ROCKAWAY - The Thomas Jefferson School boys opened their basketball playoff season in the Greater Morris County Junior Schools Coaches Association (GMCJSCA) with a 48-30 victory over Wharton on Friday, Jan. 29, at McKinnon School in Wharton, which the host school for tournament.
The Rams, the top-seeded team in the Group 2 portion of the 37-team tournament, move on to face Bloomingdale Middle School in a semifinal game scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 6:30 p.m.
Brandon Scholtz led T'’s attack with 14 points while Fabian Retemales and Jake Musser also finished in double figures, Retemales with 11 points and Musser with 10.
Divyang Patel had seven points and Conor McClain and Matt Walls each finished with three points to round out the scoring for Thomas Jefferson, which is now 13-3 after finishing the regular season with a 12-3 record.
Rich Stepanian, the coach of Thomas Jefferson, is the tournament director and Tom McMillen of Wharton is the site director. There is an admission charge of $4 for adults, $3 for seniors and $2 for students for the tournament games.
---
Thomas Jefferson wins regular-season finale to finish 12-3
ROCKAWAY - Matt Walls scored 19 points as the Thomas Jefferson School boys basketball team closed out its regular-season schedule in the Greater Morris County Junior Schools Coaches Association (GMCJSCA) with a 76-36 victory over Mount Arlington in a game played at Thomas Jefferson here on Wednesday, Jan. 27.
Jake Musser had a season-high 17 points; Fabian Retemales added 12 points; and Divyang Patel had 10 as four Rams finished the game in double figures.
Point guard Brandon Scholtz handed out 13 assists and scored two points; Conor McClain finished the game with six points; and Anthony D'Amico and Nick Manno each had five to wrap up the Thomas Jefferson scoring.
The Rams finished the regular season with a 12-3 record.
---
Buzzer shot misses as TJ falls to Rockaway Valley, 45-42
ROCKAWAY - Thomas Jefferson School’s boys basketball team lost its third game of the season when a 3-point buzzer shot failed to drop in a 45-42 Greater Morris County Junior Schools Coaches Association loss to Rockaway Valley at Boonton Township on Wednesday, Jan. 27.
Fabian Retemales was the Rams’ high-scorer with 12 points while Brandon Scholtz and Jake Musser each added eight.
Anthony D'Amico finished with six points and Divyang Patel and Conor McClain each had four points to round out the TJ scoring for the day
---
TJ named top seed in Group 2 for post-season tourney
ROCKAWAY - With two game left before the Morris County Middle School Boys Basketball Tournament, the Thomas Jefferson School boys team improved its record to 11-2 with a 54-24 victory over Morris Plains in a game played at Morris Plains on Tuesday, Jan. 19.
Thomas Jefferson will enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed in the Group 2 division of the tournament and will face Wharton at Wharton on Friday, Jan. 29, in a first-round game.
Against Morris Plains, Thomas Jefferson got a 14-point performance from Brandon Scholtz to lead its offensive attack.
Jake Musser scored nine point and Matt Walls finished with eight for the winners. Fabian Retemales and Conor McLain each scored six points; Divyang Patel added three points; and Anthony D’Amico, Scott Kelly, Nick Manno and Derek Dreiss each finished with two points to round out the scoring for TJ.
---
TJ falls to Mendham, 76-40, for second loss of season
ROCKAWAY - Mendham bolted out to a 28-8 first-period lead and Thomas Jefferson never could recover as it lost a 76-42 decision in a boys basketball game played at Thomas Jefferson School on Monday, Jan. 18.
Mendham has handed Thomas Jefferson (10-2) both of its losses this season - the first loss was a 62-23 defeat at Mendham on Friday, Jan. 8.
Matt Walls led TJ in scoring with 14 points while Jake Musser chipped in with 11, Fabian Retemales had seven, Anthony D'Amico added six points and Divyang Ptel and Nick Manno each finished with two points.
---
Walls scores 21 to lead TJ past Riverdale, 78-47
ROCKAWAY - Matt Walls scored 21 points as Thomas Jefferson outgunned Riverdale, 78-47, in a boys basketball game played at Thomas Jefferson on Thursday, Jan. 14.
Brandon Scholtz and Fabian Retemales each scored 12 points and Jake Musser added 10 as the winners finished with four players in double-figures.
Anthony D'Amico finished with 12 points; Conor Mclain, Divyang Patel and Joe VanSaders each had four points; and Kevin Pratt finished with two points to round out the scoring for Thomas Jefferson.
---
Walls, Scholtz lead TJ to 49-35 win over Mount Arlington
ROCKAWAY - The Thomas Jefferson School boys basketball team used a second-half rally to erase a one-point halftime deficit en route to a 49-35 victory over Mount Arlington at Mount Arlington on Tuesday, Jan. 12.
Matt Walls and Brandon Scholtz led the way as Walls scored 13 points and Scholtz added 12.
Jake Musser finished with nine points; Fabian Retemales had six; Anthony D’Amico had five point and Divyan Patel scored four points.
---
Retemales scores 19 in 51-31 win over Wharton
ROCKAWAY - Fabian Retemales scored 19 points and Matt Walls added 12 as the Thomas Jefferson boys basketball team defeated Wharton, 51-31, in a game played at Wharton on Monday, Jan. 11.
Brandon Scholtz finished the game with nine points; Anthony D’Amico scored four points; Amos had three points and Jake Musser and Mulligan each finished with two points.
---
TJ falls to Mendham, 62-23, for first loss of season
---
ROCKAWAY - The Thomas Jefferson School boys basketball team lost its first game of the season on Friday, Jan. 8, when the team visited Mendham and came out on the short end of a 62-23 score in a Greater Morris County Junior School Coaches Association game.
Mendham (7-0) jumped out to a 29-6 lead at the end of the first quarter of play and was never headed as Thomas Jefferson's record slipped to 7-1 on the season.
"Mendham is very smooth and has unbelievable depth," said TJ coach Rich Stepanian after the game. "Plus, we just didn't show up to play ... and that seems to happen a lot up there with many teams."
Divyank Patel and Matt Walls each had six points for Thomas Jefferson. Fabiean Retemales finished with four points; Brian Mulligan had three points; and Joe VanOrden and Anthony D'Amico each had two.
Thomas Jefferson plays at Wharton on Monday, Jan. 11, and at Mount Arlington on Tuesday, Jan. 12, before returning home for a 3:30 p.m. game against Riverdale on Thursday, Jan. 14.
---
Retemales scores 20 as unbeaten TJ wins seventh
ROCKAWAY - Fabian Retemales scored 20 points to lead a balanced attack as the unbeaten Thomas Jefferson School boys travel basketball team defeated Morris Plains, 72-39, in a game played at Morris Plains on Wednesday, Jan. 6.
Thomas Jefferson, with Retemales leading the way, held a 25-10 lead after the first quarter of play and was never headed as it cruised to its seventh victory of the season.
Matt Walls had 14 points and Divyang Patel added 13 for TJ; Jake Musser and Anthony D'Amico each finished with six points; Brian Mulligan scored five points; Joe VanSaders added four points and Matt Amos had two points to complete the scoring for Thomas Jefferson.
---
Thomas Jefferson defeats Rockaway Valley School
ROCKAWAY - The unbeaten Thomas Jefferson School boys basketball team swept to its fifth straight victory by beating Rockaway Valley School, 58-29, in a game played Monday, Dec. 21, at Thomas Jefferson.
"We had anticipated a much closer game," said TJ head coach Rich Stepanian after the game. "But Rockaway Valley had two of their best players out, one with an ankle injury and one with an illness."
Brandon Scholtz and Matt walls each scored 14 points to lead Thomas Jefferson in scoring.
Fabian Retemales and Jake Musser each had nine points; Anthony D'Amico had six points and Abel Hernandez, Matt Amos and Joe VanSaders each had two points to complete the scoring for Thomas Jefferson.
---
TJ wins as 25-point quarter paves the way
ROCKAWAY - The unbeaten Thomas Jefferson School boys basketball team scored 25 points in the second quarter to nail down a 62-40 victory over Riverdale in a junior high school basketball game played at Riverdale on Monday, Dec. 14.
Thomas Jefferson took a 19-10 lead after one quarter, held a 44-19 advantage at the half after its 25-point second-quarter outburst and was never threatened the rest of the way to improve is 2009-2010 record to 4-0.
"The team got hot early and went out fast," said head coach Rich Stepanian after the game. "It was a chance to get all our players some extended playing time after playing several close games."
Brandon Scholtz led Thomas Jefferson in scoring with 16 points and Fabian Retemales added 12 - all in the first half.
Matt Walls finished with eight points and Divyang Patel, Brian Mulligan and Mike D'Amico each had six points. Jake Musser finished with four points and Abel Hernandez and Matt Amos each had two to round out the scoring for Thomas Jefferson.
---
Thomas Jefferson has close call for third victory
ROCKAWAY - Fabian Retemales scored 16 points and Brandon Scholtz added 14 as the unbeaten Thomas Jefferson 7th-8th grade basketball team defeated Wharton, 39-35, for its third straight victory in a game played at Thomas Jefferson on Friday, Dec. 11.
Thomas Jefferson held a 16-15 lead at the half before Wharton broke out in front 22-17 by outscoring the home team 7-1 in the third period.
Trailing by seven points early in the final period, Thomas Jefferson switched to a full-court press and finished the game with a 22-point fourth-period outburst. Retemales and Scholtz each scored eight points in the period and TJ led by as many as seven points until Wharton hit a three-point shot at the buzzer to forge the final score.
Conor McClain scored four points for Thomas Jefferson; Jake Musser and Anthony D'Amico each had two points; and Divyang Patel rounded out the scoring for the winners with a free throw.
---
TJ opens hoops season by winning Harding Tournament
The Thomas Jefferson School 7/8 grade boys basketball team opened its 2009-2010 season in fine style last week by winning the Harding Township Middle School Basketball Tournament.
The Rockaway Borough school beat Mount Arlington School, 41-34, in the championship game after opening the tournament with a 40-20 victory over The Peck School of Morristown.
Despite holding leads of 12-3 after one quarter and 18-14 at the half in the title game, Thomas Jefferson trailed by five at 29-24 with three minutes left in the third period. A full-court press kept Mount Arlington scoreless the rest of the period and Thomas Jefferson scored the final three points of the third quarter to trail by two at 29-27 going into the final period.
Staying with the press on defense and led by Brandon Scholtz, who scored nine of his 11 points in the final quarter, Thomas Jefferson went on a 14-5 run in the final perod to finish with its seven-point victory.
Scholtz was named the tournament's MVP while teammates Matt Walls and Fabian Retemales were named to the tournament All-Star team.
Walls had a team-high 13 points against Mount Arlington in the championship game. Jacob Musser scored six points, Anthony D?Amico had five, Retemales finished with four and Abel Hernandez and Conor McClain each had a free throw to round out TJ's scoring.
In the tournament opener, TJ jumped out to a 15-5 first-period lead and increased the margin to 17 at the half when Peck was held to two points.
Retemales had a team-high 12 points for TJ while Walls added nine and Scholtz finished with eight. Divyng Patel scored six points, Matt Amos added three and Jacob Musser rounded out the scoring with two points.