Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 13

SECTION TWO Asbury Park Evening Press Sports Crossword Punl Classified Comics Medicare 46 NBA Roundup Sully's Sports 19 14 14 44 42 47 13 ASBURY PARK, N.J., MONDAY, MARCH 23, 1970 SZ '4 3V zJf 1 -H4 h13f fo JrMJ- .1 The Branchers' Billy Jones prepares to shoot as the Tornadoes' Erie Gray fails to chal- lenge him. Long Branch won 90-74 last Friday in State Group III final. (Press Photos by George Tiedemann) Tom (Toot) Williams, Long Branch center, eyes the basket as Orange's Jim Caraway (15) and Eric Gray try to block shot in NJSIAA tournament action at Atlantic City Convention Hall. Unbeaten Long Branch Excels in Tourney Tom Williams tries to pass off in heavy traffic to Lisanti. Luther Williams of Orange throws up an arm.

CBA 's Mullin Wraps Up Scoring Title Christian Brothers Academy's Pat Mullin carted oil individual scoring honors in three departments during the past Shore high school basketball season. The star of the NJSIAA Parochial A runners-up had (he best scoring average, 26.6. points per game. He also accumulated the most points 745 and pumped in the most baskets, 279. He was second in foul conversions, 187.

Ocean Township's Mark Hlatky had the second best scoring average, 25.8, and was also second in total points, 644, and in field goals, 258. Long Barnch's Tony Lisanti ranked third with an average of 24.8 points per game and was fourth in field goals, 247, as the unbeaten Green Wave rolled to the state Group III crown. Brick Township's Mike Arace had the fourth best scoring average, 24.1. Henry Hudson Regional's Les Hendricks was fifth with a scoring average of 23.7, but finished third in total points, 640, field goal production, 253, and foul conversions, 134. Point Pleasant Boro's John Burke posted the sixth best average, 23.2 points per game.

St. Joseph's Kevin Billerman had the seventh best scoring average, 22.5, and had the most foul shots, 251. Billerman also was the fourth and last marksman with more than 600 points, as he accumulated 629. Croydon Hall's Jack Mulhall had the eighth highest scoring average, 22.4. Red Bank Catholic's Tony Rediger took ninth spot with an average of 22.1 points per game.

Rediger scored the most points in a single game, 47. Admiral Farragut's two aces Randy Adams and Len Lockhart shared the honor for most field goals in a game, 21. Howell's Jay Groff pumped in the most foul goals in a game, 20. The Shore's 25 Leading High School Basketball Scorers anti chipping in with rebound-1 ing, defense and scoring." It took Walsack eight years to build the Wave into state champions, and the coach said "We can all look back on this season for many years to come." whose interest also turns to track today as an assistant coach, thinks his club will give every effort to return to Atlantic City next season with Charlie Evans, 6-7, and Kevin Baker returning along with members of a 12-6 jayvee team. The five starters this season are seniors.

Bosco Spoiler Christian Brothers, winners of the A crown in 1965, lost to Don Bosco, 83-71, for the second finals knockout at the hands of the Ramsey team in five years. A four-man effort by the Bosco unit, paced by Dave Ulrich's 29 points, overshadowed a fine performance by CBA's Pat Mullin who sank 15 field goals and nine of 10 free throws for 39 points. Down 32-12 in the second period, the Colts rallied in the third, slicing their deficit to 61-55 as Mullin scored 16 of his points. Don Bosco, with musclemen By SAM ELFAND Long Branch High School, the first area team to complete a season's schedule unblemished with a 26-0 mark, led the 11-team local representation in the 52nd annual N.J. State Inter-scholastic Athletic Association by winning the Group HI championship.

Two other schools, Christian Brothers Academy in Parochial and St. Joseph's of Toms River in Parochial also reached the Atlantic City Convention Hall finals to mark the first time three area schools were to do so. Long Branch, under the leadership of coach Bob Walsack, recorded five wins in the tournament, defeating Red Bank, South Plainfield, Ocean Township, Collingswood and finally Orange, to spearhead Monmouth and Ocean county teams to an over-all split of 38 state played games. Christian Brothers handed out losses to Holy Cross and Bishop Eustace before failing to take its second A crown at the hands of Don Bosco. St.

Joseph's, like Long Branch, made its first champi 6-5 star, goes up for a two- (14) and Eric Gray arrive too were able to work the ball in closer against a man-for-man defense. Down by 20-18 in the opening period, Orange rallied for a 24-22 lead before the Wave shot back into the lead for good at 32 25 behind baskets by Hampton and Lisanti. Another five point string before the end of the half upped the lead to 10, and Long Branch weathered the zone press in the third period to pull away with the win. Team Honored Upon Long Branch's return to its city in the early hours Saturday morning, the team was greeted by 1,500 people in the high school gymnasium. Walsack and his team were treated to cake, a band played while Mayor Paul Nastssio Jr.

presented a key to the city and a championship plaque. The Green Wave will be honored at 2 p.m. Saturday in front of City Hall. "It was a tremendous season," said Walsack looking back now that it is all over. "I had a fine group of boys, each with a specialty, Williams and Jones rebounding, Hampton and Brown playing defense, and Lis nal quarter built up a comfortable margin.

Earlier, the highlight had been the brilliant performance of Les Cason, the 6-10 junior from East Rutherford who lived up to his notices with an incredible 45 point, 30-rebound performance that gave his team a 67-66 win over Burlington Township for the Group I title. Burlington, small and spirited, had used a full court press to keep the ball away from Cason and led most of the way. But in the second half, Cason took over. In one three-minute stretch of the fourth quarter, he blocked three shots, pulled down six rebounds, dribbled up and down the floor like a guard, passed off for a basket and dropped in two baskets and four free throws. He made nine of his Tony Lisanti, Long Bracnh's pointer as Luther Williams late.

The best showing by showing by far was in Group 3 where Long Branch's 5-0 slate headed the performances by Ocean (2-1), Asbury Park and Red Bank (1-1) and Marlboro 0-1. The combined total stood at nine wins and four losses. Long Branch's 90-74 triumph over Orange was achieved by out-rebounding the Essex County five and by having all five starters score in double figures. All-Shore players Tony Lisanti, with 26 points, and Mickey Hampton, with 16, and his usually fine played floor game, assisted their team in opening a 10-point halftime margin which bloomed to 19 by the end of three quarters. Billy Jones.

16, Jerry Brown 15, and Tom (Toot) Williams, 10, aided the Green Wave cause. One of the keys to the Long Branch win must be credited to the winner's ability to turn the contest into their quick-tempo type of play. Although Orange's Eric Gray led the game's rebounders with 17, Long Branch's Lisanti and Williams limited the Tornadoes to one shot per ball handle, while Long Branch themselves It was the shooters who did the job against East Orange. With the Panthers collapsing on Sullinger, Rick Brown and Barry Smith were able to hit consistently from outside and Wilson jumped off to a 14-4 lead and increeased it to 33-18 midway through the second quarter. But East Orange Coach Frank Milner went to his bench and produced 6-7 Wayne Groves and 6-4 Darryl Gregory.

With 6-3 Dennis Motley, the Panthers' standout all year, they managed to close the gap to 41-39 early in the third period. Again Wilson pulled away on the shooting of Brown and Smith and the board work of Mike Racobaldo, but once again East Orange came back to within three. Finally, however. Brown's foul shooting in the fi Lisanti, Mullin Honored ATLANTIC CITY UPI Tow ering Les Cason of East Rutherford, who singlehandedly led his team to the State Group I championship, was named yesterday the outstanding player in 52nd annual N.J. State Inter-scholastic Athletic Association Basketball Tournament.

Cason, a 6-10 junior, had 45 points and 30 rebounds as he rallied his team from a 12-point deficit to a 67-66 win over Burlington Township. He was listed first on 26 of 32 bailots in voting for the all-tournament team, which included players in the seven games on the final weekend at Convention Hall here. Joining Cason on the team were Tony Lisanti of Long. Branch, who scored 26 points to lead his team to the Group III title; Pat Mullin of Christian Brothers Academy, who scored 39 in a losing effort In the Parochial A final; 6-8 Hal Sullinger of Camden's Wilson High, the key man in his team's Group IV victory, and 6-6 Doug Miller of Haddon Heights, who had 33 points as his team took the Group II championship. nonoraDie mention went to Bob Adrion, Dave Ulrich and Chuck Harris of Parochial A champ Don Bosco; Dennis Motley of East Orange; Jerry Mi-netti of Our Lady of the Valley, Orange; Eric Gray of Orange; Rick Brown of Wilson, and Bill Ulbin of Gloucester Catholic.

COACHES TO TALK OiV 'SPORTS PHONE ASBURY PARK Tony Graham, sports director of WJLK, the Radio Voice of the Asbury Park Press, will interview local coaches whose teams saw action in the NJSIAA basketball tournament finals at Atlantic Citv on the air at 7:30 tonight. Appearing as Graham's guests on "Sports Phone" will be Steve Gepp, coach of St. Joseph's of Toms River and Vinnie Cox, coach of Christian Brothers onship appearance by virtue of wins over St. Augustine Prep and Sacred Heart, but dropped the finale to Our Lady of the Valley, Orange. Showings were poorest in Group 4 where Brick Township and Middletown Township failed in opening round contests, Group 2 where Rumson-Fair Haven's first round verdict over Jackson Township produced the lone win in five attempts, and Parochial at one win and two losses.

Central Regional, Manasquan and Jackson went out in the opening round in Group 2, while Red Bank Catholic split two decisions which is one win more than St. Rose can boost of in B. Henry Hudson Regional was the only Group I school to win three games in the tournament before bowing out to Burlington Township. Ironically, East Rutherford, a team defeated by the Hudson Admirals handily earlier in the season, defeated Burlington for the state crown. Point Pleasant Beach split two decisions in Group while Jamesburg, Hightstown and Keyport were ousted in opening games.

even though teams from different groups play each other in the regular season and many schools because of enrollment changes jump from group to group each year. Wilson, however, earned the right to be called number one in the Saturday night game with an outstanding shooting display against a defending champion East Orange team that had won 31 straight over a two-year period. When the people in South Jersey assign the credit, they might have to thank Sullinger's parents, who moved east last year from Columbus, Ohio. When Coach Jerry Williams began practices last fall, in the door walked an agile 6-8 center who was the perfect compliment to a solid, but small team ballhandlers and shooters. Bob Adrian and Pete Cleef clearing the boards, reopened the lead to 65-57 at the end of three quarters, and keep the Colts at bay in the fourth.

It was the Ironment's third state championship. "We fell behind early and when we had to play catch-up, it was not our brand of ball," said CBA coach Vinnie Cox. "We missed our shots early, fell behind by 12 points "at the end of the first period, and this proved to be the difference in the finals score." Cox thought part of his team's failure to pull off the victory, after closing to six points in the third period, was that his wrong players took four straight shots and didn't convert any, while Bosco made three and reopened the lead to 12. "We stopped their fast break, but didn't have the ballhandling or percentage shot we wanted." Cox hopes to return to the fi nals next season with only Mullin lost through graduation. "It's hard knowing Mullin can't be replaced, he did everything for us, but all the other starters will be back, and we See LONG DRANCH Page 16 and offset a brilliant shooting effort by CBA's Pat Mullin, who had 39 points.

GROUP II: Haddon Heights used a towering front line featuring 6-6 Doug Miller, 6-6 Roy Franke, 6-5 Mark Ewell and 6-4 Mike Goode to down Union Hill 65-58. It was the third time in a row the Union City team, whose tallest man is 6-2, has lost in the finals. Miller finished with 33 points as Heights raced off to a 41-19 lead. The seven-point final margin was as close as the Hillers could come. PAROCHIAL Gerry Minet-ti, with 19 points and 20 rebounds, led Orange's Our Lady of the Valley to an easy 69 51 win over St.

Joseph's of Toms River. Kevin Billerman had 20 for the losers, who trailed 37-16 at halftime and were never really in the game. Woodrow Wilson or Branchers Who's No. 1 last 10 foul shots in the fourth quarter, when the pressure was at its greatest. After Kim Decker gave East Rutherford the lead by tapping in the only shot Cason missed in the last four minutes, Cason himself clinched the game with two foul shots that came after he was fouled pulling down a rebound off Decker's free throw attempt.

Here is a rundown on Saturday's other games: PAROCHIAL Don Bosco of Ramsey showed it belongs in a class with the state's top teams in an 83-71 win over Christian Brothers of Lincroft. The Ironmen had three standouts in 6-3 Bob Adrion, 6-2 Dave Ulrich and 6-0 Chuck Harris. They, along with 6-5 Pete Cleef, used height and heft to control the backboards and the game Fld.G. F.G. Pts.

Ave. 279 187 745 26.6 258 130 644 25.8 247 101 595 24.8 225 105 555 24.1 253 134 640 23.7 145 104 344 23.2 189 251 629 22.5 175 122 530 22.1 204 122 530 22.1 175 98 448 22.4 158 107 423 21.1 194 114 502 21. 130 76 336 19.8 167 71 405 19.3 161 60 382 19.1 156 84 396 18. 162 77 401 17.5 147 97 391 17. 188 64 440 17.

151 71 373 17. 200 71 471 16.8 115 138 368 16.7 144 44 343 16.3 122 80 322 16.1 140 73 353 16. Player School Mullin, CBA Hlatky, Ocean Township Lisanti, Long Branch .1 Arace, Brick Township Hendricks, Henry Hudson Burke, Pt. Pleasant Boro Billerman, St. Joseph's Mulhall, Croydon Hall Rediger, Red Bank Catholic Masotti, Croydon Hall Dooley, Rumson-Fair Haven Hirst, Manasquan Keyes, Central Regional Lockhart, Admiral Farragut Adams, Admiral Farragut Kasyan, Brick Township Vetterl, Rumson-Fair Haven Zubchenok, Jackson Township Hampton, Long Branch Lawrence, Red Bank T.

Riley, Henry Hudson Reg. Orr, Keyport Burnup, Matawan Regional Richardson, Lakewood Brooks, Middletown Township 28 25 24 23 27 17 28 20 24 20 20 24 17 21 20 22 23 23 26 22 28 22 21 20 22 ii mt iiriirir'TttTiiilHliMr'y (f i Vi If i it I KJJfL it fgr I i I I Kf lwf Hill Y'fitS ATLANTIC CITY (AP)-The battle is over. The war starts now. The battle was the Group rv high school basketball champi onship in which Woodrow Wil son High scnooi, tnanKs to a gift from heaven named Hal Sullinger, raced to an 82-71 win over East Orange in a battle of unbeatens ranked one-two in New Jersey. The war is the one that starts every year when an upstart from Group III or the parochial ranks verbally challenges the Group IV champion's right to be number one.

This year the challenger has to be Long Branch, 26-0 and the Group III champion by virtue of an easy 90-74 romp over Orange Friday night. But under the system of seven championships, nothing is ever settled Sue Cox, 17, (left) and Theresa their team demolished Orange of Pat Mullin of Christian Brothers Academy goes up to score against Don Bosco as Pete Cleef (31) tries to block shot. Mullin scored 39 points but team lost 83-71, in Parochial A state final. Mickey Hampton (40) ond Tom Williams (33) are on the spot to grab rebound away from Jim Caraway of Orange in state Group III final. Branchers controlled the board in runaway victory over North Jersey foe.

(Press Photos) Pace, 17, long Branch cheerleaders, relax on Atlantic City Convention Hall court after Friday night to win school's first state basketball championship..