Cougar All-Stars Make Valiant Effort Against Harlem Wizards (VIDEO)

The Cougar All-Stars fell to the Harlem Wizards on Sunday night after a valiant effort to beat the talented tricksters from the other side of the Hudson.

The final score was 73-66 (although the scoring was rather dubious, with the home team's score mysteriously rising over half-time) before a sell-out crowd of 1,000 at . Six wizards faced rotations made up of Maplewood and South Orange elected officials, Columbia High School basketball players, and local teachers from Maplewood Middle and other schools.

The Wizards had their fun, pulling gags and performing some fancy passing and dunks, but the home team came prepared to play. South Mountain Elementary physical education teachers Mr. K (Jeff Kaessheafer) and Mr. Tait, for example, showed some impressive moves.

They were joined by Dr. Brian Osborne, Superintendent of Schools; Jeff Truppo, Principal of Maplewood Middle School; Vic DeLuca, Mayor of Maplewood; Marlon K. Brownlee, Maplewood Township Committee; Michael Goldberg, South Orange Board of Trustees; Marc Gold and Eric Stoudemire, MMS teachers; Elliot Kahn, South Mountain teacher; and Christina Giovannelli, Tuscan teacher; Sheryl Hewitt, incoming MMS Vice Principal; and a few others.

Jerry Ryan of the Maplewood Township Committeeman played referee.

The event delivered arousing entertainment as well as a successful fundraiser. The show was a sell-out with 1,000 tickets purchased — 700 for students and 300 for adults.

A team of volunteers distributed tickets, sold merchandise, staffed the cafeteria and more. They included: Barbara Ray, Nancy O'Connell, Marget Gary, Jennifer Noll. Kana Brinckerhoff, Ann Burke, Saby Cevallos, Lisa Stamm, Arlene Connelly, Alison Grant, Doreen Panzer, Bob Panzer and Kim Miller. Jim Lo Stuto, as MMS HSA VP of Fundraising helped coordinate the publicity for the event.