February
5, 2006
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ALLENDALE -- They may be the most anonymous team in Bergen County. Ridgefield Park is all of two points from being a four seed in the Bergen County Jamboree, but it was the two one-point losses to Westwood and Fort Lee that saw them drop to No. 10.
The Scarlets came into Saturday evening’s Round of 16 game at Northern Highlands with the idea that they had something to prove. It was time to show the county that they weren’t just the third team out of the BCSL-American Division.
John Tello mirrored his team. The 6-foot-5 junior did not have the glossy credentials that other county players do. He, like his Scarlet teammates, has been doing the lunch pail routine, putting in solid efforts every time out.
Their moment came against seventh-seeded Ramapo, and RP put on a workmanlike performance that never allowed Ramapo to overcome a large deficit. It all added up to a 65-52 win, their first Jamboree victory in 10 years, and a date in the quarterfinals next Sunday against the St, Joseph-Elmwood Park winner.
“I wouldn’t say we play the prettiest game of basketball, but we just have kids that, somehow, are having a special season,” RP head coach Chris Gaskin said. “I think we’re a good team, but I also think there’s something special going on here, and it’s all about their hard work.”
“We were the underdogs,” Tello acknowledged. “We took a real big step today. We got it from everybody. Rebounds, charges, defense; it’s the little things that we did.”
Tello was a big part of it, scoring 22 points and hauling in 19 rebounds while also blocking two shots. His interior play sparked the Scarlets’ 41-24 rebounding edge, but he was hardly alone on the highlight reel.
Michael Berrios had a near double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 9 boards, and the guard also blocked two shots and had 4 assists and 2 steals. Nico Velez had 17 points and point guard Marvin Turner had 10 points and 6 assists.
“Berrios is a tremendous ballhawk,” Gaskin related, “and with John and Nico inside, we can rebound with most teams.”
Velez also showed his perimeter side in the first period with a trio of three-point field goals. He canned back-to-back treys to take a 12-7 Scarlet lead and make it a double digit bulge as Ridgefield Park went up 20-8 after the first quarter.
“That gave us a boost right there,” Tello said of Velez’ threes. “Then they realized they had to get a hand up on him and that opened everyone else.”
“We died by the three,” Ramapo head coach Joe DelBuono admitted. “The first quarter was a factor, because we missed some easy shots. We had some great looks. Their kid’s three’s were huge. They were the nine-point difference in the half (RP led 27-18).”
Ramapo was just 7 of 25 behind the arc, part of a rough 18 of 64 shooting performance. Even when the Green Raiders got within three points twice in the third quarter, they could not finish the comeback. The last of the three-point deficits was at 35-32, which doubled when Tello stepped out and banged a three-ball with 1:44 to go in the period.
“What people don’t know about John is how he comes into school at six in the morning to shoot, and he’s out in the park at 10 o’clock at night shooting,” Gaskin said. “He’s driven.”
“In this tournament right now, we have to make a name for ourselves, and that’s we came to do, make a name for ourselves,” Tello added.
The RP lead extended to 42-34 after three quarters, though the Raiders (12-4) would continue to try and make a run. Every time they would appear to be ready to do so, Ridgefield Park had an answer, be it a Tello putback or a Berrios basket or Turner free throws.
A.J Pisarri hit two foul shots with 3:15 remaining to get Ramapo within 51-44, but Berrios cashed in an offensive rebound and Tello hit two technical foul shots to get the lead back to double digits and end any comeback thoughts.
Pisarri was the only Raider in double figures with 18 points, and Andrew Durfee topped Ramapo, which was 9 of 11 at the line, with 6 rebounds. RP was 25 of 50 from the floor (4 of 10 on threes) and 11 of 24 from the stripe.
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