Vikings to play for first H/W/S title
VERNON. Boys basketball team defeats top-seeded and No. 19 ranked Phillipsburg, 56-54, in semifinal round.
Vernon /
| 13 Feb 2024 | 06:52
Vernon's Grace Dobrzynski shoots in the second half of the game against Wallkill Valley on Feb. 10. The Vikings won, 62-49. Dobrzynski scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds. (Photos by George Leroy Hunter)
Vernon's Grace Duffy handles the ball. She scored two points and grabbed three rebounds.
Vernon's Jonnah Castillo releases the ball from the foul line. She scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.
A Vernon player handles the ball as the Wallkill Valley Rangers defend.
Vernon's Chloe DeBonta (21) releases the ball from the foul line. She scored one point and grabbed one rebound.
Vernon's Elizabeth Peek scored seven points.
Wallkill Valley's Kate Fahrenfeld handles the ball. She scored 12 points and grabbed two rebounds.
Wallkill Valley's Jackie Schels scored 25 points.
Vernon Township High School senior Ben Jurewicz was in the right place at the right time.
He scored on a put-back that just beat the final buzzer as the fifth-seeded boys basketball team earned a stunning 56-54 victory over top-seeded and No. 19 ranked Phillipsburg in the semifinal round of the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 10 at Wallkill Valley Regional High School.
With the win, Vernon will aim to win its first tri-county championship against third-seeded Hunterdon Central at 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16 at Centenary University in Hackettstown.
Phillipsburg had its 20-game winning streak snapped and fell to 20-2 with the loss.
Vernon’s Alex Fessel shot a three-pointer in the final seconds that bounced off the rim but was rebounded by teammate Michael Pecoraro, who put up a shot that went to the other side of the basket.
Jurewicz then swiftly caught the ball and banked in the game-winning shot as the buzzer sounded, providing the Vikings with the upset decision.
Fessel finished with a team-high 23 points, followed by Jurewicz (12 points) and Dhamir Morfe-Chess (11 points). Matthew Scerbo Jr. had a game-high 30 points for Phillipsburg.
Vernon has won eight of its past nine games to improve to 14-6 this winter.
Here’s how other Vernon teams fared last week:
Girls basketball
Grace Dobrzynski had 18 points and six rebounds; Jonnah Castillo added 17 points, 14 rebounds and three assists; and Monica Curry collected 13 points, three rebounds, four steals and three assists to pace Vernon to a 62-49 decision over Wallkill Valley at home Feb. 10.
Dobrzynski is averaging 12.7 points per game to lead the team in scoring, with Castillo (12.4 ppg) right behind.
Vernon (13-7) is scheduled to play host to Veritas Christian at 7 p.m. Feb. 16.
Ice hockey
Vernon closed out its regular season with a 12-2 loss to Clifton on Feb. 10 at Skylands Ice World in Stockholm.
Luke Zabriskie scored a goal and assisted Drew Shawgo’s goal in the first period as Vernon held a 2-1 lead.
Zabriskie has tallied 35 goals and 19 assists for Vernon (6-12) this winter.
Indoor track
Sophia Haw finished fourth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:02 to lead the Vernon girls track team at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey, Section 1, Groups 2 and 3 sectional championships Feb. 10 at the Bennett Center in Toms River.
Wrestling
The individual portion of the season is set to begin this week with the Vernon contingent wrestling at District 4 on Saturday, Feb. 17 at High Point.
Other competing teams include DePaul, Kittatinny, Newton, North Warren, Sparta, Wallkill Valley and West Milford.