Once again, the Howell High School boys lacrosse team has proved to be a second-half-of-the-season squad. The Rebels started slowly this season, due in large part to the turnover from graduation, but they have put things together in the second half of the regular season to qualify for postseason play.

Coach Derek Reichenbecher’s Rebels were seeded No. 12 in the Shore Conference Tournament. They drew No. 5 seed Jackson Memorial High School in the May 6 opening round and managed to throw the tournament bracket into an upheaval with an 8-7 overtime triumph in Jackson. Rob Hart scored with 2:04 left in overtime to lift Howell to the big win.

What has carried the Rebels this season was the expected as well as the unexpected.

The expected was the solid play of returning starters like Hart, a midfielder, and goalie C.J. Cameron. Both players delivered for Howell against Jackson Memorial.

“We knew C.J. Cameron would have an outstanding year for us between the pipes and he certainly has,” said Reichenbecher.

Cameron, a senior, ranks third in the Shore Conference in saves (161) and has a very good save percentage of .648. He made 21 saves against Jackson Memorial and that was a difference maker for the Rebels in their victory over the Jaguars.

Hart, a junior, is Howell’s best allaround player.

“He (Hart) does everything,” said Reichenbecher, who cited Hart’s defensive play and work on face-offs as being every bit as important as his offensive skills.

Hart has scored 44 points (23 goals and 21 assists) and has double the ground balls (103) of any other Howell player. He won 12 of his 17 face-offs in the win over Jackson including the only one in the overtime.

Ryan Dambach, a junior midfielder, is also an outstanding two-way player. Dambach has 32 points (17 goals and 15 assists) and is second on the team in groundballs (40).

Up front on attack, returners Mike Fedele and Kevin Scott have been delivering as anticipated. Fedele, a senior, has scored 28 goals, and sophomore Scott has scored 37 goals. Scott won a critical ground ball that led to Hart’s overtime game-winning goal.

The unexpected contribution has been the play of freshman Alec Dambach up front on the attack with Fedele and Scott. Dambach fit right in from the first day of practice.

“Mike Fedele and Kevin Scott are returning starters, so I am not surprised at their success, but to have a freshman (Dambach) step in there for you and score some big goals for us has provided a huge lift for us,” said Reichenbecher.

Alec Dambach leads the Rebels in scoring with 25 goals and 31 assists (56 points). He is the first freshman in the program’s history to score more than 50 points. He

scored two goals in Howell’s Shore Conference Tournament win.

Other surprises include sophomore Blasé DellaValle, a long stick midfielder, and junior Max Fontaine, a newcomer to the sport who plays defense.

Senior Johnny Bukowiec anchors the defense. He is the Rebels’ top on-ball defender, according to Reichenbecher, and an outstanding leader. Bukowiec is a converted midfielder who has proven to be a natural defender. He came up with a big goal against Jackson.

Tim Schollenberger, a senior, works very closely with Bukowiec in the defensive backfield.

Fontaine and Stephen Mertz are splitting time on defense.

Injuries forced Reichenbecher to play sophomores Elden Andrews and Ryan Leonard and junior Richard Lewis before he expected to use them, and they have been gaining experience with each game.

Reichenbecher credited Howell’s strong division and non-division schedule for preparing the Rebels for the Shore Conference Tournament and a quality opponent like Jackson Memorial.

“We also knew that we played some tough teams during the year,” he said. “Playing teams like that makes you better even if it doesn’t show up in the win column.”

Howell ran into A North co-champion Freehold Township in the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals on May 8 and lost, 12-1. It was the third time the teams played this year and the Patriots won all three meetings.

Howell (9-7) will begin play in the NJSIAA state tournament on May 18.