Wildcats build momentum, confidence during strong season

Gary Ruban, the experienced and knowledgeable head coach for the High Point High School girls’ basketball team, vividly recalls a pivotal moment on the court for the Wildcats from this recently concluded season.

“The North Warren win on Feb. 5 was a big win for us in many ways,’’ Ruban said. “It came after a loss and also set us up for a big winning streak down the stretch. We started to play our best basketball of the year in that game. That rolled us into the (NJSIAA) State Tournament flying high with confidence.”

Ruban said the Wildcats played their best game of the season on Feb. 26, beating Passaic Valley, 50-19, in the first round of the NJSIAA, North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 tournament first round. Rhianon Conover led the Wildcats with a game-high 15 points.

“The confidence we played with at the end of the season was unmatched in my tenure at High Point,” Ruban said.

Strong leadership propelled High Point at all times this year.

“Kennedy Shepherd was a huge part of our team in the leadership role,’’ Ruban said. “She was a behind the scenes leader that our program truly was blessed to have. She orchestrated our Pretty in Pink game, organized our youth clinics during the season, as well as being the voice of reason for her teammates. Anytime things were in turmoil she was able to keep us on task and focused to play on.

“Another leader was Claire Sieminski, she led by example. Hard work, dedication and her relentless approach to winning were key factors in the leadership she provided.’’

Many players showed steady improvements throughout the course of the season.

“Daphne Mathews and Addison Yanoff were key contributors who got better every time they stepped onto the floor,’’ Ruban said. “Another girl that continued to work hard throughout the season was Rhiannon Conover. She went from a JV player to a reliable scoring option down the stretch for our varsity. Rhiannon was patient and never complained as she earned her stripes down the stretch.’’

The Wildcats tallied an impressive overall record of 17-9 and they were 5-5 as third place finishers in the tough Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Freedom Division.

After defeating Passaic Valley in the first round of the NJSIAA North 1 Group 2 Sectional Tournament, High Point was defeated by Jefferson in the Sectional quarterfinal round.

“Brooke Wagner was a dominant force for us over the last three years,’’ Ruban said. “Her greatest attribute was her ability to block shots. She currently [has 161 blocked shots] which gives her a slightly greater than six blocks per game. Grace Elston was our 3-point threat for the last two years. Her shooting ability was tremendous, leading to many of our victories.’’