Photo by Steve Ellmore.
WEST ORANGE – Despite being plagued by injuries late in the season, the West Orange High School boys’ varsity basketball team still managed to have a banner season.
The Mountaineers finished with a sensational 19-4 record, including winning the Super Essex Conference-Colonial Division title with an undefeated 12-0 divisional mark. It marked the second year in a row the team won the divisional championship. The Mountaineers were co-divisional champs with Barringer in the 2014-15 season.
Indeed, WOHS showed remarkable resiliency, much to the delight of third-year head coach Greg Tynes.
“We didn’t have one player that played in every game,” said Tynes. “So with all that, I think we had a good season.”
WOHS had high hopes of going far in the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the state North Jersey Section 1, Group 4 tournament. But unfortunately, senior forward Jeremiah Moore – the team’s leading scorer, rebounder and shot-blocker – was sidelined due to illness for the first round game against 14th-seeded Mount Olive. The Mountaineers lost to Mount Olive, 66-61, to end the season.
Moore averaged 16 points per game, shooting 63 percent from the field. He also averaged eight rebounds and had 47 blocks.
Moore has earned Worrall Media All-Area first team honors.
“Jeremiah was by far our best and most complete player,” said Tynes, who is the All-Area Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year.
Senior guard Pat Jamison also had a solid season for the Mountaineers, averaging 14 points per game while leading the team in three-point shooting at 56 percent beyond the arc (78-of-140) to earn All-Area first team honors.
“Pat is without a doubt the best open shooter that I’ve ever coached,” Tynes said.
The Mountaineers also missed senior forward Andrew Scholz and senior guard Chris Smith, who both were sidelined with ankle injuries late in the season. Scholz, a three-year starter, missed the final eight games of the season, while Smith, the team’s sixth man, missed four of the final five games.
Another key senior this season was guard Doug Hughes.
Though they will miss those seniors, the Mountaineers have reason to feel optimistic for continued success. The team will return sophomore guard Nasheim Harte, junior guard Gabe Silvera and freshman guard Stephon Sheard. In addition, the junior varsity team finished with a terrific 18-1 mark and the freshman team had a strong 15-3 mark for a total record of 52-8 for the program.
“We just want to keep building on those numbers,” said Tynes of the three teams’ records in the program. “We want to continue to build the program.”
On the All-SEC-Colonial Division, Moore made first team; Jamison, Hughes and Harte made second team; and Scholz made honorable mention.
About the Author
I would like to Congratulate everyone who is being honored they all are well deserving.
Also I would like to Congratulate my Uncle Greg Tynes my Mother Hester Tynes and I are so very Proud of him!!