BELMAR -- The third and final installment of the battle between Red Bank Catholic girls basketball and St. Rose this season was another instant classic. With 6.6 seconds left to go in the South Non-Public A semifinals, RBC's Addy Nyemchek received an inbound pass, drove past half court then down the lane, absorbed contact for a foul, and made a shot off the glass to tie the game 53-53 with 1.1 seconds left....

A free throw from Tessa Carman brought her into the 1,000 point club as third-seeded Red Bank Catholic won its postseason opener at home, defeating 14-seed Princeton Day 72-26 in the first round of the NJSIAA North Jersey, Non-Public A tournament for the program’s 19th straight victory this season. Red Bank Catholic (25-4), ranked No. 3 in NJ.com’s latest Top 20, quickly took control of the ballgame, outscoring Princeton Day (13-10) 37-12 in the first half. Carman hit the milestone with 4:25 remaining in the third quarter as Red Bank Catholic kept expanding the lead. Carman recorded 15 points in the victory. Her teammate Addy Nyemchek led all scorers with 16 points, and Scarlet LeVake added 12. 10 different players got into the scoring column for Red Bank Catholic. Nica Martin was the lone scorer to reach double-digits for Princeton Day, registering 11 points. Sophia Rae Barber hit all of her shots from beyond the arc, finishing with nine points. Red Bank Catholic will attempt to extend its winning streak to 20 games on Monday, when it will host the winner of six-seed St. Thomas Aquinas and 11-seed Camden Catholic in the quarterfinals....

Two years ago, the wrestling career of Red Bank Catholic senior Michael DiBiase was at a crossroads. He had been homeschooled for his first two years of high school and competed for the wrestling team at Wall, where he won a pair of district titles and was a two-time state qualifier for the Crimson Knights. However, the Wall Board of Education approved a policy change in 2023 that no longer allowed homeschooled students to participate in school sports, clubs or extracurricular activities. It meant DiBiase would have to either continue being homeschooled and give up wrestling for a high school team or find a new school....

Michael DiBiase walked out of Cinnaminson High School with a NJSIAA/IBEW Local 102 District 27 title on Saturday - capping a district career in which he won championships in all four years. The Caseys won five weight classes overall on the way to the team title. But perhaps the most meaningful honor came prior to the finals where Colin Monahan was awarded his second district Coach of the Year award. Monahan passed away in October of cancer at the age of 28. He was a district champion and 100-match winner at Freehold Boro and wrestled at Ursinus where he was the first recipient of the Pat Curry Award for Dedication and received the Director of Athletics Award, which is given to the student-athlete who demonstrates loyalty, perseverance and spirit to the team and college. Monahan returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach and was named region coach of the year in 2022 after helping to lead Freehold Boro to its first district title. Last year, Monahan joined the Red Bank Catholic coaching staff and planned to return this season. His father accepted the award for him on Saturday. “This was our first overall team title,” said Red Bank Catholic coach Joe Gallagher. “We’ve been building a long time, we have very young kids and this was a very tough district. “But we always talk about his initials being on the back of our singlets. If you’re tired, it doesn’t matter, things get tough in the final seconds, think about Colin. ... .We’re doing it for him. He was a perfect person, a gentle great coach. This is all well beyond our control. (Monahan) was a huge part of this. “All year, I thought about (putting Monahan up for the assistant honor). I didn’t want to insult any coaches, but he had a huge impact on us and he’s such a driving part of what we do. He planned to be here a long time. One of the last things he said to his dad is ”I came here to learn to be a head coach, but this is my forever job.‘” DiBiase captured his fourth district title with a decisive 8-0 major decision over Kingsway’s Ryan Preziosi at 113 pounds, and he’s been motivated to succeed for Monahan his whole senior year. “I was only with him one year, but it was very special,” said DiBiase. “He was there for every match. He meant a lot to me and when he passed suddenly I was distraught, so I’ve dedicated this whole season to him.” For DiBiase, his perfect performance in the districts throughout his career has been based on a lifetime of work. “I’ve been wrestling since elementary school, going to all those practices, not stopping for a moment,” said DiBiase. “If you don’t put effort into anything, you won’t get it.” Gallagher praised DiBiase for what he’s brought to the program after transferring from Wall following his sophomore season. “Michael’s a special kid, he’s a straight-A student and he’s also a Jersey symphony orchestra cellist,” said Red Bank Catholic coach Joe Gallagher. “Michael has a gift that goes well behind wrestling. He sets the standard in everything he does. He wrestles violent, but he doesn’t have a violent bone in his body. It’s very funny because it’s an aggressive sport, and his life is very soft and gentle. He doesn’t get mad, but he gets after it. “He’s won four district titles and never won a state medal. Hopefully he will this year, but for Michael the experience and pursuit of the state medal is the best thing.” Joseph Vezzosi (106 pounds), Cole DeAngelo (120), Robert Connelley (157) and Frank Romeo (165) joined DiBiase as champions. Overall, seven Caseys moved on to Region 7. A three-time state qualifier, DiBiase reached the blood round a year ago but came up one win short. He was a region champion as a sophomore. He hopes to lead the way to Atlantic City for his young teammates. “Winning a district title is very nice, but I think we can do more than that,” said DiBiase. “We want to get into regions, go on to states and maybe get on that podium. I know I want to do that. I haven’t done it yet, but I’m planning to for Coach (Monahan),” ...

WEST LONG BRANCH -- On the same court that she'll play on next school season, Red Bank Catholic senior Tessa Carman got the winning basket in the Shore Conference Tournament championship game Friday night - a 50-48 victory over St. Rose at Monmouth University....