On Thursday, January 22, the Oratory Prep Rams faced off against the Summit Hilltoppers at Oratory in the DeGaeta gym. Separated by less than half a mile, Summit is OP’s most heated opponent, especially given the last matchup’s outcome. Earlier this season, the Hilltoppers defeated OP at Summit in a double overtime battle. This left a sour taste in Rams’ mouths, fueling the fire for this matchup. Now, Summit had to enter the Thunderdome and compete against the Rowdies’ defining roar. To help with this, Summit player Matt Caplan was back from injury, and he would prove to be a threat all night long. Coming into the game, the Rams hadn’t lost at home to Summit since January 19, 2019, and the boys in blue looked to capitalize on their last shot at a rivalry win.
The Rams came out slow to start the game. Summit used size to their advantage by grabbing rebounds and finishing in the paint, starting 8-0. Coach Daugherty called a timeout, and Summit’s bench was sent into a frenzy. Coach Daugherty refocused the team, as they fought back with a Kostka corner three. Will Kostka supplied energy all night long, firing up the team and student section. The Rams got some easy shots at the rim, and defended well, working back to 26-26 at the end of the first half.
The Rams came out of the half and defended well, getting steals and finishing breakaways. OP’s biggest factor was Ryan Fay, who was simply unguardable. Fay was a game changer all night, hustling down court to finish at the rim, and getting off screens for open jump shots. As Coach Daugherty stated in his preseason interview, the identity of this team has been their defense and scrappiness, and it showed, especially in the third. Despite the Rams lack of size at the center position, Michael Dragone hustle and physicality solidified his paint presence. However, Summit had shooters, who were delivering from deep. Summit’s size also kept the game back and forth. On each possession, they slowed down the ball and ran plays to get their shooters open, knowing they were outmatched in athleticism. With a minute left, the Rams, up by one, passed the ball around, looking to drain the clock, until Summit began fouling with 18 seconds left. Down two, Summit wing Matt Caplan shot a midrange floater to tie the game with one second left. After a OP turnover, Summit regained possession with a chance to win. Caplan shot a three and airballed, sending the game to OT.
At this point the game seemed like a repeat of their last matchup, as each team exchanged shots and hustled on defence. Fay and Archie hit crucial free throws to go ahead with 40 seconds. Summit inbounded the ball with 16 seconds, and gave it to Caplan. The senior looked to drive to the basket to send the game into a second overtime, however, the Hilltoppers luck ran out and his shot rimmed out, and buzzer sounded. The rowdies went ballistic, as Fay, held up the “L” to Summit’s student section. This game marked the tenth straight home win for the Rams (including last season), solidifying their “Kings of Summit” status and waving goodbye to the demoralized Hilltoppers. Ryan Fay dropped a 28 bomb, while being named NJ.com’s player of the week. While this was the last major rivalry on the Rams schedule, much is still to come as they look to use their momentum to make a deep run at counties and states.
