NJSIAA Non-Public A State Championship Preview: Red Bank Catholic vs. Morris Catholic

NJSIAA Non-Public A State Championship

Thursday, March 11, 2026

Red Bank Catholic vs Morris Catholic at Rutgers University, 1 p.m.

Teams at a Glance

Red Bank Catholic (28-2)

Head Coach: Joe Montano
Last State Championship: 2024
Last State Championship Appearance: 2024
Total State Championships: 9
Road to the Final: Defeated No. 8 Union Catholic, 75-22; No. 4 St. Thomas Aquinas, 68-31; No. 2 St. John Vianney, 54-39

Projected Starters

Tessa Liggio, Sr., 5-7 (6.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.2 steals)

Lola Giordano, Sr., 5-8 (2.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.8 steals)

Daniela Maletsky, Sr., 5-10 (3.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.7 steals)

Addy Nyemchek, Sr., 6-1 (19.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.4 blocks, 2.9 steals)

Sophie Smith, Sr., 6-2 (6.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.77 blocks, 1.1 steals)

Off the Bench

Sumaiyah Lashley, Fr., 5-11 (4.0 points, 1.7 rebounds)

Scarlet LeVake, Sr., 6-2 (5.2 points, 4.6 rebounds)

Status Uncertain

Katie Liggio, Sr., 5-9 (11.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals)

 

Red Bank Catholic’s much-heralded senior class enters the State Championship looking to cement their place among not only the Caseys’ illustrious history but also among the very best classes the Shore Conference has ever produced. A win against Morris Catholic would clinch Red Bank Catholic’s number one ranking in New Jersey as the state’s undisputed best team. They would become the first Red Bank Catholic senior class to walk away with two state championships since the class of 2007 who also won as freshmen in 2004. In order to achieve that tremendous feat, the Caseys may have to do it without one of their highly-accomplished seven seniors.

Katie Liggio went down with an apparent knee injury in Red Bank Catholic’s 54-39 win over St. John Vianney in the South Jersey Non-Public A Championship. The sharpshooter, who is the second-leading scorer on the team, did not return to the game after going down in the first quarter. Her status in the championship is uncertain as head coach Joe Montano wisely opted to not reveal if she will be in the lineup or not.

If any team in New Jersey is equipped to handle the loss of one of their star player’s it is Red Bank Catholic. The Caseys received a tremendous boost off of the bench from Giordano against St. John Vianney. Their bench was perhaps the biggest difference in the game as they also received key contributions from LeVake and Lashley. If Katie Liggio is unable to go, it will likely not fall on one player to replace her scoring output although a handful of them certain are capable of it including Tessa Liggio who was the leading scorer in the Shore Conference Tournament Championship when St. John Vianney opted to focus their defense on her sister.

Last year, Morris Catholic had the two biggest stars in New Jersey in twin sisters Mia and Mya Pauldo. The pair now plays at Tennessee which bodes well for the Caseys who will have the biggest star on the floor in Nyemchek. The McDonald’s All-American is the odds-on favorite to be named New Jersey Player of the Year. Morris Catholic has a significant amount of size, but we will see if they are quick enough to defend Nyemchek who projects as a skilled 6-1 guard at the next level.

Defense will be vital for the Caseys who have a ton of team speed and force a lot of turnovers. The Crusaders have shot the ball at an incredibly high rate as they have knocked down over 100 more three-pointers than the Caseys this season. Maletsky and Giordano do a tremendous job shadowing the top scoring options on opposing teams. Even if the Crusaders try to cause switches on the Caseys’ front court, players like Nyemchek, Smith, and LeVake are athletic enough to move their feet and stay in front of smaller players on the perimeter. Provided the Caseys do not have a ton of defensive breakdowns, they match up really well.

One final chess piece that the Caseys hold is Montano. Montano has coached in more games of this magnitude than just about anyone and he will certainly have this team prepared for the big-game pressure that awaits them when they step onto the court at Rutgers. Most of these seniors even saw significant time in this very same game two years ago and already know what to expect so it will not be difficult in that regard.

 

Morris Catholic (25-5)

Head Coach: Rahim Huland El
Last State Championship: 2025
Last State Championship Appearance: 2025
Total State Championships: 5
Road to the Final: Defeated No. 9 Oak Knoll, 89-27; No. 4 DePaul, 68-55; No. 6 Pingry, 64-14

Projected Starters

Kennedy Brown, Sr., 5-9 (11.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.4 steals)

Anastasia Bonfante, Jr., 5-5 (8.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.9 steals)

Jayah Curtis, Sr., 5-11 (12.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.3 steals)

Jacqueline Edelman, Sr., 6-0 (13.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals)

Morgan Fulston, Jr., 6-3 (6.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 1.1 steals)

Off the Bench

Amahli Vialva, Fr., 5-11 (5.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals)

McKenna McGlyn, Fr., 5-8 (4.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists)

Peyton Williams, Jr., 5-10 (2.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals)

 

Despite the loss of the Pauldo twins, this Morris Catholic roster still features a significant amount of division 1 talent. Point guard Kennedy Brown is committed to Manhattan. Wing Jayah Curtis is committed to Pennsylvania. Wing Jacqueline Edelman, the team’s leading scorer is currently uncommitted but has reported holding offers from Providence, Dartmouth, and Stony Brook among others. Center Morgan Fulston is also a division 1 prospect garnering interest. The Crusaders are the defending champions for good reason and have tested themselves against a vast amount of national-level talent.

The Crusaders top offensive weapon is Edelman who leads the team in scoring, is second in rebounding, and has knocked down a team-high 75 three-pointers on the season. It is possible that Nyemchek draws the assignment since Edelman will be the second tallest player on the floor for Morris Catholic. Maletsky would also be an option if Montano wants to keep Nyemchek more fresh on the offensive end by not having her chase the top scorer around on defense.

Curtis is the second leading scorer on the team. Brown is the team’s best passer and very quick with the ball in her hands. She is the third leading scorer and the team leader in assists. Fulston will be the tallest player on the floor. She is an outstanding rebounder averaging just under 10 boards a game. Smith and LeVake will certainly split the assignment on defense for the Caseys. That leaves Bonfante who is a talented combo guard.

Morris Catholic played an outstanding schedule similarly to the Caseys. The Crusaders earned wins over in-state opponents West Orange, Teaneck, Franklin, Demarest, Chatham, St. Thomas Aquinas, and DePaul. They earned out-of-state wins against Potomac School (VA), Elizabeth Seton (MD) Shipley (PA), and Monsignor Scanlan (NY). In terms of common opponents, Morris Catholic lost to two teams that the Caseys beat including an opening day defeat against Rutgers Prep and most notably a mid-season loss at St. John Vianney.

 

The Match-Up

Red Bank Catholic is ranked number one in the state for good reason after earning a 29-2 record against one of the best schedules in the state. They will head up to Rutgers University as the favorite albeit against another very good team in Morris Catholic who won this game last year and will be playing with a lot of confidence.

Much like the matchup against St. John Vianney, the Caseys will be trotting out a slightly smaller lineup (at least on paper) than their opponent. The availability of Katie Liggio looms large over this game, but the Caseys are the most well-equipped team in New Jersey to handle a loss of that magnitude. Red Bank Catholic needs to lean on their depth, protect the ball, and avoid foul trouble which are all things they have done a good job of over the course of the regular season. If they can do a good job running Morris Catholic off the three-point line and force the Crusaders to turn this into a two-point battle it will play to the Caseys advantage.

Red Bank Catholic has been the best team in the state to this point. If they can play to the level they are capable of, they will win one more game and bring a 10th state championship back home.

Nick’s Pick: RBC 63-48