Randolph Boys Basketball concluded their 2023-2024 season with a 14-14 record, led by senior captains Rocco Albanoand Ryan Kress, who were also the team’s leading scorers. Albano averaged 9.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, while Kress averaged 23 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
Here’s a recap of the highs and lows of the season.
Dec. 14-29
Randolph started the season with a 54-23 victory over Sparta, with Kress leading the team with 20 points and six assists, while senior center Jake Miller collected 11 rebounds. The team then secured a nail-biting 1-point win over Ridge, followed by a loss to Mendham. The Rams bounced back with a 17-point victory against Morris Hills, with Kress leading once again with 25 points and Miller adding 15 points. Randolph participated in the JP Flynn Tournament, winning their first game against Christian Brothers Academy (CBA), but losing the next three, finishing the tournament with a 1-3 record.
Jan. 3 – Jan. 20
Randolph faced some mid-season woes, going 2-6 and losing five of six games by under 10 points during this period. On the bright side, Kress celebrated a huge accomplishment when he hit the 1,000-point mark on Jan. 11. “I feel good about my performance,” Kress said afterward. “I think I shocked a lot of people, and I think our team proved a lot of people wrong.”
Despite the mid-season struggle, sophomores Jack Leonard and Tristan Durkin also stepped up big, scoring at critical moments in the rotation.
Jan. 22 – Feb. 3
The Rams started their Morris County Tournament run with a play-in win over Parsippany, advancing to the tournament, where a tough road game at Parsippany Hills awaited. The Rams, however, pulled off a huge upset over the Vikings, with Kress making a whopping 33 points.
“We were the 12 seed playing the 5 seed, and we came out ready to kill,” Albano noted. “Not only was winning the game an awesome feeling, but the bus ride after with the guys was an unreal feeling.”
The win gave Randolph the momentum to face Mendham, the team that beat them last year in the tournament. However, the Rams fell in the hard-fought game, 46-37, despite Kress leading the way with 24 points.
Feb. 6 – Feb. 22
The Rams had a spark lit under them, going on a five-game winning streak from Feb. 8 to Feb. 17. Kress averaged 23.6 points per game during this run, giving the team additional momentum heading into states.
The Rams’ up-and-down season ended in the first round of states when they suffered a 69-50 loss to Chatham. “I felt pretty satisfied with our performance as a team,” Albano said. “We had some really great wins against teams like CBA and Ridge, and we made a great run in the county tournament. I am also very satisfied with myself. I had my best season in my high school career and made myself known throughout the county.”
Ram MVPs enjoyed plenty of accolades this year, with Kress becoming the all-time leading scorer and assist leader at RHS, while Albano became the high school’s all-time steals leader. Kress was also recently named Morris County Player of the Year.
The Rams wrapped up their hard-fought season with a 14-14 record.
