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Raider basketball teams split in Jack Boyd Doubleheader

Members of the Jack Boyd family present the game ball Sunday to Pleasantville coach Butch Warner (left) and Ocean City coach John Bruno (right). From left are Jeff Boyd, Rita Boyd, Jake Boyd and Jonathan Boyd.

The Ocean City High School basketball teams split victories in the Jack Boyd Memorial Doubleheader that concluded the weekend’s 20th annual Ocean City PBA Tipoff Weekend.

Paul Baruffi’s girls jumped out to a 17-0 lead and defeated Atlantic Tech, 47-27. And John Bruno’s boys overcame a 26-point first period by Pleasantville and cut the lead to four in the fourth quarter before losing, 71-65.

Jack Boyd was a former OCHS basketball coach who won 255 games in his career, currently the 14th highest total in CAL history. A former college player at Duke University, Boyd is a member of the South Jersey Basketball Hall of Fame. Since he died almost four years ago the final two games of Tipoff Weekend have been dedicated to his memory.

Members of the Jack Boyd family present the game ball Sunday to Pleasantville coach Butch Warner (left) and Ocean City coach John Bruno (right). From left are Jeff Boyd, Rita Boyd, Jake Boyd and Jonathan Boyd.

In the girls game, Ocean City (2-0) was led by sophomore Emma Finnegan with 14 points and eight rebounds. Kilie Wyers added 11 points, including three from three-point range. Mickey Baker had eight points and 10 rebounds and Tori Rolls made four assists. Julianna Montero scored 12 for ACIT.

Tom Jamison led the OCHS boys with 18 points, including a pair of three-pointers. Donovan Graham, in his first varsity game, had 15 points, six boards and three blocks. Joey Sacco had 14 points and six assists. Pleasantville’s Divine Anderson had 25 points and five steals. Sahmir Jones added 19 points and Jacob Valeus had 14 points and 17 rebounds.

In previous Sunday games at Tipoff Weekend, Haddon Township’s girls defeated Middle Township, 38-33, with Grace Marshall scoring 20 points. Freshman Kate Herlihy had 14 points and four steals for Middle.

The Atlantic City boys powered past Ewing, 72-50, behind the 34-point performance by Ray Bethea. It was the fifth highest scoring game in the 20 years of Tipoff Weekend. Nazim Berry added 13 points and four steals for the Vikings.

And Ewing defeated the Atlantic City girls, 70-51, with Mya Grimes getting 22 points, 14 rebounds, six steals, three blocks and two assists. Qeiajae Canty led Atlantic City with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

On Saturday, Lower Cape May edged Cape May Tech, 61-58, on a three-pointer with six seconds left by freshman Martin Anguelov, playing his first varsity game. Anguelov led Lower scoring with 17, including five from three-point range. Pat Moore added 15 points with Patrick Holden getting 13 points and 10 assists, a new Tipoff Weekend assist record. James Longstreet and Josh Wright each had 15 for Tech with Longstreet grabbing 10 rebounds. Ray Abbott had 14 points and eight assists.

In the second game, Holy Spirit evened its record with a 72-60 win over Toms River East. Sam LaMonaca had 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Drew Gallagher added 15, Reece Miller had 11 and Christian Kalinowski 10. Jack Goodall had 15 and Zyaire Dorne 11 for East.

Wildwood Catholic opened its season with an impressive 69-52 win over two-time defending state champion Teaneck. Caleb Fields scored 21, Taj Thweatt added 14 and Charles Fields scored 10. Ja’Quaye James, Teaneck’s all-time leading scorer, led the Highwaymen with 24 points.

St. Joseph improved to 2-0 with an 87-61 win over Wildwood. Freshman Devin Benson scored for the Wildcats, Ian Brown had 14, Marcellus Ross 13 and Dimitrius Parrish 12. Tyler Tomlin scored 27 and Will Long 17 for Wildwood, which played without two starters, including Kyion Flanders, last year’s South Jersey scoring leader. Donny Rexkepi, a transfer from Lower Cape May, had six points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks for the Warriors.

In Saturday’s finale, St. Augustine topped Winslow Township, 63-51, in a battle of two defending South Jersey champions. Marlin Hargis scored 18 for The Prep with Charles Solomon getting 15 and Nkem Ota 10. Winslow was led by Kamron Johnson with 18 points.

This year’s field featured six defending sectional champions, including three of last year’s four boys sectional champions from Group 3. Portions of the proceeds go to the Edythe T. Selvagn Scholarship Fund.  More information about the event is available at PrimeEvents.net.

Tipoff Weekend started in 1998 in Egg Harbor Township where it was held for four seasons. After one year at Holy Spirit and two in the Ventnor Complex, the event settled in Ocean City in 2005. It has continued in the Dixie Howell Memorial Gymnasium with the support of the Ocean City PBA and a group of other businesses and individuals.

In addition to the Ocean City PBA, the event is also sponsored by Thomas Heist Insurance, Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, the City of Ocean City, the Ocean City Firefighters, the Ocean City Free Public Library, Coco-Cola Bottling, the Ocean City Aquatic & Fitness Center, Sack-O-Subs and Schoppy.com.

20th Annual Ocean City PBA Tipoff Weekend

Saturday
Noon —— Lower Cape May boys 61, Cape May Tech 58
1:45pm — Holy Spirit boys 72, Toms River East 60
3:30pm — Wildwood Catholic boys 69, Teaneck 52
5:15pm — St. Joseph boys 87, Wildwood 61
7:00pm — St. Augustine 63, Winslow Township 51

Sunday
Noon —— Ewing girls 70, Atlantic City 51
1:45pm — Atlantic City boys 72, Ewing 50
3:30pm — Haddon Township girls 38, Middle Township 33
5:15pm — Ocean City girls 47, Atlantic Tech 27
7:00pm — Pleasantville boys 71, Ocean City 65