The banners have hung on the gymnasium wall for over 50 years, frayed and faded reminders of when Ocean City High School’s boys basketball team was the best in the state.
The Red Raiders will be soon be hanging a new championship flag after winning the State Group III title last Sunday.
Ocean City’s 55-46 victory over Colonia at Rutgers University marked its third state championship overall and its first since 1964.
The entire town rejoiced, crowding the sidewalks and cheering Sunday as the bus carrying the team rolled over the 9th Street Bridge.
“To see the joy the kids and the community have experienced has been great,” coach John Bruno said on Cape Atlantic Live. “Coming in on the bus, seeing people lining up on 9th street, it was just an exhilarating feeling to know that all their hard work is being appreciated.”
The elation was understandable, given the gap between state titles.
To get an idea of how long it’s been, keep in mind that the Red Raiders’ win over North Arlington in ’64 occurred at what is now Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.
Later that same year, the Beatles played in that same arena during their first-ever U.S. tour. Boardwalk Hall was also the site of the 1964 Democratic Convention, where Lyndon B. Johnson accepted the nomination to continue as president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy a year earlier.
Not only were none of the current players born yet, neither were their parents.
Point guard John Cranston was Ocean City’s star player for legendary coach Dixie Howell that year, but the Red Raiders also received key contributions from Ed McClain, Randy Fox, Barry Banks, Bill Haynes and others.
One of the players from the ’64 squad, John Laudenslager, wore his championship jacket to Sunday’s championship game at Rutgers.
The same chemistry and cohesiveness that carried that group Group II title 62 years ago was also a key factor in this season’s achievements.
Seniors Luke Tjoukamaris, Dean Lappen, Tighe Olek, Alek Bell, Chris Pontari, Kevin Entress, Liam Zintner and Luke Passerella; plus standout junior Josh Lenko all contributed to their special season.
“I had a bunch of scrappy, hard-working, hard-nosed, committed and dedicated kids who maybe aren’t going to play at the next level,” Bruno said. “But we’re not at the next level. We’re at the high school level, and for high school players, we play as well as anybody.
“These kids have been together since sixth grade. That goes a long way in this day and age when you’re getting transfers and other kids and trying to mix everything together. I’ve had these kids mixing since they were 12 years old, and you can see on the court that as they’ve grown up, they’ve grown up together.”
That depth showed up throughout the season. Tjoumakaris averaged 15.5 points per game and controlled the paint. Lenko averaged 14.3 points. Lappen and Bell locked down the opposing team’s top scorers.
After the final buzzer Sunday, the players and Bruno hugged and gathered in a corner of the court for one last embrace.
“I think our teamwork together, our patience, everything – it’s just an amalgamation of what we’ve been working on the last eight years,” Tjoumakaris told CapeAtlanticLive. “It’s really special to see this moment.”
Ocean City’s title put a cap on what was a terrific winter sports season for Cape-Atlantic League schools.
In addition to the Red Raiders, Middle Township’s boys basketball team won the South Jersey Group II championship by knocking off Haddonfield and Camden, respectively, before losing in the state semifinals.
On the girls side, Wildwood won the South Jersey Group I title for the third time in five seasons and reached the state semifinals.
Ocean City was one of two programs to win a state team title. St. Augustine Prep won its fourth straight Non-Public championship in boys swimming. The Hermits have won 40 straight dual meets.
Lower Cape May Regional, led by senior Chase Hansen, enjoyed an outstanding season.
The Caper Tigers won the South Jersey Group II team championship for the second time in three years and advanced to the state final for the first time in program history.
Hansen ended his amazing career by placing third in the state individual championships at Boardwalk Hall. Along the way, he set the state record for career victories with 179, breaking the mark of 175 set by 2011 Bound Brook graduate Andrew Campolattano.
In the girls division, Buena Regional’s Shea Aretz and Absegami’s Lamiah Berry both finished second in the state tournament while Egg Harbor Township’s Cami Bird took third.
David is a nationally recognized sports columnist who has covered Philadelphia and local sports for over 40 years. After 35 years with The Press, he has served as a columnist for 973ESPN.com and created his own Facebook page, Dave Weinberg Extra Points. Send comments to weinbergd419@comcast.net.
