Group 4 State Championship: Plainfield 49, Montgomery 40

In front of a raucous crowd at Rutgers University, Plainfield captured its second consecutive Group 4 state title with a hard-fought 49-40 win over Montgomery. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2344521' first='Micah' last='Gordon'] led the Cardinals, matching Montgomery's [player_tooltip player_id='1790209' first='Ethan' last='Lin'] (Penn) with a game-high 20 points and adding to his legacy as a Plainfield legend.    The best player in the state, Gordon came out aggressive with a runout dunk igniting the crowd and giving him six quick points. He would then fade into the background, controlling the pace of the game with his ballhandling but lying in wait as a scorer like a shark stalking its prey. Late in the third quarter, he struck, going back into attack mode and unleashing a masterful display of shotmaking from each level of the floor to push Plainfield to its first comfortable lead of the day. By the time his poster dunk early in the fourth pushed Plainfield ahead by a dozen, the game was all but over and Gordon had led the Cardinals to back-to-back state titles with 20 points on 9-for-10 from the field.. It wasn't Gordon's most explosive performance but was a quintessential demonstration of how to dictate the flow of a game and pick your spots to score from the lead guard position.     Montgomery's all-time leading scorer and the catalyst for the Cougars' statewide success over the past two seasons, Lin had the team on his back for much of the afternoon in a valiant 20-point effort to close out his high school career. Scoring exactly half his team's points, the future Penn Quaker was the only Cougar who could consistently generate clean looks against an airtight Plainfield zone. Lin was able to slice through the zone and attack the undersized Cardinal frontcourt at the rim, but really impressed with his ability to create space with his handle and knock down pullups or stepbacks both from midrange and from distance. He knocked down four 3's on the afternoon and captured the respect of the Plainfield-heavy crowd in the process, continuing to track as a potential foundational piece for Penn moving forward.     Providing a massive spark for Plainfield from the game's opening possession, Lowery was arguably the difference in the game with his two-way complementary play on the wing. The senior swingman knocked down a smooth corner 3 to start the game and get the crowd going, showing consistent comfort as a standstill shooter with zero fear of the moment. He gave great energy on both ends of the floor with his length and fluidity. His back-to-back steals early in the fourth, one leading to a breakout layup and the other to an assist for Gordon's highlight-reel slam, pushed Plainfield ahead by 12 and seemingly shut the door on Montgomery for good. Lowery, who scored a dozen points on the day, is being recruited currently as a quarterback but could be a valued small-college prospect on the hardwood should he choose to go that route.     A normal starter for the Cardinals, Williams provided a massive lift off the bench with a double-figure effort to help support the win. The blue-collar wing forward shook free for a layup as soon as he checked in the game, before subsequently knocking down a pair of 3's from near the top of the key to help drag Montgomery's rim protector out of the lane. His size and physicality on the perimeter posed a tough matchup for the Cougars, as his secondary ballhandling and playmaking ability played a factor in closing out the game while picking apart the opposing zone. Williams continues to track as a valued small-college prospect with his versatility and toughness.     Showing no signs of nerves on the big stage, Mallavarapu popped off the bench early for Montgomery and provided a huge spark on both ends of the floor. Taking an advantage of a Plainfield lineup that lacks a true frontcourt presence, he was immediately able to use his length and activity to hit the offensive glass for a pair of smooth putbacks. He was impactful as a rim protector, showing impressive timing with his help rotations and strong technique to stay vertical and contest without fouling. While he's still at a strength deficit in most matchups, Mallavarapu was a consistent factor on the glass with his sheer length and steady pursuit of the ball. He continues to develop with each rep and should have a chance to really break out onto recruiting radars as soon as this spring and summer.

In front of a raucous crowd at Rutgers University, Plainfield captured its second consecutive Group 4 state title with a hard-fought 49-40 win over Montgomery. Junior guard Micah Gordon Micah Gordon 6'0" | PG Plainfield | 2027 State #61 Nation NJ led the Cardinals, matching Montgomery's Ethan Lin Ethan Lin 6'4" | PG Montgomery | 2026 State NJ (Penn) with a game-high 20 points and adding to his legacy as a Plainfield legend.