The victorious Camden players gathered in a mob near center court, raising the state championship trophy they had just won in triumph. The purple-and-gold fans in the first couple rows at Jersey Mike’s Arena hooted and cheered, waving pom poms and exchanging high fives, as the school’s ubiquitous chant rang out.
YOU WANT THE HIGH?
(stomp, stomp)
YOU GOT THE HIGH!
(stomp, stomp)
It was a typical scene after the most atypical state title run in recent memory. But a few rows up from the delirious Camden faithful, another group of spectators gave the winning team a long standing ovation. Even after the Camden players had turned to take their celebration into the locker room, these young men kept clapping — even smiling — with only the town name across some of their sweatshirts giving their identity away.
Manasquan.
Yes, that Manasquan.
The ugliest saga that New Jersey high school sports has endured in years ended with a simple gesture that gives you hope for the future — or, at the very least, a reason to smile. The players who had their championship dreams stolen by the inexplicable decision to reverse a correct call on a buzzer-beating basket in a state semifinal game were in the building to watch the team that advanced in their place win the trophy.
And when that team, Camden, defeated Newark Arts High, 69-50, in the Group 2 state final, Manasquan saluted them. The history books will show that the Warriors were losers in the 2024 tournament, but anyone who watched how they handled the controversial ending to their season know they are anything but.
“I’ve said it from the beginning: Those kids are victims, too,” Manasquan coach Andrew Bilodeau said as he stood in front of his seat. “There was a championship game today, and Camden won. We’re here to support them. I’m happy for those guys. They are the Group 2 champions.”
Manasquan didn’t make the trip to Piscataway only to cheer on Camden. In what turned out to be a cruel scheduling quirk, the…
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