1/19/2012 - Vikes Hit Rough Seas
Matt Ferguson walked over to the scorer’s table collected his scorebook and stat sheet with a glazed look over his eyes.
The high-energy Vernon boys basketball coach, who win or lose, always has a happy dispensation, looked both stunned and frustrated as he said good-bye to me and headed to the Vernon locker room.
And who could blame him? Ferguson, who has had great success since taking over the Vernon program in the early 2000s, just watched his squad fall to 1-9 and 1-6 in NJAC American Division play after dropping a tough 64-52 decision to Jefferson Wednesday night.
The game was a perfect illustration of Vernon’s disappointing season. The Vikings only trailed 41-38 going into the fourth quarter on the road, only to come up short once again.
So why is a team that sports two of the top players around in Dan Tintle and Rhett Moroses on the brink of not making states and in danger of finishing last in the American after being named the Mugs Media Team of the Year last year?
Well, if Ferguson knew he would have done something about it. As I said, Ferguson is one of the top coaches around and one of the best guys you ever want to meet. He is the type of guy you would want your son or daughter to play for because he stands for what is right with high school sports.
But that is not to say this losing season is not eating up him inside. Far from it. Ferguson loves to scout and watch film, and unfortunately, for the Vikings, things are just not breaking their way.
In a division as good as the American, there are no off nights. Throw in some injuries and replacing four key players from last year—Dylan Moroses, Travis Eustace, Michael Cooper and Alfred Grullon----and the Vikes are going through their toughest stretch since the early 1990s.
The Vikings have played everyone tough. They lost to Sparta 48-43, Pope John, 62-50, a game in which the Vikings led going into the fourth quarter, and Mt Olive 68-67.
So it is not like the Vikes are getting run off the floor. It is just they can’t find that winning combination during crunch time.
And a big reason for that is that teams are focusing on Tintle and Moroses with the feeling, if we are going to lose to the Vikings, we are going to make one of the other three players on the floor beat us, and it has worked.
The Vikes haven’t developed that third consistent offensive threat. At times, Justin Dinelle, Ayre Stoner, who is hurt, and Tyler Furrey have aided the cause. But the big problem for the Vikes has been the health of senior guard Ethan Vallellanes.
The crafty lefty has not been the same since hurting his ankle in the PJ loss in December. When healthy he can create and does a great job of finding Tintle and Moroses.
Against Jefferson, Furrey handled the ball most of the game and Vallellanes was called upon to shoot 3s.
Ferguson said before the Jefferson game that the team was in good spirits and working hard in practice. After beating High Point the other night for their first win, it looked like the Vikes had broken through and were ready to make a run.
It didn’t happen against Jefferson, but give the credit to the very deep and experienced Falcons who wore down the Vikings in the fourth quarter to pull out the win.
My feeling is that before it is all said and done this season, the Vikes are going to knock off one of the Big Three in the American and spoil their season. I don’t know which team, but Vernon is not a team anyone wants to see right now.
As Jefferson coach Joe DiGennaro put it, “Vernon is a wounded animal.” The Vikes certainly are and it is just a matter of time before the Vikes turn it around.
Coming into the season many, including myself, felt the Vikes would contend for the division crown with Tintle, Moroses and Vallellanes coming back.
But Ferguson told me over the summer that you can’t discount what last year’s seniors brought to the team and that some of the younger players would need to step it up or it could be a tough season.
There is a lot of basketball left to be played and Vernon has the talent to go on a run and salvage the season. These Vikings have too much pride to let this season slip away. They will (cliché alert!) just have to adjust their goals and take things one game at a time.
If they are able to do that, I feel they can be playing some meaningful basketball at the end of the season.
But only time will tell.
TOURNEY TIME…We are closing in on the cutoff for the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Basketball Tournament for both the boys and girls.
Teams must submit their records by Jan. 26 and seeding will be done by Jan. 27. First-round action is slated for Wednesday, Feb. 1 and will continue every Saturday starting Feb. 4 until the finals on Friday Feb. 24 at Phillipsburg.
The boys final is at 6 p.m. followed by the girls at 7:30 p.m.
North Hunterdon won the boys crown last year in double OT against Vernon, while High Point girls walked away with the crown after topping North Hunterdon.
The seeding process will interesting when you take the Vernon boys into account. If the Vikes played in the Freedom, would they be 1-9? I don’t think so. But their record is what it is.
Ferguson told me he reached out to the schools in Freedom to play an independent game, almost like a NCAA Bracket Buster. He hasn’t received any response as of Wednesday.
Jefferson’s boys and girls will play in the Morris County Tournament and seeding for that tourney is Sunday.
Jefferson’s boys hope to get a home play-in game and then take its chances, while the girls should be seeded in the top four, especially if the Falcons top High Point Friday night at 6 p.m. at High Point.
And finally, congratulations to Jefferson girls coach Jim O’Connor for posting his 450th career win Wednesday after beating Vernon. Jim is a great coach and even a better guy. Way to go Jim, let’s hope you stick around to see No. 500.
That’s it for now see you on the sidelines.
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