By Christian Mordi / @thedribbledrop
Team: Bloomfield
Ranking: 18
Record Last season: 24-6, 9-3 in conference play
Key players: Micheal Ramos, junior
Potential emerging stars:Richard Guillaume, senior;Aaron Henry, senior.
Team analysis: The Bengals were one of best surprises of last year with their stellar play. The year was highlighted by their amazing postseason run, as Bloomfield held onto a 39-34 victory over Ridgewood to claim the NJSIAA/ShopRite North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 title on Tuesday. “Our kids have been the epitome of a team,” Bloomfield head coach Pat Brunner Said. “We don’t have a lot of stars. Everybody on the floor worked together and played as hard as they can. Today kind of summed up how we’ve been all year. We bend a lot, but we don’t break.”
Thankfully for Bengals fans, this could be the beginning of a great run for years within the program. For starters, Bloomfield returned star guard Michael Ramos. The crafty guard has been making some noise on the AAU circuit and has garnered the attention of several division one coaches. Coming off a year in which he pulled All-Group 4 honors, Ramos will be gunning for Essex County Player Of The Year.
The Bengals also have a solid supporting cast returning as well. Senior forward Mayowa Akindebe got better as the season progressed and should be in for a strong year. Returning to Bloomfield via transfer from Paramus Catholic is Aaron Henry. The versatile forward can play inside and out on offense. He also can guard multiple positions at a high level. His passion for the game will set a tone for how Bloomfield will play this year.
Get ready Bengals fans, the fun is just beginning.
Stat to know: Bloomfield won its first sectional title in 40 years last year.