High School Boys Basketball:
Highland Defeats Edgewood, Groark Scores 1,000th Point

Tuesday, December 21, 1999

By Boog Williams
SJSports Staff Writer

With 6:59 seconds left in the second quarter, Highland's Mark Groark scored his 1,001 point of his career. Groark took a pass at the left of the key and drove in on the Edgewood defense, hitting a 12-foot jump shot. The two points made Groark the third player in Highland history to score 1,000 points. Groark lead the Tartans with 23 points to a 77 to 40 win over Edgewood in an Olympic Conference Patriot Division game.

The first quarter had the taller and faster Tartans pressuring the ball all quarter. The Eagles could not break the press. Groark scored 13 of his 23 points and Andrew Frazier scored 11 of his 14 points to lead the Tartans to a 34-11 lead in the quarter. Groark hit two big 3 pointers back to back, which made Edgewood call time out, and Frazier hit a buzzer beating 3 from the right corner to end the quarter. For Edgewood, Jason Sapp scored 6 of his team-leading 12 points in the first quarter. Sapp scored most of his 6 points on lay-ups after the Eagles beat the press.

In the second quarter, Groark was taken out after he scored his 1,001 point and Edgewood won the quarter by scoring 13 points to Highland's 12. Antray Miles scored 4 points and Karl Johnson had 3 in the quarter to lead Edgewood. Leading the scoring for Highland was Adan Trinidad with 4. The half ended with Highland committing 9 personal fouls (most from the pressure defense) to Edgewood's 6. The score at the end of the half was Highland 46 - Edgewood 24.

In the third quarter, Groark scored 8 of Highland's 19 points to give him a career total of 1,009. Also scoring in the quarter were Gene Merbenthal 2, Eric Tickles 4, Frazier 1, Chris Bratelli 2, and Kevin Wells 2 for Highland. Sapp 1, Mike Grant 2, Ray Reyes 2, and Roger Brown 2 scored Edgewood's 7 points. The quarter ended with Highland leading 65 to 31.

In the final quarter, Highland (2-0) scored 12 points to Edgewood's (0-3) 9 to win the game 77-40. Scoring for Highland were Tickles 2, Trinidad 2, Andre Barret 2, Jeff Banks 4 and Mano Kieling 2. Sapp 2, Boo Johnson 2, Grant 2, Sean Geary 1, and Miles 2 did the scoring for Edgewood.

Photos by Boog Williams

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