On Saturday February 7th, Bernards Basketball made history. However, instead of the Mountaineers of Bernards High, it was the Bulldogs of Bernardsville Middle School that etched their names into the record books. The Bernardsville girls and boys middle school teams won their respective group two championships on Saturday, completing a successful season for both squads.
First it was the girls, who played against Pope John in the Memorial Junior High School gym in Whippany. This victory was a first in program history for girls basketball at Bernardsville Middle School, with no other prior team winning the title. A matchup between the five and six seeds, the game was out of proportion early with Bernardsville taking a large lead heading into halftime lead by eighth graders Grace Healy, Jessica Cirillo, and Ellie MacCracken. Pope John mounted a comeback, cutting the lead to just four late into the fourth quarter. However, the Bulldogs stepped up their defensive intensity, utilizing a newly implemented full court press that forced key turnovers leading to success. This full court press was a new addition in the playoffs, and was one of the most instrumental aspects to each of their wins. Head coach Ms. O’Connor says, “I decided to implement a new full court press to shake things up and get the girls excited heading into the tournament. I knew we could get a few quick layups off the turnovers but the girls executed it so well it proved to be a major factor in winning those games.”
Brushing the comeback aside, the Bulldogs managed to hang on to the lead and secure a victory with a score of 44-37. Following the victory, Healy said, “It felt amazing to finally get the huge win that my friends and I had worked so hard for. We were all so happy to see that all of the time and the sweat we had put into BMS basketball had paid off.”
Coach O’Connor concurs, stating, “We spoke at practice about not holding anything back in the championship. We had to leave it all on the court and I believe that truly showed in the game. They went for every loose ball and bad pass and made Pope John make mistakes with tough defense and executed offensively.”
Shifting focus to the boys, they competed against Chester and played in Wharton, NJ. This championship win was the first by the boys team in over 50 years, dating back to the 1980s. Entering the playoffs as the one seed, they had a strong start beating Mountain Lakes in the semifinal before facing Chester, their only loss from the regular season. The boys took an early lead, going up 18-14. They were led by excellent guard play, starring eighth graders Johan Ramirez Palian and Whitt Barral. Chester made a comeback, taking the lead late into the fourth quarter before Barral hit multiple clutch threes to raise the advantage for the Bulldogs. On those three pointers, Barral said, “I know the player I am and I know the team we are and they have no doubt in my abilities and we got it done for them.”
With just seconds left in the game, eighth grader Titus Knaus hit the game sealing free throws, giving the Mountaineers the win 35-30. Head coach Mr. Mahlik says, “I have full faith in the group that was out there at all times. They earned that trust through hours of practice and execution. The boys faced numerous counts of adversity throughout the year and always answered the bell.”
Each of these teams delivered historic performances that led to championships and are setting up a bright future for the Bernards High basketball program.
