Former HHS, St. Joe stars enjoy strong college seasons

by Dan Russoman, Gazette Staff Writer

For sports fans across America, March means college basketball. And for a few former high school basketball players, March also meant the end of successful seasons on the collegiate level.
Both Hammonton and St. Joseph high schools have enjoyed success on the basketball court in recent seasons.
As a result, many former Blue Devils and Wildcats have chosen to continue their playing careers in college.
Among those helping their college squads achieve success during the 2007-08 season were former rivals Kevin Darby (Hammonton) and Aaron Spellman (St. Joseph) who were both important members of the Rowan University men’s team this season.
Darby, a junior from Atco, was among the Profs’ leading scorers, averaging 13.1 points per game, the second highest total on the team. He also averaged 4.5 rebounds per game as Rowan finished the season with an 18-8 record.
Spellman (Pine Hill), also a junior, started 18 games for the Profs and averaged 6.7 points per game. He was among the top 3-point shooters for Rowan last season.
Spellman’s former teammate, Tim Burns, a Franklinville resident, enjoyed a solid sophomore season at Division I High Point University.
Burns, St. Joseph’s all-time leading scorer, averaged 4.6 points per game for the Panthers, who lost in the Big South semifinals to eventual conference champion Winthrop.
On the women’s side, four local players were solid contributors to their teams this season.
At Division III Cabrini College, two local stars helped the Cavilers advance to the NCAA Tournament, where they lost in the opening round.
Junior Kayleen Smith, a St. Joseph graduate from Williamstown, led Cabrini with 10.5 points per game. She also pulled down six rebounds per game.
Smith’s teammate, junior Casey Kyler, a Hammonton graduate, scored 4.3 points per game and added 4.6 rebounds per contest to help the Cavilers finish the season with a 21-7 record and their first Pennsylvania Athletic Conference championship since 1999.
Two of Kyler’s former Hammonton teammates also enjoyed strong seasons for their respective colleges.
Carmen Oyola, a senior at Rutgers Camden, who scored more than 1,000 points in her high school career at Hammonton, also topped the 1,000 point mark for her collegiate career as the Lady Raptors finished the season with an 8-17 record. Oyola averaged 8.3 points per game for Rutgers Camden last season.
Former Blue Devil Katie Piekielski, a sophomore guard from Atco, averaged 5.6 points per game for the New Jersey Institute of Technology, which finished the season with a 10-91 record.