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North Warren Basketball Boys Close Winning Season

February 27, 2026

Boys playing on indoor basketball court — The Patriots closed out a 13-9 season, a big improvement over last year. Photo by Joe Phalon.

While they fell just short of a place in the postseason, the North Warren boys’ basketball team still finished with a winning record that way improved over last year.

“We had a good season,” said head coach Rob Steingall. “We’re 13 and nine, a 10-win improvement from last year.”

More important was the Patriots’ improvement within their league, the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, Colonial Division, where they notched a 6-4 record compared to last season’s 1-9.

“So, we’re certainly happy with that,” Steingall said. “We’ve made good progress.”

Spreading the workload around this season would be part of that progress. When looking for standouts, Steingall said he could pick the whole team this season.

One of those standouts has been Ashton Conover, who routinely scored in double digits in their decisive victory over Veritas Christian of Feb. 16. Conover also led the Pats with 11 against Wallkill Valley in the next game.

But there was plenty of scoring to go around. Calvin Otufale sank 17 points against Kittatinny and 12 against High Point. Otufale was also effective all season at the boards rebounds. Also snagging missed shots was Isaiah Hoff, who had his share of high scores as well, such as 13 against Newton.

Sebastian Murphy could also be counted on for rebounding, Steingall said. Ethan Ramos and Arian Naklicki—both consistent scorers—will be among the strong players returning next season. In fact, of the team’s starters, only Otufale and Murphy will be lost to graduation.

“I’m very happy with these guys,” Steingall said. “They change the culture by their hard work, effort, and their attitudes, and we have a bright future with this group of guys.”

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Joe brings decades of journalism experience to the Ridge View Echo, covering everything from local school boards to the U.S. Supreme Court. A former National Law Journal editor and Columbia Law School press officer, he now enjoys telling community stories in Blairstown, where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two dachshunds.