ASSORTED STUFF: HIGH SCHOOL TEAM LOST ,,, AND STILL WON

 Let’s hear it for the Camden (N.J.) High School boys basketball team … which could have done the right thing – and didn’t. Beneficiaries of a classic screw-job, it won the Group 2 state championship 69-50 Saturday after game officials blew it in the semifinals, ruling Manasquan did not beat Camden on a last-second field goal ... despite clear and unmistakable video evidence to the contrary … One official ruled the shot beat the clock. He huddled with the other two. They were joined (according to a report) by a representative of the NJSIAA … while the Camden coach was seen screaming at them … and, in their wisdom, unable to recognize their lying eyes (that the scoreboard showed 0.05 when the ball was released) … or worse … ruled time had run out ... Asked whether Camden considered acknowledging the mistake, that it didn’t belong in the final – and requested that the ruling body reverse the decision, thereby gaining all kinds of good will, the coach, in essence, said: You’ve got to be kidding me! … Sorry about that Manasquan … Better luck next time – and all that silly stuff … Know what? The Big Blue from Monmouth County tried to have the outcome overturned and, when all failed, the team attended the title matchup … and gave Camden a standing ovation at game’s end. Manasquan won, after all.

……. From all appearances, the New York Rangers didn’t so 

much by the March 8 trade deadline. They made a handful of 

deals, none expected to excite their fan base. That is, of 

course, unless you hoped they’d bring in center ALEX 

WENNBERG, 29, (who?) from Seattle, right wing JACK 

ROSLOVIC, 27, (who?) from Columbus and right-hand-

shooting defenseman CHAD RUHWEDEL, 33, (who?) from 

Pittsburgh … All three will be unrestricted free agents at 

season’s end … and none figured to be re-signed by his 

former club ... Naturally, NY General Manager CRIS 

DRURY, who is responsible, was quoted as saying he got 

what he wanted … without disrupting the first-place team’s 

chemistry. Never mind that his closest pursuer, the Carolina 

Hurricane, loaded up, adding Penguins’ RW JAKE 

GUENTZEL by outbidding the Rangers … and EVGENY 

KUZNETSOV from Washington … OK, so the latter is a 

risk, having spent most of the season in the NHL’s player 

assistance program, but should the center who was a major 

contributor to the Capitals’ Stanley Cup six years ago regain 

some of his former form, it will be worth it – and then some 

… What Carolina didn’t do was shore up a weakness at 

goaltender … an area where the Rangers, it says here, have 

the league’s best 1-2 punch with IGOR SHESTERKIN 

andJONATHAN QUICK … Oh, by the way, Richmond’s

 ZAC JONES was in the lineup Saturday night (March 9) – 

for the first time since Feb. 5 – as the Rangers dominated St. 

Louis 4-0. The 23 year old defenseman, who had sat out 12 

straight games as a healthy scratch, played a regular shift after 

captain JACOB TROUBA was ruled out for a minimum of 

two weeks with an unspecified injury … Jones played on the 

left side of the No. 3 defensive unit (with ERIK 

GUSTAFSSON, 33, on the right, his offside) … and helped 

preserve No. 1 star Shesterkin’s second shutout of the season 

(13^th career in his 200^th NHL game) with a nifty breakup of a 

2 on 1 rush by the Blues as time was winding down … Of 

Jones, TV analyst JOE MICHELETTI said, “He deserves a 

chance to play.” … I guess. 

…… In case you missed it …

RUDY GOBERT, 31, an 11-year NBA veteran, cost 

Minnesota a victory last week when, after fouling out with 

seconds to go in regulation (and the Timberwolves ahead by a 

point), was hit with a technical foul for giving the game 

officials the dreaded money sign. (Translation: How much 

did you bet on our opponent, the Cleveland 

Cavaliers?) … After a game-tying made free throw, forcing 

overtime, the undermanned T-Wolves lost 113-104 … Gobert 

admitted his timing was wrong, but not the message … 

“Betting is getting bigger and bigger, I know that, but it’s 

hurting our game,” he said … Actually, the object of the sign 

language (rubbing his fingers together), SCOTT FOSTER, 

did not see it … but NATALIE SAGO did and hit Gobert 

with the ‘T.’

…… NBC’s CHRIS SIMMS jumped on the bandwagon and 

put Southern Cal’s CALEB WILLIAMS No. 1 on his list of 

draftable quarterbacks. Then, just as quickly, he went his own 

way, dropping consensus No. 2 DRAKE MAYE of North 

Carolina to No. 6 … Simms, who played QB for Texas and in 

the NFL for Tampa Bay, Tennessee and Denver (2003-10), 

likes LSU’s Heisman Trophy-winner JAYDEN DANIELS

 second, with Oregon’s BO NIX, 24, third … followed by

 MICHAEL PENIX JR of Washington and Michigan’s JJ 

McCARTHY … The son of former Giants’ QB-turned TV 

analyst Phil Simms does his ratings primarily based on film 

study. Maye, he said, “is an unpolished product [who has been 

subjected to] unreasonable expectations. He’ll need some time 

and coaching.” … So how has C. Simms done over the years? 

Critics point to 2021 when his top-rated choice was ZACH 

WILSON, who went No. 2 overall to the NY Jets (12-21 as a 

starter; 23 TD passes, 25 INTs) in what proved to be a bad 

year for quarterbacks … includingDANIEL JONES (Giants) 

and MAC JONES (Patriots). Only TREVOR LAWRENCE 

(No. 1 overall) has lived up to billing. Simms had him at No. 

2 … His legion of admirers point to 2017 when pretty-much 

unknown PATRICK MAHOMES, drafted by Kansas City to 

be a backup, was his No. 1; 2018 when he opted for LAMAR 

JACKSON(Louisville) and JOSH ALLEN (Wyoming) 1-2 

over Heisman winner BAKER MAYFIELD (Oklahoma) … 

and 2023 when Ohio State’s C.J. STROUD was chosen over

 BRYCE YOUNG of Alabama.

Until next time ...