5 Key Questions After Donovan Catholic vs. Freehold Township

<p>Game three of the WOBM Christmas Classic featured No. 7 Freehold Township and No. 10 Donovan Catholic. In an upset, it was the Griffins who came out on top 61-56.</p> <p>Freehold won 24 games a season ago but experienced some key losses to their team heading into 2019-2020. Led by Elijah Taylor, Donovan Catholic was able to build an early lead. They led 18-10 after one quarter but Freehold was able to cut it to 2 at halftime. </p> <p>The third quarter saw the Griffins extend their lead to double-digits. In the end, it was too much for the Patriots to overcome. Here are five key questions to consider after watching these two teams battle.</p> <p><strong>What is Donovan Catholic's ceiling?</strong></p> <p>This is an interesting question when considering the Griffins' win over Freehold. They were 13-13 a season ago and finished third in the B South division with a 9-5 record. They entered this tournament as the 10-seed and were able to pick up a first round upset. One thing that cannot be doubted is the toughness of the Griffins. They were missing two key players on their team due to injury and were still able to pull off the upset.</p> <p>When judging Donovan Catholic' ceiling, it all comes down to if they can beat the teams they are supposed to. They will have to avoid bad losses. The Griffins will be able to measure themselves in the second round, most likely against No. 2 Toms River North. </p> <p><strong>What level prospect is Jayden Holmes-Cotter?</strong></p> <p>Cotter is a 6'3 freshman who made his presence known for Freehold. He is a big bodied youngster who has a soft touch around the rim which allows him to finish effectively. At just 14 years old, Cotter will have plenty of time to grow and develop his game at the varsity level.</p> <p>Freehold has themselves an intriguing prospect in Cotter. He will be a key contributor this season and jump into the starting lineup as a sophomore. There is some work to be done as cotter can improve his ball handling and fine tune his jump shot. But skills in the post are hard to teach and Cotter has a plethora of moves already.</p> <p><strong>How do you stop Elijah Taylor?</strong></p> <p>Taylor took over this game for Donovan Catholic down the stretch. He was the primary ball handler who found his teammates in the best positions. On the defensive end, Taylor came up with timely steals which helped his team preserve their second half lead.</p> <p>When defending Taylor, it is important to make him go left. If he can use his right hand, he will be hard to stop. If a defender is caught with his hand down, Taylor will make him pay. At 6'2, Taylor has the size to get in the lane and finish in traffic. He will be a leader on offense throughout the season for the Griffins.</p> <p><strong>What is Freehold Township missing?</strong></p> <p>The Patriots won 24 games a season ago but it is not easy to lose your four leading scorers in one year. Freehold needs different players to step up and that will be Joe Lardaro and Zach Orrico. They are two returning players who have experience from last season. They will be the leaders for the Patriots.</p> <p>When watching Freehold, it is apparent that they have a lack of shooting ability on the floor. Orrico can get hot but he was not a factor from deep against Donovan Catholic. The offense runs through Lardaro in the post but they need to find some shooters on the outside for him to kick out.</p> <p><strong>What is Donovan Catholic's strength?</strong></p> <p>The Griffins showed a strong mix of inside and outside game. They had shooters who could knock down shots from deep at a high rate. But their strength has to be their ability to get to the basket. The Griffins were able to penetrate the Freehold defense to get good looks inside. </p>