State Tournament: North 2 Breakdown
The State Tournament starts today as the North 2 group will open up first round play. These boys have been waiting all year for this opportunity and many thought it may not happen but here we are. We’re going to…
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Continue ReadingThe State Tournament starts today as the North 2 group will open up first round play. These boys have been waiting all year for this opportunity and many thought it may not happen but here we are. We’re going to give it our best to crown a State Champion! So let’s take a look at some key players and who I think will come out of the group of 26 teams with Kearny as the top seed.
Players to Watch
Justin Hong (Ridge)
Hong is one of the best outside hitters in this group if not the best. He has a live arm and can hit all of the shots: down the line, cross-court, cut, through the block. Ridge is a team that relies heavily on him so he will need to have a monster tournament.
Kelvin Zamor (Newark Tech)
Zamor is known mostly for his defensive prowess as a middle blocker where he is at the top statistically in blocks. He has great anticipation and it seems he knows where the ball is going before his opponent does. He’s one who can potentially wreck havoc in this tournament.
Nicholas Schmidt (Scotch Plains-Fanwood)
Schmidt for Scotch Plains-Fanwood is the engine to this team. He can set from anywhere on the court with perfect precision. A play is never over if he has an opportunity to make a play with the ball. If this magical season will continue, it will be because of Schmidt.
Aidan Apito (St. Peter’s Prep)
Apito is a dominant outside hitter for St. Peter’s Prep and he is one who has to carry St. Peter’s if they want to make some noise. From him to the second-most in kills is over 100 which means that Apito will have to swing till his arm falls off for St. Peter’s.
Nickolas Lima (Newark East Side)
Lastly, we have Lima for Newark East Side. Lima is another who has to carry the load offensively for Newark East Side to be successful. His margin is even higher than Apito’s! To combat this, Lima has to be extremely creative with his shot selection to keep opponents off-balance.
Prediction
Scotch Plains-Fanwood over Kearny
I think the pursuit for perfection will continue for Scotch Plains-Fanwood as I have them winning the North 2 section. Led by Schmidt, he has so many options to choose from to go with the ball which will make it almost impossible for them to be stopped. Kearny will give them a challenge but it won’t be enough.