially values the library’s local history collection housed in the treasured New Jersey Room within the library.
“When people visit the New Jersey Room for the first time, they are surprised by the richness of its unique contents,” she said. “It’s important to me that the library provides easy access to these treasures for the public and also guards the safety of these historical books.”
Susan Allen has given her time by serving as a member of the Library Board of Trustees since 2015 and currently is the board secretary. Jay Allen contributed his expertise and advice to major campaign management matters, informed by his role as chairman of the board of trustees at his alma mater, Wabash College.
About the Chatham Library Foundation
The Chatham Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was created exclusively to charitably aid Library of the Chathams. The Foundation’s principal purpose is to support the Library of the Chathams, a joint free public library, for the benefit of the residents of Chatham Borough and Chatham Township, New Jersey. For more information on how to donate, visit their website: www.ChathamLibraryFoundation.org.
CHATHAM, NJ -- A four-story mixed-use building with retail on the first floor and 18 apartments above it will be built at 246 Main St. in Chatham, the site of the former Sherwin-Williams store. Three of the apartments will be set aside for affordable housing.
"It's been a long time coming and we're very eager to get it done," Matt Koenig, owner of the building, said. "We're taking one of the worst-looking buildings and making it one of the nicest."
Koenig estimated that it would take 16 to 18 months for the construction to be completed and said he is not pre-leasing the retail space at this time, concentrating first on the apartments.
"We're super excited to see it go up," Koenig said. 'Our team worked very hard to incorporate a lot of the features from the original building into the new design."
The fourth floor will be set back 10 feet from the front facade and will not be visible from street level, according to the 10-page resolution, approving the requested variances for the new building. There will be an elevator in the middle of the building.
When completed, it will be the tallest building on Main Street. There will be parking for tenants and retail customers available behind the building.
Chatham Borough Zoning Board of Adjustment approved the application and variances on March 18, 2019, and memorialized on April 24, 2019.
]]>CHATHAM, NJ -- The Borough of Chatham went through a lot of public hand-wringing and court battles before it could finally exhale in relief after satisfying its third round obligation of affordable housing, settling on 15 all-affordable units that will be built at Post Office Plaza, near Bowers Lane.
On Monday night at its regular meeting, the mayor and Borough of Chatham Council took another figurative deep breath as it began to discuss its options for the fourth round obligation that will be coming in July 2025.
Chatham Borough planners Kendra Lelie and Fran Rein gave an overview and answered questions from Mayor Carolyn Dempsey and council members on the pros and cons of entering into a developer's agreement, as it did with the 245 luxury apartments on River Road, or waiting and doing nothing (see the exchange between the mayor and Lelie below).
Chatham Borough Council President Jocelyn Mathiasen said it was one of the "most complicated public policy issues I've ever seen" in her remarks below.
In its third round of affordable housing, the council was evenly divided between 100-unit rental apartments at Post Office Plaza and the all-affordable 15-unit building. The vote on the six-member council was 3-3 before then-mayor Thaddeus Kobylarz made the tie-breaking vote.
Chatham resident Bob Penn said the public needs to know the "worst-case scenario" since the borough came within one vote of a 100-unit building at Post Office Plaza. "Chatham's heritage isn't for sale," Penn said in the video below.
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CHATHAM, NJ -- Chatham Township Administrator Ziad Shehady made his initial presentation of the 2024 municipal budget on Tuesday night at the Chatham Township Committee workshop meeting, announcing a flat tax for the third straight year and an increase in the surplus.
The total municipal appropriations will be $19,430,174, with $11,216,744 to be raised by taxes. The tax rate remains at .32 per $100 of assessed home value for th third straight year. The surplus will be $2,325,320, an increase of $243,279 over 2023. The Open Space Tax will be 2 cents.
"I want to thank our finance committee, our administrator and our CFO for all their efforts," Chatham Township Mayor Stacey Ewald said. "There is a lot of pressure coming up on the budget and there has been a lot of pressure on the budget. You've put us in a great situation, flat tax, the surplus is improving and we're maintaining our services.
"We also have the open space tax at two cents and that will help because we have a lot of expenses coming up with improvements that need to be made at Colony Pool."
Ziad Shehady outlines his "Securing the Future" themed budget in his presentation
The budget is set to be introduced at the March 26 meeting of the Chatham Township Committee. An additional presentation and public review of the budget will take place at the April 9 meeting and the public hearing and adoption of the budget is set for April 23.
Shehady points out the budget surplus that is the highest it has been in the last six years and details some of the added expenses in the video below.
Shehady pointed out that there will be an expense of approximately $3 million for two firefighting apparatuses that are not included in the budget. He said that the capital improvement budget will be $900,000 this year (see below).
The increase in expenses is detailed below:
The Chatham Township Committee workshop meeting held Tuesday, March 12 can be viewed below
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CHATHAM, NJ -- Chatham Borough Police Chief Brian Gibbons introduced two new police officers that he said were hired in response to the public's concerns about home burglaries and vehicle thefts on Monday night at the Borough of Chatham Council meeting.
New probationary police officers Edwin Nwadinma and Alyson Toman were sworn in and will be paid a yearly salary of $63,916.39, prorated for the remainder of 2024.
Gibbons said in the video below that the two new officers bring the department to a "near peak" of 23 full-time police officers and was agreed to "in response to increased demands on the Chatham Borough Police Department, especially in response to the recent past stolen motor vehicle issues and the even more recent increase in occupied home burglary."
Nwadinma graduated from Columbia High School and earned a business degree from Essex County College. He is the second oldest of five boys in his family. The bilingual officer came to Chatham after serving with the City of Orange Police Department. Gibbons highlights his resume below.
Toman graduated from Secaucus High and earned a B.A. in criminal justice and sociology from William Paterson University, where she captained the women's volleyball team. The 5-10 Toman was a first-team All-NJAC volleyball player as a senior, leading the league in hit percentage as a middle/outside hitter. She worked for the Harrison Police Department before coming to Chatham.
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CHATHAM, NJ -- Chatham Borough Mayor Carolyn Dempsey reported that the Borough will receive $850,000 through a HUD Community Project Grant that will go toward renovations of the ECLC School at the regular meeting of the Borough of Chatham Council on Monday night.
Dempsey credited Congressional representative Mikie Sherrill for helping facilitate the acquisition of the grant and guiding it through the budget process. Council President Jocelyn Mathiasen and Mayor Dempsey were also instrumental in the process that led to the grant award.
Mayor Dempsey announces the awarding of the grant
The ECLC School has been a tenant of the Borough for the last 36 years in a building that was originally a high school and then a middle school.
Peter Petrou, executive director of ECLC, said in his remarks below that the money would be used to create 10 new therapy rooms for ECLC students, who learn life skills and community involvement at the school.
Petrou also said additional bathrooms, the relocation of the administration offices and the nurse's facility were also on the list, and converting the auditorium's balcony area into conference rooms. There are 175 students that attend ECLC.
]]>TOMS RIVER, NJ -- Even when she fouled out with 1:02 left in the fourth quarter, Addison Barrett wouldn't sit down to watch the final minute. The senior stood on the sidelines and cheered in support of her teammates.
"We worked so hard all season and I was so proud of the way we came out today," Barrett, one of the team captains, said. "I'm excited to see what this team does in the future."
Barrett is the only starter that will be gone from a roster packed with juniors and sophomores, a notation for future reference after the Chatham girls basketball team came up short in the Group 3 state final to Mainland Regional, 59-51, on Sunday at the RWJBarnabas Health Arena.
Chatham (28-4) concluded a banner season in which it set a school record with an 18-game winning streak and won the most games in a season of any Cougar girls basketball team. Mainland (31-1) won its first Group 3 state championship since 2019, when it also won over Chatham in the final.
"I just went in there and told them, I hate this game, but I love this team," Joe Gaba, in his 27th season as the Chatham coach, said. "This is our fifth trip (to the state final) and we didn't come away again, but this is a special team. They just have this incredible will to win.
"I said we always try and teach that you play for those who came before you and Lindsay Atchison played in this game in 2009 when we lost to Rumson-Fair Haven and she's on our staff and I said to them, there are so many coaches, being around for so long, that texted me and have seen this program. They call this team the greatest to ever play at Chatham and that means a lot. We've had five teams who have come this far and this was by far the best team this high school has seen in my 27 years."
Mainland closed out the first quarter with a 10-2 run that included baskets by four of its starters, giving the Mustangs a 17-8 advantage that had Chatham playing catchup the rest of the way. Mainland held a 29-21 halftime lead.
"Watching film, I felt that both teams were evenly matched and I just felt the team that could get a lead would be the team that ultimately would win the game and they got the lead," Gaba said. "They're a very hard team to play catchup on."
Still, Chatham stayed in it with the same full-court press that had worked so well for the Cougars in the comeback semifinal win vs. Teaneck.
"I thought our press disrupted them for sure," Gaba said. "If we were just a second late on the rotation, they found the open player and made the pass. I was pleased, I thought our press kept us in the game."
Chatham guard Mia Semioli, who played a strong all-around game, knocked down a jump shot off a pass from Ella Kreuzer (see below) to help the Cougars keep pace with the Mustangs in the third quarter.
Ella von Doussa drove the lane for the finish (see below) that led an 11-7 push for Chatham to end the third quarter.
Junior Arden Alvarez, who scored a team-high 19 points for Chatham, converted a pass from Semioli (6 assists) and completed a three-point play after she was fouled with 1:37 left in the third and Kreuzer converted a three-point play of her own with 16.3 seconds showing as the Cougars trailed, 43-37, heading in the fourth quarter.
Mainland was able to push its lead back up to 52-40 before Chatham made its final push to close the gap, starting with a 3-pointer by Alvarez (see below) off the inbound feed from Semioli.
After the Mustangs sank one foul shot, Barrett scored inside off the jump-pass from Kreuzer (see below).
Barrett then fed Kreuzer, who drained the 3-pointer (see below), to cut the deficit to 53-48 with 1:23 to go, but with time running out, Chatham was forced to foul and Mustang senior Kasey Bretones (18 points) hit four consecutive free throws in a 17-second span to make it 57-48.
"We worked really hard on both ends of the court," Barrett said. "This team was super strong and had all-around really good players. We got beat on the press a couple of times for easy baskets and that helped them put the game away.
"It was really nice to hear (Gaba) say that (this was his greatest team). We've had amazing support all season, so it's been awesome. I think what I'll remember from the season was our will to win. We never gave up."
COUGAR NOTES: Chatham made 11 steals in the game, led by Addison Barrett with four. The senior also led the team with six rebounds and collected four assists, and a block to go with seven points. She concludes her career with 759 points and 443 rebounds ... Cougar junior guard Ella Kreuzer's 11 points gave her a team-leading 562 points on the season and 1,250 points in her career. Kreuzer also led Chatham in rebounds with 159 and in 3-pointers made with 59 ... junior guard Mia Semioli wound up with 11 points, led the team with six assists and pulled down five rebounds. On the season, Semioli hit 37 three-pointers, led the team with 110 assists and cleared 134 rebounds. She takes 931 career points into next season ... junior swing player Arden Alvarez scored a game-high 19 points and made three steals for Chatham in the final and ended the season with 33 three-pointers made and 121 rebounds ... Both Mainland and Chatham were 15 for 20 from the line ... Ella Kreuzer sank four of her five free throws to make her 145 for 165 for 88.4% accuracy from the line on the season ... Mainland was held without a 3-pointer in the game and Chatham made two, with one apiece by Alvarez and Kreuzer.
]]>CHATHAM, NJ -- Chatham Borough Planner Kendra Lelie and Borough Redevelopment Planner Francis Reiner will be making a presentation about obligations and potential options for future affordable housing on Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the regular meeting of the Borough of Chatham Council.
“Being prepared and proactive is the best way for the Borough to make sure that they can make good, thoughtful decisions” Lelie said. She emphasized, “This presentation is purely informational, to get the Council and the public up to speed.”
Part of the affordable housing discussion will include information about how the River Road Area could be affected by any affordable housing plans.
“I know there have been lots of rumors swirling around the River Road area and want to reassure residents that this is an introduction to what will be an extensive conversation,” Council President Jocelyn Mathiasen said. “As a Council, we cannot stop development from happening, so the question is whether we can or should try to shape what does occur.”
The planners will discuss Chatham Borough's current affordable housing obligations and give a status update on meeting those obligations.
“We know this is a hot topic in town and want to make sure residents stay in the loop,” Chatham Borough Mayor Carolyn Dempsey said.
The full agenda and associated topic links can be viewed HERE
The meeting can be streamed live on Zoom or attended in person at 54 Fairmount Ave.
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CHATHAM, NJ -- If anyone on the Chatham girls basketball team can bask in the glow of its record-setting season, it's junior guard Ella Kreuzer, the team's leading scorer.
But the Bucknell University commit isn't allowing herself to think about the girls basketball school records of 28 wins and the 18-game winning streak forged earlier in the season. Chatham (28-3) still has one last game to play when it meets up with Mainland Regional (30-1) in the NJSIAA Group 3 final set for 4:30 p.m. Sunday at RWJBarnabas Health Arena in Toms River.
"We're taking one step at a time," said Kreuzer, who brings 1,259 career points into the game. "Don't think about the end result, focus on winning the game first. They're a strong team and we know that. We have to come with a lot of energy."
Mainland is coming off a 45-43 Group 3 state semifinal win vs. 2023 Group 3 state champion Ewing, which was won at the buzzer on a put-back shot by Sydney Stokes. Seniors Stokes, Kasey Bretones and twins Ava and Bella Mazur are the veteran leaders of the Mainland team that has won 30 games. Ava Mazur has hit 64 3-pointers this season and 128 in her career.
"Both teams are very evenly matched," Joe Gaba, Chatham coach, said. "It could very well come down to the fourth quarter. The team that executes the best is probably going to win this game.
"The key for us is our Achilles heel has been defensive rebounding this year and we have to do a much better job of rebounding the ball than we did in the semifinal game (46-44 win vs. Teaneck on Wednesday). Giving them extra possessions won't be a good thing because they will convert them."
Junior guard Ella von Doussa hits the 3-pointer in Chatham's final practice of the season on Saturday
COUGAR NOTES: Exactly five years to the day, Chatham is facing a rematch with Mainland, which topped the Cougars, 42-35, for the Group 3 state championship, also played in Toms River on March 10, 2019. In that game, Maddie Hartnett led Chatham with a game-high 12 points ... Mainland should be considered the favorite in this matchup when common opponents are considered. Mainland has defeated Rumson-Fair Haven, 57-49, and Trinity Hall, 39-30, while Chatham lost to Rumson, 59-44, and Trinity Hall, 56-49 ... Mainland's only loss of the season was a 77-41 setback to St. John Vianney on Feb. 3 in the War vs. the Shore showcase ... This will be Chatham's fifth try at winning a group state championship in girls basketball.
]]>CHATHAM, NJ -- Elisa Matalobos brought her recipe for Flan with her from Cuba when she settled in New Jersey in 1967 and she's still making it 57 years later.
Matalobos, the grandmother of Chatham Borough Council member Katherine Hay, contributed to a "Flantastic" event when she shared her dessert that helped top off the Chatham Cultural Exchange held at the Senior Center of the Chathams on Saturday afternoon.
Asian, Caribbean, Greek, Indian, Jewish and Cuban were among the variety of homemade dishes shared at the gathering, which organizer Judy-Ann Hargrove talks about in the video below.
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CHATHAM, NJ -- The smell of popcorn filled the packed gym and when the house lights went down the audience was treated to the A Cinematic Celebration by the 173 Chatham High seniors who participated in the 2024 PTO Fashion Show held Friday night at CHS.
When Fashion Show co-chair Shannon Matter finally took her communication headphones off for the first time in something like 48 hours, the PTO's largest fundraiser was once again an unqualified success, backed up by the approving reaction of those in attendance.
"The kids were fantastic the whole time, very organized, very well-behaved and respectful, so that made it easy," Matter, who co-chaired the event with Jamie Callahan, said.
In between dance routines associated with movies such as Grease, Footloose and Dirty Dancing, the students modeled fashions from local vendors in the fast-moving two-hour show that included an intermission.
CHS seniors walk in the finale of the 2024 PTO Fashion Show
The show opened with the CHS girls a cappella group singing "I Will Survive" (see below) and concluded with a "Dirty Dancing" routine.
In the "Dirty Dancing" piece (see below) Jack Bigham of Chatham's state championship swim team catches Riley Druhot and lifts her above his head like in the famous movie scene. Druhot said she wasn't the least bit worried about Bigham's ability to make the catch and lift.
"Not at all, we've done it so many times in practice," Druhot said.
The students also entertained with their version of "Footloose" (see below)
"It was amazing tonight and so much fun," senior Leigha Matter said. "My mother and Mrs. Callahan spent countless hours on this that no one saw."
]]>CHATHAM, NJ -- A new law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in January related to school district board elections and budget votes could prompt the return of school elections to April if the Chatham Board of Education votes to do so.
During his report at Monday's regular Chatham Board of Education meeting, Chatham Superintendent Michael LaSusa informed the board that Gov. Murphy had signed a new law that treats April school board elections the same as the ones held in November.
"The short of it is now is that a school board that elects to hold its board election in April will be treated the same way as a school district that elects to hold its board election in November," LaSusa said.
LaSusa explained in the video below that all school elections used to take place in April, when Type 2 Districts such as Chatham, would hold their board elections and present their budgets to the taxpayers for an up or down vote.
But all that changed in 2012 when Gov. Chris Christie signed into law a change that treated November and April elections differently. If the base budget (not including carved-out exceptions such as healthcare increases) was within the 2% cap of the allowed increase, then there was no need for approval and elections could be held in November with all other elections. But if it stayed in April, then the board would have to present the budget to the public for approval. Most districts, including Chatham, switched to November.
"Most districts decided to move to November because it no longer held a vote on the base budget," LaSusa said. "The only vote that would occur would be if the board of education adopted or put forward a separate proposal to increase the tax levy beyond the two percent, and, of course, this board of education just did that, and there was a separate vote that took place in November."
Chatham taxpayers approved the passage of two separate questions that permanently raised taxes to pay for school security vestibules and school security officers and the second question raised taxes, providing health benefits for paralegals.
Because Chatham holds its school elections in November, that was when the votes took place. LaSusa pointed out that if the vote on the added budget items had taken place in April, those measures could have been implemented sooner. The health benefits for paralegals started to take effect on March 1 and the BOE is still meeting with architects on the design of the security vestibules, according to the report given at Monday's meeting.
LaSusa gives the reasons why districts might want to return to an April vote
"One of the things this board could consider is moving the elections back to April and, therefore, moving the budget adoption back to April and any proposal that would exceed the two percent tax levy would then take place in April and not November," LaSusa said. "The reason that probably many boards of education will consider doing that is that when a separate proposal is put forward for the voters, it's better for the school district and board of education, and the municipal clerks, to know the outcome of the vote before next school year.
"If you take our case this current year, we put forward a proposal in November. Those proposals were approved but those proposals now can't be implemented until we're more than halfway through the school year."
A return to April would also mean that board member terms would end in April and not at the end of the calendar year, but that wouldn't be the case in a transition year from November to April.
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Do you have your yard plans set up yet for 2024?
Spring officially starts March 19, a day earlier this year because of Leap Year (the whole extra day thing with a 29th day in February and all).
And while there’s been some snow this season, whenever the sun comes out and grass once again shows, homeowners can’t help but think about getting outside and spending time in their yards.
But what does yours look like? Is it up to par? Are you thinking about something new? Imagine the possibilities with an outdoor area that becomes a whole new living space for your home.
Borst Landscape & Design is thinking the same thing, and as the saying goes, great minds think alike.
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Organic lawn care and maintenance have become important issues not just for your family and pets, but for the environment, as well. Borst “is committed to being the best…naturally.”
“We want families to be comfortable when their children play,” Jason Crean, Borst’s Director of Maintenance, said. “When their pets are on the lawn. When friends and family come to visit.”
Borst offers natural, effective, and fully customizable organic lawn care.
“Organic care is safer, safer for your lawn and safer for your loved ones,” Jason said. “Instead of resorting to quick-fix hazardous chemicals, our sustainable and environmentally friendly approach works in concert with nature’s system of built-in checks and balances to keep your lawn lush and more resilient.”
And the natural method is usually more sustainable. From native northern Jersey plants to levels of rainfall during the spring and summer months, Borst knows what will grow and what fits best on your property.
“We will make it look pristine,” Jason said. “Proper mowing and especially weeding make a real difference on how your property looks.”
Changing out plants seasonally is another practice that can make your yard stand out.
“We have dedicated crews that work on specific properties,” Jason said. “You will know your account manager and even your landscape designer, and you can call with concerns and problems.”
The landscape designer will get into the nitty gritty of new design plans and help make your vision a reality. Maybe it’s a cooking area or an entertainment space outlined with bushes, plants, and flowers that create an inviting atmosphere.
“We can make what a homeowner thinks is impossible possible,” Dave Beasley, Director of Design, said. “We can work functional miracles in small spaces.”
If you have a larger space, Borst does that, too.
“We’ve done swimming pools, sport courts, vegetable gardens, you name it, we’ll put it together for you,” Dave said.
For a yard consult, call (201)785-9400 today and re-imagine your outdoor space with a Borst Landscape & Design pro.
FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ -- From Joe Gaba's count, he had spent 41 practices and 31 games coaching the Chatham girls basketball team this season. Yet he didn't recognize the players he saw wearing Chatham uniforms in the first half of the NJSIAA Group 3 state tournament semifinal matchup vs. Teaneck.
"I'm not going to lie, I gave it to them a little bit at halftime," Gaba said. "We just needed to wake up because it wasn't the team they were capable of being. That was not the Ella Kreuzer I know. She was missing and passing up shots. Right before she stepped on the court before the start of the third quarter, I said to her, there are not enough shots that you can take in the second half."
The Cougars responded to Gaba's "pep talk" with a furious full-court press that turned the tide in their favor and Kreuzer rediscovered her game, scoring 16 of the final 21 points for her team as Chatham took the lead and held on for a 46-44 win vs. Teaneck on Wednesday night at Ramapo High.
Chatham (28-3) will try to win its first Group 3 state championship when it meets Mainland (30-1), 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the RWJBarnas Health Arena in Toms River.
Kreuzer's free throw with a minute left had staked Chatham to a 45-42 lead before Erin Frazier's basket for Teaneck (23-8) with 47 seconds left cut it to one. Addison Barrett's foul shot put Chatham up, 46-44, with 7.6 seconds showing. Mia Semioli defended Frazier over the final seconds, tipping her pass that Barrett grabbed to set off the celebration (see below).
"We just knew we couldn't foul because we had four fouls and then they would get free throws," Semioli said of the final seconds. "So we decided to stay in front of them and try not to let them pass it long and we did that."
Mia Semioli, Addison Barrett and Ella Kreuzer talk about the win
Chatham was down, 23-14, at the halftime break and Teaneck improved its lead to 26-14 before Semioli got the comeback started with a basket in transition off a pass from Barrett and followed with a 3-pointer off a feed from Kreuzer (see below). Semioli scored 10 of her 13 points in the second half.
"Gaba got us riled up," Semioli said. "We knew we had to pick up the energy and pick up the offense. I think it was our press that brought a lot of energy and we kept getting steals."
Barrett's reverse layup inside off a pass from Arden Alvarez (see below), followed by Semioli's drive to the basket for two points cut the deficit to 28-23.
Chatham was able to ramp up its full-court pressure once Kreuzer began to connect from the outside. That started with 2:34 left in the third quarter when the junior guard made the first of her three 3-pointers in the second half.
Teaneck held a 35-28 advantage heading into the fourth quarter when Kreuzer scored 10 straight points for the Cougars in fueling a 14-2 run. Kreuzer ignited the burst with a drop-step 3-pointer and then followed with a steal that she turned into a layup. The Bucknell commit then received a pass from Semioli and drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key (see below).
Kreuzer then picked off the Teaneck inbound pass after her 3-pointer to score and give Chatham its first lead of the game at 38-37. Alvarez then drove the lane and finished with her left hand (see below) before Semioli capped the spree off a Kreuzer steal and pass to make 42-37 for the Cougars.
"Gaba gave us a good halftime speech," Kreuzer said. "We knew we were better than that. We've been down by more than that. At halftime, we were down by nine. We knew we could come back. I think it was that mindset that really helped us get through."
Kreuzer's two free throws with two minutes left gave her 13 points in the fourth quarter when Chatham outscored Teaneck, 18 to 9. The two fouls made it 44-40 for Chatham before the frenetic finish.
COUGAR NOTES: The current Chatham team has a chance to make an indelible mark on the program if it can become the first girls basketball team to win a group championship when it meets Mainland on Sunday. The Cougars' win vs. Teaneck set a single-season school record for wins with 28 and this group already owns the program record of 18 straight wins it reeled off earlier in the season ... Chatham also met Mainland in the 2019 Group 3 state final and lost, 42-35, to the South Jersey school ... In its semifinal on Wednesday, Mainland knocked off defending Group 3 champion Ewing, 45-43, on a shot at the buzzer by Sydney Stokes. Ewing held a 33-21 lead entering the fourth quarter before Mainland closed with a 24-10 final period to win it. Kasey Bretones scored 18 points and Ava Mazur collected 11 points and 15 rebounds for Mainland ... Chatham junior Ella Kreuzer's 17 points gave her 551 points on the season and 1,259 career points ... Cougar junior Mia Semioli's 13 points gave her 920 career points while senior Addison Barrett now has 752 career points.
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SEWELL, NJ -- After winning respective boys and girls state Group B championships, Chatham sent 12 swimmers to compete in individual events and at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions last weekend at the GCIT pool and returned with five school records.
"It was a weekend full of fast swims and fun times," Laura Hartnett, Chatham swim coach, said. "We had 12 swimmers compete in 16 individual events with Kiera Harkins, Madeline Crawford, Jack Bigham and Charlie Kulp qualifying for the A finals on day 2 of the meet. We had 6 relays entered into the meet, with 3 of them, Girls 200 and 400 Free and Boys 200 Free, returning for the A Finals. There were 5 team records broken and/or reset this weekend."
Cougar senior Bigham placed fifth at the Meet of Champions in the 100 breaststroke, breaking his own school record in the preliminaries with a time of 56.71 and then resetting it again in the finals by touching in 56.65.
Bigham also teamed up with Ransom Chang, Chip Powers and Charlie Kulp to clock 1:25.65 in the 200 freestyle relay to place third in the state. The school-record time qualified for All-American consideration.
Junior Charlie Kulp also placed fourth in the state in the 50 freestyle and set the school record in placing sixth in the 100 freestyle. Kulp set the 100 record of 56.71 in his preliminary race and then lowered it to 56.65 in the final.
Chatham sophomores Kiera Harkins and Madeline Crawford also made their marks. Harkins set a new school record in the 100 butterfly preliminaries with a time of 56.37 and finished 8th in the finals.
Crawford set a school record in the 200 freestyle preliminaries with a time of 1:50.99 and finished sixth in the state in the finals. Harkins placed 8th in the 200 free finals with a personal best time of 1:51.72.
Crawford placed eighth in the state in the 500 free and sophomore Jack Kulp was 10th in the 500 for the Chatham boys.
The Chatham girls 200 free relay of Alison Barton, Sarah Thomas, Madeline Crawford and Kiera Harkins finished 7th in the state while the Cougars 400 free relay of Crawford, Avery Loock, Barton and Harkins placed sixth in the state.
Chatham Highlights from NJSIAA Swimming Meet of Champions
]]>CHATHAM, NJ -- The Chatham girls basketball team wouldn't mind a "Fast and Furious" pace when it meets up with Teaneck in the Group 3 state semifinal, 7 p.m. Wednesday at Ramapo High in Franklin Lakes.
"This team wants to play fast," Joe Gaba, Chatham coach, said. "We have a saying before we go out on the floor for every game, I say play like a Ferrari, be fast."
Both Chatham (27-3) and Teaneck (23-7) are likely to press each other during the course of the contest and the Cougars would like to step on the pedal like they did in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 final when they ran Colonia out of the gym, 67-32, in a game that was over before third quarter ended.
"When he says Ferrari, I think of our athleticism as a team," CHS senior forward Addison Barrett said. "When we come out super strong and fast, with a lot of energy this season, we've won."
Teaneck features two veteran forwards in 6-0 seniors Erin Frazier and Demi Simpson, along with 5-10 freshman swing player Leayana Dorville. Frazier averages 9.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game while Simpson owns 1,010 career rebounds and comes in averaging 13.1 points and 12.8 rebounds. She also has 795 career points and sinks 77% of her free throws. Dorville checks in with 11.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
"Defensive rebounding, not turning the ball over, executing our halfcourt offense and being able to press them are our four keys to the game," Gaba said. "And, of course, shooting the ball. Every game is different but they're ready to go."
Chatham counters with junior guard Ella Kreuzer, who scores 17.8 points and clears 4.7 rebounds per game while averaging two steals per contest. Kreuzer shoots 89.5% from the foul line and her team-leading total of 553 points puts her at 1,242 points in her career. Kreuzer's 55 three-pointers makes her an inside-out scoring threat.
But, unlike Colonia's 2,000-point scorer Taylor Derkack, Kreuzer has a large supporting cast that includes backcourt mate Mia Semioli, who comes in with an across-the-board contribution of 10.3 ppg., to go with 115 rebounds, 98 assists and 39 steals. The junior has made 36 three-pointers and has 907 career points.
Barrett, a four-year starter, has 746 career points and has pulled down 114 rebounds this season. Junior McKenna Hogan clears 4.5 rebounds per game and junior Arden Alvarez has 106 rebounds to go with her 32 three-pointers made.
"I know we're well prepared," Barrett said. "We're working super hard in practice. We're just excited to be here. Thinking back to my sophomore year, and the juniors' freshman year, I think in our head is that Sparta game when we lost on a buzzer-beater (in the state semifinals). Those feelings are still there, even though it was two years ago, and we want to get past this and reach the final."
COUGAR NOTES: Two years ago, Chatham lost a heartbreaker to Sparta, 48-46, at Ramapo High in the Group 3 state semifinals on March 9, 2022, after the clock was reset to 1.1, allowing for a final shot that Ally Sweeney made for Sparta to break the tie and prevent overtime. Ella von Doussa, a freshman on that Chatham team, had blocked Molly Chapman's shot on what appeared to be the last play of the fourth quarter as the buzzer sounded with the score tied, 46-46, but the referee ran in and called a jump ball on the block by von Doussa and the arrow was pointing in Sparta's direction. The clock was reset from 0.0 to 1.1 and that was all Sweeney needed to untie it ... Chatham last made it to the Group 3 state final in 2019 when it defeated Pascack Valley, 41-38, in the semifinals before losing in the Group 3 final to Mainland, 42-35. Chatham held a 29-27 edge heading into the fourth quarter vs. Mainland in the 2019 final ... Mainland (29-1) and Ewing (26-5) are set to meet in the other half of the Group 3 semifinals on Wednesday in a rematch of the 2023 semis when Mainland topped Ewing, 54-50, and then lost to Sparta, 62-41, in the state final.
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MORRISTOWN, NJ -- The Chatham High Robotics team "//Cougars" won the FIRST Tech Challenge League Tournament, taking the final tiebreaker vs. top-seeded Delbarton for a final score of 231 to 209 vs. the Green Wave on Saturday at Delbarton.
Chatham's two FTC robotics teams known as the Chatham Cougars and //Cougars both earned awards from the judges, competing in a field of 23 teams.
Chatham's //Cougars forced a tie-breaking match with Delbarton before taking home first place with its final tally of 231.
The Chatham teams also received recognition for their innovation and technical expertise, with the //Cougars gaining the second place Think Award for demonstrating their ability to think critically and creatively in solving complex engineering challenges.
The Chatham Cougars were also signaled out by the judges, taking second place in the Control Award category with their robot’s control and precision during the tournament.
The Chatham High School robotics teams now turn their focus to the upcoming state tournament set for March 17th at Hillsborough High.
COLONIA, NJ -- The Chatham High Academic Team brought home two trophies from the Colonia High School Tournament held last Friday, earning the top two spots.
The Cougar Academic B Team took first place and the CHS A Team earned second place out of the 28 teams competing. Also, the D Team qualified for the playoffs of the tournament, giving Chatham three teams in the top eight in the competition.
"I'm really proud of this team. Our performance was just flat out amazing and I couldn't have asked for a better tournament," Elliot Ryu, CHS Academic A Team captain, said. "Everyone facilitated their roles, and I think that's what led us to victory. After going the season without any major trophies to our name, we truly made our mark this year at Colonia."
The CHS A Team: Natalie Hefferon, TJ Kobylarz, James Li, Elliot Ryu (captain), Matthew Tivade.
The CHS B-Team: Ishir Rao, Ishita Yadav, Shreyan Lingampalli (captain), Brooks Wang, Joshua Tivade, Luca Visentini.
The CHS C Team: Aidan Ryu (captain), Teddy Bacon, Tommy Proscia, Daniel Steiner, Shashwat Chakraborty, Samuel Zhang.
The CHS D Team: Jack Loatman, Peter Krieg, Ranvir Iyengar (captain), Anna Rice, Alan Chen.
]]>CHATHAM, NJ -- Chatham Superintendent Michael LaSusa announced that the School District of the Chathams can now offer full-day kindergarten to all families for the next school year at Monday's regular meeting of the Chatham Board of Education held in the CHS Auditorium.
"We believe we've arrived at a point where we can offer all families who are interested in it, full-day kindergarten for next year," LaSusa said.
So far, there are 207 students registered for full-day kindergarten and the district has room for them all because it has added two additional kindergarten classrooms, one at Southern Boulevard School and one at Washington Avenue School, by shifting 65 third-graders, and three teachers, to Lafayette School for next year.
That will make 11 full-day kindergarten classes divided between SBS, Washington and Milton Avenue School. LaSusa said that two new teachers would need to be hired for the two additional classes.
The complete realignment for the district is scheduled for the 2025-2026 school year when there will be three pre-k/K-2 elementary schools; Grades 3 and 4 housed at Lafayette School; Grades 5-6-7-8 at the Chatham Middle School and 9-12 at the high school.
LaSusa explains the logistics and the addition of two new kindergarten classes
The district has been offering full-day kindergarten through a lottery system, with parents paying a $7,000 tuition fee. There will still be a tuition fee for the next school year, but it has yet to be determined what that amount will be. When questioned at the BOE meeting, LaSusa indicated that the fee would be determined around the middle of March.
"That would be up to the board," LaSusa said of the possible dollar figure of the tuition fee.
LaSusa said that very few parents have requested the free half-day kindergarten classes offered with 90% requesting the full-day program.
The full Chatham BOE meeting for Monday, March 4, can be viewed below
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CHATHAM, NJ -- Dr. Ernani Sadural used to be on call, rushing to deliver a baby at all hours of the day or night in his 27 years as an obstetrician. That came to a screeching halt seven years ago when a heart attack told him he had to slow down and change his life.
Dr. Sadural, director of Global Health for RWJ Barnabas, now has nine stents in his heart and he's switched from delivering newborns to spreading the word about ways to reduce stress and promote a healthier lifestyle.
"I'm out in the community talking more about preventive medicine because it's not too late to change your lifestyle habits to not only prevent disease but, with treatment, reverse it," Dr. Sadural said. "No matter who you are, you can break it down to a couple of things anyone can do."
Dr. Sadural was at the Chatham Fish & Game on Saturday checking the vitals of Chatham residents and offering tips on how to reduce stress. In addition to checking people's blood pressure, Sadural also did a stroke risk assessment with a quick blood test that measured the total cholesterol level, and broke it down to HDL and LDL, the triglyceride and glucose levels.
It was all part of the free public wellness event organized by the Chatham Area Chamber of Commerce.
"I've found that the people coming here today are thinking proactively about their health," Christine Steinberg, nurse practitioner, said.
Dr. Joseph Murphy of the Suburban Chiropractic Center in Chatham has been treating patients for nearly 40 years and he's seen the community grow more health-conscious over time.
"Younger families moving into Chatham are interested in a more holistic approach to their health," Murphy said. "Their wellness now includes nutrition and exercise."
Chatham resident Katherine Hay grew up with skin problems, so she decided to do something about it 10 years ago, developing a formula for skin care in her kitchen. Five years ago she launched her company Kate Made and, after years of testing, she finally put her product on the market in October.
"Instead of using 10 different products, you can take care of yourself with one," Hay said. "It moisturizes the skin, but it has three active ingredients in coffee extract; vitamin C and niacin. All of those things help with inflammation, acne, and eczema. But it's also good for maturing skin. It travels with you."
Hay, who also serves as a member of the Chatham Borough Council, gave out free samples of her product that can be found at katemadeskincare.com.
Other innovators at the wellness event included Mamie Bayoh, co-owner of Vital IV Infusions, located at 159 Main Street in Chatham. Bayoh teamed up with fellow nurse practitioners to open the office in Chatham in April of 2022.
"We offer IV hydration, IV vitamins, weight loss and Ketamine for anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and migraines," Bayoh said.
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NEW YORK -- Senior Caroline Himstreet and junior Adam Petitjean represented Chatham at the NJSIAA Indoor Track & Field Meet of Champions held Sunday at Ocean Breeze, with Himstreet setting a school record and Petijean finishing in the top 8 in his race.
Himstreet clocked a personal-best time of 5:07.87 in the 1600 to set a new indoor school record, breaking the mark of 5:07.88 set by Sarah Petitjean. Himstreet placed 15th in the race.
"I knew going in that I was close to the record so it was definitely something I had in my mind while I was running," Himstreet said. "It was a really fast race with so many amazing runners. I feel lucky that I was able to get under the record today and grateful I got to run in this meet."
Himstreet will compete in the two-mile race on Friday at Nike Indoor Nationals at the Armory in New York.
Adam Petitjean ran 1:54.90 in the boys 800 at the Meet of Champions, placing 8th.
FLEMINGTON, NJ -- Fresh off their NJSIAA State team championship victories on Thursday night, members of the Chatham boys and girls fencing teams turned in strong performances in the 2024 State Individual Championships on Saturday at Hunterdon Central High School.
Members of every Cougar squad qualified – including 14 fencers out of a maximum of 18 possible – underlining head coach Jerry Duffey’s season-long observation that the Chatham teams' balance would be its greatest strength.
All the Chatham fencers who competed placed in the top 32 in New Jersey in their respective weapons, on a day when approximately 240 athletes in all competed.
Individual medalists for the Chatham boys on Saturday were senior Dev Badlani, third in foil; senior Oliver Epstein, fifth in sabre, and junior Skanda Krishnan, sixth in epee. Each of the top eight fencers competed in approximately 17 bouts across three pool rounds, a long day of fencing by any standard. Cougar fencers also competing were junior foil Nate West, senior foil Daniel Tam, and junior epee Pearce Lally.
Medalists among the Chatham girls were senior Azniv Basralian, fourth in epee; freshman Diya Badlani, seventh in foil, and junior Bani Sond, eighth in epee. The entire Chatham girls sabre squad was represented, with strong finishes by senior Natalie Yen, senior Aiden Bernstein and junior Alessa Cooney. The whole Cougar epee squad was also represented, with sophomore Lucine Basralian making her second appearance in the Individuals Championship.
Chatham head coach Jerry Duffey noted Saturday’s results represented the strongest overall showing the Chatham program has ever had at this event, and that Chatham fencers set new team records in four out of the six events.
“We are fortunate to have so many fencers that managed to balance their personal fencing pursuits with being a member of the team program,” Duffey said. “We are all very proud of what each of our fencers has accomplished this year at every level, and we are especially proud of what they accomplished working together.”
With the extraordinary Chatham fencing season now complete, many of the athletes will train and compete with their club teams. Fencing studios in and near Chatham provide opportunities for fencers of all ages to learn the sport.
]]>CHATHAM, NJ -- The Chatham girls basketball team is quite adept at arranging themselves for team photos after big wins, like the picture-perfect victory they put together on Saturday to the delight of the home crowd in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 state championship game.
"We did everything right," Joe Gaba, Chatham coach, said. "It was like a perfect storm. It's what you wish for every night, but at least it happened here. This was the most clinical offensive and defensive game that we have played."
Indeed, it would be hard to find a fault in Chatham's game after its immaculate 67-32 win vs. Colonia that earned the program its seventh state sectional championship.
Chatham (27-3) will face Teaneck (23-7), the North 1 champions, in the state Group 3 semifinal round set for 7 p.m. Wednesday at Ramapo High.
Junior guard Ella Kreuzer finished with a game-high 22 points and took the game over in the third period when she scored 10 points during a 21-4 Chatham run that put the game out of reach. She led the balanced offensive effort that included 13 points from senior Addison Barrett and 12 points apiece from juniors Mia Semioli and Arden Alvarez.
Senior guard Taylor Derkack, a 2,000-point scorer, was held to 14 points in the game as every Chatham starter took turns guarding the 6-0 scoring machine of Colonia (22-9).
Ella Kreuzer, Mia Semioli, Addison Barrett and Arden Alvarez talk about the win
"The last time we played them, she destroyed us," Kreuzer said of the 33 points Derkack scored vs. Chatham in January. "She's a great shooter. Coming into this game, we scouted her and we knew we were going to double-team her; front her, backside her. Gaba told us that once someone picks up a foul, we're going to keep moving it, and another girl would get her."
Bucknell University commit Kreuzer was the player of the game, connecting on 8 of 12 shots from the floor, which included 3-for-4 accuracy from 3-point range. She also made all three of her foul shots and drew a charge on Derkack, who made just 3-of-17 shots from the floor and was 0-for-7 from behind the arc.
"Everyone contributed the whole game, Addie had great drives, Mia, everyone defensively played great," Kreuzer said. "The steals were there, that's how we had possessions on offense, it was the steals on Taylor. We disrupted her on offense and forced some turnovers and that was really important."
After closing out the first half with a 3-pointer by Alvarez (see below) off the pass from Semioli that gave the Cougars a 31-14 lead at the break, Chatham opened the third quarter with a 21-4 run that ballooned its lead to 52-18 with under two minutes left in the quarter.
Alvarez picked up where she left off in the first half when she drained a 3-pointer from the left corner (see below) off a feed from Kreuzer in the first minute of action.
Alvarez then received a pass from Semioli as she made a back-door cut through the lane and finished with a reverse layup (see below) before Kreuzer dropped in a 3-pointer (see below), also from the left corner.
Barrett scored a basket inside before Kreuzer launched a high-arcing 3-pointer that swished through. Kreuzer then showed off her crossover move with a dash through the lane that she finished at the rim. Semioli sank two foul shots and Barrett drove to put away a left-handed layup. Kreuzer then capped the run, connecting with a mid-range jumper off a feed from McKenna Hogan for her 10th point of the run. The last basket gave Kreuzer 22 points and Chatham a 52-18 lead.
"If she didn't prove today that she's one of the top 15 players in New Jersey, I don't know what else she can do," Gaba said of Kreuzer. "She carried the load for us offensively and she had to be the primary defender on Derkack. What can you say about her? There were times that I wished she would take more shots, she just won't do it. She just always makes the right decision, always makes the right pass and always takes the right shot. Honestly one of the best players I've had the pleasure of coaching. I'm so happy for her to play like this in front of this crowd."
Both teams started the game with a full-court press, but Chatham's was more effective as the Cougars moved to an 18-7 lead in the first quarter, capped by Kreuzer's drive, where she made the basket as she was poked in the eye (see below). She sank the bonus free throw and then showed that her eyesight was fine by draining a 3-pointer from the left corner with 47 seconds showing in the period.
In the second quarter, Kreuzer scored four more points to give her 12 in the first half and also drew a charge on a Derkack drive to the basket.
"It helped playing them once before," Gaba said. "Just knowing how good and dynamic a guard (Derkack) is, our approach in guarding her this time was better. Our game plan against her was to run different bodies on her. One of the things we picked up on film is that she handles the ball primarily and we just wanted to get the ball out of her hands and then use a secondary trap, and that's kind of what we practiced."
Soon after the game ended, Barrett and her Chatham teammates were already thinking about Wednesday's Group 3 semifinal vs. Teaneck.
"I really think we can go all the way and we've been saying this from the beginning," Barrett, a four-year starer, said. "Since the summer, this has been our goal. Teaneck is a good team and now we have to prepare for them.
"Right now it's just setting in that it's my last game on this court, I was just focusing in on this win and this moment. It's super awesome. This was a picture-perfect way to end it."
COUGAR NOTES: Chatham coach Joe Gaba's 526th career win, one of the most impressive in his 27 seasons, secured Chatham's seventh state sectional crown, joining Gaba-led teams from 2004, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2019 and 2022 ... Cougar junior guard Ella Kreuzer's 22 points gave her 534 points on the season and 1,242 points in her career. Kreuzer stands No. 3 on the all-time Chatham girls basketball scoring chart and her junior backcourt mate Mia Semioli is also climbing the charts. Semioli's 12 points vs. Colonia gave her 907 career points and places her at 13th on the all-time list behind Maddie Hartnett, who ended with 959 points in 2020 and ahead of former teammate Riley Allen, who finished with 864 points last season. Senior forward Addison Barrett's 13 points gave her 746 career points for No. 18 on the Chatham scoring list ... After collecting 33 points and 23 rebounds for Colonia in a 49-44 loss at home to Chatham on Jan. 18, senior guard Taylor Derkack was held to 14 points and seven rebounds vs. the Cougars in the sectional final on Saturday. The 6-0 UMass commit concluded her brilliant high school career with 2,062 points and 1,233 rebounds. In her 31 games this season, she collected 727 points and 404 rebounds ... Mia Semioli's four assists for Chatham gave her 98 for the season ... In the regular-season win at Colonia, the Cougars were held without a 3-pointer in the game. In the rematch, Chatham made seven threes, led by Ella Kreuzer with three, Arden Alvarez with two and one apiece from McKenna Hogan and Semioli ... Chatham made 10 of 12 free throws with Kreuzer making all three of her attempts. She's now made 137 of 153 foul shots this season - an 89.5% accuracy rate ... Derkack made 8 of 9 free throws for Colonia, which made 12 of 13 - 92.3% - as a team ... Teaneck won its second straight North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 state championship with a 59-46 win vs. Old Tappan in the sectional final on Saturday. Erin Frazier, a 6-0 senior, led Teaneck with 16 points, which included 12-for-12 from the foul line, and 13 rebounds and senior forward Demi Simpson had 13 points and eight rebounds. Simpson now has 1,010 career rebounds ... Teaneck has defeated Old Tappan twice this season and Chatham owns a 55-29 win over Old Tappan in a game played on Jan. 14 at Pascack Valley High ... Teaneck has won its previous two matchups vs. Chatham, the last a 48-37 decision on Dec. 19, 2021 at Pascack Valley.
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