By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
@tortreports on Instagram
WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP — On a Rancocas Valley High boys basketball team filled with underclassmen, the weight often lies on Jaylen Washington’s shoulders.
The senior guard almost always needs to bring his “A” game if the Red Devils want to stay competitive against top-level opponents.
Washington did just that on Thursday, scoring a team-high 18 points and knocking down a game-high four 3-pointers to lead No. 11 Rancocas Valley to a 56-47 upset over No. 5 Kingsway Regional in the first round of the South Jersey Group 4 playoffs.
“We came in as the underdogs, but we knew we could get it done. It’s a surreal feeling,” Washington said. “We had a good four quarters, we played hard all four quarters. We came into this game knowing we could win, and that’s what we did. I’m proud of my guys and I’m proud of my young crew, we got it done.”
Rancocas Valley (15-13, 1-7 Olympic American) held a 15-12 lead after the opening quarter and took a 26-20 lead into intermission. The Red Devils came out firing in the second half and outscored the Dragons 30-27 over the final 16 minutes to secure the triumph.
“It was a mismatch in size, physicality and experience, but our young guys really played tough,” Rancocas Valley coach Jay Flanagan said. “We always know what Washington will give us in a big game, but I thought our defensive approach was really good. We knew we had to keep them in the 40’s to have a shot, and we did. I’m really proud of them.
“He gets frustrated because he’s so closely guarded. If he doesn’t play well, we have no chance in a big game. He knows that, and sometimes shots aren’t falling and we struggle. He played well, he was unselfish and he took good shots. Without him, we’re collecting uniforms.”
Kingsway (17-11, 9-1 Tri-County Royal) got within 49-46 with 2:20 left, but never threatened after that. Washington sank a pair of threes in the final 5:30, the second of which gave Rancocas Valley a 52-46 lead with 1:53 left — and that was just too much for Kingsway to overcome.
“I always have to come up big in the fourth,” Washington said. “(Flanagan) gives me the green light to shoot, and that’s what I have to do. When I have to come up big, I come up big.”
The Red Devils put forth one of their best defensive performances of the season, limiting star Kingsway forward Terence Collier Jr. to just eight points in the second half. He finished with 20.
“They had a tough center over there and we’re a small team. We had to pinch in on that guy, he’s very tough,” Washington added. “He’s a great player and great competitor. We came in and we locked him down.”
Rancocas Valley will now travel to No. 3 Eastern Regional for the quarterfinal round on Saturday. The Red Devils fell to the Vikings twice in the regular season by a combined 11 points.
“We’re familiar with them,” Flanagan said of their Olympic Conference American Divisional rival. “We don’t match up great size wise. They’re very big, physical, and tough. We’ll be prepared and we’ll figure that out tomorrow.”
Added Washington: “We lost to Eastern twice this year, but I feel like this time if we bring the energy and the most intensity, we can do it.”
WHAT’S NEXT: Rancocas Valley travels to Eastern Regional on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. for the South Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals. Kingsway’s season is complete.
