Perhaps the greatest thing the New York Giants accomplished with their recent SuperBowl victory is remind us all that in any sport, regardless of the level of play, no expected outcome is ever absolute.

With their historical upset of the unbeaten New England Patriots, Eli Manning and company proved once again that, as the old cliché goes, any team can win on any given Sunday.

For the majority of the local high school basketball teams entering this winter's postseason, there will be similar mantras associated with their respective title pushes. While a chosen few local teams enter the postseason expected to emerge as champions, the rest are left to try to equal the task accomplished by a Giants team very few people picked to become the eventual champion heading into the National Football League playoffs.

It's time for the champions to emerge, and this winter, there are quite a few local teams that believe it is their time to shine.

Boys hoops

With the start of the NJSIAA state tournament still a few weeks away, a handful of local teams will turn their attention to the Shore Conference Tournament this week.

While Neptune has certainly earned the top seed with its stellar 16-4 run through the regular season, the general consensus is that this year's SCT is one of more wide-open fields in recent memory. The Scarlet Fliers will certainly be tough to beat, but few hoops fans around the Shore would be shocked to see someone else holding up the SCT trophy in the end.

Locally, Christian BrothersAcademy is the highest-seeded team, as the Colts (15- 6) look to make another run in a tournament where they always seem to be playing their best ball. First-year head coach Geoff Billet's team had a first-round bye this week, and will host the winner of the Central-Toms River South first-round game tomorrow.

Middletown South, in the midst of its strongest season in a long time, is the next highest local seed, as the Eagles enter the tournament at the seventh seed. They too had a first-round bye, but will be severely tested in the Round of 16 when they host a Red Bank Regional team (15-5) that is very dangerous. Led by the high-scoring tandem of Will Sanborn (17.7 ppg) and Matt Pebole (16.5 ppg), the Bucs have the potential to make a run deep into this tournament, just like theEagles.Regardless of the first-round outcomes, this looks to be the marquee match-up of the second round.

The Monmouth Regional Golden Falcons have become the team that nobody wants to play, as first-year head coach Larry Cirignano has his team playing its best ball of the year at the perfect time. Seeded fifth, the Falcons will open tomorrow night against a dangerous Toms River North team, the 12th seed.

Rumson-Fair Haven is another team flourishing under a first-year head coach, as James Young's Bulldogs have surprised some people with a strong 13-7 campaign. For their efforts, they earned a home game in the SCT first round, hosting another pleasant surprise in 18th-seeded Keyport last night.

The winner gets a shot at secondseeded Monsignor Donovan tomorrow night in Toms River.

RBC was the only other local to earn a spot in the SCT, with the 19th-seeded Caseys opening up last night in Freehold Borough. The winner gets third-seeded Freehold Township tomorrow night.

Although CBA is always a safe bet in predicting the SCT, and while one could certainly make a case for Middletown South emerging as the surprise champions, it is another Monmouth County team that gets the pick here. Look for Monmouth Regional to emerge victorious, beating Freehold Township in the final.

Looking ahead to the state tournament, many of the same teams will be looking for a sectional crown once those tournaments get underway on Feb. 26.

CBAwas awarded the 10th seed in the loaded Non-Public South A tournament, and will travel to Toms River to take on Monsignor Donovan for their opener on Feb. 26. The winner will take on secondseeded Paul VI two days later. Holy Cross is the heavy favorite in this bracket. RBC is also in this tournament, getting the 11th seed and a date with sixth-seeded Notre Dame on Feb. 26. The winner gets third-seeded Camden Catholic.

Middletown South is the top seed in the Central Jersey Group III bracket, and will host the winner of the Hopewell Valley Freehold Borough first-round matchup on Feb. 28. It will be interesting to see how the Eagles respond to being the favorite in a tournament they would have been happy to simply qualify for in recent seasons. Should the Eagles make a run at a title, they may very likely have to get through two of the Shore's best teams (Monmouth Regional, seeded fourth, and Neptune, seeded second) to do it. A rematch with RBR is also possible, should both teams reach the semifinals.

Monmouth opens with 13th-seeded Princeton on Feb. 26, with the winner to face either RBR or Hightstown in the second round.

Both Rumson-Fair Haven and Shore Regional will play in the CJ II tournament, with RFH getting the seventh seed and a game with Governor Livingston, the 10th seed, in Rumson on Feb. 26, and the Blue Devils getting the ninth seed, and a date with eighth-seeded Bordentown on the same night.

Girls hoops

St. John Vianney enters the SCT as the favorite after putting together a typically brilliant 19-3 season. The Lady Lancers will host the winner of the Southern- Ocean first-round game on Friday. Should SJV play the type of defense it has displayed throughout the season, the Lancers will be very tough to beat.

Should Red Bank Catholic's girls make a run at their third consecutive SCT title, they will need to overcome all of the injuries that has made this one of the most difficult seasons in head coach Joe Montano's career.

However, if the Caseys continue to show the type of resiliency they've displayed throughout their 16-5 season, they could very well be in the running for another crown. First off, they will host the winner of last night's first-round game between Shore Regional and JacksonMemorial.

The 13th-seeded Blue Devils are a dangerous team, enjoying a fine 15-7 season under head coachMark Truhan. Shore is certainly a capable sleeper pick in this bracket.

Rumson-Fair Haven has overcome some early struggles to re-emerge as one of the very best teams in the state. Led by Kate Miller, RFH's depth, experience and intangibles will make the Bulldogs as tough an out as ever in this postseason. They open with the winner of last night's Point Boro-Wall game tomorrow night.

The Raritan High School girls team is also hoping to make a run at the SCT title, and based on some strong recent play, including a two-point loss to SJV, could be a sleeper pick in this tournament.

Ocean Township was the only other local girls team to earn a spot, with the Spartans traveling to Southern last night for their first-round match-up.

The winner gets SJV tomorrow in the second round.

While there are certainly a number of quality teams that have proven themselves to be capable of winning this tournament title, St. John Vianney has consistently been the conference's best team this winter. And with a winning history on their side as well, they are the pick here to win yet another SCT title, beating a familiar foe, Rumson-Fair Haven, in the very close final, though it certainly wouldn't be crazy to pick Raritan to earn a spot in the final as well.

As expected, SJV also got the top seed in the Non-Public South A tournament, and will take on the winner of the Holy Spirit-Bishop Ahr first-round match-up. RBC, the second seed, will play the winner of the Camden Catholic-Gloucester Catholic first-rounder on March 1. Rumson Fair Haven is seeded second in CJ Group II (behind A.L. Johnson), and will open with the winner of the Spotswood-Allentown first-round game on Feb. 27. Raritan is the fifth seed in CJ Group II, and will face Hillside in the first round on Feb. 25. The winner will take on fourth-seeded Shore Regional in the second round.

Wrestling

Fresh off their historic Shore Conference Tournament championship, the Long Branch High School wrestling team entered the Central Jersey Group II ready to take on a Point Pleasant Borough team (21-2) fresh off a 55-9 win over John. F. Kennedy-Iselin (15-2) on Monday night in the first round. The top-seeded and unbeaten Green Wave (19-0) is the heavy favorite to emerge with its first sectional title, through they were certain to be tested last night in their semifinal bout with the Panthers. With a win last night, Long Branch would advance to the sectional final tomorrow, where they will face the winner of the Raritan-Delaware Valley semifinal last night. The Rockets (21- 3) were impressive with a 45-9 win over Hopewell Valley (13-4) on Monday, while Del Val entered last night's bout with a strong 14-4 mark.

Ocean Township (12-7) was rewarded for facing one of the most difficult schedules in the state this year with a top seed in the Central Jersey Group III bracket, earning them a match-up with Monroe Township last night.

Monroe (20-5) beat Hamilton North, 50-18, in the first round Monday to advance to the semifinals. In the other semifinal last night, Wall Township (12-11), a 36-25 winner over Lawrence in the first round, took on second-seeded Brick Township (12-6).

CBA also advanced on Monday with a 35-22 win over rival St. John Vianney in their Non-Public South A opener. As a reward, they got four-time defending section champ Camden Catholic last night in the semifinals.