Stevens hoops team finishes season with loss to Linden
Hawks compile 20 wins for first time in nearly 20 years
BY SHAWN LAYTON Staff Writer
The season came to a close lastweek for the J.P. StevensHigh School boys basketball team after a 70-53 loss to Linden in the quarterfinals of the NJSIAA North 2 Group IV Tournament. The loss dropped the Hawks to 20-6 on the season.

"This was the first 20-win season for J.P. Stevens since 1989," Stevens head coach James Cardillo said. "We didn't accomplish all of our goals, but we still had a good year and it was a lot of fun to coach this team."

Stevens stayed with Linden for the game's first three quarters and was a possession away from being right with the Tigers, but too much of Desmond Wade proved to be the difference-maker for Linden.

"We played rightwithwhat I think is the best public school in the state,"Cardillo said. "They had DesmondWade, and he is an unbelievable player."

The University of Houston-bound senior simply would not allow Linden to lose, and finished with a career-high 35 points.Wade also collected seven rebounds, five steals, and dished out six assists. Heading into the fourth quarter, Linden held on to a slimfourpoint lead, but thanks to Wade, went on a 22-9 run to close out the contest.

Coming up big for Stevens in the losswas junior forward Myles Reuben. Reuben led the Hawks with 19 points. Teammates Kenny Bland and Nick Pol finished with 10 points apiece.

"Myles really played well in our last two games," Cardillo said. "He was excellent offensively and defensively. He was especially strong for us down the stretch and kept us in the game during those two losses."

Prior to the team's loss to Linden, Stevenswas bounced out of theGreaterMiddlesex Conference Tournament quarterfinals in a 48-44 loss to Colonia.

"Myles had another great game for us," Cardillo said. "Connor Medler also played very well for us off the bench.Again, we had our chances butwe just couldn't knock down the open shots down the stretch."

Reuben was the lone Hawk to finish in double figures, with 13 in the defeat. Pol chipped in nine and point guardAlexCacoilo added seven.

"Colonia played very well, and their lead guard Brandon Hall really took control for them," Cardillo said. "He's a special player and he does so many things on the floor to will his teamto victory.He can dominate you in many ways."

Although the Hawks are expected to return three starters next season in Reuben, Bland, and Pol, the team will have to do without seven teammates who played their final game in a Stevens uniform last week. Cacoilo, Medler, Darnell Sorrell, Matt Margon, Tyrell Dunlap, Jerrell Daye and Jayhere Bryant all graduate this spring.

"We'll definitely miss those guys, and we'll need to find players that can fill the void," Cardillo said. "Junior Tahir Swinton did a really nice job off the bench for us this year and he should be one of the players looking to increase his playing time."