Gloucester County Christian School Basketball

Compiled by Coach Bill Capel

Did you Know?…

GCCS basketball have been around for 35 years.

The first games were played against New Castle Christian in 1983.

The Lady Conquerors basketball team has played 782 games and the Men’s Conquerors basketball team has played 830 games to date.

First win for Lady Conquerors came against Victory Christian 37-8 and for the boys against Victory Christian 51-44.

The first Lady Conquerors coach was George Allen and the first Men’s Conquerors coach was Hawley Ham.

GCCS has had four Athletic Directors Hawley Ham, Joe Angerman, Debbie Catalano, and Amy Mariner.

The first Basketball Conference GCCS participated in was the South Jersey Christian League (1983-1985).  Cumberland Christian and Atlantic Christian were also in the Conference.

Hawley Ham also was the first basketball coach to get 100 wins, and was also longest tenured coached for the men’s team (14 years).

Coach Ray Klein is the fifth men’s coach at GCCS.

Current AD Amy Mariner played for the GCCS Lady Conquerors.

There has been five 1000 Rebounders for GCCS Scott Solomon (‘91), Catherine Kearney (’11), Sarah Kearney (’13), Rachael Schweigart (’16), and Austin Kearney (’16).

Pastor Joe Zearfaus (who has diligently run our clock for over 15 years) played on the first GCCS basketball team and was part of the first Championship team.

Joe Angerman coached the Lady Conquerors for 5 seasons in the 1980’s.

Most points scored in a game by a GCCS basketball player is 42 points by Jim Roseberry vs Atlantic Christian on 12/20/1988 and Catherine Kearney (Twice) vs Veritas Christian on 12/18/2009 and vs Ross Corners Christian on 2/12/2011.

We have had a three duos of parents/children both play varsity basketball at GCCS.  Kristy (Mitchell) Gant and her daughter Alisha Gant, Amy (Palmieri) Mariner and her daughter Brooke Mariner, Eric Griffin and his son Zach Griffin.

Jacob James has the distinction of having both his father Matt James and mother Kim (Hennessy) James both play varsity basketball for GCCS.

The best record in a season for the Lady Conquerors was 25-1 (2009-2010) and for the Men’s Conquerors was 34-3 (2014-2015).

Colin Sareyka has the distinction of being the only player to play in part of a Jr high, JV, and Varsity game on the same day.

Hawley Ham (GCCS) and Coach Ray Klein (Upper Buck Christian) coached twice against each another.  Coach Ham took the first contest 57-45 on 12/16/88 and Coach Klein took the second contest 59-52 on 12/17/1989.

The Lady Conquerors team have won 7 GSACS championships (Capel 7) and the Men’s Conquerors team have won 8 GSACS Championships (Ham 2, Sareyka 6).

The date a player is most likely to score 1000 point for GCCS is Feb 15^th.  GCCS has had four 1000 point scorers reach the mark on that day: Kelly Smith (Wright) (’97), Tim Roach (’08), Sarah Kearney (’13), and Bre Chandler (’14).

Josh Netz missed scoring 1000 points on Feb 15^th He did it one day later by on Feb 16^th 2010.

The coach with the most wins for the Lady Conquerors team is Coach Capel & for the Men’s Conquerors team is Kyle Sareyka.

GCCS joined the TSCAC in 1985.  The only members who have been in it longer are Cumberland Christian, The Pilgrim Academy, and Baptist Regional.

The first Conqueror player ever to score 1000 points was Mark Burton (1986) and the first Lady Conqueror to eclipse 1000 points was Jenn Hice (Monaco) (1992).

The boys’ basketball team has been going to The Hackensack Invitational Tournament for over 25 years since 1990-1991 season.

The first GCCS basketball team to go undefeated in the TSCAC regular season was the Lady Conquerors team of 2008-2009 (14-0).

GCCS basketball has a combined for 8 TSCAC Tournament Championships (Matt Austin 1, Hawley Ham 2, Kyle Sareyka 3, Coach Capel 2).

GCCS has had 14 TSCAC MVP Award winners Jim Roseberry ’88, Jenn Hice ’91 & ‘92, Scott Solomon ’92, Heather Phifer ’94, Shalyn Strockbine ’97, Tim Roach ’08, Katelynn Clifford ’08, Catherine Kearney ’09 & ’10, Sarah Kearney ’13, Bre Chandler ’14, and Colin Sareyka ’15 & ’16.

Most points scored by a Lady Conquerors team was 86 points vs Tri County Homeschoolers 2/13/11 and by a Men’s Conquerors team was 105 pts vs Cumberland Christian 2/1985.

Al Monson was a great friend of GCCS that started the GSACS Tournament.  He would be very pleased that GCCS basketball continues to thrive.