Overbrook's Xaiver Wright (1) drives to the basket as Wildwood's Junior Hans defends in the Tri-County Conference basketball game played at Overbrook High School in Pine Hill, New Jersey on Thursday, December 14, 2023. Lukas Guerrier/D2 Sports Network
PINE HILL - The Overbrook High School basketball team returned only one starter from last year's group that reached the Tri-County Conference Tournament final, the South Jersey Group 2 quarterfinals and finished with a 22-7 record.
2023 graduates Devon Johnson, David Haywood, Dillon Dixon and Justin Galda accounted for 42.9 points per game.
The Rams added Hammonton transfers Nic Johnson and Chris Grier, a pair of players that started their high school careers in Pine Hill, in the offseason. Both have to sit 30 days.
Varsity experience was at a minimal, but Overbrook didn't fret in its season opener.
The Rams bent, but didn't break as they held off No. 15 Wildwood, 47-40, in a Tri-County Conference showdown on Monday night.
Overbrook led by as much as 15 points in the second half until a rally by the visitors cut the margin to five points with 2:08 left to play.
"A lot of guys come in and its their first varsity minutes," Overbrook coach Donny Lang said. "I thought, for the most part, our guys stayed composed throughout. I'm just proud of them as a group that they stuck together."