Bringing The Basketball Season To A Close

Roselle Catholic and Shabazz were the big winners in Trenton last night as they claimed Tournament of Champions titles which marked an end to the high school basketball season. 

Roselle Catholic routed St. Joseph of Metuchen to win their first-ever boys championship while Shabazz was too much for Rancocas Valley and left the Sun National Bank Center with their fifth girls title.  However I’m disappointed I missed the TOC Finals not for the games but an awards ceremony that took place between them.

Joe Arminio, the Athletic Director for the Toms River Regional School District was presented with a special award named after former NJSIAA Executive Director Robert Kanaby.  The award was for Joe’s contributions to New Jersey high school basketball and it was presented by Steve Timko, the current executive director of the NJSIA and A.J. Morgan, Senior Vice President of Bollinger Insurance.  Arminio is the driving force behind the Pine Belt Arena being the host for many state tournament events which brings hundreds of players and thousands of fans to Toms River each winter.

His family, including wife Gina was on hand last night in Trenton for the presentation.  Just last year Joe was honored for his contributions to basketball in the shore area by area basketball referees with their prestigious Jim Sullivan Award.   Well-deserved recognition for a good friend who never seeks it.

Many of the shore’s top high school basketball players will represent their schools for a final time tonight as the Shore Basketball Coaches Association Senior All-Star games will be played at Wall High School.  The girl’s game is at 6pm and the boys hit the court at 7:45…among those scheduled to play are Kelly Hughes, Hannah Missry, Solly Stansbury, Jimmy Walsh, J.R. Hobbie and Riley Calzonetti.

I will serve as the PA announcer for what should be a fight night of hoops.

One of the founding fathers of wrestling in the shore area is Bernie Reider, the architect of the great program at Jackson Memorial in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.  Bernie, who spent some 40 years as a teacher, administrator and coach in the Jackson School District will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame later this year and he was honored by a host of friends and coaches who gathered yesterday at the Olive Garden in Toms River.

The group included such famed wrestling names as John DeMarco, John Nemetz, Ed Gilmore, Tony Griffa, Warren Reid, Jim Hoffmaster, Mike Costa and Denny D’Andrea.  No truth to the rumor they wrestled for who picked up the tab.