Golden Knights Hit 10 Threes, Advance to Group 3 Final
Mar 10, 2006
Old Tappan High School Girls Basketball Team is headed to the state Championship finals.
The Golden Knights defeated Chatham, 58-51, in the NJSIAA Group 3 semifinal Wednesday night at the Dunn Center in Elizabeth, extending their winning streak to nine games and moving within one win of a state championship.
Senior guard Nina Caunedo delivered the biggest performance of the night. Caunedo drilled six three pointers and finished with a career high 19 points. Five of those threes came in the first half as Old Tappan built early control and never trailed.
Her teammates expected nothing less.
“I just run back on defense when she shoots like that. I have so much confidence in her. In practice she hits every shot, so I’m positive she’s going to hit it in the game,” Sienna Drullinsky told nj.com after the win.
Drullinsky helped fuel the shooting display. The senior assisted on five of Caunedo’s six three pointers and filled the stat sheet with 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals. When Chatham mounted its late push, Drullinsky took over. She scored seven straight points during a key fourth quarter stretch and added two steals to rebuild the lead.
Old Tappan’s offense flowed through ball movement and perimeter shooting. The Golden Knights finished with 10 three pointers. Alivia Badurina knocked down three from deep for nine points, while Alexa Caunedo added 10 points and a team high nine rebounds. Sadie Murphy chipped in five points and six rebounds. Mauimi Quiros added an assist and steady ball movement off the bench. While Joley Giordano saw action as the Golden Knights continued to stop Chatham from making a run late in the game. Old Tappan opened the game with a 10-0 run behind two early threes from Nina Caunedo. Chatham responded with a 10-2 burst to cut the lead to four, but Caunedo answered again. The senior buried three more triples late in the half to stretch the lead to 15 entering the break.
“After the first quarter when I hit two, I knew to keep shooting. When they were in that two-three zone they were leaving the three-point line open,” Nina Caunedo said to nj.com after the game.
Chatham refused to go away. A switch to a press defense forced turnovers and helped the Cougars trim a 16 point deficit to four early in the fourth quarter after a three from Lucy Arps and free throws from Ava Paone.
Drullinsky quickly halted the momentum with a fadeaway jumper and a personal 7-2 run to push the lead back to nine.
Paone led Chatham with 18 points, scoring 16 in the second half. Arps, Shea Lane, and Ashley Nowicki each finished with nine.
Old Tappan, now 23-6, advances to the NJSIAA Group 3 state final Sunday at Rutgers, where the Golden Knights will face Moorestown.
Old Tappan High School head coach Brian Dunn kept the focus simple as he spoke with nj.com reporters.
“She’s built for this type of atmosphere because she stays in the moment and stays focused,” Dunn said about Caunedo after the game. “This time of year it’s about playing good basketball and staying focused in the moment.”
Experienced Pitching Could Lead Old Tappan’s 2026 Championship Push
Mar 10, 2026
Old Tappan High School enters the 2026 baseball season with a large group of returning contributors after finishing 18 to 8 last spring and going 8 to 2 in the Big North National. Many of the players who produced last season now return with another year of experience after moving up one grade.
Several of the Golden Knights’ top offensive players return to lead the lineup.
Now senior Max Garcia delivered one of the strongest offensive seasons on the team last year. Garcia hit .442 with 19 hits and 16 runs scored while driving in eight runs. He added eight doubles and two triples and finished with a .721 slugging percentage.
Senior Selden Kolkebeck also returns after a major two way season. At the plate Kolkebeck hit .444 with 20 hits, 15 runs, and 10 RBI.
Senior catcher Anthony Onnembo drove in a team high 23 runs while hitting .391 with 18 hits. His extra base power included three doubles, two triples, and two home runs.
Senior AJ Aiello added power and production in the middle of the order. Aiello hit .350 with 14 hits and 18 RBI while recording two doubles, two triples, and two home runs.
Senior Joey Crescitelli returns after hitting .304 with seven hits and six runs scored while adding speed on the bases.
Several younger players also return with valuable experience. Junior Isaiah Rodriguez hit .400 with six hits and eight RBI last season. Junior infielder Caden Yoon added nine hits, seven runs scored, and five stolen bases while batting .360.
While the offense returns strong production, the pitching staff could be the difference that pushes Old Tappan toward a championship run.
Senior Selden Kolkebeck leads the rotation after posting a dominant 1.52 ERA across 60 innings last season. Kolkebeck struck out 78 batters while allowing only 13 earned runs.
Junior David Brennan also returns after a strong sophomore year on the mound. Brennan recorded a 2.42 ERA across 43.1 innings and struck out 34 hitters.
Together the staff finished last season with a 1.76 team ERA and 161 strikeouts across 163 innings.
With one of the most experienced pitching groups returning in the conference, Old Tappan High School Baseball has the type of depth on the mound that often decides championships. If the Golden Knights continue to control games with their pitching staff, the foundation exists for Old Tappan to make a serious run at a title in 2026.
