RANDOLPH — A year ago, Cam White sat in the stands at County College of Morris and watched as Morris Catholic trounced Chatham in the Morris County Tournament boys basketball final. After the Crusaders earned their way back to the championship game with an 80-53 defeat of Montville, White glanced back over his shoulder at the CCM court with a small smile.
"Everyone wants to play in this," said White, who transferred to Morris Catholic from Morris Knolls after his sophomore year.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"From watching it last year to playing in it this year, it's a really good feeling. ... I'm happy I made the move, because we're winning, and I'm playing a big role."
The Crusaders' title defense will be a rematch with Chatham on Feb. 21 back at CCM. Morris Catholic's girls will go for their fifth straight MCT championship against Morristown in the first game of the doubleheader, slated for 4 p.m.
Feb 20, 2025; Denville, NJ, USA; Immaculata boys basketball at Morris Catholic. MC #14 Austin Workman drives to the basket.The boys final might come down to a battle of bombs.
The Cougars used long-range accuracy to upend Madison, 74-48, in the early semifinal. Chatham sank 10 3-pointers – by six different players – in the first half alone, similar to what the girls had done in their semifinal against Morris Catholic the day before. The Crusaders boys made five in a 25-point second quarter.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMore: Morris County Tournament boys basketball bracket, scores, schedule
But Montville was able to claw its way back in the third, getting as close as seven points, 48-41, with 3:04 left.
Mustangs senior guard Chris Ferrare finished with a game-high 20 points.
White led the Crusaders' balanced attack with 16 points, two rebounds and three assists. Senior guard Austin Workman, who grew up in Chatham, had 14 points, six boards, two blocks and four assists despite being hounded by the Montville student section. Senior guard Donnie Gregory, a Morristown resident, had 13 points, six boards, three assists and two steals.
Morris Hills sophomore Zeven Hendrickson (13) attempts to pass the ball as Chatham senior Ryan Leach (2) defends during a game at Chatham High School, Feb 3, 2026, Chatham, NJ, USA.The larger CCM court makes Chatham's press more challenging. Expect the Cougars to take advantage of the space to push the pace again against Morris Catholic, a team which also likes to run.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"You want to be excited. You want to be up. You want to keep the momentum," said Chatham point guard Ryan Leach, who had a game-high 21 points in the semifinal – almost triple his season average.
"But you've got to stay disciplined, because you know they're going to bounce back. When they punch back, you've got to have resilience. You've got to be able to take the punches."
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The Crusaders have won nine of their last 10 games. Chatham has won 11 straight since a regular-season loss to Madison on Jan. 13.
While Morris Catholic will come in as the defending champs, Chatham has more MCT experience with four straight trips to the Final Four. However, the sixth-seeded Cougars haven't won since 2018, the same year they reached the Group 3 final.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"We're in a great place right now," said Morris Catholic senior Chrystian Grubbs, a Sparta resident. "Everyone's up. Everyone's ready to go. We're on a high right now. I don't think anyone's going low."
This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Morris Catholic, Chatham set for MCT boys basketball final rematch
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