High-octane Cougars unbeaten

Kris Grundy had a good feeling about the Montgomery High boys basketball team heading into this season.

Through the first four games, those feelings appear to have been justified.

The Cougars improved to 4-0 with a 72-53 win over Piscataway on Monday to complete a sweep of its two games in the Cougar Classic. Montgomery had opened the round-robin event with a 63-56 overtime win over Bridgewater-Raritan.

”Our game with Piscataway was a pseudo championship game,” said Grundy, the Cougars’ head coach. “They had knocked off Medford Tech in double overtime and we won in overtime against Bridgewater. So we were the two teams that won our first game. It was a really good tournament.”

In the win over Piscataway, Greg Tarca scored 23 points to pace the offense, while Justin Kovacevich scored 16 and added 10 rebounds and eight assists. Alex Miller had 14 points, Darron Wallace 10 and Patrick Youreneff seven in the balanced offensive effort. Through four games the Cougars are averaging 67 points a game. That’s a whole lot more offense than the team has put up throughout Grundy’s tenure as head coach.

”(Montgomery football coach Zoran Milich) and I talk about it that it is either the fun part or frustrating part of public school coaching that you have to adapt what you do offensively and defensively to the talent you have,” Grundy said. “I love the matchup zone and half-court style. With the type of guys we have we could have done that and been successful. But this style best suits the style of players we have right now.”

The style has helped the Cougars take a 4-0 record into tonight’s game against Warren Hills.

”This is my ninth year and it is the first time that we have been 4-0 heading into the New Year,” Grundy said. “Even our state championship team lost in the championship game of its tournament to Old Tappan. I knew we would be a pretty tough team to beat. The chemistry on this team is phenomenal.

”We had a great summer. My guys are always very committed in the summer but this crew has been amazing. I asked a lot from them and their families and you could see us getting better. We were playing well and I was anxious to get my hands on them to fine tune some things from the fall when I am not allowed to work with them.”

It’s made for a nice start to what could be a very good season.

”The type of basketball we’re playing is so different than Montgomery teams have played, at least since I have been here,” Grundy said. “We’re pushing the ball in transition and scoring a bunch of points right now.”

While Montgomery was playing on its home court for the holiday tournament, the other Packet-area teams went on the road to play their games.

West Windsor-Plainsboro High South went on the road and opened with a 64-60 win over Gloucester Catholic in the West Deptford tournament as Jonathan Kline led the way with 21 points. In the championship game, the Pirates fell in overtime to the host school, 72-68, despite 16 points apiece from Kline and Danny Borup, as well as 15 from Tommy Hussong.

WW-P North lost to Eastern, 78-43, in the Paul VI Holiday Showcase despite 20 points from Isaiah Powell.

Princeton Day School dropped a pair of games in the ESCIT at Trenton Catholic. The Panthers fell to Rancocas Valley, 71-47, despite 13 points from Chris Okorodudu and 11 from Deonte Cole. They then dropped a 74-65 decision to Sussex Tech in the consolation round. Langston Glaude scored 17 points and Okorodudu added 16