Since losing its season opener, the Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) boys’ basketball team has been on a tear with a three-game winning streak.
The CBA run began with a victory over Howell High School, 80-64, on Dec. 19 in their home opener in Lincroft.
The Colts then followed with a 73-39 victory at Freehold Township High School on Dec. 21 and a 60-45 triumph over Xaverian High School from Brooklyn, New York, in a matchup on Dec. 28 in Lincroft. That surge left CBA with a 3-1 record as of Dec. 29.
In the season opener, CBA fell to Blair Academy, 69-50, on Dec. 16 in Blairstown.
The Lincroft school has received big contributions from juniors Josh Cohen and Stephen Braunstein, who are averaging 17 and 17.5 points per game this year, respectively. Senior Robert Mahala only played in one game this year for CBA, but he had a career-high 18 points in that contest against Freehold Township.
The Colts will look to continue their winning streak on Jan. 4 when they play as the host to Freehold High School at 5:30 p.m.
Things did not get any easier for Howell after its defeat to CBA, with the Rebels falling by a score of 60-34 at home against Marlboro High School on Dec. 21. Including their season-opening loss at Colts Neck High School, 60-51, on Dec. 15, the Rebels hold an 0-3 record.
Howell head coach Patrick Ramsay admitted that he’s disappointed in the team’s start, but he also knows the teams the Rebels have faced early were really good teams. The coach also noted that Howell should be able to compete against other teams in the Shore Conference.
“The first three games were tough,” Ramsay said. “Two of them were against top teams in the Shore. Even Marlboro, even though they aren’t ranked, they are a good team. But hopefully, the early games were good learning experiences for us so that we can be more prepared for the rest of the season. It’s early, and we can still make noise.”
Ramsay also admitted that the team will need to improve on both sides of the ball if it plans to win.
“Our defense has to be better,” the coach said. “We also haven’t shot the ball well at all. I think our shooting percentages in the first three games are all in the mid to low 30s, so that’s not good. The numbers don’t show it, but we have kids that can shoot better. We just have to put the ball in the basket.”
The Rebels are led by a senior-heavy group that includes Wendall Wright, Anthony Yaegel, Brandon Wilson, Alex Morton, Dante Lanzetta, Eddie Morales and Naseim Brantley.
Morales and Brantley were also the faces of the school’s football team this past fall, with Morales playing quarterback and Brantley serving as the team’s top receiver. The two helped lead the team to a 9-2 record and an appearance in the semifinals of the South Jersey, Group 5 state sectional playoffs, where the Rebels lost to Lenape High School, 63-28, on Nov. 17. Lenape went on to win the sectional playoff championship, beating Rancocas Valley Regional High School, 10-7, in the final on Dec. 2.
The Rebels beat Cherokee High School, 31-17, in the first round of tournament on Nov. 10. The victory was the first home playoff triumph for the Rebels in 10 years.
Ramsay said that the leadership and football experience from Morales and Brantley has translated beautifully to the basketball team, stating that they know how to use their abilities to really dominate in both sports.
“They’ve meant a lot,” Ramsay said. “They’re leadership and their ability to play on both ends of the floor is amazing. If they do get beat on a quick first step, they can recover very well. They’re perfect for what we want to do on offense. They’re streaky shooters, but when they’re hot, they really can light it up, which helps our offense.
“Their leadership is really what makes them special. They’ve been football stars the last two years, but they’ve been able to carry that over to the basketball floor and really lead this team. That’s the most important thing.”
The Rebels hoped to get back to their winning ways when they played Saint John’s Catholic Preparatory High School from Maryland on Dec. 28 and New Dorp High School of Staten Island on Dec. 29, both in Howell.
The Rebels will be home to Neptune High School on Jan. 4 at 4 p.m.
