Lead / Create / Contribute
235 Hope Road, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724  /  732.542.4777

More Stories

List of 10 news stories.

Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball Win 20th Annual Panther Classic

The 20th Annual Panther Classic Basketball Tournament was held on January 10 and 11 in the Gerhard Pavilion for Athletics. Both the Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Basketball teams were deemed champions at the end of the tournament and walked away with trophies.

The Lady Panthers won their sixth straight championship defeating New Jersey United Christian Academy 46-27 in the first round, and defeated Doane Academy 43-13 in the Championship game. The Lady Panthers used their full court press to jump 16-1 in the first quarter against United Christian and continued with excellent half-court defense to secure the victory. Junior Grace Wilgucki (Freehold Township) paced the Lady Panthers with 13 points and Sophomore Erin Kennedy (Spring Lake) chipped in 11 points.

In the championship game, the team went back to basics and dominated on defense, giving them a 14-0 first quarter advantage. The Panthers stretched the lead to 20-0 early in the second quarter and worked as a team every step of the way until the final buzzer. Junior Grace Wilgucki was named Tournament Most Valuable Player, while seniors Maddy Pflaster (Monmouth Beach) and Carly Ansell (Shrewsbury) were named to the All-Tournament Team. Head Coach Tom Moriau reflected on the Championship saying, “I am very proud of the way the team played the entire weekend. The girls played with the passion and desire that will be needed as we prepare for the Shore Conference and State Tournaments. I was very pleased with the way that we played on both sides of the court.”

The Varsity Boys’ team, coached by Tyler Schmelz, also defeated United Christian in the first round and carried on the winning momentum to defeat Koinonia Academy in the finals. The Panthers jumped out early and played a solid offense and defense to assure their first win of the tournament. Sophomore James Geraghty (Colts Neck) impressively filled up the stat sheet with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 steals. Senior Grahame Wade (Locust) followed with 17 points and 9 rebounds with a dominant performance against the United Christian lineup. Senior Joe Esquivel-Murphy (Bay Head) added 8 points, while sophomores Corey Natofsky (Marlboro) and Phil Cantave (Englishtown) contributed 6 points and 4 points.

Ranney put forth a dominant performance to win the Panther Classic Championship against Koinonia Academy, 59-31. Senior Will Rotolo (Sea Girt) accepted the Classic Trophy after Ranney's 4th consecutive victory. Joe Esquivel-Murphy contributed 22 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks in the final game, which awarded him the Panther Classic Most Valuable Player. Grahame Wade and James Geraghty joined him on the All-Tournament Team after combining for 30 points, 17 rebounds and 8 assists in the final. As underclassmen, Phil Cantave and Corey Notofsky got into the action again scoring 4 and 3 points respectively in the final.
Back

Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society.