Boys Basketball – VOTE: Week 7 OC Sports Medicine Player of the Week
For the remainder of the 2022-23 season, Shore Sports Network will recognize the top boys basketball players in the Shore Conference each week. We will recognize the top player in each of the eight Shore Conference divisions, as well as two wild cards for 10 contestants per week.
This week's group is nominated for their performances during the week of Feb. 6 through Feb. 12, with a special emphasis on performance in the first three rounds of the Shore Conference Tournament. Read about this week's nominees and vote for the one that strikes you as the best pick for overall Player of the Week.
Vote in the poll at the end of the post once per hour until the poll closes on Thursday at 10 p.m.
Ocean County Sports Medicine Week 7 Players of the Week
Class A North Player of the Week
Justin Fuerbacher, CBA
Fuerbacher’s numbers last week were not robust, but his value to his team was on full display. The 6-foot-5 sophomore scored 15 points and controlled the glass in CBA’s 44-43 win over Matawan in the Shore Conference Tournament round-of-16 and when he left with an injury Saturday vs. St. Rose, the Colts were not the same team without Fuerbacher.
Class A North Honorable Mention: Jayden Holmes-Cotter, Freehold Twp.; Dylan Sullivan, Manalapan; Will Bradley, CBA; Malachi Harris, Freehold Twp.; Peter Noble, CBA; D.J. Orloff, Howell; Alex Frank, Marlboro
Class A Cetral Player of the Week
Mike Diller, Raritan
Diller is the point man of a 19-2 Rockets team that surged into the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals and semifinals for the first time in 12 years. The senior put up 10 points in Raritan’s defensive exhibition vs. Red Bank Catholic in the SCT first round, then led the team with 18 poinrs on Saturday in a 57-37 drubbing of Central.
Class A Central Honorable Mention: Jayden Elijah, Matawan; Amir Martinez, Matawan; Billy Tigar, Raritan; Jack O’Leary, Raritan; Jack Coleman, Raritan; Nick Seeloch, Holmdel; Brian Tassey, Freehold Boro; Christian DiGiso, Freehold Boro
Class A South Player of the Week
Josh Michigan, Brick Memorial
Now in the midst of a four-game streak with at least 20 points, Michigan notched two of those scoring performances last week – one of which included a career milestone for the senior. Michigan scored 23 points in Brick Memorial’s opening-round loss to Shore in the Shore Conference Tournament, then opened his team’s next game by scoring the 1,000th point of his varsity career. Michigan went on to score 29 points on his banner day, leading Brick Memorial to a win over Manalapan.
Class A South Honorable Mention: Charlie Meglio, Jackson Memorial; Tom Menegus, Southern; Caden Schubiger, Southern; Micah Ford, Toms River North; Cooper Dempsey, Southern; Delani Hyde, Toms River North
Class B North Player of the Week
Nick Rigby, Rumson-Fair Haven
Rigby dealt with plenty of adversity over the last two week, first missing a regular-season game due to a death in the family, then leaving the Bulldogs’ SCT quarterfinal game with Rumson after being poked in the eye, according to coach Chris Champeau. In between, he took the lead in pulling Rumson through two rounds of the Shore Conference Tournament – first scoring 17 points in a gritty, 44-42 win over Monmouth, then scoring 19 in an impressive, 68-59, road win over Freehold Township to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals.
Class B North Honorable Mention: Ryan Prior, Red Bank Catholic; Dylan Csik, Middletown South; Tyler Burnham, Red Bank Catholic; Mason Yablonski, Rumson-Fair Haven; Colin Byrne, Middletown North; Collin Teter, Red Bank; Jason Quardt, Middletown North; Nick Valentino, Red Bank
Class B Central Player of the Week
Jordan Bey, Keansburg
After Keansburg bowed out of the Shore Conference Tournament at CBA in round one, Bey authored a pair of strong performances to close out the week. The senior scored six points in the loss at CBA, poured in 14 in a win over South Amboy, then matched a career-high with 23 points in a loss at Roselle Park.
Class B Central Honorable Mention: Kevin Burns, Point Beach; Stephen Seaman, Point Beach; Nas Hart, Keyport
Class B South Player of the Week
Jaycen Santucci, Central
Santucci played two more huge games last week to help carry Central into the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals for the first time since 1994. It started with 24 points and 11 rebounds from the sophomore in a first-round win over Point Beach, then continued when Santucci netted 15 points in a 55-52 win at No. 5 Middletown South – snapping a 15-game winning streak by the Eagles.
Class B South Honorable Mention: Miles Chevalier, Central; Troy Buxton, Lacey; Chris Venturoso, Lacey; Jordan Barbot, Central; Jamari Smith, Barnegat; Evan Weiner, Manchester
Class C North Player of the Week
Isaac Hester, Ranney
Ranney has had many heroes, big and small, during its run to the Shore Conference Tournament championship game, but no performance stands out more than the one Hester unleashed on No. 3 Toms River North on Saturday at Middletown South. The senior guard pumped in 33 points, shot 12-for-17 from the field, 3-for-5 from three-point range, 6-for-6 from the free-throw line and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 75-60 Ranney quarterfinal win.
Class C North Honorable Mention: Darius Adams, Manasquan; Jahlil Bethea, Ranney; Drew Buck, Ranney; Ryan Frauenheim, Manasquan; Gio Panzini, St. Rose; Matt Hodge, St. Rose; Thomas Turner, Point Boro; Shane Ryan, Point Boro; Danny Coughlan, Point Boro; Peter Mauro, St. Rose; Jack Dettlinger, Manasquan; Matt Eisenberg, Wall; Daniel Charles, Neptune
Class C South Player of the Week
Donovan Hughes, Shore
Hughes had a hot-shooting week for Shore and its sparked the Blue Devils to two of its biggest wins of the season. The senior hit four third-quarter three-pointers at Brick Memorial in the SCT opening round and scored 15 points in Shore’s upset win. Hughes then scored eight points in the round-of-16 loss at Toms River North and netted a career-high 22 points on Saturday to lead Shore to a convincing win over Class B North champion Middletown South.
Class C South Honorable Mention: Pete Farlekas, Donovan Catholic; Zayier Dean, Ocean; Liam Gajewski, Shore; Jake Bauer, Monmouth; Brian Farrell, Donovan Catholic; Ta’haj Wiggins, Monmouth; Charlie Callahan, Jackson Liberty; Jayson King, Jackson Liberty
Wild Cards
Pete Farlekas, Donovan Catholic
Donovan Catholic’s upset bid at Red Bank Catholic fell four points short and Farlekas’s effort nearly carried the Griffins to the victory. The senior forward scored a career-high 30 points in the 72-68 Donovan Catholic loss, then followed it up with 12 points in a win over Manchester the following night – 11 of which came in the second half.
Ryan Prior, Red Bank Catholic
It took a career-best performance from Prior for Red Bank Catholic to survive a first-round scare against Donovan Catholic. The sophomore scored a career-high 27 points behind seven three-pointers in the 72-68 Caseys win. To cap the week, Prior scored 12 points in an overtime win over Union, including the game-tying three-pointer with one second left in regulation.
