C.H. East falls short in Group 4 final

The great thing about making the South Jersey Group 4 finals is that you walk in the gym and find more than 600 red-clad students waiting for you.

The not-so-great thing is that you find Jahleem Montague waiting for you, too.

Along with Ga-briel Chandler, Kashawn Dunston and the rest of a deep, diligent, and determined Atlantic City team.

That's how it works in the sectional finals, which Cherry Hill East visited for the first time in the history of the boys' basketball program Tuesday.

"It was like every high school kid's dream," Cherry Hill East senior guard Jesse Gold said after Atlantic City's 52-41 victory in front of a capacity-plus crowd. "You walk in the hallway in school, and people are screaming your name. People are breaking out in a 'Cougar chant' in the middle of class.

"You walk in the gym and there's like 600 students waiting for you, all in red, and they watch you shoot around for an hour before the game. It was a Division I college game for us."

In terms of atmosphere and memory-making, it doesn't get any better than this supercharged afternoon for Cherry Hill East's players and coaches.

But nothing's for free. You want to play in a game with this much meaning, this much excitement, you better figure on facing an opponent that's worthy of the event.

Atlantic City was all that and more. The fifth-seeded Vikings (23-5) completed a remarkable run through the sectional tournament with three consecutive road victories over the cream of the Olympic Conference, beating No. 4 seed Lenape, No. 1 seed Eastern, and No. 2 seed Cherry Hill East.

Atlantic City won its fourth sectional title since 2005 and eighth overall thanks to a serious commitment to defense. The Vikings contested every shot, every pass, and every dribble by Cherry Hill East.

Of course, it also helped the Vikings to have a 6-foot-8 shot-blocker such as Montague, an athletic junior, as the backstop of their defense.

"They were just all over the place," Cherry Hill East senior guard Marc Schlessel said. "They seemed to get to every [loose] ball."

Montague finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks. He must have altered five other shots and seemed to loom large in the Cougars' minds even when he was across the court.

Chandler, a 6-4 junior, collected 10 points and nine rebounds, and Dunston, a 6-3 senior, generated 10 points, four steals, and six rebounds. The Vikings got contributions from nine players.

Atlantic City also dominated on the glass, scoring again and again on offensive rebounds.

"They were just so long," Cherry Hill East senior forward Jake Gurkin said.

Cherry Hill East (21-9) left everything on the floor. The Cougars were stunned early by the Vikings' aggressive, athletic defense and committed 17 turnovers in falling behind by 25-15 at halftime.

But under first-year coach Dave Allen and behind its trio of senior leaders, East battled back and made it a competitive game in the second half. The Cougars never got closer than six, but they never lost contact, either.

The Cherry Hill East student section, an all-red sea that was larger than a Group 1 school, kept urging on the Cougars with cheers and chants. It was great stuff, high school sports at its best.

"We were so lucky just be a part of it," said Schlessel, wiping back tears. "It was unbelievable, seeing everybody in red.

"The fans did their job."

The Cougars did their part, as well. They overcame expectations in winning three tournament games, including a victory over nemesis Shawnee in the sectional semifinals.

This moment was of their making.

But now they know why these experiences are so rare; these events, so memorable; and these titles, so precious.

Atlantic City   9 16 12 15 – 52

Cherry Hill East   4 11 12 14 – 41

AC: Kashawn Dunston 10, Dayshawn Reynolds 8, Jahleem Montague 15, Ga-briel Chandler 10, Martel Johnson 1, Isaiah Graves 4, Ahmad McKinley 4.

CHE: Marc Schlessel 12, Jake Gurkin 8, Jesse Gold 2, Gary Hettinger 6, Jake Silpe 9, Andrew Brown 4.