Bloomfield HS boys’ basketball team is off to 2-0 start

BLOOMFIELD – The Bloomfield High School boys’ varsity basketball team, under head coach Pat Brunner, defeated Montclair Kimberley Academy and Essex Vocational on back-to-back days to start the season at 2-0.

Kyle Barrow, a sophomore guard , scored 12 points on four 3-pointers; junior guard Najeem Wilson had 10 points; and senior guard Brandon Apblanalp had nine points in the 52-45 win at Montclair Kimberley Academy on Friday, Dec. 18, in the season opener. Al-Samad Henderson, a junior center, had six points; freshman Mike Ramos scored five points; and senior forward Olivier Georges and senior guard Kyle Whitter each had three points for the Bengals.

The Bengals returned to action Saturday afternoon, Dec. 19 and crushed Essex Vocational, 74-43, in the home opener. Junior guard Myles Toppin and Apblanalp each had 14 points; Ramos had 13 points; junior guard Avery Solomon contributed 11 points; Wilson posted 10 points; Barrow, and juniors Nassir Coppedge and Francis Lorenzo each had three points; and Henderson and Whitter each had two points.

“We’re off to a good start,” said BHS assistant coach Mike Passero after the win over Essex Vocational. “That’s all you can ask for. Back-to-back games, 2-0 start, get a day off tomorrow (Sunday) and get ready for a really good, challenging West Side team on Tuesday (Dec. 22). We’re competing, we’ll playing hard and we’re playing well together.  We’re playing as a team, and that is nice to see. We have a lot to improve on, but we’ll get there.”