Patriots rally to win at Battle on the Boardwalk
Unsung stars Wilmot, Frost make the difference
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

As if they needed it, the Freehold Township boys basketball team picked up more momentum Saturday.

The Patriots, playing shorthanded, remained undefeated (10-0) with a come-from-behind win over South Jersey power Holy Spirit, 52-49, in Asbury Park's Convention Hall in the Battle on the Boardwalk. In doing so, the Patriots once again demonstrated just how extensive their overall talent is.

As head coach Brian Golub noted, everyone knows about Ed Fischer, T.J. LaFalce and Marcus Roberson, but they are less familiar with players like Alan Frost, Rodger Wilmot, Corey Csakai, Brian Brikowski and Kevin Fischer, all of whom could be starters or big scorers for other teams.

It took a total team effort Saturday for the Patriots to get by Holy Spirit (7-3), which hails from Absecon. Playing without forward Brikowski (making an official college recruiting visit for football), whose rebounding was missed against the bigger Spartans, and Kevin Fischer (injury), who has provided a spark off the bench with his three-point shooting, Golub went deep to his bench, calling on the likes of Chris Ballester, who picked valuable playing time in a frenzied atmosphere. The Pats also survived rare off-nights by LaFalce and Roberson.

It was Wilmot and Frost who picked up the slack, with Wilmot leading the team in scoring with 15, including a pair of threes.

It was a three by LaFalce, however, that started Freehold Township's dramatic comeback.

Trailing 49-44 with just 1:45 left in the game, LaFalce's trey brought the Pats within a bucket, 49-47.

Perhaps the most underrated part of Freehold Township's game is its team defense, and they would come up with the stops that cleared the way for victory.

After LaFalce's three, Frost came up with a steal off an inbounds pass under the Spartans basket. That gave the Patriots the ball with the chance to take the lead, and it would be Frost who would do it. Left open by the Spartans, Frost made them pay for it by burying a three that put the Pats up, 50-49.

Freehold Township's defense forced a Spartan turnover, and the Spartans were forced to foul. Ed Fischer (11 points) made both of the free throws with 17 seconds remaining to give the team its final three-point margin, and more importantly, take away the Spartans' big inside edge. They needed a three, not a two, to tie it.

The Spartans failed on their three-point shot and Freehold Township reaffirmed why it is the top-ranked team in the Shore and quickly becoming one of the state's best.

"They showed their composure and character," Golub said of the Patriots' 8-0 run in the final 1:45.

Defensively, the Patriots continued to do the little things. Ed Fischer had six steals and LaFalce took three charges.

Golub pointed to the games that Wilmot and Frost had. Given the opportunity to show just how valuable they are to the Patriots, they delivered big games. Everyone is now aware that anyone that the Patriots have on the floor is capable of beating you.

The Battle on the Boardwalk was the perfect "break" the Patriots needed before turning their attention to the second half of the A North Division schedule.

"This was a bonus," said Golub. "We had the chance to play a different team from a different area with two Division I players. They are a very good team.

"This is going to help us in the future at the State tournament and the Shore Conference," he added.

The Patriots must now refocus on the start of the second half of the Shore Conference A North Division schedule that began yesterday against Manalapan. Tomorrow afternoon (4 p.m.), the Patriots go to Lincroft for the rematch with Christian Brothers Academy, the perennial division power.

It was a 36-point win over the Colts back in December that signaled a changing of the guard in the division. The loss no doubt stung the proud Colts, who would like to even the score tomorrow.

At the turn, the Pats, 7-0 in the division, have a two-game lead over the Colts and Colts Neck, who are both 5-2.

On Jan. 8, the Patriots went to Colts Neck and used a 25-0 spurt to hand the Cougars their first loss of the season, 65-56.