Ocean City PBA Tipoff Features Top Teams This Weekend

The Ocean City PBA Tipoff Weekend celebrates its 21^st year with a strong lineup of Cape-Atlantic League teams playing challenging opponents at Ocean City High School. Tipoff Weekend starts Saturday at noon with the Pleasantville boys, led by 6-6 senior Jacob Valeus (17.1 points a game last year) and 6-2 Sahmir Jones (15.9), facing Howell from the Shore Conference. In the 1:45 game, Cedar Creek’s girls will have to deal with Wildwood and senior Maddie McCracken (23.4), one of South Jersey’s top scorers. At 3:30 on Saturday, Mainland – the defending CAL girls’ champions led by 6-3 junior Kylee Watson (19.1) – will take on Rancocas Valley. Watson is ranked 30^th nationally by ESPN among high school juniors and enters this season with 999 career points. At 5:15 on Saturday, St. Augustine Prep, led by 6-7 senior transfer Andrew Delaney and 6-4 Charles Solomon, will meet Toms River North. The final game on Saturday at 7 p.m. matches the Wildwood Catholic boys, the defending CAL champions led by 6-7 junior Taj Thweatt and 6-6 junior Jahlil White, against Trenton Central, the defending Central Jersey Group 4 champions, led by 6-3 senior Reggie James. Sunday starts with the two Holy Spirit teams (girls at noon, boys to follow) playing back-to-back. The Spirit girls will play Egg Harbor Township and the Spartans boys will face Cape May Tech, featuring Josh Wright, a potential 2,000-point career scorer. At 3:30 on Saturday, St. Joseph of Hammonton, featuring the high-scoring Marcellus Ross (23.1), will take on Ewing Township, a Central Jersey Group 3 power. Joe Sacco is one of three returning starters this year for the Ocean City boys' team. Ocean City’s teams wrap up the weekend Sunday at 5:15 with the Jack Boyd Memorial Doubleheader. The OCHS girls – three-time defending South Jersey champs led by seniors Danielle Donoghue, Tori Rolls and Savanna Holt – will face Atlantic City, led by Ciani Redd-Howard and Savannah Robertson. The Ocean City boys, featuring returning starters Donovan Graham, Joe Sacco and Luke Varallo, will then take on Atlantic City, led by 6-8 Zion Teague. In addition to coming together for some good basketball to get the season started, each of the participating teams brings non-perishable food items and toys that are distributed throughout the area to those in need. Fans can see all five games each day for a single daily admission price of $6. Portions of the proceeds go to the Edythe T. Selvagn Scholarship Fund. More information about the event is available at PrimeEvents.net. Tipoff Weekend started in 1998 in Egg Harbor Township, where it was held for four seasons. After one year at Holy Spirit and two in the Ventnor Complex, the event settled in Ocean City in 2005. It has continued in the Dixie Howell Memorial Gymnasium at Ocean City High School with the support of the Ocean City PBA and a group of other businesses and individuals. In addition to the Ocean City PBA, the event is also sponsored by Thomas Heist Insurance, Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, the City of Ocean City, the Ocean City Firefighters, the Ocean City Free Public Library, AtlantiCare, the Ocean City Aquatic & Fitness Center, Sack-O-Subs and Schoppy.com. 21^st Annual Ocean City PBA Tipoff Weekend Schedule: Saturday: Noon – Pleasantville Boys vs. Howell 1:45 p.m. – Cedar Creek Girls vs. Wildwood 3:30 p.m. – Mainland Girls vs. Rancocas Valley 5:15 p.m. – St. Augustine Boys vs. Toms River North 7 p.m. – Wildwood Catholic Boys vs. Trenton Sunday: Noon – Holy Spirit Girls vs. Egg Harbor Township 1:45 p.m. – Holy Spirit Boys vs. Cape May Tech 3:30 p.m. – St. Joseph Boys vs. Ewing 5:15 p.m. – Ocean City Girls vs. Atlantic City 7 p.m. – Ocean City Boys vs. Atlantic City