Collingswood nears end to long title drought

In the last three-plus decades, Collingswood has had numerous second-place finishes, but the Panthers have not won a Colonial Conference boys' basketball championship since the 1976-77 season.

The Panthers could take a major step toward ending that drought if they defeat dangerous Paulsboro tomorrow.

Collingswood (19-2 overall), which will host the 5:30 p.m. showdown, is 16-0 in the Colonial with four conference games remaining. Paulsboro (12-2 conference) is in second place.

In its previous five seasons, Collingswood had a 106-31 overall record . . . and zero championships, thanks primarily to old nemesis Haddonfield, which has won the last four Colonial crowns.

"It's been a little frustrating," said Darnell McCargo, a 6-foot-2 senior swingman who leads Collingswood with a 21.1-point average this season. "We knew we had good teams, but we just couldn't finish it off. This year, we want to finish it."

The Panthers have won 15 straight and haven't lost to a New Jersey opponent all season.

"We're staying focused and taking it one game at a time," said McCargo, who has spurred recruiting interest from James Madison and Penn State. "At every practice, we don't play around. Everyone is serious and that's a good thing about this team."

Collingswood would have shared the title with Haddonfield last year if it hadn't lost to Sterling in its conference finale.

"We know how it felt to lose and we knew we could have won it," McCargo said. "We don't want that feeling again."

Tomorrow, the Panthers will try to beat a Paulsboro team that has won nine of its last 10 games. Collingswood used a 29-20 fourth-quarter advantage to rally past the Red Raiders, 72-64, on Dec. 27. McCargo scored 33 points in that game and got help from Eric James' 19-point performance.

"It won't be an easy game, because every team plays hard when they face us," McCargo said. "But if we keep playing hard, I don't think anyone can take [the Colonial title] away from us."

Paulsboro is led by Daryus Quarles, a 6-5 sophomore whom one recruiting service rates as a future Big East-type player. Quarles had 27 points in the first meeting against Collingswood.

Hail, Tri-County.

Tri-County Conference teams won seven of the 11 games against Colonial Conference rivals in a two-day shoot-out that was held over the weekend.

Top seeds.

Salem (Group 1), Cinnaminson (Group 2), Hammonton (Group 3), Toms River North (Group 4), Holy Spirit (Non-Public A) and Cardinal McCarrick (Non-Public B) are South Jersey's top seeds in the NJSIAA tournament, which starts Feb. 25.

If recent form holds true, not many top seeds will win titles.

Last year, five of South Jersey's six top-seed teams failed to win a sectional crown. The exception: Group 3's Shawnee.

Flashy freshman.

Pitman freshman guard Luke Dickson has averaged 23.8 points in his last four games and has lifted his season's average to about 19 points per game. Dickson is only 5-6 and 125 pounds, but he uses his eye-opening quickness to get past defenders and create shots.

Eagles soaring.

Thanks to its 58-50 win over Shawnee Thursday, Winslow Township controls its own destiny. The Eagles will win at least a share of the Olympic Patriot title - their first since 2003 - if they defeat Cherry Hill West and Triton.

Helping Winslow to Thursday's historic win - it handed Shawnee's its first Patriot loss since it joined the division four years ago and ran off 37 straight division victories - was a harassing press that helped generate an un-Shawnee-like 23 turnovers.

Winslow outscored Shawnee, 25-10, on points that followed turnovers.

Winslow's Aaron Sallie (five steals), Brandon Jones (four) and Tyriq Rickards (four) combined to force 13 of the turnovers.

Branden Crossan also did a commendable job as the main defender on Shawnee's Eric Kessler, who was 2 for 8 from the floor and was held to six points - 11 below his average.

Kessler rebounded and scored a game-high 20 points Saturday as Shawnee jolted Holy Spirit, 42-41, in the Olympic-Cape Challenge at St. Augustine.

Shawnee can win at least a share of the Olympic Patriot crown if it defeats Timber Creek and Cherry Hill West. The meeting with visiting Timber Creek is Thursday and should be tightly contested. (Timber Creek and Shawnee could also meet in a South Jersey Group 3 quarterfinal on Feb. 28.)

If successful in its two division games, Shawnee would capture at least a piece of its 15th league title in the last 19 years, an impressive run in which it has been atop three leagues - the Burlco Liberty, Olympic American and Olympic Patriot.

Games of the week.

Here are some of this week's best matchups:

Tonight:

Penns Grove at Gloucester Catholic, 7; Pennsauken at Deptford, 7.

Tomorrow:

Cinnaminson at Medford Tech, 6:15; Pleasantville at Middle Township, 7; Paulsboro at Collingswood, 5:30; Lenape at Shawnee, 7; Camden Catholic at Winslow Township, 7.

Thursday:

Cinnaminson at Willingboro, 3:45; Absegami at Hammonton, 5:30; Paulsboro at Haddonfield, 7; Timber Creek at Shawnee, 7; Washington Township at Cherokee, 7; Williamstown at Gloucester Catholic, 7.

Friday:

Camden Catholic at Paul VI, 7.

Saturday:

All games at Cherry Hill East - Camden vs. Williamstown, 12:30; Cherry Hill West vs. Cherry Hill East, 2; Middle Township vs. Haddonfield, 3:30; Cherokee vs. Holy Cross, 5; Shawnee vs. Rancocas Valley, 7; Hammonton at St. Joseph, 7.

Sunday:

All games at Cherry Hill East - Deptford vs. Wildwood Catholic, 11; Lenape vs. Gloucester Catholic, 12:30; Paul VI vs. Trenton Catholic, 2; Holy Spirit vs. Cinnaminson, 3:30; Atlantic City vs. Camden Catholic, 5; St. Augustine vs. St. Patrick, 7.

Team Record

Records through Saturday. With last week's ranking in parentheses.

1.

Paul VI (1) 18-1

2.

Cinnaminson (3) 19-1

3.

Rancocas Valley (4) 16-4

4.

Winslow Twp. (6) 15-4

5.

Shawnee (5) 16-5

6.

Holy Spirit (2) 19-2

7.

Collingswood (7) 19-2

8.

Camden (8) 14-3

9.

Camden Catholic (9) 16-3

10.

St. Augustine (10) 17-3

Under consideration (listed alphabetically):

Deptford (14-4), Hammonton (18-3), Pleasantville (13-6), Salem (18-2), Williamstown (16-5).

- Sam Carchidi