My maternal grandmother, Patricia Bacon, 73, loving mother, grandmother, friend, aunt, cousin and sister, was called home to the Lord after a long-term illness.

Before we show the photos and everything in-between, a big shout-out to my mother for supplying me with all the photos, to make this chance possible! Trying to spread out the emotions of something and not hold everything in, but rather spell it out part-by-part.

My grandmother with my brother Ryan and I (I think, 2003) during a karate event. The photo is framed and on the book shelf between my room and my brother Ryan’s room.

She had not been well in months before, with a bout of lung cancer having returned. Despite falling sick again, she always still made time for a call or a text.

And I remember every second of that day. Having become a USPS employee on March 2, 2019, she was always one for liking good news.

It was Friday, May 31, 2019, a monumental day I wasn’t sure how fast it came, but it did! I had passed my 90 days, the end of my probationary period, becoming a USPS employee (The smile was as fresh as the start of a new baseball season). The feeling was the best in the world, since improvements had to be implemented to give myself a better look.

It wasn’t.

And I remember my dad saying the following, “I just got a call from Mom, she wants me to take you both to RWJ New Brunswick to see Grandma. They don’t know how much time she has left.”

I hadn’t gotten out of my work uniform any faster than I did that night. I thought maybe it was speculation, perhaps what the doctors were doing, this was a process to fend off the cancer, as she had been receiving chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments.

We made our way to the hospital. I was holding hope things would look good. The complete opposite unfolded before my eyes. It felt like I got hit in the stomach by a curveball.

My heart instantly shattered. Faster than I could have ever imagined. The lady I’d see at every gathering, event, dinner, school event, etc, was no longer vivacious. The laugh I can hear in my head was no longer an occurrence. I wasn’t ready to accept it. Not for one second.

A grandmother and her two crazy grandsons. The three of us from a wedding in February 2016.

Any future plans I had at that point, including hold sat work, my birthday, and an upcoming wedding later that month, became irrelevant, nothing seemed important. It all became second thoughts. I always got anxiety when in a hospital, this all caused levels to instantly skyrocket to out-of-control proportions.

My grandmother had a breathing machine on, with tubes and meters to assist her with breathing. I knew instantly things weren’t good and watching it all unfold right in front of me. It was hard to understand her with the mask on her face, but she still had a little bit of the attitude coming, which sorta made us chuckle a little bit.

My brother and I were seated in chairs next to her bed. We still filled her in on how work was going. She was thrilled and proud to see what we had coming up! She was happy to see us and hear of all the good things we had coming up.

Little did I know that would be the last time I would see her. Things remained the same in the days that followed, but the reality of her declining health started to kick in.

Step 1 in the process: My mother did not want either my brother or myself visiting again, with her state of health.

On Sunday, June 9, 2019, after finishing up at work and grabbing dinner with my cousin up in Wyckoff, I was on the way home. I knew my aunt and uncle flew up from South Carolina to visit, so hope and prayers were there. My dad had spoken to my brother and I, asking us to just pray, but since she was admitted, holding hope the doctors knew what was going on. Perhaps, the path they were taking was going to lead to her feeling better.

Upon asking how the visit went, the response I got on my phone was just as bad as the whole situation was:

“Very tired and quite different.”

To give a backstory, several years ago, in February 2013, she had been diagnosed with lung cancer. After months of chemotherapy and radiation, it appeared she had won the battle!

From my high school graduation party, a few months after my grandmother won the first battle with lung cancer.

It came back in October 2018. With a vengeance. And despite feeling really tired from all the treatments, it appeared she was on the right track!

Chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments were being given to my grandmother, which at the time, gave some optimism that maybe she could knock this and try to restore a normal life.

No radiation could be given due to the excessive amounts she received from treatments during her first fight in 2013. You had a feeling right at that moment, she probably was never going to be 100% again, but at least somewhat of a normal life could not be restored.

The worst followed about a few hours later. My mother telling me to contact my supervisors on what to do in the event of a death in the family. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

I felt sick to my stomach, with those words coming out on the telephone that Sunday night. I didn’t sleep well that night, running on two hours of sleep the following day. Supervisors were made aware what was going on by me, so everyone was, in a sense, on the same path.

I knew right there, there was nothing good. There would be no hope, no recovery, no chance of seeing my grandmother normal again. Prayers for a full recovery suddenly changed to prayers to end the suffering.

Those days and that week became a blur. A set of days I could not instantly recall if you were to ask me at any given moment.

I had that day off. It was Wednesday, June 12, 2019. I stayed over the previous night at my paternal grandparents’ house in Jersey City, since it was a game-plan put together in previous weeks.

I had texted my aunt a question regarding the rules of parking in Jersey City to that point, they wanted me to let them know about my ride back home, to make sure I would get back safely (because relatives, they are always concerned with the craziness sometimes when people are driving).

I knew what was coming, I wasn’t going say anything. My dad’s parents who were watching TV and told me to relax a little bit and enjoy the TV. I gave them a warning that the news was coming, it didn’t take much for me to realize.

At about 3:25 PM, they arrived. I thought to myself, “here we go.” I made the walk outside. My mother just got out of the car and I didn’t even have to say a word. I knew at that moment I lost my grandmother. She just said grandma passed away a few hours ago. The low tone of that sentence on that summer day just made me go instantly numb. I didn’t even cry at that point, I was just stunned.

It was beautiful outside, but maybe my grandmother wanted the day to be a nice one the moment she passed. The amount of phone calls/texts/messages I received within the timeframe of about two days, I’ve never seen that happen once before.

Surrounded by her children, she didn’t want to be in the machines for more than a week. She really didn’t have to suffer that much, looking back at it. Holding out hope the doctors could’ve figured out what was going on. There was no chance of it happening.

At about 12 noon that day, the doctors took her off the machines. She took her last breaths and went peacefully. No more pain, no more suffering, just another angel over us.

The sickening reality of her not being around anymore set in right away once my grandparents being told what happened. My paternal grandparents told my mother and her boyfriend to come inside. My grandmother said to my mom, “Oh, how’s your mother? Is she okay?” I didn’t like what came next.

Once we all collected ourselves, I remember my grandfather saying to my mother,

She’s not suffering anymore, that’s most important.

He was right. I was a little bit better knowing she wasn’t suffering anymore.

It didn’t take away what we were now faced with.

No more trips to the shore. No more trips to the beach. No more good-tasting meatballs at dinners. No more visits, not even a phone call. I look back at text messages, especially the last conversations via text, it leaves an emptiness inside. It left an empty spot right inside for me. It still burns mightily to this day.

On the car ride home, the text messages and phone calls started coming in. The first thing I said to my mother was, “She’s with Pappy again.”

Happy in this case, the man I consider my maternal grandfather was Vincent Bacon, who was with my grandmother for about six years and married for less than a year before his unfortunate passing on August 8, 1998. I think personally after waiting all that time, they’re throwing a party each night up there. When she lived in Somerville, that was during the time they were together. He was mainly from Easton, Pennsylvania.

And while this is not a true statement, but if all dogs go to heaven, they are reunited with Clodette, a dog they adopted, who passed shortly after Vince’s passing in August 1998. Yes, even the dog gets to see her adopted mother again. That actually made me smile for like two seconds.

The minute I stepped foot in home, the tears just started flowing. I don’t think I stopped crying for about 20 minutes. Sleep didn’t come easily either. It was a little better when sleeping, just knowing she was relieved of her suffering,.

But I believe it’s moments like that when you feel like maybe she’s testing you directly where she’s not with you physically, but up there spiritually, needing to see if you can be strong and fight through the tears in the sadness.

The first day back to work was another blur. It rained heavily, so I thought maybe that “tears from heaven” sort of kicked in. The supervisor publicly expressed condolences, to which I replied, “thank you.” I remember a few carriers came up to me and said that they were sorry. I don’t know how I kept it together at that exact moment, because I felt like I could’ve just instantly broke down.

Once the services were announced, I immediately requested the bereavement leave without pay (in my instance). Starting the following Sunday until that Tuesday, when the private funeral would be.

Once services right now were set, the three days to takeoff of work for the bereavement leave begin that Sunday, on Father’s Day, the last day of peace/normalcy for a while.

Monday, June 17, 2019 was the wake, with a private funeral the following day. You do have a couple of days to cool off, in a sense, between the day of the passing in the day of the week. Man oh man, the minute I walked in that room and saw the coffin, that’s when it really hit me that she was not coming back.

Immediate shock kicks in and then as the day rolls along, you in a sense, feel tired from all the people you greet, all the same, basic conversations, maybe some faces you haven’t seen in a long time, just knowing how many people loved my grandmother.

Grandma, I have no doubt you’ll probably smack me upside the head if you ever saw me this upset, but this shows how much you were loved and are sorely missed. I’d give anything for another meatball, even if it was a little burnt, or if I meant to steal a few off the plate before dinner. But they were always so darn good!

From the early days in Somerville, on South Cadillac Drive, the days on Port Liberte by the water, the pool, the nights of watching movies together, brings me back. Even the memory of us accidentally locking ourselves out of her Shearwater Court apartment her first night of living there in 2003 brings a chuckle.

We had to contact security because the sliding door got stuck, not opening and a lot of people were cramped on a small balcony, where you could see the Statue of Liberty in the distance. She relocated to Toms River in 2014, where there were several beach visits, lunches by the restaurants near there, along with some nights by the boardwalk, just driving by and taking in that summer air.

Seeing loved ones come in, just talking to people, I had no idea that it could make you just that drained as a whole, both emotionally and mentally. Work became a second thought at that moment.

Just a range of emotions. From tears, from grief, to frustration I couldn’t get down there more, to the new reality, just so much at once. It was overwhelming. The music from the memorial slideshow of felt like an instant shot to the heart. The photos over the years, every memory, just every second, slams you at once, like a freight train.

A short list of people were there, including my dad, who made the trip down to Toms River, to have a half day at work. Once it was over, the final goodbye was to come. Not a moment I’ll forget to this day.

When kneeling next to the coffin, it was just uncontrollable crying. I thought my dad was going to have to help me get up from the kneeling. I looked at that coffin and stared at it for about 10 minutes before they had to close up shop.

After lunch in the repast, we had to stop back at the house to pick up a few things. I made the mistake of going inside. Just constantly sick.

It didn’t seem right knowing that house was empty.

The last time I saw her before all of this happened was Palm Sunday, we had all gotten breakfast down in Toms River. Just being there when she wasn’t well was some compensation, but knowing she was likely never going to be 100%, it was still hard.

The minute I stepped foot at home, everything seemed different. I was to return to work the following day, as well as my birthday just two days away, and the last thing on my mind was celebrating a birthday. I would always get a phone call from her. The next week and a half, I worked all but three days, with a wedding the final Saturday in the month of June.

I had been doing much better at work, but it didn’t really seem important. All I remember is the supervisor telling me to just take it easy the next few days.

I had said I just wanted to come into work and just do my job. I needed anything to distract me from what happened, at that point, anything. Working after a few rough days is what my grandmother would have wanted me to do.

As the one-year mark is approaching, I had experienced the grieving process. I dreaded the holidays to come, but being with my dad’s family on Thanksgiving, it was one less day to dread.

Christmas Eve, a holiday I would always celebrate with my grandmother, it just wasn’t the same. It was a quiet celebration at home. New Year’s Eve is a perfect goodbye to a trying year and hoping 2020 would bring better things, which for the most part, it has.

It wasn’t. And I decided to take that path.

It was a mistake, since I hadn’t been discussing my feelings with my mother, or anyone really on her side of the family. Not even my dad. It wasn’t the right path to go down, especially in the days and months following my grandmother’s passing.

My advice to anybody going through the grieving process. If you need to grieve, let all of the emotions out. Don’t hold it in like I did. As a whole, I don’t feel like I handled myself appropriately.

But on days of work, you don’t have time to think about it so much. It’s the moments when you’re not working that it hit you like a freight train all over again.

To the friends (and I mean very few) that I gained over the while at work, to those who have listen to me vent, just let everything out, I’ve been there each day just want to pick me up when I’m at my worst, it doesn’t go unappreciated.

In 2019, I may have lost my grandmother, but I gained a good job and I gained a few good friendships that I hope last a lifetime!

And not to be clouded up, when you are in the grieving process, you will have good days, but also bad days. When I was presented with a work opportunity to be the acting carrier of a tour, I haven’t been sure if I was going to get it.

I remember getting the text message that I got it. The moment was exciting. Until the very moment I picked up the phone and almost texted my grandmother’s phone. I would always tell her about accomplishments in anything I’ve done.

Yep, that hurt just a little bit.

I don’t think there’s ever any one thing I can do to pay back for those (You know who you all are) who were there for me at one point. Just knowing that you’re there means that much. I know at some point, there will be normalcy, but it won’t come right away.

I figured to use this picture for last, since she always liked to have a good time! Whenever she was, you could not get in her way.

She was on the train down to the next stop at the “Have a Nice Day!” station. Hope your folks up top are throwing continuous parties for you, Grandma! Save me a seat when we all see each other again!

We will see you soon.

Patricia Bacon

March 21, 1946- June 12, 2019

The Indians were not ready to concede, scoring 16 straight points to get within six points with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, but ran out of time as the second-seeded Pioneers held off the fifteenth-seeded Indians 61-54 in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 First Round Tuesday night in New Providence.

The New Providence Pioneers (24-3) will host seventh-seeded Shabazz in the quarterfinals round Thursday night at 7 p.m.

As the fourth quarter started, senior Dylan Bedder (28 points, 25 rebounds) gave his team a 58-38 lead with 6:45 left with a basket, but the Indians charged their way back into the game as the Pioneers offense went cold over a four-minute span.

Weehawken’s Jon DeLeon got the scoring surge for the visitors started with a basket before Bedder scored for New Providence. Miguel Rosado scored two straight baskets and Jon Duran drained a three-pointer. Suddenly, with 4:56 left, Weehawken was on a tear, trimming the New Providence lead down to 58-45.

Overall, Weehawken outscored New Providence 18-5 in the fourth quarter.

In the win, the Pioneers know their play in a bid for a sectional tournament run will have to be a lot better than their play on the court.

“We ramped it up at times, but we didn’t ramp it up enough,” New Providence head coach Art Cattano said. “We’re very disappointed in the way we played overall. If we ramp it up, that means we’re not playing hard. [Weehawken] hung in the game, they played well, they made some shots, but we certainly didn’t play to the level of which we’re capable of playing.”

Weehawken kept coming back. With New Providence unable to add more on the scoreboard, Weehawken continued to fight back. Matt Torres knocked down a shot, Rosado drained two free throws and a three-pointer had the lead down to 58-52 with 2:56 left.

In a major moment of adversity, the Pioneers managed to grab the key rebounds and keep the lead from shrinking any further.

“[It was all about] time and possession. We had to take care of the ball and take time off the clock,” Bedder said. “We’ll be fine from there.”

New Providence junior Sean Dillon (17 points, ten rebounds), who was hot from behind the arc on the night in the first half, came up huge in the closing seconds. He drained three of four free throws to seal the deal for his team.

“We just stayed strong,” Dillon said. “I was at the free throw line and missed a couple of free throws, which is on me. I’ve got to take care of that earlier. Our effort was not up to our standards and if we play like that again, we’re going to get beat.”

“We stayed together as a unit and we got out of it,” he added.

Full Coverage of New Providence Boys Varsity Basketball NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 First Round over Weehawken HS Here

In a back-and-forth affair, the Pioneers and Bulldogs put on a show, but a late offensive push and a three-pointer from Dayton senior Caitlyn McTernan with 1:11 left in the fourth quarter gave the Bulldogs a 45-44 lead over the Pioneers. After a backcourt violation on the Bulldogs, the Pioneers were set up to go for the win but couldn’t take advantage of the turnover.

The twelfth-seeded Bulldogs held on to defeat the fifth-seeded Pioneers 46-44 in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 First Round Tuesday afternoon in New Providence.

The New Providence Pioneers finish the 2018-19 season with a 16-9 record.

The Jonathan Dayton Bulldogs (14-11) advance to play at fourth-seeded Brearley Thursday night at a time to be announced.

As the game started, it was the Pioneers who appeared to have the upper hand in the first quarter. Sophomore Lindsay Kinum added seven points to lead the Pioneers attack, while senior Olivia Faucher added a three-pointer. New Providence led Dayton 16-9 after the opening eight minutes of action.

New Providence built an 18-9 lead in the opening seconds of the second quarter, but Dayton pushed back in the second quarter. McTernan led the attack for the Bulldogs, with Michelle Brandstaffer added five points, but New Providence countered the Dayton push with Kinum and senior Alexa Boyle adding baskets to keep the lead for the Pioneers.

New Providence led Dayton 31-25 at halftime.

“I thought we attacked the zone well and I thought we were knocking down our shots,” New Providence head coach Cap Pazdera said.

The third quarter appeared to be the turning point of the game for the Bulldogs, who fought back into the game. Michelle Bellino fueled the offense of the Bulldogs, scoring six points for her team. Despite baskets from senior Alyssa Nook and Kinum, the Bulldogs outscored the Pioneers 10-4 in the quarter to send the game to the fourth quarter tied up at 35-35.

“We were turning the ball over as the game went on and it got a little tighter,” Pazdera said. “We started to make some silly decisions with the ball. We turned the ball over late a bunch of times, which hurt us.”

Full Coverage of New Providence Girls Basketball NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 First Round Vs. Jonathan Dayton HS Here

Hund secured his 1,000th career varsity point with a three-pointer late in the fourth quarter of a 61-55 loss to Scotch Plains-Fanwood HS Thursday night on the road. With the regular season in the books, Hund has scored 432 points on the season.

He was recognized for his accomplishment after the game for Johnson, with a basketball and a plaque commemorating his hard work over all four years.

“It’s actually funny, I kind of froze,” Hund said. “I didn’t know what to do. I made the shot, it was a two-point game. I just remember the picture of the scoreboard. I didn’t want them to stop the game and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this actually just happened.’ It was a surreal feeling.”

He has been playing basketball since the first grade and began travel basketball in third grade and carried on through eighth grade, which introduced him to the competition of the game. His father, Steve Hund, a Councilman in the Third Ward in Clark, was his first coach. He also played in Kumpf and later transitioned to high school basketball.

Hund saw time on the floor as a freshman, playing in 15 games, knocking down two field goal baskets and a three-point shot. His role changed when he became a starter his sophomore year. He played in 27 games, knocking down 71 shots, 34 three-point shots and 50 free throws. He averaged 11 points per game.

As a junior, Hund picked up right where he left off. He cashed in on 94 shots, 18 three-pointers and connected for 45 free throws. He averaged 11.6 points per game.

Through 23 games his senior year, he’s knocked down 107 shots, 33 three-pointers and 121 free throws, averaging 19.6 points per game.

“When I’m out on the court, I just know when we need a basket or when we’re slacking a little on offense, I just know getting the ball to him [works] and he’ll make something happen,” Johnson sophomore Tino Puentes said. “Whether it’s an assist, get to the basket and get fouled, make some free throws, he’s an all-around player.”

In his earlier years at the school, it was Hund who found himself in the mix of varsity sports during his first full season on the basketball team during the 2016-17 season where things started to kick off for him. It all served as motivation for Hund as he got right to work in every game and practice.

“Just a competitive nature to win,” Hund said. “Even when the season isn’t going as planned, I try to go out there every game and every practice to compete against my opponents. Winning to me is everything and the more I win, the happier I am. I’ve been taught that you learn a lot from losing and that’s going to help you learn more.”

Hund says among those memories includes meeting everyone along the way throughout his four years of high school.

He became a starter on the varsity team in the 2016-17 boys basketball team, the record-breaking year for the program. Johnson went 22-5 that year, including a 9-0 start before their first loss. They would subsequently win eight more games in a row, capturing the UCC-Sky Division title, the second straight for the program.

“Everybody wanted the same thing. We all wanted a ring on our finger,” Hund said. “We wanted to beat everyone and we knew it wasn’t going to be one person. When we played together, everybody looked like they were the best on the team.”

His biggest moment came in the state tournament. In the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 2 First Round and with his team trailing Holmdel 57-54 in the closing seconds, Hund fired a three-pointer from the corner at the buzzer, tying the game and forcing overtime.

Johnson would win the game 64-62 in overtime and reach the sectional finals, the first in program history.

“I just caught it and I shot it. I didn’t look at the clock,” Hund said. “I watch that video twice a month. I think of Coach Hadyka jumping up and running on to the court. After the game, Brendan [Stanzione] said, ‘I knew you were there’ He didn’t see me, he just hit the ball, he knew I was there. That was something special. That really showed how tight we were and how well we gelled.”

Full Story on Johnson Senior Brandon Hund Achieving 1,000 Career Varsity Points Here

The Crusaders appeared to be in trouble of dropping their third straight game of the season. They saw a lead as high as 18 points fall to a two-point lead as Johnson led 46-44 after three quarters, after once taking over the game in complete control after the first quarter. With the adversities in front of them, they held down the game and battled back.

Hund tied the game with a free throw with 0:01 left in the fourth quarter, saving Johnson and sending the game to overtime, with the score tied 64-64.

Hund and sophomore Tino Puentes combined to score all the seven points (five coming on free throws) in the extra session, taking over the game in moments of adversity as Johnson defeated Middlesex 71-66 in overtime Friday night in Clark, in the Crusaders’ regular season and home finale.

Hund gave Johnson a 66-64 lead with 2:28 left in overtime and after Johnson drained almost two minutes off the clock, Puentes, who missed technical shots to start the extra session, drained two free throws to extend the Johnson advantage to 68-64 with 0:38 left.

Middlesex got a response basket to get within 68-66, but Hund and Puentes hit the free throws to seal the deal and secure the win, which also came with ley defensive stops that would lead to the tough baskets for Johnson.

“I think our defense,” Puentes said. “We all came together at the end, we got major rebounds and we controlled the pace. We knew when to shot, when to pull the ball out [and] run some clock. It was a great team effort.”

A crazy back-and-forth sequence in the final seconds of the fourth quarter featured baskets by both teams. After Middlesex grabbed a 58-57 lead with 2:53 left, O’Connor and Hund hit back-to-back shots to give Johnson a 61-58 lead with 1:40 left. Middlesex answered with a basket to cut the lead to 61-60 with 1:31 left in the fourth quarter.

After the Blue Jays got a basket to lead 62-61 with 0:42 seconds left, Puentes grabbed a pass from Hund and knocked down a go-ahead shot to give Johnson a 64-63 lead with 0:10 seconds left.

Middlesex fired right back with a basket to take a 64-63 lead before Johnson immediately used their final timeout.

Bretz delivered a football-style pass down the court to Hund, who drew the foul, before draining the free throw to send the game to overtime.

“We were all pretty frustrated,” Hund said. “But every time we came off the court, whether it was Coach or somebody saying, ‘Come on, keep your head up, when you go back in do your thing.’”

Hund picked up four fouls with 4:58 left in the third quarter and was on the bench to avoid picking up a fifth foul. Johnson saw sophomore Bill Sasse and junior Ben Kosiek seeing extended minutes with some of the Johnson starters sitting out due to the foul accumulation.

“It was a team effort today. We need to have that moving into the next season against a tough opponent [in Manasquan on Monday],” Johnson head coach Dave Kennedy said. “I give credit to the Middlesex kids for standing in, working hard and getting back into the game. It’s an interesting way to cap off a season and go into a tournament.”

Full Coverage of Johnson Boys Varsity Basketball Overtime Win Over Middlesex HS Here

A slow start doomed the Crusaders, who fell behind 13-3 after the first quarter and never recovered, losing to the Rams 56-39 Friday night in Roselle.

The Rams got off to a quick start, receiving offensive production from Samuel Noel (21 points), who scored eight points in the quarter alone. Wilard Nelson (12 points) and Jahed Muhammad each knocked in a basket for the home team. Johnson sophomore Tino Puentes provided a three-pointer for the lone basket of the quarter for Johnson.

As the second quarter started, Puentes nailed back-to-back shots to get Johnson within 15-8 with 6:09 left in the second quarter. After a Roselle basket from Noel, Hund got his team to within four points, draining a three-pointer. O’Connor knocked down a basket to get his team back to within two points, the score now 15-13 with 3:35 left in the second quarter.

Senior Marcos Castro responded with a three-pointer after another Roselle basket, the score now 17-16, but Roselle responded with a 7-0 scoring run to take a 24-16 lead going into halftime. As the third quarter started, the Rams would maintain control.

Quamir Martin (13 points) scored five points as the Rams outscored the Crusaders 11-9 in the third quarter, taking a 35-25 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Noel scored six points in the fourth quarter, while Brutus chipped in four points, while Muhammad added three more for the home team, as the Rams coasted to the win, outscoring Johnson 21-14 in the final quarter.

Johnson wasn’t quite able to counter Roselle on their offensive chances, as the teams split the season series.

Full Coverage of Johnson Boys Varsity Basketball At Roselle-Abraham Clark HS Here

Eric Bretz, Marcos Castro, Brandon Hund, Sean Kennedy, manager Simone Yanogacio and senior cheerleaders Julianna Rizzuto and Victoria Torres were honored for their years of hard work and dedication towards the basketball/cheerleading programs.

For the seniors, the game and their careers have been centered around the idea of being a family, as well as a team.

“It means a lot,” Hund said of his time in the program. “Coming in as a freshman, just everyone I’ve met through the program, I still talk to everyone even from my freshman year, Mitch [Becker], Tommy [Colicchio], Sean [Kovatch] and Mike [DeMarco]. It’s really a family here.”

“You have your ups-and-downs in practice and the games, but in the end, we’re all brothers, we’re all great friends. We have respect for each other and we all have each other’s back. You really see it when we’re all together,” he added.

Head coach Dave Kennedy had words of praise for the seniors and what they’ve been able to do in their years of being in the program.

“I think they’ve all led by example and they still want to get better,” Johnson head coach Dave Kennedy said. “They still have things they want to accomplish, so that’s a credit to them. We try to stress that each legacy is how we’re going to be better as a program next year and so on. That’s our goal and our senior class has definitely fulfilled that.”

Once the game started, Johnson went right to work against Brearley and were able to give the seniors a boost on the night. The Crusaders pieced together key stops on defense with key shots on offense to defeat the Bears 64-51 Thursday night in Clark.

As the game started, the teams played a close game, with Brearley holding a 7-4 edge with 3:11 left in the first quarter, but Johnson would bounce back with an 8-0 run, powered by Hund, sophomore Tino Puentes and junior Ben Kosiek knocking down their shots, giving Johnson a 12-7 lead after the first eight minutes on the floor.

It was all Johnson after that.

The Crusaders offense took over as the quarter rolled along, with Hund scoring eight straight points (11 in the quarter). In an offensive outburst led by Hund’s seven points, Johnson grabbed a 20-11 lead with 5:01 left in the second quarter. After free throws from sophomore Brandon Castro and junior Bobby Lukasiewicz, Johnson built a 25-14 with lead with 2:59 left in the second quarter.

Junior Matt O’Connor knocked down a shot, while Brandon Castro and all scoring via free throws, giving Johnson a 30-18 lead into halftime.

Full Coverage of Johnson Boys Varsity Basketball Senior Night Win over Brearley HS Here

Senior Bailey Rosenmeier led all scorers with 20 points and freshman Angela Aromando scored 17 points as the 15-seeded Crusaders defeated the 18-seeded Comets 63-50 in the 2019 Girls Basketball Union County Tournament Preliminary Round Saturday afternoon in Clark.

The Johnson Crusaders (9-11) advance to the Union County Tournament First Round. They will travel to play at second-seeded Westfield HS Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m.

After building a halftime lead of 39-27, Hillside managed to push back in the third quarter, forcing Johnson to go on the attack to maintain their lead with a chance to end their losing streak. Hillside trimmed Johnson’s lead to 42-33 with 4:54 left in the quarter, but Johnson, who’s needed a strong third quarter to close out their games, got just what they were looking for.

“They picked it up and they were determined to get the ball inside, that’s what we knew what we had to do,” Johnson head coach Joe Marino said. “We managed to get the ball it to Bailey and Bailey made some things happen.”

Rosenmeier and Aromando led the charge in the quarter. Rosenmeier added six points in the final two minutes, while Aromando added two key baskets. The Crusaders outscored the Comets 14-10 to build a 53-39 lead going into the fourth quarter. Johnson received offensive production from Aromando, but needed other players to step up with the Comets attempting to limit Aromando’s shots.

Rosenmeier and Kosiek gave Johnson the production they needed to sustain their lead in the third quarter. At times when it seemed Hillside was poised to make a run, Johnson always found an answer to counter their chances.

“They were trying to shut down Angela,” Marino said. “That was fine because it opened up everybody else.”

Despite Hillside’s adjustments at halftime, Aromando had been able to score six points in the second half, which led to her 17 points on the day, having already added 11 before halftime.

“I think it comes down to athleticism and being able to get around them,” Aromando said. “We did a pretty good job of maneuvering it and cutting to the basket and getting open. I thought we did a really good job.”

Full Coverage of Johnson Girls Varsity Basketball Union County Tournament Preliminary Round Win Over Hillside HS Here

After losing the first round via decision, the Blue Devils responded right back to take the lead over the Gulls and never look back.

Jamie Mazzacco (182), Brendon Denovaes (195), Jack Maida (106) and Matt Klemser (113) each recorded a pin, with Shore winning seven straight matches, with two technical falls and decisions as they punched their ticket to Toms River on Sunday.

STORY: Shore avenges loss in last year’s CJ 1 final, wins 1st ever sectional crown

With the teams tied at 35-35 with 4:26 left in the fourth quarter, the Hilltoppers closed out the game on an 11-3 run, defeating the Crusaders 46-38 Thursday night in Clark.

Sophomore Sarah Maldonado got the scoring going for the Hilltoppers, scoring the first four points for her team, giving them a 39-35 lead with 3:50 left in the fourth quarter. Freshman Olivia Lawlor and senior Bella Cusumano each knocked down a basket to make it 43-35 Summit with 2:22 left, the Hilltoppers now in full control.

“Our tenacity, our aggressiveness, the way we corralled the basketball on the defensive end [were all great],” Summit head coach Tom Kenny said on his team’s play in the final stretch. “That’s a huge game for us. We’re without our best player and I know Joe’s team is a little banged up as well, it’s that time of year.”

“It keeps us in the chase to defend our Mountain Division championship. It was a great game by both teams,” he added.

The Hilltoppers were down 26-20 at halftime, after being outscored by Johnson 17-12 in the second quarter, but the eight minutes that came next appeared to flip the script. Summit outscored Johnson 9-1 in the third quarter to take a 29-27 lead heading into the final quarter.

The first half was a completely different picture, with Johnson getting a quick start.

Junior Ally Bowen scored the first seven points of the game. Summit would fight back, receiving five points from Lawlor and a three-pointer from sophomore Kiran McCormick, as Johnson led Summit 9-8 after the first quarter.

Johnson built their lead and capitalized on a few Summit mistakes. With Summit ahead 12-11, freshman Angela Aromando gave her team a 13-12 lead, before McCormick gave Summit back the lead at 15-13 with 4:05 left in the second quarter. Senior Bailey Rosenmeier brought the game to a 15-15 tie.

Aromando’s three-pointer made it 18-17 with 2:50 left in the second quarter, with Johnson closing out the quarter on an 8-3 run, leading 26-20 at halftime, with Summit needing to adjust in the intermission before coming right back out for the second half.

“It’s a credit to ALJ, they played a tough first half,” Kenny said. “Joe [Marino]’s always a consummate professional, brings a great game plan. I just thought we played too-hurried basketball in the first half.”

“When we calmed down and ran our stuff and played better defensively, because I think they wanted to rebound more. When we calmed down in the first half and got that and got a little but of pressure, things were a little easier for us as it progressed,” he added.

Full Coverage of Johnson Girls Varsity Basketball Against Summit HS Here