One area team clinched a division title, another welcomed a new coach with a victory and still a third saluted  the area’s most recent 1,000-point scorer in Cape-Atlantic League high school sports action.

Spartan skipper starts with win
The Holy Spirit High School men’s basketball team topped host and rival St. Joseph 65-47 on Tuesday, Jan. 23 to give new head coach Jamie Gillespie his first career victory.
Gillespie replaced 11-year veteran coach Tom Attanasi, who resigned unexpectedly last week in midst of a Spartan three-game losing streak.
Against St. Joseph, Cliff Spiller scored a game-high 20 points and teammate Brian Crilley added 18 as 23-15 halftime lead and held on to the win.
The Spartans improved to 8-5 with the victory. St. Joseph dropped to 2-10.

Mainland swimmers clinch fifth title
The Mainland Regional High School boys swimming team defeated Vineland 106-80 and clinched the school’s fifth consecutive CAL American League title.
The Mustangs improved to 8-2 on the season.
Mainland’s Gustav Zwilling, Jeff Terrell and Chris Nardi grabbed two wins each.

Chelsi  earns 1,000th point
Chelsi Johnson scored a game-high 14 points, including the 1,000th point of her career, to lead the Holy Spirit High School varsity girls basketball team past visiting St. Joseph 57-29.
Johnson, the daughter of Pleasantville High School basketball coach Kenny Johnson, now has 1,012 points and ranks ninth on the Holy Spirit all-time scoring list.
Holy Spirit improved to 12-2 overall with the win, but remained unbeaten at 10-0 in the CAL National. The Spartans have a half-game lead over Sacred Heart (9-1) in the National race.
Teammate Teena Marsh chipped in with 13 points.
The Spartans raced out to a 28-13 halftime lead and continued to pull away during the third and fourth quarters.

Other games:
In boys basketball action, Ocean City topped Oakcrest 50-45 dropping the Falcons to 6-8 on the year. Since a 5-1 start, Oakcrest  has gone 1-7 and will have difficulty qualifying for the NJSIAA playoffs…Atlantic City defeated Lower Cape May 62-41 and closed in on another playoff berth…Absegami stumbled against Millville, 59-61, and fell to 9-5. Still, the Braves appear headed for another playoff berth under second-year coach Van Cathcart…The Pleasantville express kept rolling along, topping Buena Regional 53-40. The Greyhounds improved to 11-3 and have already qualified for the post-season dance…Vineland topped Egg Harbor Township 50-42 and caging any post-season hopes for the 4-9 Eagles…Mainland walked over Hammonton 69-56 to improve to 9-4 as Eric Williams popped in 19 points and Sean Bannon contributed with 17. Frank Champion joined them in double figures with 14.

Girls basketball
Absegami walked over Millville 75-34, as Felicia Jackson scored 16 points and was followed by Sara Mustafa (12), Ty Abdilla (11) and Tara Booker (11).  The Braves improved to 11-1, but trail Ocean City (13-1 overall) by 1.5 games…Christine Wooding scored 23 points to lead Mainland Regional over Hammonotn 67-20. The Lady Mustangs improved to 9-4 with the win and appear headed to the post-season dance..Pleasantville topped Buena Regional 70-39 to improve to 7-7 and remain alive for the playoff berth….Lower Cape May tripped up Atlantic City 57-40 and dropped to 7-6 on the season as Alliyah Montague scored 13 points for the Lady Vikings.