History Awaits: Rumson, Ramsey Aim to End Group 2 Title Droughts

NJSIAA Group II Championship

Saturday, March 14, 2026

At Jersey Mike’s Arena, Rutgers University, 6 p.m.

 

Rumson-Fair Haven (21-8) vs. Ramsey (22-9)

 

Teams at a Glance

Rumson-Fair Haven – Central Jersey Group II Champion

Head Coach: George Sourlis
Group Championships: None
Group Final Appearances: None

Road to the Final

First Round: Rumson was cruising with a 35-14 lead early in the third quarter of its state-tournament opener vs. Point Boro when Bulldogs got hit with a bolt of lightning. Point Boro shot 12-for-15 from three-point range after scoring just 10 points in the first half, they put up 64 over the final 20 minutes. That still was not enough to knock out Rumson, which got game-tying three-point play from Luke Cruz with 13 seconds left in regulation. A crucial three-pointer from Luke Lydon and a tie-breaking floater by freshman Clint Martin in overtime finished off a 75-74 win. Cruz led the way for Rumson with 34 points, 17 rebounds and two blocked shots.

Quarterfinals: There would be no drama for Rumson in the second round. The Bulldogs man-handled No. 2 Metuchen, 59-27, with a 21-3 third-quarter run serving as the final nail. Cruz was once starred for Rumson, finishing with 18 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks.

Semifinals: Defending the three-point line has been Rumson Achilles Heel during the tournament and it once again nearly the Bulldogs downfall in the sectional semifinals vs. No. 3 Ocean. The Spartans hit 16 three-pointers and built an 11-point lead midway through the third quarter, but Cruz and Rumson came alive to close out the third quarter with a 14-5 run and dominated the fourth to pull out a 67-58 win. Cruz scored 22 of his 33 points in the second half while also grabbing 11 rebounds, giving him an average of 28.3 points and 13.3 rebounds heading into Friday’s final. Senior Blake Ahmann contributed 12 points and nine rebounds, senior Zach Halpern supplied 12 points off the bench and junior point guard Casey Moore dished out nine assists while also grabbing eight rebounds.

Sectional Final: After ending its season at Manasquan in back-to-back Central Jersey Group II championship games in 2024 and 2025, Rumson returned to the scene of the heartbreak and quieted the ghosts. Cruz led the way with 17 points, 13 points and four blocked shots and the defense was airtight in a 47-33 road win that secured the Bulldogs’ first sectional title since 2022. Ahman contributed 10 points, 7 rebounds and three steals, including a steal and dunk that gave Rumson a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter. Junior Casey Moore also pitched in eighth points, five rebounds and three assists in the win.

Group Semifinal: Lydon led the offense through three quarters and Cruz led the fourth-quarter closing job as Rumson pulled away for a 71-55 win over South Jersey champion Middle, earning the Bulldogs their first ever appearance in the Group II championship game. Lydon scored all 17 of his points and five three-pointers in the first three quarters to go with six assists, while Cruz poured in 13 of his team-high 23 points in the fourth quarter while also posting 15 rebounds and blocking four shots.

Projected Lineup

Casey Moore, Jr., 6-0, Guard (5.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists)

Luke Lydon, Sr., 5-11, Guard (12.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals)

Clint Martin, Fr., 6-1, Guard (10.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.8 blocks)

Blake Ahmann, Sr., 6-3, Forward (10.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.8 blocks)

Luke Cruz, Sr., 6-9, Forward (21.6 points, 13.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 steals, 3.4 blocks)

Off the Bench

Zach Halpern, Sr., 6-1, Guard/Forward

Drew Cavise, Sr., 6-3, Guard/Forward

Ramsey – North Jersey Section 1 Group II Champion

Head Coach: Mark Christiansen
Group Championships: 1 (1950)
Group Final Appearances: 1 (1950)

Road to the Final

First Round: Ramsey’s five starters each scored between eight and 14 points, powering a balanced offensive effort that was more than enough to complement a stifling defense in a 69-37 win over No. 16 High Point in the tournament opener. Senior Owen Farley led the way with 14 points, classmate Julien Quinerly netted 13 and fellow senior Owen Morycz posted 12 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Junior Charlie Taylor added 11 points and classmate Owen Croley chipped in eight points and 10 rebounds.

Quarterfinals: The Rams steamrolled No. 9 Mahway, 71-33, by blitzing the Thunderbirds, 24-0, in the first quarter and never looking back. Taylor drained six three-pointers on the way to a game-high 25 points, Crowley threw in 15 and Quinerly checked in with 11 points and six assists.

Semifinals: Farley again paced Ramsey with 17 points and eight rebounds as the Rams notched their third straight double-digit victory by knocking off No. 4 Glen Rock, 52-41. Morycz and Taylor each chipped in 12 points in the win.

Sectional Final: After trailing No. 3 Westwood by two at halftime, Ramsey stormed out of the halftime locker room and outscored the Cardinals, 25-3, in the third quarter on the way to a 63-52 win, which avenged two regular-season losses to Westwood and delivered Ramsey its seventh sectional championship since 2016. All five starters scored at least nine points, led by Farley’s 20 points to go with four assists. Crowley posted 13 points and eight rebounds, Taylor went for 11 points and four assists, and Quinerly netted nine points whiel dishing out six assists. Morycz threw in 10 points as well.

Group Semifinal: Carrying a 0-6 record in state semifinals games since 2016 into the Group II semifinals, Ramsey coughed up a fourth-quarter lead against Lyndhurst, but prevailed in double-overtime, 74-70, to earn a trip to the Group II championship game for the first time since 1950. Quinerly turned in a career performance with 24 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while Taylor drained 23 points and seven rebounds. Farley also chipped in 15 points, five assists and three steals in the landmark win.

 

Projected Lineup

Julien Quinerly, Sr., Guard (8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.2 steals)

Charlie Taylor, Jr., Guard (14.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.5 steals)

Owen Farley, Sr., Guard (12.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.8 steals)

Owen Morycz, Sr., Guard (8.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.4 steals)

Owen Crowley, Jr., Forward (7.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 blocks)

Off the Bench

Pat O’Neil, Jr., Forward

James Cunningham, Jr., Guard

For the second straight game, Rumson-Fair Haven will clash with another team that has been knocking on the door to state championship glory, but unable to kick it in. The Bulldogs’ hardship in the later rounds of the NJSIAA Tournament has been chronicled in this space, but in many ways, Ramsey’s problems beyond the sectional championship round have been even more confounding.

Since 2016, Ramsey was won seven NJSIAA sectional championships and yet, this is the program’s first appearance in the state championship since 1950 – the only year in which the Rams have won an overall Group II title.

Of course, Rumson can ask for a friend to “hold my beer” (non-alcoholic, of course), because while it’s been 76 years since Ramsey’s last title, it has been never for the Bulldogs. This latest sectional championship is the fourth for Rumson since 2017 and each of the prior three were followed with losses in the Group II semifinal.

While Ramsey broke its group semifinal hex with a double-overtime nail-biter vs. Lyndhurst, Rumson storms into the championship game coming off an all-around dominant win over Middle Township – a team that was seeking its first trip to the state final since 2002. Since falling behind by 11 at Ocean in the Central Jersey Group II semifinals, Rumson has been firing on all cylinders, with Luke Cruz and Luke Lydon playing some of their best basketball of the season on both sides of the floor, while Blake Ahmann, Casey Moore and Clint Martin have also been two-way threats.

The health of that group has been paramount late in the year and that health was not intact for most of the regular season, with Cruz missing 11 games due to injury, Lydon battling a sore ankle and Ahmann dealing with a prolonged bout with the flu. Martin’s emergence as a freshman and Moore’s steadiness as a tough, physical point guard have helped the Bulldogs deal with those challenges.

The most pronounced loss for Rumson was the nearly-year-long absence of senior Drew Cavise, who opened the season as a starter, was shut down with an undisclosed medical issue in December and only returned to the regular rotation at the start of the state tournament. Cavise gave his team a huge emotional lift Tuesday with five points in the fourth quarter, which started with a three-pointer.

Senior Zach Halpern has been the Bulldogs sixth man for most of the year and his role is to provide the important, harder-to-measure elements of the game, but he has shown a knack for hitting a three at a key moment in the game.

That Rumson rotation that includes four players averaging double-figure scoring and will take on a similarly balanced, albeit less explosive starting group on offense. The five starters are averaging between 7.5 and 14.1 points per game, with junior Charlie Taylor the year-long leader at 14.1 and at 16.4 during the tournament. The three Owens – Owen Farley, Owen Morycz and Owen Crowley – have all proven capable of carrying the scoring for long stretches as well and senior point guard Julien Quinerly ties it all together.

Quinerly is the younger brother of former McDonald’s All-American Javon Quinerly, who starred at Hudson Catholic in high school and at both the University of Alabama and Memphis University at the college level. While he doesn’t have the size of his older brother, Julien Quinerly has shown a feel for the point-guard position and a flair for the big game after he put up 24 points in the Group II semifinals.

The Verdict

At the opening tipoff Saturday night, both teams will boast five scoring threats on the floor, which should make the final game of the day at Jersey Mike’s Arena an entertaining one. Throw in two hungry programs and fan bases and the atmosphere should be tremendous.

The difference in the game is Cruz. He has cracked double-figure scoring in 17 of his 18 games this season and posted a double-double in 16 of them. During the postseason, the 6-foot-9 senior is averaging 24.6 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots per game and the Bulldogs are 15-4 with him in the lineup this year and 6-4 without him. After some inconsistency while adjusting to both his absence and his presence, the Bulldogs are a team of players who fully embrace their roles, with a star player in the center of everything.

A win would mean history for the program, as well as a history for its head coach. With a championship-clinching win, George Sourlis would become just the second coach in Shore Conference history to win an overall state championship in both boys and girls basketball, joining Neptune legend Ken O’Donnell. With 32 minutes standing between Rumson and a dose of Shore Conference history, the Bulldogs look like the team to beat.

The Pick: Rumson-Fair Haven, 58-51