Rich Chrampanis
By Rich Chrampanis
PISCATAWAY – A state championship win is the perfect ending to a special season. Red Bank Catholic’s girls basketball team wrote that script and added two other milestones to make a memorable season legendary.
The Caseys dismantled two-time defending Non-Public A champion Morris Catholic 62-45 at Jersey Mike’s Arena, capping a remarkable 30-2 season that figures to land them safely in the final national rankings. Along the way, McDonald’s All-American Addy Nyemchek became the school’s all-time leading scorer and legendary coach Joe Montano recorded his 800th career win.
“It’s a great day for our school and all the kids that were here watching the game,” Montano said. “A lot of pressure on this group from Day One. And they came through and did something amazing.”
For the first time in 26 years, Red Bank Catholic is the best girls’ basketball team in the state of New Jersey. Its final game was tight throughout. Morris Catholic, fueled by Jax Edelman’s 11 points, grabbed a 17-16 lead in the second quarter and stayed competitive into the third, when Jayah Curtis gave the Crusaders a 33-32 advantage.
But Red Bank Catholic’s depth and senior leadership ultimately proved too much.
Sophie Smith, the Harvard commit whose two second-half 3-pointers helped break the game open, embodied everything the Caseys have been all year: versatile, unselfish and dangerous from multiple spots on the floor. Her back-to-back 3s fueled an eight-point swing that put RBC ahead 40-32 heading to the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter belonged to Nyemchek, who simply took over when it mattered most. She finished with 22 points and nine rebounds. Next year, Nyemcheck takes her game to Indiana University, where she joins the Hoosiers as one of the most decorated New Jersey prospects in recent memory.
When asked about the mix of emotions at the final buzzer – a state title won, a career concluded – Nyemcheck was reflective.
“We’re obviously so proud of each other – getting the chip and winning Shore Conference and states in one of the toughest conferences in the country,” she said. “It’s sad that it’s completely over. Playing with this group is just so special.”
Daniela Maletsky helped put the Caseys on an early 8-0 run, and Scarlett LeVake, a University of New Hampshire commit, added nine points and seven boards in a performance that was emblematic of her outstanding postseason run. Katie Liggio, who suffered a serious knee injury in the state semifinals, was helped onto the floor for the final seconds of the championship game to allow her to be on the court to close out her tremendous career. Her twin sister Tessa is off to Bucknell; Katie is set to join NCAA Tournament-bound Rhode Island.
For Smith, who has been invaluable both inside and on the perimeter, the ending felt like something she and her teammates had written themselves.
“It’s just the perfect fairytale ending,” Smith said. “We’re so happy. We’re still gonna be together for a little bit longer until graduation, but we’re so happy that it ended the way it did.”
The Caseys won the Shore Conference, the state championship, and the respect of the country – and they did it with a roster that was fueled by seven seniors who won over 100 games and left their mark as an all-time great team from the area.
The article originally appeared in the March 19 – 25, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
