What a Season!!! 2011-2012 - A Final Summation

What a Season Again!!!

Who would have thought that not winning the Tournament of Championship (TOC) would be a disappointment?  These young men on this team were on a mission since their defeat at last years TOC.  They were determined, confident, and eager to get back to that position to play for the right to be the best team in New Jersey.

The Cardinals dominated the public school scene by going 25-0 versus public schools.  Linden, Elizabeth, Teaneck, Asbury Park, Neptune, Mendham, and Newark Eastside were at one point ranked teams that all suffered defeats to the Cardinals.  What was so amazing of this Cardinal team, all the victories of their public school opponents were of double-digit margins (with the exception of Paul Robeson of NYC – Plainfield won by 9 points).  Some publications even published that the Asbury Park and Neptune defeats were moral victories for the shore schools because of the effort and competitive game that were played.  This is even more of a credit to the Plainfield basketball team that won both games by double-digit margins to formidable opponents.

The Cardinals suffered 4 defeats to 3 teams this year.  All of the teams (St. Anthony’s, St. Benedicts and St. Patrick’s) are traditional powers that get the best of the best of basketball players through out multiple states and various countries.  New Jersey has been known for years to produce national powers and Gill St. Bernard’s has added their name to the mix with a one time national ranking as high as #12 in the Nation.  Plainfield was able to beat Gill St. Bernard’s in a classic overtime game.  Hudson Catholic was discussed as a possible nationally rated team also.  Plainfield defeated Hudson Catholic in a tough game.  St. Anthony’s was last years National Champion with a #1 ranking and this year is ranked #3 in the Nation.  St. Benedicts is ranked also in the top 20 in the Nation and has been invited to play in this year ESPN Rise National Championship Tournament.  (By the way, last years champion, Montrose Christian (MD), was led by former Plainfield standout Tyrone Johnson who earned MVP honors.)

Plainfield suffered their first defeat of the season to St. Benedicts in a game, which Plainfield led by 9 points with 3 minutes remaining.  Justin Sears fouled out with seconds remaining.  St. Benedicts was able to get an offensive rebound put back by Tyler Ennis (NJ Gatorade Player of the year) to win by 2-points.

St. Anthony’s defeated Plainfield in the first match giving the Cardinals their only home defeat of the season.  In the rematch, Plainfield looked like the team to be the first public school to beat St. Anthony’s since Plainfield (Jahmal Lane was a freshman) did it in 2009.  Sears injury in the 1^st period took away 14 rebounds, 14 points, and 4 rejections.  It was a tough pill to swallow since the Cardinals played so well with out him and still was within a possession with seconds remaining. 

St. Patrick defeated the Cardinals in a rematch.  In the first match up, the Cardinals defeated St. Patrick at home on a miraculous play by Dii’Jon Allen-Jordan.  In the re-match, the Cardinals played arguably their worst game of the season.  A Sekou Harris desperation 3-pointer rimmed out at the buzzer as the Cardinals lost by 3 points.

The Cardinals defeated 7 teams that were ranked in the Top 10 (#3 St. Joseph, #2 Teaneck, #2 Gill St. Bernard’s, #6 Hudson Catholic, # 7 Roselle Catholic, #8 St. Patrick, and #9 Linden).  In each of these games the Cardinals had double digit leads.  Hudson Catholic and St. Patrick were able to close on the lead but the Cardinals were able to hold them off.

Although the Cardinals lost in the final game of the New Jersey High School Basketball season, the season was an unprecedented display of basketball in the History of Plainfield Sports. 

The 2012 seniors of the Plainfield High School Basketball team has won more awards and will probably place more players on the New Jersey State Basketball Honor Roll than any other prior team ever that roamed the basketball gymnasium of Plainfield High.  The following are a list of accomplishments by the class of 2012:

2009 - JV Union County finalist {Justin Sears, Dii’Jon Allen-Jordan, Sekou Harris}

2009 - Group IV Section 2 State Champions {Jahmal Lane}

2009 – Group IV North State Finalist {Jahmal Lane}

2010 – Neptune Christmas Tournament Jubilee Champion {Justin Sears, Dii’Jon Allen-Jordan, Sekou Harris, Jahmal Lane}

2010 – Union County Finalist {Justin Sears, Dii’Jon Allen-Jordan, Sekou Harris*, Jahmal Lane}

2010 – Group IV Section 2 State Champions {Justin Sears, Dii’Jon Allen-Jordan, Sekou Harris*, Jahmal Lane}

2010 – Group IV North State Champions {Justin Sears, Dii’Jon Allen-Jordan, Sekou Harris*, Jahmal Lane}

2010 – Group IV State Finalist {Justin Sears, Dii’Jon Allen-Jordan, Sekou Harris*, Jahmal Lane}

2011 – Group III Section 2 State Champions {Justin Sears, Dii’Jon Allen-Jordan, Sekou Harris, Jahmal Lane, Chad Jno-Lewis, Edward Anderson}

2011 – Group III North State Champions {Justin Sears, Dii’Jon Allen-Jordan, Sekou Harris, Jahmal Lane, Chad Jno-Lewis, Edward Anderson}

2011 – Group III State Champions {Justin Sears, Dii’Jon Allen-Jordan, Sekou Harris, Jahmal Lane, Chad Jno-Lewis, Edward Anderson}

2011 – NJSIAA Tournament of Champions (TOC) Finalist {Justin Sears, Dii’Jon Allen-Jordan, Sekou Harris, Jahmal Lane, Chad Jno-Lewis, Edward Anderson}

2012 – Union County Champions {Justin Sears, Dii’Jon Allen-Jordan, Sekou Harris, Jahmal Lane, Chad Jno-Lewis, Edward Anderson, Ahmid Williams, Taylor Plummer}

2012 – Group III Section 2 State Champions {Justin Sears, Dii’Jon Allen-Jordan, Sekou Harris, Jahmal Lane, Chad Jno-Lewis, Edward Anderson, Ahmid Williams, Taylor Plummer}

2012 – Group III North Jersey State Champions {Justin Sears, Dii’Jon Allen-Jordan, Sekou Harris, Jahmal Lane, Chad Jno-Lewis, Edward Anderson, Ahmid Williams, Taylor Plummer}

2012 – Group III State Champions {Justin Sears, Dii’Jon Allen-Jordan, Sekou Harris, Jahmal Lane, Chad Jno-Lewis, Edward Anderson, Ahmid Williams, Taylor Plummer}

2012 – NJSIAA Tournament of Champions (TOC) Finalist {Justin Sears, Dii’Jon Allen-Jordan, Sekou Harris, Jahmal Lane, Chad Jno-Lewis, Edward Anderson, Ahmid Williams, Taylor Plummer}  

The Class of 2012 has put in their own vote as the greatest team that Plainfield has ever seen. Let the debate begin!

Good luck to all the seniors.

Now lets get that Degree!!!

Side Note: 

After the season was finally over, the Cardinal Fanatic took a stroll through the empty gymnasium and the empty hall ways of Plainfield High School.  The Cardinal Fanatic felt a cool breeze as he left the gym.  The Fanatic stopped and looked over his shoulder, (http://plainfield-basketball.blogspot.com/2011/12/dejavue-ghost-of-past-class-of-1984.html), but did not see anything.  A voice in the hallway echoed, “We are good now.  Our young boys did well.  We are finally at peace.”  The Ghost of “84” has left the building.