(from Tuesday, March 9)

It has been an up-and-down season for the Lakewood High School basketball team but this morning all things are good because they are celebrating a championship. Monday night in their own Piner Palace they beat Neptune 59-51 to claim a surprising Central Jersey Group 3 title, their first sectional crown since 2002. Sophomore Jameer Jones scored 20 points for the fifth seeded Piners, who beat Hamilton, Monmouth, top-seeded Freehold and then the Scarlet Fliers to earn the championship. Under third-year head coach Randy Holmes, many predicted a banner season for Lakewood but they got off to a slow start and watched Monsignor Donovan claim the Class B South title. However it’s Lakewood who is the only Ocean County boys team still playing and they will face South Jersey champion Kingsway tomorrow night in the Group semifinals at Winslow Township High School. A victory there would send the Piners to the Ritacco Center this weekend for the Group 3 Final.

Point Boro and Point Beach saw their playoff runs came to an end last night with losses in sectional finals as did the Southern girl’s team. The Point Boro girls host Deptford tonight in the South Jersey Group 3 final.

Ocean County is assured of having a team in the NJSIAA Public A Ice Hockey Championship game. That’s because Brick Memorial faces surprising Toms River South in a semifinal game this afternoon (4pm) at Mennen Arena in Morris Township. Randolph plays Montgomery in the other semifinal with the winners to skate for the state title Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark.

Toms River’s Todd Frazier has played in one of the Cincinnati Reds’ first three spring exhibition games in Arizona, going 0-2. The 24-year old former Toms River South and Rutgers University star is the top prospect in the Reds organization but the team still hasn’t decided what position to play him at. He is listed as a left-fielder but has also played shortstop, third base, first base and second base. Frazier has been spending a lot of time with former Red Tony Phillips, who is working as a special instructor. Its likely Todd will open the season in the minor leagues but it’s only a matter of time before he calls Cincinnati home.