HIGH CALLORI DIET: EAGLES BIG MAN LEADS TEAM TO SEMI-FINALS

A career night from Matt Callori propelled the Eagles into the semi-finals of the Central Jersey Group III with a 52-36win over Freehold Boro. The win, according to head coach Kevin Cullen, was the first playoff win for the program since 2001.

Callori scored 8 points in the third quarter to help the Eagles finally pull away from the Colonials after a highly contested first half.

The Eagles were on fire from the perimeter early in the game, with Pete Clabby and Garret Thiel knocking down several three-pointers and jump shots in the first period.

Despite this, South led only 15-11 at the end of the first. The Eagles extended their lead slightly until about midway through the quarter, when Freehold grabbed the momentum.

The Colonials forced several turnovers which led to fast break opportunities but several missed lay-ups cost them a chance at the lead. A three point shot at the end of the half brought them within three points, 23-20.

This is where Callori took over. He was wide open several times after setting screens and knocked down easy jump shots from the short corners. He finished with 17 points, along with 5 rebounds.

Freehold tried to make a late push at the end of the game, but the Eagles made enough of their free throws to put the game out of reach.

The two players who are usually the leading scorers for South, Thiel and Kyle Cancillieri, were by no means absent. They both netted 12 points and Cancillieri pulled down 8 rebounds.

Brandon Carter led the Colonials with a team-high 15 points in the final high school game of his career. Teammate Lance McKenzie added 9 points in the loss.

The Eagles will get a chance at revenge on Saturday as they host Red Bank Regional, the team that defeated South in the first round of the Shore Conference Tournament two weeks ago. The game will be at 7 p.m. at South and the winner will go on to the Central Jersey Group III championship game.