Jackson Boys Basketball Named Week 8 OIB Ortho Team of the Week | Shore Sports Insider
Week 8 OIB Ortho Team of the Week: Jackson Boys Basketball
Shore Sports Insider is proud to partner with OIB Ortho this winter to present our weekly OIB Ortho Boys Basketball Team of the Week Award, recognizing standout Shore Conference programs for their accomplishments on the court.
We are also thrilled to welcome Joe Leone’s Italian Specialties as a co-sponsor, providing a generous $250 gift card each week to celebrate the winning team.
The Week 8 recipient of the 2026 OIB Ortho Boys Team of the Week is Jackson, which heads into the new week coming off its biggest win of the season and one of the best wins of any Shore Conference teams during the first two rounds of the NJSIAA Tournament.
Jackson is playing in the Central Jersey Group IV semifinals Tuesday at top-seeded Hillsborough for the right to play in the sectional championship game, which a Jackson High School team has not done since Jackson Memorial lost to Rancocas Valley in the 2011 Central Group IV final. To get there, the Jaguars had to bounce back from a tough loss in the Shore Conference Tournament, regain their swagger at home, then go on the road to beat an East Brunswick team that was already 3-1 vs. teams in the Shore Sports Insider Top 10.
“These guys play for each other and that’s what this time of year is all about,” Jackson coach Randy Holmes said. “They are going out, spending time together away from the court, building that chemistry and camaraderie. The big thing is everybody is starring in their role. Not everybody can score every play. The guys who are in there for defense are doing a good job defensively, guys that can rebound are doing a good job rebounding. They are falling into place.”
The state tournament opened with Jackson hosting Hightstown and it could not have gone much better than it did for the home team. Senior George Boley knocked down 27 points and handed out five assists to lead an 83-55 Jackson rout of the 12th-seeded Rams. Three other Jackson players reached double-figure scoring, led by senior Jimmy Pappalardo’s 14 points. Senior Sean Hallihan threw in 12 and sophomore Mi’Aire Anderson dropped 11. Senior Randy Holmes Jr. also provided a scoring jolt with nine points on 3-for-3 shooting from three-point distance.
The convincing round-one win sent Jackson to East Brunswick Saturday with newfound confidence and the Jaguars displayed that in opening up a 36-22 lead on the host Bears. East Brunswick spent the second half chipping away on its deficit and cut the Jackson lead to 56-55 with two minutes left, but the Jaguars put the game away by making five of their next six attempts from the free-throw line and digging in on the defensive end for a 63-58 victory.
Jackson’s win over East Brunswick gives the Jaguars a leg up on fellow Shore teams Red Bank Catholic, Ranney and Middletown South — all of which have dropped a game to East Brunswick this season. Howell is the only other Shore team to beat the Bears this season.
Boley again led the way with 25 points and three assists, while senior Yaseer Johnson sparked a hot start with eight of his 13 points in the first half. Pappalardo delivered on the finishing end, scoring nine of his 13 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of key three-pointers. Anderson also finished with eight points in the win.
The Jaguars entered the NJSIAA Tournament licking their wounds from a 67-50 home loss to Ranney in the Shore Conference Tournament round of 16. It was the fifth loss of the season for Jackson and to that point, all the Jaguars’ losses were by margins of at least 16 points. A 55-50 loss to Bishop Eustace on Feb. 21 was Jackson’s first loss in a game that went down to the final minutes and in the state tournament, the Jaguars already have a close win on the road.
“We had goals in the beginning of the season,” Holmes said. “One goal we gave away in the Shore Conference Tournament, but this one is still attainable. The first goal was to win the (Class A South) division, which we did. The second one was to get to the (Shore Conference) final four and try to compete with CBA and that didn’t happen. We still have the sectional finals, so that’s giving the guys plenty of motivation.”
The two wins have also been a proving ground for Boley, who is getting a chance to showcase his considerable talent against teams from different areas of the state, starting with a Mercer County opponent in round one, followed by a Middlesex County team in round two. Next up is one of the top teams from the Skyland Conference: a Hillsborough team that is 2-0 vs. the Shore this season with wins over Ocean and Freehold Township that were decided by margins of greater than 20 points.
“This part of the season changes lives,” Holmes said. “The further you go in the state tournament, the more eyes you have on you. You never know who is watching: it may be a college coach or somebody who knows a college coach. That’s not just for Geo (Boley) but for everyone. They are really locked in and focused and they want to make history in Jackson Township.”
On Monday, Shore Sports Insider visited practice to present Jackson head coach Randy Holmes and the team with a commemorative game ball and a $250 Joe Leone’s Italian Specialties Gift Card, courtesy of our partners at Joe Leone’s, for a well-earned team meal.
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