By Ross Wilson
Effort + Execution. That's one of the many formulas that coach Tom Feraco instills into the players that make up undefeated Middle Township. After wins this season versus ranked Atlantic City, Millville, Pleasantville and Buena, the Panthers are once again a legitimate Group 3 title contender.
"This team is together," said coach Feraco in the locker room after the 65-44 victory versus Buena. "They play as a unit. What they lack in size, they really make up for with a lot of heart and aggression."
Middle Township has put together its season-long 13-game win streak with a combination of good perimeter shooting and hard-nosed play. All of the wins haven't been pretty, but 13-0 to start the season has been rather special.
"They're playing for a team that's won 20 games each year for 13 straight years, so the other thing is they're playing with pride and the tradition at our school and trying to uphold the tradition that we've built. The kids also bring an intense desire to practice hard every day," said Feraco.A surprising look at the team stats reveals that not a single player on the Middle Township squad averages 15 points per game. There's no single go-to guy on the squad, which has made match-ups difficult for opposing teams.
"They're all interchangeable out there. You can see the advantages when you have interchangeable parts," added Feraco. "You can't guard one because another guy will be open. You have to give these kids credit."
"We can go as far as we want to go as long we play hard, do things right and keep our shooting up," said 6-2 senior Kyle Wilson. "Coach Feraco gives us juice and enthusiasm with everything he says. He's just a good coach, and we're looking forward to the rest of the season."
