FRENCHTOWN, NJ – The Arthur L. Johnson High School Crusaders boys varsity basketball team played shorthanded against Delaware Valley High School Monday but it didn’t stop them from defeating the Terriers 61-50 .
Seniors Joe DiProfio and Ross Wildes were out with the flu, leaving Junior Eric Bretz to start the game and freshman Tino Puentes to spend time on the court throughout the game.
“We practice everybody really hard,” Johnson head coach Dave Kennedy said. “Eric did a great job of saying, ‘It’s my turn, let me play,’ and Tino stepped in as well. We had great contributions there, so I’m thrilled about that.”
Although the two didn’t score a lot of points, their efforts did not go unnoticed by their teammates.
“[Eric and Tino] stepped up and they played hard. They really had the determination,” Johnson senior Jeff Drajin said. “They’re practicing with us and they’re on the team and they get an opportunity to show that they can play very well and they did a great job.”
The Crusaders got an early offensive momentum streak, taking a 10-4 lead through the first five minutes of action in the opening quarter, with junior Brandon Hund contributing six points.
Delaware Valley scored two straight shots to tie the game at 10-10, before Johnson junior Brenden Kelly banked home a late shot to give his team a 12-10 lead after the first quarter.
Johnson opened the second quarter with a 7-0 scoring run, with Kelly draining a three-point shot and Visconti scoring four straight points, two of them technical shots after drawing a flagrant foul on a rush to the basket, as Johnson led 19-10 with 6:32 left in the second quarter.
George Visconti connected on free throws and the Crusaders built a 28-17 lead with 3:00 left in the second quarter. They’d receive points from Kelly, Puentes, Visconti and Drajin to give the Crusaders a 33-23 lead over the Terriers going into halftime.
Full Coverage of Johnson Boys Varsity Basketball Win Over Delaware Valley HS Here
