April 3, 2026
By Maddie Scherzer
Staff Writer
Playing six quarters, the boys basketball season came to an end on March 10 at Bloomfield High School following a 70-74 loss against Ramsey High School in double overtime in the semifinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 2 Tournament.
This close game was filled with fouls, free throws and energy from the stands. The first quarter ended in a 14-14 tie. LHS took the lead in the second quarter, finishing 27-25, but was down 35-41 at the end of the third quarter. By the end of the fourth quarter, LHS and Ramsey were once again tied with a score of 53-53.
LHS pulled through in double overtime to tie 62-62, but Ramsey solidified a win, making two free throws with seconds to go.
This game followed a 17-9 regular season record and four wins in state games.
Sophomore point guard and shooting guard Avery Cano, who joined varsity last year, said the team’s strong offense kept the game close.
“I expect the young kids on the team to learn from our seniors, how they came to practice every day, worked hard and left it all on the floor. If they bring that same energy next year, we expect to win another state title.”
“Our defense could have been better, but we tried, and we did what we could,” Cano said. “Our lack of defense had them scoring a lot more. They were just holding the ball on us, which was wasting time.”
Cano said he tried to stay positive during the game.
“Even if we were down, there was still a lot of time for us to come back, so I just tried to keep [my teammates] in the game and [made sure] nobody put their heads down,” Cano said.
He said it was tough realizing at the end of the game that the team’s five seniors — center Daniel Bojilov, point guard Johnny Chaname, power forward Julian Cruz, center Sam Ijeh and point guard Dylan Williams — would be graduating.
“They’ve shaped me into a better person, especially during practices. We built trust in each other,” Cano said.
Senior captain point guard Johnny Chaname, who led the team in scoring during the Ramsey game with 38 points, said that despite the loss, he is proud of his teammates’ performance.
“We pushed the tempo when we needed to push it. We also played some tough defense. I know they were scoring a lot, but we never backed down, never gave up on our game. Six quarters is tough, [but we] still [had] the juice and the energy to play defense and score,” Chaname said.
He said he is optimistic about the team’s future, as there will be 10 returning players next season.
“The younger group that’s coming up is going to make a really big change for basketball in the school. I’m just glad we got to start it off,” Chaname said.
Head Coach Mosca, who has coached the team for the past four years, said that, based on this season’s outcome, he has high hopes for the next one.
“I expect the young kids on the team to learn from our seniors, how they came to practice every day, worked hard and left it all on the floor. If they bring that same energy next year, we expect to win another state title,” Mosca said. “I love this team. They gave everything they had all season, and I will miss them.”
Mosca said he felt the crowd’s support throughout the game.
“We love how the Lyndhurst community backs our team, and we appreciate them coming out to watch us compete,” said Mosca.
