Raba feels it’s time for TOC to produce a public, non-public and overall champion

Chris “The Baron Raba, shown here yelling instructions to his team in tonight’s game against Roselle Catholic, was happy to play a state power but would rather have been playing Shawnee tonight for a public school title (Photo by John Blaine).

By Rich Fisher
Fish4scores.com

Mar. 15: As it turns out, Nottingham proved it could play with Non-Public B champion Roselle Catholic.

But with its plethora of future Division I players, the Lions ended the Northstars historic season with a 75-62 victory in the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions semifinal. In the other semi, Shawnee gave Don Bosco a great fight before finally succumbing.

Good fights by both public school teams, but to no avail.

So what does that mean?

On Sunday at Trenton’s Cure Insurance Arena, the TOC championship game will be an all-non public matchup for the 10th time in the tournament’s 30-year history.

Want to know how many times there has been an all-public school final?

None. Zero. Zip. Never.

Of the 20 occasions public schools reached the finals, they have won just four times. Counting this year, non-publics will have 26 wins. The last public school to claim a TOC title was Camden in 2000. That’s almost two decades, folks.

Talk about your trends.

This has become a practice in public school frustration.

Nottingham coach Chris ”The Baron”  Raba was not upset his team had to play Roselle Catholic tonight. He welcomed the chance to go against one of the nation’s top teams, and his team certainly relished it as witnessed by their effort.

What Raba does regret, is that there is never an opportunity to determine an outright public school state champion.  Due to the seedings, Shawnee and Nottingham had no chance to meet each other. And let’s face it, non-public and public basketball is two different worlds.

After the state finals, Raba would like to see the Groups I, II, III and IV teams seeded separately and have a TOC two-game mini-tournament to determine the best team among taxpayer-funded schools. The winner could meet the winner of Non-Public A and B game for the ultimate champion.

Raba has a good point.

It’s no secret non-public schools have more advantages when it comes to building a powerhouse basketball team. Shouldn’t teams that compete with players only from their district have the chance to go against each other for a title? (And yes, I know there are cases where even public schools pull strings to get an out-of-district player, but it’s not nearly as prevalent as it is at parochial and private schools).

There would obviously be some things to work out. Critics would immediately say that it’s not a true championship game if it’s not the two best teams in the final. But it’s an idea worth thinking about and the same amount of games would be played, so no money would be lost.

In a phone interview with Fish4scores today, before the Northstars even got on the bus for Toms River, Raba laid out an idea to make the Tournament of Champions a little more fun for all involved, as a public and non-public champ would both be crowned en route to an overall champ

So, take it away, Baron.

“The TOC’s been going on for 30 years. The heads of the NJSIAA were all educators. In education, we were always taught to monitor, adjust and assess in the classroom. You monitor and see if the kids are learning. If they’re not learning, you adjust your lesson plan and then you assess.

The people in the NJSIAA have not monitored, they have not adjusted and they have not assessed the TOC. The TOC is a great thing. But, basketball has changed since this first started 30 years ago. There are more non-publics with more advantages than we have.

The way this should work is, we should be playing Shawnee tonight to see who is the best public school in the state of New Jersey, and the non-publics should be playing each other to see who is the best non-public. And then the public will play the non-public. The TOC can still be great.

Our school right now should be abuzz. It should be unbelievable, with everyone thinking ‘You know what, we’re playing Shawnee tonight to see who is the best public school in the state!’ We should have five buses going down there. But it’s dead today. Why? Because everyone knows the season is over.

I’m gonna go into the locker room and say, ‘Hey guys, you were the best public school in the state this year.’  The Shawnee coach is probably gonna say the same thing if he loses. But do we know that? We didn’t play. That’s how the TOC should be. We should have had the chance to play.

The NJSIAA is always trying to say ‘Let’s make things fair’ but this is totally unfair. I’m not saying I have sour grapes. I don’t. We’re happy to step on the court with Roselle Catholic. They’re well-coached, they have great talent. I don’t have any sour grapes but I want to know if this team could have been the best public school in the state of New Jersey. I’ll never know that.

Years ago you could have the TOC like this. You can’t do that now with all these non-publics. The NJSIAA has to even the playing field.

I’m not pointing fingers at Roselle Catholic or Ranney (who RC beat in a thrilling Non-Public B final). I understand you have to take advantage of some things just to survive in non-public. But let the two final public schools play and see who’s the best public school in the state.

Next year there’s going to be another Nottingham. Some sort of dark horse that comes out and breaks records. It’s not going to be us but there is going to be a Nottingham somewhere. They’re going to feel the same way we do. It’s not fair to them, it’s not fair to my kids tonight.

I’m not angry, I’m really not. I just want this to happen for the next Nottingham team next year. Whoever that public school is that has a year that will never again happen for that team, let them play for a public title. It can’t happen for us this year. But maybe in 15 years if my Nottingham team ever gets back it will be done that way

I think the TOC is great but it can be greater. Just change it. I’m happy to play Roselle Catholic, but I’d rather earn the right to play Roselle Catholic in the finals, by proving we are the best public school in New Jersey.”

About The Author


Rich Fisher has been around the Hamilton Township sports scene for so long that he actually got Rich Giallella’s autograph when Giallella was still a player! Proud product of Hamilton YMCA and Lou Gehrig baseball leagues and former teammate of Jim Maher on a very average Barton & Cooney rec basketball team, Fish graduated from Nottingham Junior High and Steinert High school and has covered township sports since 1980. His goal in life is to convince Maria Prato that Jersey tomatoes are at least 100 times better than California tomatoes.