With the 2025–2026 Oratory varsity basketball season in the books, it is time to review what happened this year. Let’s start from the beginning.
The Rams took on a tough opponent in Sayreville to begin their season on December 13, 2025. They fell 75-64 and then lost to rival Delbarton 59-56 the following week. However, at 0-2, Oratory made some adjustments, capturing its first victory in its home opener against Rahway. They headed to Summit next for one of their biggest games of the year, but came up short in overtime, losing 58-53.
However, despite losing to one of their biggest rivals, the Rams responded by defeating Hillside. In the Christmas tournament, the team went on to take down Newark Academy 70-58 and Hillsborough 75-64 in the championship game, subsequently beating New Providence 73-50. After this four-game winning streak, Oratory stood at 5-3, but the team was just getting started.
A loss at Johnson, a win versus Pingry, and a loss at Union brought them to 6-5, but they followed that up with another winning streak. Victories against Cranford, Ridge, and Rahway made the Rams look unstoppable. However, next on their schedule was a home game against Summit, and Oratory was more ready than they had ever been. In a game that will go down in Rams history, OP was able to capture a 54-52 overtime victory after a late missed jumper by Summit, sending the Hilltoppers’ fans home disappointed. While the Rams would lose their next game to Scotch Plains-Fanwood 50-44, they would then take down familiar opponents Hillside, New Providence, and Johnson, improving their overall record to 13-6.
A loss versus Union brought Oratory to the Union County Tournament. They were able to capture a 67-56 win in the preliminary round against Rahway before falling 62-49 to Westfield in the quarterfinal round. However, despite this loss, they finished the regular season on a high note with wins against Columbia, Mount Olive on Senior Night, and Madison.
The Rams were able to clinch the fourth seed in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Non-Public A Tournament, giving them a bye week and a home game in the quarterfinals. They were expecting to have a rematch against Delbarton, but Paramus Catholic took down the Green Wave. The Rams were set to face the Paladins on March 2, 2026, but unfortunately were unable to come away with the win, falling 61-53 and finishing with an 18-9 record—one of Oratory’s best in recent years.
Overall, the Rams scored 1,592 total points, about 58.96 per game, and allowed 1,490, about 55.19 per game. This means Oratory had a point differential of +102, averaging about a 3.78-point win against opponents with an average win percentage of .528. Leading the team this year were star guards Connor Lee, with 433 points and 157 rebounds, and Ryan Fay, with 403 points and 141 rebounds, who led the Rams’ offense and also provided strong perimeter defense. Marcus Johnson added 214 points of his own along with 67 assists, and Mike Dragone made a big impact after becoming a starter, finishing his season with 207 points and 120 rebounds. Will Kostka, Tyson Moose, and Eric deVomecourt provided valuable defensive minutes, contributing to the Rams’ strong point differential. Unfortunately, all of those players are seniors, so none will be on the team next year, but one key player will be back: sophomore Archie Mueller. In his first season as a starter, Mueller had 221 points, 101 rebounds, and 100 assists, making him the only player on the team to finish with triple digits in all three of those major categories.
Against tough competition, the Oratory Prep Rams gave it their all in 2025–2026, and it will be exciting to see what is next for the team. Multiple sophomores have shown promise at the varsity level, and many new transfers will be joining next season. While the Rams went out on a heartbreaking loss, the future is bright for Oratory Prep basketball, and under Coach Daugherty’s leadership, they will look to come back better than ever in 2026–2027.
