Boys Basketball: Hopatcong Rips Old SCIL Foe (25 Photos!)

Hopatcong's heating up—and at the right time.

The Chiefs downed Jefferson, 62-36, on Thursday at to improve to 18-7.

Hopatcong has one regular season game left, and that's Saturday's 1 p.m. road matchup with Morris Catholic. The Chiefs will face Pompton Lakes in the first round of the state playoffs at home on Monday at 6 p.m.

Matt Tobin scored a game-high 25 points, including 10 free throws, in the victory. The senior guard needs 31 points to snap Chris Jent's all-time Sussex County mark of 2,287. Jent, a former NBA player, played for Tobin's father, Dennis, at Sparta.

Hopatcong busted things open with a 26-12 third quarter. Jon Parker had 12 points for the Chiefs.

Evan Valentini had a team-high 10 points for the Falcons, who fell to 8-15. Jefferson and Hopatcong belonged to the Sussex County Interscholastic League until both joined the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference.

Hunter Guard had seven points for Hopatcong, which also received six points from Vinny Marinoni, five points from Nick Krowl, four points from Feyi Olugbenga and three points from Dan Sullivan.