Ocean City boys blow past Cumberland
OCEAN CITY – The Red Raider swim team made short work of Cumberland High School Monday to earn their way into the South Jersey Public B sectional final Thursday against rival Mainland Regional High School, a winner of the other sectional semifinal.
Ocean City High School’s team won easily, 126-44.
The Red Raiders (10-2) earned a bye through the first two rounds of the tournament as the No. 1 seed. Cumberland (8-3) was the No. 5 seed that battled its way to the semifinal with a narrow 86-84 upset win over No. 4 Clearview on Friday.
Ocean City coach Shane McGrath said that meet Friday played into the vast point differential between his team and Cumberland.
“We knew we had a good shot today to win this meet. Hats off to Cumberland. They had an unbelievable season,” McGrath said. “I know they had a close meet against Clearview last Friday. It’s tough to bounce back after two meets before today. We haven’t swam since CALs (the Cape-Atlantic League meet).”
“We’re excited with how we swam today. A couple of the swims were good, a couple we’re still not where we need to be,” the coach said.
“We need to be faster, but we’re going to be mentally prepared to bring our best effort against Mainland at South Jerseys.”
The Red Raiders beat Mainland 89-81 back in mid-December in a regular season meet.
The two teams have squared off regularly, including in the post-season.
The Mustangs beat Ocean City 100-70 in the semifinals of the sectional meet last year en route to an upset, 95-75 win over No. 1 seed Shawnee in the championship meet.
In the 2022-23 season, Mainland beat Ocean City 87-83 in the sectional final in an unusual meet during which two Red Raider relay teams were disqualified, changing the trajectory of the meet.
Ocean City won the South Jersey Public B championship in the 2021-22 season, beating Moorestown 90-80 for the title. Mainland has also won multiple state titles over the years so both teams are well versed in championship meets.
OCHS 126, Cumberland 44
Ocean City dominated Cumberland from start to finish, although the visitors gave the Red Raiders a run for their money in the opening 200-meter medley relay.
Ocean City’s Tommy Armstrong, Wilson Stauffer, Chris Garrabrandt and Matt Bell won in a time of 1 minute 54.04 seconds, six-tenths ahead of Cumberland’s relay team. Raiders Arthur Flukey, Keenan Neuman, Jason Chojnacki and Jack Scherbin were third. Cumberland’s Manntram Patel, Andrew Sheppard, Jakob Seibert and Asher Kennedy were second.
Ocean City only lost one race after that.
Mihail Mosendz (2:08.36) led the 1-2-3 sweep in the 200 freestyle with Mitchell Zappone and Ryan Slaven.
Armstrong led another 1-2-3 sweep in the 200 individual medley with his time of 2:19.58. Neuman and Flukey were second and third.
Bell (24.60 seconds) won the 50 freestyle and Scherbin was second.
The Raiders swept the next three events.
Armstrong won the 100 butterfly in 1:02.62 followed by Garrabrandt and Chojnacki.
Bell (55.52 seconds) won the 100 freestyle with Stauffer and Colin Schweim second and third.
Zappone (4:42.58) won the 400 freestyle. Slaven and Liam Koch were second and third.
Bell, Stauffer, Scherbin and Armstrong won the 200 freestyle relay with teammates Neuman, Jake Tracy, Cameron Mattern and Schweim third.
Mosendz took first in the 100 backstroke in 1:07.76. Chojnacki was second and Flukey fourth.
Cumberland’s Sheppard won the 100 breaststroke in 1:10.32. Ocean City’s Stauffer, Neuman and Ryan Southard were second, third and fourth.
Zappone, Tracy, Slaven and Flukey won the final 400 freestyle relay in 4:09.60 with Scherbin, Koch, Schweim and Mosendz second to wrap the meet.
The South Jersey championship is scheduled for 5 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Gloucester County Institute of Technology.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
