Photo and story Vincent Landolfi Jr.
In a closely contested game, Red Bank Catholic earned 2nd place honors in the highly acclaimed WOBM Christmas Classic Tournament, after losing a hard-fought game 50-45, to a very talented Toms River North in the finals. The Caseys were the second seed in the annual classic held at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River.
Junior forward Eddie Hahn started the game strong, grabbing four rebounds and taking two charges in the first quarter alone. He went on to lead the Caseys in scoring, along with junior guard Evan Madigan, dropping in 11 points apiece. Senior big men Liam Byrne and Kevin Fazio added 9 and 6 points respectively.
It was the first attempt at the Classic Crown for RBC, whose boys basketball program has undergone a recent resurgence under second year coach Jim Catalano, assisted by longtime coach Joe Nappo, and former Caseys player Tyler Schmeltz. Last season, Catalano’s first at the helm, saw the Caseys amass 18 wins, while garnering wins in the Shore Conference and NJSIAA tournaments.
This year’s team is poised to do more of the same, with the experience of seniors Joe and Tommy Montano, and Michael Travers, joined by junior center 6-foot-4 Joe Agius, guard John Poccia, and 6-foot-6 sophomore Mark Caverly.
