Donovan Catholic boys hoops has highest win total in 16 years entering states
February 15, 2024 at 5:49 p.m.
Coach Mike Kearney knows his Donovan Catholic, Toms River boys basketball team will face a tough adversary every game it plays for however long it lasts in the upcoming NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public A Tournament.
But Kearney likes that his team is not intimidated.
“I am anxious to see what they can do,” the veteran coach said. “It’s always gonna be a challenge but these are guys that like to test themselves, which is nice.”
Despite having lost two straight entering their Feb. 15 game with Toms River North, the Griffins were 18-5, which is their highest win total since going 21-8 in 2007-08. They also won the Shore Conference’s B Central Division title after being moved from C South.
“It’s been a combination of things,” said Kearney, now in his 26th year at the helm. “They’re a great group of kids. I enjoy coaching them and the Shore Conference has moved us around a little bit so our schedule’s a little different than it’s been over the years. Our record is probably a little loftier than in other years with similar teams.
“Having said that, they’re a pretty solid group of guys who’ve been able to figure it out a little bit as they went along. I think we’re a lot better now than we were a month ago.”
Donovan Catholic, which has improved from 12-11 last year, is led by a solid backcourt of junior Ryan Jacobs, freshman Amare Walker and senior Jack Malek. Jacobs leads the team in scoring at nearly 15 points per game, has hit some huge baskets this season, and is tutoring Walker. Malek averages over 11 per game.
“Ryan is one of the better players we’ve had here in a long time,” Kearney said. “He’s got a high basketball IQ, he’s a good athlete and a good leader. He makes everything a lot easier for everybody else. He’s been bringing along Amare Walker who’s a talented kid and also a basketball lifer kind of guy. The two of them kind of split the point guard thing. Jack Malek is a heady player; he understands situations and gives me a lot of big shots as well.”
The Griffins have some size up front with 6-6 junior James Gibbons and 6-5, 270-pound sophomore Kai Pritchard, a Division I football prospect. Gibbons is playing his first varsity season after undergoing ACL surgery his freshman year and missing all last season.
“It’s been a long time for him, he’s a great kid and he’s pretty good,” Kearney said. “I think he was nervous at first because he hadn’t done this in a while. His skill set has always been there. It’s just a matter of him getting more comfortable. He benefits every day from having Kai Pritchard in there with him.”
Also in the rotation are seniors Matt Gerrity and Chris Miranda.
“They’re both wing guys who can get hot, which is nice,” Kearney said. “They’ve been dedicated members of the program for a while. It’s nice to see them doing well.”
The coach said winning the division was a preseason goal, as has been the aim of being among the better teams in the Shore Conference.
“We’re somewhere in that top 10 or 15,” Kearney said. “I think this year in the Shore, it’s one (top) team (in St. Rose, Belmar), maybe a group of three or four others and the rest of us are all kind of fighting it out.”
The Griffins are 7th-seeded in SJ Non-Public B and host 10th seeded St. Augustine, Richland, Feb. 23. They dropped their Shore Conference Tournament opener to CBA, Lincroft, 67-51.
“Anytime we play somebody like CBA it’s always gonna be a huge challenge,” Kearney said. “This year wasn’t any different. But I felt if a couple things broke a little differently the game would have been much closer the whole way. We have a competitive group and we’re gonna have to play really well to beat anyone in the states. But I feel like the guys will be up for a challenge and will comport themselves well.”
Related Stories
Thursday, September 19, 2024
E-Editions
Events
Coach Mike Kearney knows his Donovan Catholic, Toms River boys basketball team will face a tough adversary every game it plays for however long it lasts in the upcoming NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public A Tournament.
But Kearney likes that his team is not intimidated.
“I am anxious to see what they can do,” the veteran coach said. “It’s always gonna be a challenge but these are guys that like to test themselves, which is nice.”
Despite having lost two straight entering their Feb. 15 game with Toms River North, the Griffins were 18-5, which is their highest win total since going 21-8 in 2007-08. They also won the Shore Conference’s B Central Division title after being moved from C South.
“It’s been a combination of things,” said Kearney, now in his 26th year at the helm. “They’re a great group of kids. I enjoy coaching them and the Shore Conference has moved us around a little bit so our schedule’s a little different than it’s been over the years. Our record is probably a little loftier than in other years with similar teams.
“Having said that, they’re a pretty solid group of guys who’ve been able to figure it out a little bit as they went along. I think we’re a lot better now than we were a month ago.”
Donovan Catholic, which has improved from 12-11 last year, is led by a solid backcourt of junior Ryan Jacobs, freshman Amare Walker and senior Jack Malek. Jacobs leads the team in scoring at nearly 15 points per game, has hit some huge baskets this season, and is tutoring Walker. Malek averages over 11 per game.
“Ryan is one of the better players we’ve had here in a long time,” Kearney said. “He’s got a high basketball IQ, he’s a good athlete and a good leader. He makes everything a lot easier for everybody else. He’s been bringing along Amare Walker who’s a talented kid and also a basketball lifer kind of guy. The two of them kind of split the point guard thing. Jack Malek is a heady player; he understands situations and gives me a lot of big shots as well.”
The Griffins have some size up front with 6-6 junior James Gibbons and 6-5, 270-pound sophomore Kai Pritchard, a Division I football prospect. Gibbons is playing his first varsity season after undergoing ACL surgery his freshman year and missing all last season.
“It’s been a long time for him, he’s a great kid and he’s pretty good,” Kearney said. “I think he was nervous at first because he hadn’t done this in a while. His skill set has always been there. It’s just a matter of him getting more comfortable. He benefits every day from having Kai Pritchard in there with him.”
Also in the rotation are seniors Matt Gerrity and Chris Miranda.
“They’re both wing guys who can get hot, which is nice,” Kearney said. “They’ve been dedicated members of the program for a while. It’s nice to see them doing well.”
The coach said winning the division was a preseason goal, as has been the aim of being among the better teams in the Shore Conference.
“We’re somewhere in that top 10 or 15,” Kearney said. “I think this year in the Shore, it’s one (top) team (in St. Rose, Belmar), maybe a group of three or four others and the rest of us are all kind of fighting it out.”
The Griffins are 7th-seeded in SJ Non-Public B and host 10th seeded St. Augustine, Richland, Feb. 23. They dropped their Shore Conference Tournament opener to CBA, Lincroft, 67-51.
“Anytime we play somebody like CBA it’s always gonna be a huge challenge,” Kearney said. “This year wasn’t any different. But I felt if a couple things broke a little differently the game would have been much closer the whole way. We have a competitive group and we’re gonna have to play really well to beat anyone in the states. But I feel like the guys will be up for a challenge and will comport themselves well.”