The Daily Journal from Vineland, New Jersey • 11

it: acred Heart in Mary's Nip mals, Scrappy Lions Edged In Pulse-Pounding Finish Vteehnb SimejJ journal Sports 1 Vineland, N. Monday, March 24, 1 975 iiniiiiiiiiiiiiuiniiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiHHiiiiiniiiiiiiiinniiiiiM i ny. Page 1 1 fi 41 By DAVID McDONALD LINCROFT The gloom in the Sacred Heart lockerroom here at Brookdale Community College yesterday was thick enough to touch. A dedicated basketball team, a team with pride and courage, openly cried and painfully realized that the line separating the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat is sometimes thin but very distinct. And coach Jim Mogan, himself emotionally shaken by a stirring rally that just fell short, tried to cheer up his kids.

Sacred Heart (25-3) had put on a tremendous effort against St. Mary's of Jersey City (25-4) before dropping a 51-50 decision in the State Parochial Class championship game. In the end, the difference was not one, not two, but three heavily contested shots at the basket in the final six seconds that refused to drop through for Sacred Heart. The Lions, trailing 51-50, gained possession for their final fling at the championship on a Bill Riehl rebound of a St. Mary's missed foul shot with 0:13 remaining.

There were no timeouts remaining be-: cause when the Lions gave up nine unanswered points in the third period, Mogan had to use them up. Quickly, they moved upcourt looking for the best possible shot. The ball came to Riehl on the left wing. Riehl dribbled to the baseline, then drove right and released a six-footer. It sailed high, hit the heel of the rim and.

bounced, out, The cUck read four seconds. Riehl grabbed his own rebound and, again in spite of great physical pressure from St. Mary's 6-5 Percy Anderson, he followed up from under the basket. The ball came off the glass and outside of the right rim. With one second, St.

Mary's knocked the ball out of bounds. Larry DeSalvo inbounded the ball to Jim Marx in the right corner who released a shot that was partially blocked at the buzzer. While Stfcred Heart fans screamed for a v- i I jt-'--t rn i i Itnr L-icnmhMr t--rill POWER DRIVE Big John Dorofee (52) sails in the fourth quarter during Lions' rally. Racing (34). Bill Riehl (30) and Ed Rochetti (42).

over St. Mary's Percy Anderson (24) for layup into the play are Sacred Heart's Steve Dandrea Photos by John Sbrana RACE FOR THE BASKET Sacred Heart's Steve Dandrea (34). has step on St. Mary's Luke Griffin (10) in race for basket yesterday during first quarter. Dandrea swiped the ball from Griffin at midcourt and went in to score.

ST. MARY'S 5 (I 11) Anderson 5 4 14 Phillips 5 (I 10 (iritfln 5 1 11 Casale 3 TOTALS 22 6 50 TOTALS 23 5 51 Score by quarters: SACRED HEART ..10 14 10 18-50 ST. MARY'S (JERSEY CITY) 14 8 21 8-51 foul, the referees signaled "no contact" and St. Mary's fans triumphantly emptied onto the floor. "Someone hit my arm on the baseline shot," Riehl said afterward.

"I flipped it up with my right hand. Instead of the usual direct flight, the ball sailed high. I felt certain, the ref would whistle a foul. I can't believe he didn't." "I couldn't tell for sure from my vantage point," said a dejected coach Mogan. "And there were just too many bodies pressed tightly together to see his followup.

"It just wasn't meant to be," he went on. "We went as far as we could. We gave it a good shot and lost by a point. But I'm very proud of the boys," he said. "They were down (by 11 points) early in the fourth quarter but never lost their pose.

"And they came back and played like champions but it just wasn't meant to be." "We should have won," said Dorofee, his face streaked with tears. "There had to be a foul on that last play. I think those guys the refs) just wanted to go home." The doomsday lockerroom did not include a resignation announcement by Mogan as many expected. It's been rumored he's headed for Camden Catholic but fact is he hasn't as much as filled an application for the job. "Camden Catholic has approached me," Mogan revealed, "several times.

First I said no, I wasn't interested. A second time they convinced me to just talk about the situation after the season. That's where it stands," he said. "I owe it to myself, and VIE FOR HONOR SACRED HEART DeSalvo 3 2 8 Riehl 3 0 6 Dorofoe 5 1 11 Rochetti 3 0 fi Dandrea 3 3 Marx ..5 0 10 -1 1 7 I I 1 4 1 I 1 Jt I ij Li ri jf iff j. "i ll -f--J rsZ ur Ztfin r'-: SV tmmSmmitt-mm ininii mi in i mi 1 fc.Bg.

0m. Jl-i' ivn'i't I if i MiMiiiiJfc considering they had the ball for the last shot with 1 0 seconds STRATEGY Sacred Heart players huddle around coach Jim Mogan (center) during third period yesterday. The Lions used all their timeouts by the mid-mark of the fourth quarter, which may have been a factor my family, to at least listen to them." As has been the case in most Mogan-coached games, Sunday's was played in an atmosphere of almost continuous frenzy, There were low points on both sides but most of the action was intense with flying elbows and sliding scrambles. The teams were close in the first half. St.

Mary's led by 14-10 after one quarter. Sacred Heart took the leadt 24-22, at intermission. St. Mary's, led by talented 5-11 junior guard Luke Griffin, managed to take control in the third quarter and build a nine-point lead on the strength of a full-court press that forced and unusual number of Sacred Heart turnovers. Later, Mogan alluded to that segment of the game and called it "the big turning point.

That's really where we got beat," he said. "Their quickness hurt us (three steals) but we became a little careless, too," he noted. And, once in command, St. Mary's was in no hurry. The Ramblers sat on the ball for 30-40 seconds before the Lions began trapping on defense and forcing the action.

St. Mary's upped the margin to 11 points 45-34 at the start of the fourth period on a bucket assisted by Griffin, his eighth of the game. Sacred Heart called a timeout. Then the whittling began. The deficit became seven points in the next 60 seconds as Steve Dandrea scored on a followup and assisted a bucket by 6-5 John Dorofee.

Then it was eight points then four, as Dorofee and Marx connected back to seven as Griffin and Anderson sank three foul shots. At the 2:10 mark, the Lions trailing 49-42, the super drive began. Swarming the court with a "kamikazi" pressing defense, the Lions broke St. Mary's composure and reeled off six straight two by Marx on a super driving layup, and four by Dandrea. A tip-in by St.

Mary's Leo Casale upped the margin to three with 29 seconds but senior Larry DeSalvo calmly sank two fouls at 0 19 to make it 51-50. Sacred Heart fouled trying to steal the ball at 0:13 but St. Mary's Bob Vequillia missed the front of a one-and-one to set the stage for the final sequence. St. Mary's shot an incredible 23-for-34 with one second left saved the winners as Kelvin Tory sank a pair of free throws.

"When that club gets going there's no stoping it. They are unbelievably quick," said winning coach Bob Nastase. The contest between two of the state's most highly rated clubs was a struggle all. the way before a packed crowd of 4,000, the largest in the tournament. 5 King lead the winners, (28-1) with 19 points and ten rebounds.

Booker had 23 for East Orange. I In the Group I final Friday night Clifford Scott overtook Glassboro 49-45. Woodbridge turned in what may have been the best performance at the finals, overtaking Paterson Eastside 73-58 for the Group IV crown. 1 The Barrons, in taking title ever, did what they have all year in hitting the open man and giving their ItlllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllH 1 DeTullio Pins Aikens, I I Wins State Mat Title REBOUND BATTLE Sacred Heart teammates Larry DeSalvo (44) and Bill Riehl (30). battle for rebound during second period action against St.

Mary's of Jersey City. Steve Dandrea (34) and St. Mary's Percy Anderson look on. (AP-TJ Wirephotul Finals Produce No Clear Champ from the field (67.6 per cent) but a poor 5-for-13 from the foul line. Sacred Heart, which previously had lost only to Pleas-antville, struggled from the field, 22-for-57 (38.5 per cent) and made six-of-ten from the foul line.

Eleven rebounds by Anderson helped St. Mary's to a 24-20 edge under the boards. The Lions grabbed 12 in the final period. Sacred Heart committed fewer turnovers but six of their nine came in the third quarter when St. Mary's pressed and built its lead.

The Ramblers turned over the ball 16 times. opponent a lesson in basic basketball to bring their record to 29-2. The two defending champs which repeated as titlists were defending parochial kingpins Essex Catholic and Bishop Eustace. Essex Catholic, after surviving an early scare, had little trouble disposing of Pope Paul VI of Haddonfield to gather in the Parochial A crown for the second year in a row. Bishop Eustace brought its record to 20-7 in winning its thrid straight Parochial title over outclassed St.

Cecilia's of Englewood 79-41. Tony Plakis and Mark Mancini combined for 35 points as the Pennsauken club played solid teamwork in rolling to the victory. A tough zone defense rut rWniv into St. Cecilia's offensive effort. ship.

Bob Hogan was a two-time winner in 1957 and 58. Only two other wrestlers in the state, Carmel Morina of Paulsboro and Ed Rivera of Jackson Township finished with 34-0 records this season. Buena Ruth, Mack Signups Slated Registration for the Buena Babe Ruth and Connie Mack baseball league will be held next Monday through Thursday, Registration is open to all boys 13 through 18 years old. Those who did not play last year must be accompanied by a parent and bring proof of age. Fee for Babe Ruth is $7 and $8 for Connie Mack.

Fees must be paid at the registration site. All signups will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at follows: Mar. 24 Our Lady of Victory School Minotola Mar. 25 Collings Lakes Fire Co.

Collings Lakes Mar. 26 Newtonville Fire Co. Newtonville Mar. 27 Richland Fire Co. Richland PRINCETON Millville High School's unbeaten heavyweight wrestler Dan De-Tullio won the NJSIAA state championship Saturday by pinning Delsea Regional sophomore Mickey Aikens in the finals.

Both DeTullio and Aikens had advanced through District and Regional competition and survived preliminary, quarter-final and semi-final matches to gain the title shot. DeTullio got the jump on Aikens in the first period with a takedown but the Delsea standout countered with an escape to make it 2-1. In the second period, DeTullio enhanced his lead with a reverse. With 2:35 gone in the frame, he put Aikens on his back to complete his season with a 34-0 record. The DeTullio-Aikens match was the fourth meeting of the two area wrestlers this season, all three others won by DeTullio.

Their first confrontation was in the finals of the Edgewood Christmas Tournament, after both had pinned their way through the opening rounds. DeTullio won that bout by a 5-2 score. When the two clashed again, this time in a quadrangular match at Delsea, DeTullio won easily, 12-3. Their other match was in the Region 8 Finals, where DeTullio built up a 6-2 lead and coasted to victory. As runner-up, Aikens advanced to the NJSIAA finals, too.

DeTullio is only the second Millville High wrestler to win a state champion WOODBRIDGE, LAKEWOOD NJSIAA LINCROFT (AP) The weekend's. NJSIAA championship jamboree at Brook-dale Community College here had the best teams in the state on exhibit and when the final whistle had blown Sunday evening there still was room for debate as to which New Jersey jn the ''state. -V Seven crowns were decided with Lake-wood's 71-70 win over East Orange in Group III headlining the weekend. The win snapped East Orange's two year 39-game winning streak. Four clubs came to Brookdale vying for consecutive titles, but only two made it as Pleasantville was upset by Englewood and its superstar Bill Willoughby 70-66 Saturday.

Willoughby dazzled the defending Group II. Qhamps with a.iioUd show of domination scoring 27 points, pulling down 16 rebounds and blocking six snots. Willoughby was named to the all-tournament team along with Woodbridge's Mark DiDonna and Randy. Adleman, Pleas-antville's Reggie Miller and Lakewood's Kevin King. Willoughby paced his club (27-2) to its first state crown since 1961.

East Orange, which won the Group VI crown last season but switched to Group III play this year didn't go down without a fight against Lakewood and its stellar performer Kevin King. After falling behind early as King dominated play on both ends of the court, the Essex County champions unleashed a slizzling fourth period charge paced by Mike Booker's offense and a tenacious, pressing defense. Trailing 53-46 after three periods, East Orange stormed back to take the lead 70-69 when Booker hit a jumper with 6 seconds left. Only a foul call on Cleveland Eugene.