Senior Night Thriller for Plainfield Boys Varsity Basketball

Monday, 30 January 2023

Tania Alvarado, QTNNews Student Writer

Updated 03 February 2023 10:43am ET

SENIOR NIGHT

Senior night is always a career highlight for high school athletes. It serves as an opportunity to celebrate the achievements – both on and off the court – of the young men and women who devote so much of their time to the sports they love. On Monday, January 30th, 2023, the much-anticipated Senior Night for the Plainfield Cardinals’ Swim Team, Winter Cheer Team, and Boys Basketball Team finally arrived, and what a night it turned out to be!

Before the start of the Varsity Boys Basketball game, in front of packed stands, the Plainfield Athletic Department took time to recognize the graduating seniors of all three teams for their achievements, passion, and dedication. The names and accomplishments of the seniors were announced on the PA system and echoed throughout the Rico Parenti Gymnasium at Plainfield High School as each student walked to center court. The energetic crowd applauded these outstanding student-athletes.

Up first, the Plainfield Cardinals Swim Team recognized the following senior athletes: Delsy Franco, Naomy Sanches, Elizabeth Hurtado, Hennesys Martinez, Joel Sanchez, Fernando Rodrigues, and their manager Kyra Simmons-Thompson.

The spotlight then moved to the senior athletes who would be performing and playing that night: the Winter Cheer and the Boys Basketball Teams.

Cheerleading: 

Elisah Jackson– has a 3.5 GPA and has been accepted into ten colleges; still waiting for more to come. She plans to study psychology and hopes to help teens who struggle with mental health.

Bree-Ana Webby– is a senior at Barack Obama Charter. She has a 3.0 GPA and plans to attend Rowan University.

Victoria Boima– is also a senior at Barack Obama Charter. She has a 3.78 GPA and is ranked in the top 5% of her class. She has been accepted by more than five honor colleges and is waiting for more responses. She plans to pursue a career in law.

Boys Basketball: 

Kanye Brown– is a 4-year varsity player. His dedication is unmatched. He led the Cardinals with 172 points this season going into this senior night matchup. 

Paul Alleyne– is the Co-Captain of this Cardinals varsity team. He has been accepted to Fairleigh Dickinson University and Montclair State University, carrying a 4.4 GPA. 

Shawn Braithwaite– while being a late addition to the team, he has demonstrated that no matter the challenge, you can work hard to overcome any obstacles in your path. 

Jah’Quan Jones– is the life of the team and has shown major progress. He always gives it his all on the court. 

Micheal Searchwell– is the team manager. His contributions and commitment to the team has helped keep them strong.

QTN would like to congratulate all of our senior athletes and wish them all the best of luck in their bright futures!

PLAINFIELD vs. PISCATAWAY 

Following the senior farewells, the anticipated Plainfield v.s. Piscataway Varsity Boys Basketball matchup got underway. Starting at 7:00pm, the teams faced off for the first time since February 2017. Going into this matchup, both teams had struggled to pull out some key wins this season. The Plainfield Cardinals entered the game with a 3-15 record while the Piscataway Chiefs fared slightly better, entering the game with an 8-12 record. As could be expected, this game turned out to be a competitive matchup, with several lead changes and tight scores down the stretch. 

In the first quarter, Plainfield stepped onto the court with confidence but fell behind early on after Piscataway won the tipoff. With the Chiefs taking a 5-0 lead, the Cardinals worked steadily to catch up. While the Chiefs continued picking up the pace, the Cardinals played with poise and determination allowing them to even the score at 13-13 after Rashawn Williams scored for Plainfield off of a rebound. 

Throughout the second quarter, Antonio Ruiz took possession and attacked all night for the Cardinals, breaking the tie, 17-15. As the lead switched back and forth, Kanye Brown quickly put Plainfield in the lead with a 3-pointer. Brown then added another 3-pointer, bringing the score to 26-21. Joel Cordoba scored a basket for the Cardinals followed by Ruiz again, who scored left-handed on a steal, putting the Cardinals up 32-23! Having the crowd up on their feet, Brown added to Plainfield’s lead, giving them a 10-point margin with a score of 34-24. As the end of the first half drew to a close, Piscataway was able to cut the Plainfield lead to 6 points, going into halftime with a score of 34-28 in the Cardinals’ favor. 

In the third quarter, Piscataway came storming back and quickly edged out Plainfield by 1, leading 36-35. Trying to tie the game up once again, Cordoba went up for a shot, but Chiefs’ Jonathan Carmen rejected it. Cordoba came back and made a 3-pointer, giving Plainfield the lead, 38-37. Cordoba sank another field goal outside the arc, extending the Plainfield lead, 41- 37! Plainfield’s trio: Cordoba, Brown, and Ruiz had the crowd in the Rico Parenti Gymnasium roaring! The Cardinals continued to bring the heat as they ended the third quarter with a 51-43 lead. 

In the fourth quarter, Piscataway came out swinging. On a dunk by Carmen, the Chiefs cut Plainfield’s lead to 53-47. Trying to fire back, Ruiz went up for a layup but missed the shot and the rebound. Despite that, Ruiz got a steal and passed it to Zander Anyanwu, who missed the shot and fell to the ground in pain. After an injury timeout, Anyanwu was helped off the court. The Chiefs continued to persevere even with the Cardinals still holding an 8-point lead, 57-49. Piscataway came roaring back with 7 unanswered points, cutting Plainfield’s lead to 1 with only two minutes left in regulation. Piscataway’s Evan Benson scored a 3-pointer, turning the game on its head and giving Piscataway the lead, 59-57.

At this point, the game could have gone either way, but Plainfield never goes out without a fight! With time ticking down, Brown quickly tied the game for Plainfield with only one minute remaining. With 30 seconds left, Piscataway began playing the clock, trying to wind time down then score the final shot. With 9 seconds left, Plainfield fouled Piscataway, giving the Chiefs two shots at the line. The cheerleaders and the stands thundered, trying to get Jalen Thomas to crack under pressure. Keeping his composure and form, Thomas scored on both free throws, giving Piscataway a narrow 2-point lead. With only 4 seconds remaining, Kamai Lowery scored a 2-pointer for the Cardinals, tying the game as time expired in regulation. The crowd inside the Rico Parenti Gymnasium erupted! With a tie score of 61-61, this game was going into overtime! 

In the four-minute overtime period, Piscataway took early command by winning the tipoff once again and scoring on a Carmen layup. Trying to avoid a trap by Piscataway, Lowry got called for a backcourt violation, but with solid defense, the Cardinals were able to prevent the Chiefs from capitalizing on this turnover. Ala-meen Watkins then drove down the court looking to tie the game up, but was then fouled by the Chiefs. Going 1-for-2 on the ensuing free throws, Watkins cut the lead to 1. Capitalizing on a missed layup by Cordoba, Piscataway extended their overtime lead to 65-62 with a basket by Khalid Brown. Finding himself at the foul line again, Watkins went 2-for-2 cutting the Chiefs’ lead back to 1, 65-64.