Falcons win 3rd state sectional title in a row

The Jefferson Township High School girls basketball team once again reigned in the post-season.

The Falcons fashioned a 24-5 mark this season and captured their third straight New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 championship when they powered to a 52-31 decision over Glen Rock on March 1.

Jefferson, looking for its first state title since 1992, then fell to Madison, 38-26, in the Group 2 semifinal round March 5. The Falcons last reached the state final two years ago, when they bowed to Manasquan.

After defeating Madison, 41-35, in the quarterfinal round of the Morris County Tournament, Jefferson bowed to Chatham, 45-29, in the semifinal round.

The Falcons then won their next six games before meeting Madison again in the Group 2 semis. Jefferson went 14-2 in its final 16 contests to record its third straight 20-victory campaign.

James MacDermid just completed his 11th season at the helm of the Falcons and has compiled a mark of 219-80 at the school, including 72 wins in the past three seasons.

This year’s team was led by senior guard Emily Poulas, who averaged 11.7 points per game - including 63 three-pointers - and finished her career with 1,041 career points. She is the school’s all-time leading three-point shooter, with 231 shots made from long distance.

Other catalysts this season included seniors Cassidy Ball (11.8 ppg) and Grace Weihmillern (7.1 ppg), junior Kiley Shatzel (6.6 ppg) and sophomore Emily Barone (4.5 ppg).

Here’s how other Jefferson sports teams fared this winter:

Boys basketball

The Falcons enjoyed a highly successful 16-8 campaign this season, under head coach Joe DiGennaro, who just completed his 27th season on the sideline.

Jefferson again won the Freedom Division of the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference championship for the fourth straight season, this season with a 9-1 record.

The season ended with a 64-61 loss to Glen Rock in the quarterfinal round of the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 Tournament on Feb. 26.

The squad was paced by seniors Jeff Evans (16.2 ppg, 51 three-pointers), Luke Delacruz (12.8 ppg, 35 three-pointers) and Timmy Buttenmuller (6.5 ppg, 32 three-pointers); sophomores Noah Delacruz (7.5 pp., 41 three-pointers) and John Campbell (8.5 ppg); and junior Calen Reid (4.4 ppg, 19 three-pointers).

Wrestling

After a 3-4 start, the Falcons went 14-1 to reach the NJSIAA Group 2 championship round, where they bowed to Rumson-Fair Haven to finish 17-6 this winter.

Jefferson edged High Point, 32-29, to capture the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 crown - its first sectional title since 2000 - on Feb. 7 at home.

Christian Gould earned a 4-3 decision over Eli Nosal at 157 pounds to provide Jefferson with a 32-26 lead with one bout remaining.

Frank Figel (106 pounds), Michael VanderMeulen (126), Ryan Flammer (165) and Timothy Connolly (285) each qualified for the state tournament at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City but none of them placed in the top eight.

Figel, VanderMeulen and Connolly each were third in their respective weight classes at the Region 1 championships Feb. 24 while Flammer was fourth.

Girls wrestling

Sophomores Reilly Callan and Alexa Scholz paced the Falcons this season.

Indoor track

Mike Nwankwo placed 28th in the shot put with a heave of 46-0 at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions on March 3 at the Ocean Breeze Facility in Staten Island, N.Y.

Nwankwo, a senior, had qualified for the Meet of Champions by finishing second in the Group 2 championships with a throw of 54-11.25 on Feb. 17 in Toms River.

Bowling

Jefferson was superb on the lanes this season, going 17-5 and winning the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 championship at Bowler City in Hackensack on Feb. 27.

The Falcons edged Pascack Valley, 2-1, as they won the last two games after dropping the first.

Jefferson then saw its season end when it lost to undefeated and No. 1 ranked St. Joseph of Metuchen, 2-0, in a Group 2 semifinal.

This year’s squad was led by Nick Brindisi (207.89 average), Ray Bradley (186.13), Josh Hale (181.2), Dane Matar (175.91), Jake Shellhammer (159.98) and Ryan Tirpak (152.21).

Jefferson finished second to Montville in the team race at the Morris County Tournament, with Brindisi rolling the high series of the event with a 680.