HMHS Boys Basketball: Season in review
By Lauree Padgett / Exclusive to Haddonfield[dot]Today
The 2025–26 Haddonfield boys basketball season officially came to its conclusion on Sunday, March 15, at Tavistock Country Club, where the booster club-sponsored banquet took place. I’m going to share some of what was said by all the coaches about their freshmen, JV, and varsity teams, but first I wanted to provide my own recap of what proved to be a very successful and fun 3 months of basketball that was jam-packed with 30 matchups, 25 of which were victories for the Dawgs.
The Record
Overall, Haddonfield finished with an impressive 25–5 record. Once again, they swept not only their Colonial Conference Liberty division rivals, going 9–0, but beat all five opponents they faced from the Patriot division. In nonconference contests, the Dawgs won 11 games. Their five losses also came at the hands of nonconference teams. That’s due in part to the fact that Paul Wiedeman, who just finished his 27th season as head coach, purposely tries to set up games that are going to test his players in ways that Colonial foes might not. And speaking of Wiedeman, he now has amassed an amazing 630 victories out of 782 games coached, which gives him slightly higher than an 80% winning percentage. This year was the 23rd time a Haddonfield team he has helmed has won 20 or more games and the 12th time a team has won at least 25 games. And keep in mind, that includes one COVID-shortened season when the team only played 15 games and won 12 of them.
The season, which kicked off on December 16, would not get off to a stellar start. In that first game, the Dawgs lost by 18 to BCIT–Westhampton. Although the Dawgs bounced back with a fairly easy 69–43 W over Paulsboro, their Liberty division compatriots, game three saw them go down rather decisively to Montgomery 36–60 during the Cherokee tournament. As Wiedeman would comment in his banquet remarks, he’d never had a Dawgs’ team start off 1–2. However, the Dawgs got on the winning track by beating West Deptford 70–29 on 12/23 and would go on to beat eight more opponents in a row before falling to Kingsway Regional on 1/17. After that 37–49 defeat at the Paul VI Showcase, the Dawgs rattled off 13 straight victories, which included two very exciting and tense OT wins. The Dawgs didn’t go down again until the third round of the Camden County tournament, when they had a rough game versus Paul VI at Paul VI. (Maybe we should just not play at PVI … )
The Dawgs, who were the #5 seed in the Camden County tournament, earned the #1 seed in South Jersey Group 2 NJSIAA tournament, beating Camden by less than a percentage point in the Power Rankings. (BTW, if my source is correct, Camden will be moving up into Group 3 next year, and I know we will all be shedding tears, albeit happy ones, if that actually comes to pass.) The Dawgs’ 49–36 win against Cedar Creek in the Group 2 second round gave the team its 25th of the season, and, as it turned out, it would also be their final victory, as they were edged out by Middle Township 45–50 in the semifinal.
Lauree’s Top 5
Hopefully, many of you who are reading this followed my weekly wrap-ups (and if you didn’t, you can find all of them on Haddonfield.Today as links listed under this article), so I’m not going to go into a lot of detail again. However, I did want to give my Top 5 list of games from the season in chronological order:
1. Jan. 22 at Haddon Township. This was a big grudge match, as the previous year, the Hawks had upended the Dawgs on their home turf, pulling out a 49–45 upset. This year’s group of Dawgs, especially the seniors, wanted payback (and to get their coaches off their backs). Going into the final quarter of regulation, it looked as if the Dawgs had this one under control, as they were up by 9, 37–28. The Hawks, however, had other ideas. In those 8 minutes, they held the Dawgs (with some help from some missed shots and bad passing) to 6 points and put 15 on the board, hitting a 3 to tie it at 43 with 27 seconds on the clock. Although they had one more try to go ahead, the Dawgs could not get the ball in the net and the game was headed to a 4-minute overtime.
In those 4 minutes, both teams made two field goals, with both of the Dawgs’ coming off of shots by senior Michael Douglass. When the horn sounded, the game was still knotted, this time at 47. That meant 4 more minutes (and that I had to do a makeshift column in my scorebook to record the points for OT number 2). Thankfully, the Dawgs found their offensive mojo, with seniors Chris Bean and Mike Mooney, as well as junior Ryan Guveiyian, joining Douglas on the scoring end while keeping the Hawks scoreless. When the horn sounded after this OT, the Dawgs had prevailed—and the seniors had gotten their revenge—beating the Hawks 56–47.
2. Jan. 31 at Rancocas Regional High School versus St. Augustine Prep. I got to attend (or at least stream) almost all the Dawgs’ games this season, but the Jeff Coney Classic was one I could not get to, and it was one of the few that I couldn’t stream later on. Instead, I had to rely on a short but exciting recap from sometimes my travel buddy. While ahead most of the game, the Dawgs’ shooting went cold in the 4th, and St. Augustine kept getting closer. They actually went ahead by 2, 51–49, with seconds left. Luckily for the Dawgs, Michael Douglas lived up to the name bestowed on him by Jack McKeever a few nights earlier when I had a fun time interviewing him and his five fellow seniors. That name was “Bucket,” and at the end, with the game on the line, Douglas swooshed in a 3 to snatch victory away from St. Augustine and give it to Haddonfield, who eked out a 52–51 W.
3. Feb. 5 at Woodbury. When the Thundering Herd had come to Haddonfield in early January, the Dawgs had a pretty easy time of it, beating them by 34 points, 69–35.When the Dawgs paid a visit to the Herd’s gym, it proved to be a totally different story. For one thing, a Herd player who had been sidelined was back on the court, and that totally changed the dynamics of the Woodbury team. When the Dawgs were down by 6, 8–14, after 1 quarter, I wasn’t too worried. When they were still down by 6, 17–23, at the half, I started thinking, “Hmm, the Herd doesn’t seem to be wearing down at all.” And while the Dawgs finally outscored the Herd by 3, 16–13, in the 3rd quarter, they still were down 33–36 going into the last 8 minutes.
That’s when Michael Douglas kicked his offense into high gear. He nailed a pair of 3’s along with three field goals. Chris Beane, Ryan Guveiyian, and Jack McKeever each added a 2, and Beane and Guveiyian also made big foul shots. When the horn sounded, the Dawgs had stolen Woodbury’s thunder and come away with a hard-earned 54–51 victory.
4. Feb. 17 at Woodstown. I don’t ever recallhaving been to Woodstown high school, which is about 40 minutes away from Haddonfield in a very bucolic part of South Jersey. The gymnasium brought to mind the great hoops film Hoosiers. The Wolverine basketball squad was a bit less pleasant. Once again, the Dawgs found themselves trailing after 8 minutes, behind by 5, 3–8. In the second quarter, helped by a pair of treys by senior Chase Stadler, the Dawgs put 11 on the board and held the Wolverines to 2 and were up by 4, 14–10, at the half. Going into the 4th, the Dawgs had upped their edge to 9, 30–21. But the Wolverines gave them a battle in those last 8 minutes, especially in the final 58 seconds. At that point in the game, the Dawgs were up by 5, 42–37, and the game seemed more or less over. Except no one passed this info onto the Woodstown players. After the Dawgs added 2 points, on foul shots by Ryan Guveiyian and senior John Scipione, the Wolverines got a 3. It was now 44–40 with 27.5 seconds left.
Beane got a pair from the foul line, but then so did Woodstown. With 16.5 seconds on the clock, it was still a 4-point, 46–42, game. Beane got to the foul line again and again went 1–2, making it 47–42 with 13.6 left. With 6.3 remaining, Woodstown got fouled attempting a 3-point shot. From the line, two of the three shots went in. It was now 47–44. Woodstown immediately fouled, but this time, the Dawgs could not get points on the board. With 4.7 on the clock, Woodstown had a chance at tying the game. The ball was knocked out of bounds by the Dawgs with 3.6 to go. Woodstown inbounded the ball, but great sideline D by Guveiyian forced a Wolverine turnover, and during the play, he was fouled. With 1.2 left in the contest, Guveiyian sealed the deal, making both shots, helping to secure a 49–44 win for the Dawgs.
5. Feb. 17: Camden County Tournament, Round 1–Camden Mastery at Haddonfield. This game against the Warriors followed the one versus Woodstown, and it too was quite stressful. This was due in part to the fact that going into the half, the Warriors were ahead by 8, 23–31. It could have been a 10-point advantage had Michael Douglas not scored with 18 seconds left in the first half. As was often the case, the 3rd quarter was a good one for the Dawgs. They added 14 points, with Douglas contributing 8 on three field goals and 2 foul shots, and Mike Mooney, Ryan Guveiyian, and John Scipione also scoring field goals. Defensively, the Dawgs held the Warriors to 7 points. However, going into the final quarter of regulation, Camden Mastery was still in front, albeit only by 1.
In the 4th, Guveiyian powered the offense. His first basket less than a minute into the quarter put the Dawgs up 39–38, but a Camden Mastery bucket quickly followed and flipped the lead back to the Warriors. A Dawgs foul sent the Warriors to the line and both shots were good, which pushed their edge up to 3, 42–39. Another Guveiyian drive in the paint got the Dawgs to within 1, but then the Warriors hit a 3 and a 2, and with 4:31 on the clock, had a 6-point, 47–41, advantage. From the field and the foul line, Guveiyian got 3 of those points back, and with about 4 minutes remaining, the Dawgs were behind by 3, 44–47.
On their next possession, the Warriors lost the ball out of bounds. Under the Dawg basket, Beane grabbed an offensive board, was fouled in the process, and made both shots from the line. The Dawgs were now within 1, 46–47, with 3:22 on the clock. Neither team would score until the 1:12 mark, when Mastery Camden got a 2-pointer. With 1:07 apparently left in the game, the Warriors were up by 3, 49–46. After a Haddonfield-called timeout, with 50 seconds on the clock, Douglas knocked down a 3 to tie the game at 49 all. Neither team could get a ball in the net before the buzzer sounded. It was time for overtime yet again.
Almost 2 minutes ticked away before Jack McKeever’s basket put the Dawgs out in front by 2, 51–49. At the other end, the Warriors scored, and with 1:54 to go, the game was tied up at 51. A Mastery Camden foul sent Douglas to the foul line, where he converted 1–2. The Dawgs had the slimmest of leads, 52–51, with 1:22 left in OT. A turnover by the Warriors set up a 2 by Beane, and with 23.4 on the clock, the Dawgs were up by 3, 54–51, keeping it a one-possession game. After McKeever pulled down a defensive board, the Warriors wasted no time in fouling. This time, neither shot was good, and there was still time, 7.6 seconds, for Camden Mastery to get a 3 off. But a Douglas steal kept the Warriors from even attempting a shot. The buzzer sounded, and the Dawgs had won without needing double OT this time, 54–51.
At the Banquet
Thanks to a great job all season long by the booster club, made up of parents from the frosh, JV, and varsity squads and headed up by Chris Beane (who shares a first name with his son Chris), the players and the coaches and their families and a few other “distinguished guests” (Mark Hershberger, our iconic announcer, who finished up his 21 season of calling the play-by-plays of the boys’ home games—he started a few years later doing the girls and now does home football games as well; our illustrious scoreboard operator, Jeff Holman, who couldn’t quite recall how long he’s been at this gig, but we think since about the mid-1980s; and the team’s unofficial historian, aka me) got to enjoy each other’s company while partaking of a delicious brunch and celebrating the completion of another successful basketball season at all levels.
Paul Wiedeman’s assistant coaches each took to the podium to talk about their season and their players. Up first was Lou Sottolanno, who just finished his second season as the freshman coach. He was grateful that the freshmen got to compete in 23 games this year, which was the most ever. The team finished with a 21–2 record and impressively won their first 19 in a row. He said the team had fun but the players were also focused, smart, and motivated. The players did not just want to win, they wanted to help each other get better. Sottolanno noted that the bonds the players formed along the way will help them next year, and he is excited at the potential they will bring as they move up to the next level.
The newly wed Anthony Parenti, who was with everyone live instead of via video this year, has now coached the JV squad for 10 years. He also expressed his gratitude for being with his team one last time, noting how 3 months go by so quickly. He said that the first time he got together with this group of players, he could feel the positive energy in the room. As the season went on, he watched how their connection to each other helped them grow as a team. They were attentive in practices, fun to watch on the court, and challenged each other to get better. Parenti always likes to look at the smaller moments in the journey, not just how many games they won. (The JV went 19–1, and Coach Wiedeman had something to say about their record a bit later in the program.) He told his players that if they keep working and keep growing, they can carry the program to new heights. His final words were to the seniors, who were the first class he had worked with all 4 years: He reminded them that they will always be part of the Haddonfield basketball family.
Next up was Brian Stafford, one of two volunteer JV coaches who work with the program. Stafford has been with the team for a decade as well. He spoke to the players about winning in life by taking lessons learned on the hardwood. First, there are the basics: Being on time, sharing, giving your best effort, and being polite were a few examples he shared. Low-level skills learned, which are often the most important and include forgiveness, respect, and self-awareness, need to be tested. He gave a great analogy of trying to follow these behaviors. Just like 3-point shots won’t always drop, no one is going to succeed in each area every time, but importantly, practicing makes you better. He also urged the seniors to keep their friendships going and to reminisce about what they have done and where they have been as each one moves to the next stage of their lives.
Scott Kupersmit has been a volunteer JV coach for 4 years. He started off by thanking “Mr. Beane” for having refreshments out in time for the JV games. But then he turned serious, thanking all the parents for the kinds of kids they have raised, a comment that was repeated in various ways by all five coaches. He talked about how well the coaches work together, that there are no egos. Instead, everyone is focused on the best outcome for the teams. He praised the seniors for their effort, using the example of a loose ball, explaining that there is usually a 50–50 chance as to which team will wind up with it. But with the Dawgs, no matter where on the court the ball becomes deflected, their extra hustle and determination increases their odds of coming up with it to 80–20. He concluded by reminding the players, “Next season has already started,” telling them that they will either improve or digress, and that they need to put in the work to determine what their roles are going to be.
Paul Wiedeman always combines humor, often self-deprecating, when he is at the podium. This year was no exception, as he talked about needing to get back in shape. He also warned the gridiron players who had been to the football banquet and heard those coaches going on and on, “You aint seen nothing yet.” But he then assured everyone in the room that the reason his speech looked longer was because he needed a bigger font and point size this year.
He told his varsity team that they reminded him of the 2020 team’s motto (this was the COVID-shortened year, so games did not start until January): gritty not pretty. They were not always pretty to watch and their shots were not always great, but when they needed 4—or 8—extra minutes to pull out a win, they were up for the challenge. That was due to the hard work they put out in practices both individually and as a team. It began with the summer league, then carried into the fall league that Mike DePersia coached. And after losing two out of the first three games, a first for a Wiedeman team, the Dawgs shook that off and won their next nine contests. After the loss to Kingsway Regional, they went on to win 13 straight. He mentioned that this was the 19th time a Haddonfield team has won the Colonial Conference during his tenure, crediting his players and coaches for netting this achievement. Wiedeman also emphasized that what they learned on the court and in practices will play out and pay off throughout their lives.
Wiedeman always has a long list of people to thank, from the teams’ bus drivers; the parents, who aside from lending the coaches their most prized possessions—their sons—help with the booster club, from refreshments to halftime shootouts and team dinners; the managers, who never get mentioned but do a tremendous amount of work; and his coaching staff. He had praise for all of them: Sottolanno for building the foundation; Kupersmit for his great scouting; and Stafford for being the “old sage” who teaches what he learns and keeps it real with the players. He especially paid tribute to Parenti, saying his smile can light up a room and exudes positivity, which makes him such an important part of player development. He did quip that Parenti was on probation next year because for the first time in 5 years, his JV squad lost a game.
Wiedeman always saves his final and most heartfelt thanks for his wife Sue and their children: Sara, Abby, and Matthew (who will be a freshman next year at Haddonfield, WHOOP, WHOOP!). This time, he also acknowledged the loss his whole family suffered when his mom, Joan, passed away in August. She and his father, Dave, had been married for 66 years and were each other’s best friend. The Dawgs basketball season helped to revitalize his dad and Wiedeman thanked his brothers Mike and Vic for making sure their father got to all the home games and many of the away games as well.
Then it was time for Wiedeman to talk about his “super six” seniors, who showed up no matter what, taking pride in representing Haddonfield, win or lose. The effort they poured out and their dedication will make them forever part of the legacy that is Dawg basketball. He had a word or two for each, citing Mike Mooney’s defense, Jack McKeever’s toughness, Chris Beane’s unorthodox but successful style, Michael Douglas’ switch from point to shooting guard, and if I could read what else I scribbled down (sorry guys), I know he had good comments for Chase Stadler and John Scipione too. Wiedeman also said for each of the players, it was often the unseen hours they put in on their own outside of practice, such as early morning workouts, that helped them and the team get the most out of each other during gametime.
A few years ago, the basketball program started honoring “legacy” players with an award called the Eternal Flame. Last year’s recipient was Mike DePersia. This year’s honoree, who was unable to be at the banquet in person because his college basketball season (and career) and just ended, is Matt Leming. Matt’s senior year as a Dawg, which was the 2021–2022 season, the team went 20–10. But Wiedeman didn’t spend much time going into stats from Leming’s high school hoops days. He had a different story to tell, one about perseverance.
Leming’s freshman season at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken was impressive. If I can read my handwriting (and I thought I was being so neat!), he averaged 12.5 points per game and knocked down 89 3-pointers. He also started several games. His sophomore and junior years, those numbers crashed. He didn’t start a single game either of those seasons, and as a sophomore, his 3-pointers dropped by 40. Leming, Wiedeman said, could have easily given up and quit or transferred. But he didn’t. His senior year, he made 71 3’s and started 12 of the 28 games he played in. That was quite a comeback. And it never would have happened if he hadn’t stayed in the fight. But, he did, and as Wiedeman emphasized, “He kept with it and it paid off.”
The banquet ended with a few awards. First, Mark Hershberger came up to present what has become a tradition of his: the Announcer’s Award, which is given to the player whose name he most enjoys saying. But before that, he had some of his own praises to dole out. First, he complimented Chris Beane and his concessions staff for having the best and widest variety of condiments to go with the “turning and burning” dogs, especially now that catchup has been added to the menu. Next, he said that in his 21 years of calling Dawg games, no team has been as tenacious as this one, and he never worried if they got down by 8 or 10 points, because he knew they had the capability to come back and win.
He also gave some well-earned kudos to his partner in the stands, the aforementioned guidance counselor and tennis coach extraordinaire Jeff Holman, saying Holman does not get enough credit, especially in OT games like the ones against Camden when every half-second counted. He also gave a shout out to the team’s managers, who also sit up with him in the stands.
Legacy and memories seemed to be the unofficial themes of the banquet, as Hershberger had his own story to tell. The previous night, at the restaurant where he works, he got to chat with a young man who seemed to know him but who Hershberger couldn’t quite place. He found out the young man was Charlie Foley, who had played basketball for Haddonfield. He was a bit taller and slimmer than when he played b-ball and acknowledged that he really didn’t get into too many games except in the final minutes of the ones that weren’t close. But in looking back, as he told Hershberger, Foley realized that being part of that team, even as someone who was mostly a benchwarmer, has been the best time of his life so far. It’s going to be that way for all of you, Hershberger informed the young men in the room.
Finally, he got to bestow his award. Having listened to Hershberger all season, it was no surprise to me what name he got the most mileage out of whenever he said it: Mike MOOOOOOONNNNEEEY. And now there is also the Gatorade Award, given to the varsity and JV player who takes the most offensive charges in a season. Those recipients were Michael Douglas and Ben Raus.
Even when the banquet had come to its official conclusion, no one seemed to be in too much of a hurry to leave. The seniors had to collect their framed uniforms and photo collages. And that also required a group shot for posterity. (Any parent reading this who can email me a copy, that would be great!) I was tempted to ask for ID for the individual on the platform who was holding the uniform and collage for Chris Beane, but on closer inspection, it was determined that it was in fact the younger Beane, who had decided to get his hair closely cropped. It wasn’t a Marine-style crewcut, by any stretch, and while he is missing about a pound of locks, he still looks far better than his head coach and his 1989 Bulldog teammates did, as they all rashly made the decision to come as close to totally shaving their heads as possible while still having hair. Not only was their look not pretty, it was way too gritty.
As for the 2025–26 season, it feels like it was “hair” one day and gone the next. It always seems like a new season will never arrive, but all the sudden, it’s summer, then Labor Day, and the Fall League starts, and before I know it, I’m hitting up David Hunter for my new press pass and emailing Coach Wiedeman for the varsity roster.
Take care everyone. As for this year’s graduating seniors, you will be missed! Come back and see us next season and best of luck as you matriculate. And keep those friendships turning and burning!