Tag: Player of the Year

March 13, 2024 by Mike Pavlichko

Biekietov fled Ukraine, helped lead Montgomery to CJ4 title, named CJSR Boys’ Player of the Year

Sorry folks, no one can argue with this one. Don’t even try.

Every high school basketball player, no matter their talent level, has to overcome some adversity. Maybe it’s not on the court, but in algebra, or something at home.

But to do it like Bohdan Biekietov of Montgomery, in a new country, with his father helping defend his native Ukraine, well, that’s a different story.

*Montgomery’s Bohdan Biekietov (#33 in white) goes up for the opening tip against Rutgers Prep in the Somerset County Tournament final on February 17, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

Biekietov’s homeland – he hails from Odesa – has been ravaged by war. His father remains, looking after Bohdan’s grandfather while assisting the Ukrainian military with missile defense. His mother Olga and sister Sofia came here with him, landing in Montgomery. That story is one of a connection made by Bohdan via basketball in Spain, and a desire for a better life. But we’ll let him tell that story.

Biekietov joined the Cougar family, welcomed with open arms not just by his teammates and coaches but the entire school, and was one of the most critical parts of his team’s success in 2023-24, capped off by Monty’s first sectional title in 14 years. He finished the season averaging a double-double, just over 12 points and 10 rebounds a game.

But Player of the Year isn’t just points and rebounds, or slam dunks. And so, without a doubt, with all that he did in basketball, and all that he’s overcome to get here, Bohdan Biekietov is the Central Jersey Sports Radio Player of the Year.

We will see him again next season, to the chagrin of many opponents. He’s just a junior. He’ll be playing summer AAU ball. And he just got his first college offer, from Robert Morris. And offer which may save his life.

After a great conversation with Coach Toole, I am excited to have received my first Division I offer from Robert Morris University @MontgomeryBB3 @CoachMikeRice @Coach_AndyToole @RMUMBasketball pic.twitter.com/2U0ypvBP4C
— Bohdan Biekietov (@bohdanbiekietov) March 11, 2024

Because when his school days are done here, whether high school or college, he’ll have to go back to the Ukraine and enlist. Who knows what the future holds for Biekietov, but for now, it’s about keeping his family together. And now, that family includes the entire Montgomery community.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with 2023-24 Central Jersey Sports Radio Player of the Year, Bohdan Biekietov:

March 12, 2024 by Mike Pavlichko

Derkack’s stellar season continues family legacy, earns Colonia star CJSR Girls’ Player of the Year

The Derkack name was already well-known in Colonia, but it’s undergoing a renaissance, so-to-speak.

Gene, who played in the early-/mid-’90s for the Patriots, made his mark thirty years ago. Now, it’s his kids’ turn.

Son Jordan is tearing it up at Merrimack. His younger son, Aiden, is a star for the boys’ program, but the rest of his story is yet to be written. This moment belongs to Taylor Derkack, who just capped a memorable career for the Colonia girls’ squad and ,for her efforts this season, is the Central Jersey Sports Radio Player of the Year for 2023-24.

There are few better than Taylor Derkack, who next heads to UMass, and graduates with 2,062 points scored. She’s the all-time leading scorer in Colonia basketball history, girls or boys. That’s quite the feat, when you look at the names on both lists. She’s also just the ninth player in Middlesex County girls’ hoops history to surpass the 2,000-point mark.

Interestingly, the player she passed this year was Matti Chiera, with whom Taylor has played on the hardwood since they were ten years old. That dynamic duo led the Patriots two seasons ago to their first-ever divisional title – in the GMC White – and their first ever GMC Tournament finals berth last year.

With Chiera gone – now at William Paterson – there could have easily been a dropoff. But Taylor carried the team on her back many nights this year, the target of every opposing team’s defensive game plan. Few were able to much against her, which made her efforts this year even more impressive, more than any other single player in the GMC or Skyland Conference.

*Taylor Derkack (left) as a freshman and Matti Chiera as a sophomore for Colonia girls’ basketball. The pair played together since they were ten years old. (Source: @ctowngirlshoops on Twitter)*

Others may be as talented, or maybe more so. But the Player of the Year isn’t just about talent. It’s about leadership, on and off the court, making others around you better, the will to win, and actually getting it done. And Taylor Derkack did that better than anyone this year, leading the Patriots – who finished 22-9, their second 20-win campaign in three seasons – to a second straight GMC Tournament finals appearance, as well as a berth in the North 2, Group 3 final.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with 2023-24 Player of the Year Taylor Derkack of Colonia:

June 16, 2023June 16, 2023 by Mike Pavlichko

Konstantivovsky – who does it all on the mound, at the plate and in the field – named CJSR Player of the Year for a second straight season

Yes, Zack Konstantinovsky is the Central Jersey Sports Radio Player of the Year.

Again.

The Rutgers-bound senior from North Brunswick picked up the award for a second straight year, and few in our coverage area could have any argument.

There are dominant pitchers and dominant hitters and some very good fielders in Middlesex and Somerset Counties, our main coverage area. But there are few who are so good at all three.

Scroll down below the interview for CJSR’s Player of the Year Honorable Mentions:

Zack’s pitching stats speak for themselves: In ten starts (plus one relief appearance of a single inning) he gave up eight runs all year, only five earned, and struck out 88, walking just nine, in 63 innings pitched. He averaged just 13.4 pitches per inning, making him immensely efficient.

Watching him pitch, work his craft, and dominate hitters is another thing.

Then, there’s the damage he can do at the plate: he hit .469 on the year, often DHing for himself so he could stay in the game in the rare occasion a reliever would have to be brought in. He scored 33 runs, rarely taken out for a courtesy runner. He hit eight home runs, tied for the team lead with fellow senior Omar Carreras.

Put another way, he hit three more home runs than he allowed earned runs this season.

But if there’s anything “Zack K” doesn’t get enough credit for is his defense. He’s a pitcher, no doubt about it, and Steve Owens will be getting a gem when he touches down a couple towns over in Piscataway next spring, perhaps the most highly-anticipated freshman pitcher to land on the Banks – at least locally – since Bobby Brownlie of Edison (though Harry Rutkowski of Woodbridge also was a stud).

But consider that Konstantinovsky also plays the field for North Brunswick when he’s not pitching, an excellent second baseman who contributes in all three phases of the game.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with North Brunswick’s Zack Konstantinovsky, the Central Jersey Sports Radio Baseball Player of the Year for 2023:

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Connor Byrne, Ridge: As if having a 0.76 ERA for the season wasn’t enough, dominating hitters all year with 90 strikeouts in just 58 2/3 innings pitched – that’s 1.5 Ks per inning! – Byrne reached the pinnacle of success for a pitcher, throwing a perfect game against Bernards in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. The Seina-bound senior is easily one of the top pitchers in the state, and the Saints are getting a steal.
Casey Cumiskey, Spotswood: The Seton Hall-bound Cumiskey single-handedly rewrote the Charger record books and beyond this season. His 60 hits – which led the entire state of new Jersey – set a GMC and school single season record. His 34 runs batted in are a single season Spotswood record, as was his eye-popping .556 batting average. The “The Commish” – as his coach and teammates call him – finished with a .520 career batting average, also a school record, and hit in 27 of 29 games this season. And he went out with a bang in the Central Jersey Group 2 finals loss to Rumson, hitting a two-run homer in his final at bat, and finishing a triple shy of a cycle.
Mark Gialluisi, St. Joseph-Metuchen: If there’s a hitter you don’t want to face on the Falcons, it’s Gialluisi, who hit .486 this year, and had 54 hits on the season, along with two home runs and 19 RBIs. But he’s more than that. He’s the quarterback of the team from his spot behind the plate, a steadying hand on a pitching staff that saw six different pitchers throw at least 15 innings this year. Gialluisi will continue his baseball career at Virginia.
Max Treonze, Rutgers Prep: His numbers were outstanding, allowing just a single earned run (four total) all year, in 41 innings pitched. He threw about two-thirds the innings of Konstantinovsky, but still had 77 strikeouts, walking only four, and pitched a gem when it counted most: against Ridge in the Somerset County Tournament final for a 1-0 win, and the championship. And he’s a gamer, too, helping pitch his team to the Non-Public North B finals just weeks after getting beaned in the nose with a 90 mile-an-hour fastball in the Prep B final against Pennington. Treonze is the only junior in the group, and is uncommitted at present.

March 9, 2023March 8, 2023 by Mike Pavlichko

Falcons’ Josh Ingram finished strong for St. Joseph, earning him CJSR Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year honors

Josh Ingram – like a lot of other basketball players in Middlesex and Somerset Counties – had a very fine 2022-23 season. He averaged 22 points a game, nearly eight rebounds, nearly four assists, and shot just under 60-perccent from the floor, 37-percent from downtown, and a nice 83-percent from the free-throw line.

In the early season, he provided enough offense as St. Joseph-Metuchen – missing some key pieces for various reasons – tried to find itself. Later in the season, with things hanging in the balance, and starter Jeremy Clayville out, Ingram “turned it up to eleven.”

In his final ten games of the season, which included not one, but two wins over Rutgers Prep and a run to the Non-Public South A title game against Union Catholic – the eventual Group A winner – Ingram turned averaged 23.6 points a game, had 33 in the regular season win over the Argonauts, and cracked 30 points four times, including a wild GMC Tournament first-round win over Spotswood, where he notched a career high 38 points.

Those efforts have earned him Central Jersey Sports Radio Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year honors for 2023.

He was virutally unstoppable from the time Clayville went down January 27th to the point that when he returned, it was just gravy.

“It’s been a privilege to coach Josh and watch him grow into the player and person has become,” said Joe’s head coach Jan Cocozziello. “His talent is undeniable, but he’s also a leader with a team mentality. He’s a selfless player who steps up when his team needs him.”

Scroll down for honorable mention selections.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with 2023 Boys’ Player of the Year Josh Ingram of St. Joe’s:

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Deuce Jones, St. Thomas Aquinas: There was a lot of talent on the Trojans’ roster this season, but as head coach Bob Turco has said about Jones, “he’s the straw that stirs the drink.” He averaged six assists a game, while still scoring 16.5 points a game for the three-time GMC Tournament Champions. What made it more impressive is that the junior was playing just his first season in North Edison, a transfer from Trenton Catholic. But he fit seamlessly into a solid core that included players like Jalen “Pop” Pichardo, Terrell Pitts, Kamal Lee, and more.

*St. Thomas Aquinas junior guard Deuce Jones (right) talks with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Justin Sontupe after a 69-46 win over Colonia in Edison on January 12, 2023. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

Jadin Collins, Rutgers Prep: An outstanding two-year varsity starter for Matt Bloom’s club, he averaged 19.2 points per game in that span and four-and-a-half assists as the Argonauts’ point guard, while also racking up 224 steals. This year, he averaged 20.5 points per game for 22-8 Prep en route to the Somerset County Tournament Championship, a year after they won the 2022 Non-Public South B title on his then-career-high 33 point effort – kitting key bucket after key bucket down the stretch.

*Jordin Collins of Rutgers Prep brings the ball up the floor in the second half against Gill St. Bernard’s on January 24, 2023. Collins finished with a game-high 22 points. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

Jordan Summers, Bound Brook: Summers – who just signed on with Caldwell Monday – has been a stalwart from a great recent basketball family in The Brook. Summers finished with 1,456 career points, and scored 690 this year in 27 games, averaging an area-best 25.5 points per game – that’s tops among boys and girls in the CJSR coverage area. But it was the intangibles, leadership and unselfishness that made him most valuable to his team. “I have seen Jordan grow in front of my eyes since he was a kid, says head coach Anthony Melesurgo. “I am so proud of the young man he has become. The sky’s the limit for him!” He’ll also be playing in the North-/South All-Star game this Sunday at 2 pm at Rutgers Prep, the second player in as many years to do so; Quadir Harrell played last year.

*Jordan Summers of Bound Brook – surrounded by teammates – signs on for a full scholarship with D2 Caldwell on March 6, 2023. (Photo courtesy Anthony Melesurgo)*

March 8, 2023March 7, 2023 by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep’s Blakes earns back-to-back CJSR Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year Honors

It’s rare for a sophomore to be named a Player of the Year in high school basketball, and that’s just what Mikayla Blakes of Rutgers Prep did last year. Which, of course, begs the question, “What do you do for an encore?”

Answer: You do it again.

Blakes – now a junior – had another fantastic season for Rutgers Prep, the clear leader of the ballclub. As she went, Prep went. And they “went” to the tune of a 25-5 record, third straight Somerset County Tournament title, second straight Non-Public South B sectional title, and a clean sweep of the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten’s No. 1 ranking all year, making it 28 straight weeks over three seasons.

Individually, Blakes scored 660 points on the season, by far and away not only the team’s leader, averaging 22 per game, but also the top-scorer in the CJSR area. She also led the Lady Argonauts in threes (75), free throws made (131, shooting a cool 85-percent from the line), assists (99) and steals (97).

*Rutgers Prep junior Mikayla Blakes runs the point against Wildwood Catholic in the Non-Public South B Final at Seneca High School in Medford Lakes on March 1, 2023. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

Not only did she score in double figures every game – now on a 34-game streak including her last four postseason games last year – but she scored 20 or more in 21 out of 30 games this season, and topped 30 three times, with a career-high 35 at against Gill St. Bernard’s on January fifth.

But many seem to gloss over Blakes’ defensive prowess. She always seems to be in a passing lane, or forcing a bad pass into the hands of one of her teammates. That’s what makes her an all-around player, and the 2023 Central Jersey Sports Radio Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year.

We also have some honorable mentions. Scroll down to read more.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Dom Savino talk with our Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year, Rutgers Prep junior guard Mikayla Blakes:

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Jessica Cooper, St. Thomas Aquinas: You could pick from a lot of great players on the Trojans – including Leah Crosby, who’s won GMCT MVP two years running as a sophomore – but the senior forward gets the nod here. She not only led the team in scoring this year at 12.6 points per game, and rebounding at ten per game, but was a model of consistency, nearly a double-double every night out. In fact, she had 18 in 29 games this season, and a stretch of nine that spanned from mid-January into early February. Cooper will be attending Albany next year on scholarship.

*St. Thomas Aquinas forward Jessica Cooper takes a baseline jumper against East Brunswick in the 2022 GMC Tournament semis. (Photo: Dom Savino)*

Neysa Aguilar, Middlesex: All due respect to the rest of her Blue Jay teammates, Middlesex doesn’t reach the Central Jersey Group 1 title game without Aguilar. The senior brought it every night, scoring 577 points on the year – an average of 19.9 a game – both good for second best in the GMC. She was also their top rebounder at 7.3 a game while racking up 95 steals, impressive enough except that sophomore Jessica Devine – who’ll take the wheel next year – had a whopping 172.

Middlesex senior Neysa Aguilar gets set to step into a three – one of a career-best seven she hit en route to a career-high 30 point night on Senior Night against North Plainfield on January 31, 2023. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Taylor Derkack, Colonia: The Patriots didn’t have the team year they wanted in 2022-23, after a program year a season ago, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort by the junior who wears No. 4 on her back, but finished No. 1 in Middlesex County in scoring, with 603 points, an average of 21.5 per game. She blew past the 1,000-point mark this year, and should pass graduating dynamic duo teammate Matti Chiera’s all-time school mark of 1,514 next year. She’s just 179 points behind, and 665 away from 2,000. After scoring 603 this year, that could be within reach.

Colonia’s Taylor Derkack holds the ball in the GMC Tournament Girls’ Championship Game against St. Thomas Aquinas on February 18, 2023 at Monroe Township High School. The Patriots won their opening round state playoff game Monday night. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Casey Miller, Bound Brook: Miller capped a great career with the Crusaders with a 520-point season, to put here in the 1,000-point club, finishing her four-year varsity career with 1,126 points. Even as the Crusaders slumped to an 11-14 campaign, she was out there night after night putting up big numbers, trying to will her team to a win. She averaged 20.8 points a game – second only to Prep’s Blakes – scoring in double figures in all but two games, but topping 30 four times, scoring a career-high 34 in a late January road win against a ranked North Plainfield club.

*Casey Miller of Bound Brook (Source: Assistant Coach Lacey Meyer @laceymeyer on Twitter)*

June 22, 2022June 21, 2022 by Mike Pavlichko

Central Jersey Sports Radio Baseball Player of the Year: North Brunswick’s Zack Konstantinovsky

There are so many great student-athletes in Middlesex and Somerset Counties, in any sport.

But when it came time to pick one, single baseball player overall for the 2022 season, the choice was a no-brainer.

The player must be dominant; that’s a simple criteria. But to do it on the mound, while also being a hitter no one wanted to face at the plate, that just made the choice one that required very little thought: North Brunswick’s Zack Konstantinovsky.

And, unfortunately for the rest of the GMC, he’s only a junior. That means another season of blowing through hitters, working at his fast pace. And of being pitched around at the plate, depending who else is in the lineup.

On the mound, Konstantinovsky – who will play at Rutgers starting in the 2024 baseball season – threw 67 innings this year, going 7-0, striking out 119, while walking only two batters – one in the regular season, one in the postseason. He allowed only 39 hits, and nine runs – seven of them earned – with a 0.612 WHIP.

At the plate, all he did in the cleanup spot was hit .381, knocking in 27 runs and hitting four homers to go along with seven doubles.

And when it really counted, in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament Final, he outdueled St. Joseph-Metuchen standout Andrew Goldan for a 4-2 win, and the Raiders’ first-ever GMCT title.

Not too shabby.

*North Brunswick with its 2022 GMC Tournament Championship trophy. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko talk with Zack Konstantinovsky, the CJSR 2022 Baseball Player of the Year:

March 30, 2022March 30, 2022 by Mike Pavlichko

Super sophomore Mikayla Blakes is Central Jersey Sports Radio Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year

It’s rare that a senior – sometimes even a junior – isn’t named Player of the Year, in just about any sport, whether in high school or college.

But when someone is as good as Mikayla Blakes, just a sophomore at Rutgers Prep, the class year gets thrown out the window.

And so, Blakes is the inaugural Central Jersey Sports Radio Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year, an honor that’s well-deserved.

The numbers are impressive. Consider that as a frosh in the short COVID year she scored double figures in seven of 13 games – and in each of the season’s final five games – her encore was even more impressive: 18.3 points per game, and double figures in all but three games – two of which were blowout wins, while the other was a loss to Westtown, PA.

But she was so much more than the numbers showed. A double-threat, she could get hot from downtown – hitting five times in a game twice, including against Gill St. Bernard’s in the Somerset County Tournament final – but was devastating off the drive as well.

And as she explained to Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko this week, there’s a reason for that.

Click below to hear Rutgers Prep’s Mikayla Blakes talk about her 2021-22 season:

March 29, 2022March 29, 2022 by Mike Pavlichko

Trojans’ Adam Silas named CJSR Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year

Even in a year when St. Thomas Aquinas lost the de facto GMC championship to Colonia, junior Adam Silas was one of the best players on the floor.

In his senior year, he was almost always the best player on the floor. Even on the rare night he didn’t pour in 20-plus points, or have double digits in assists or rebounds, Silas was always doing something to lead and steer his team to new heights, like beating Gill St. Bernard’s in a battle for No. 1 in the Bellamy Top Ten, or holding off Colonia to win the program’s second GMCT title.

For that, he is Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year for the 2021-22 season. (Scroll down to see Honorable Mentions, in no particular order.)

Silas went through a lot to get to North Edison. He started his scholastic career four years ago at St. Benedict’s, which turned out not to be the right fit for him. Silas finally thought he found a home at Marist, but the school closed after his sophomore year.

That’s when he found his new home on Tingley Lane.

Silas scored 12 points a game last year in the COVID-shortened season, but upped his game this year, averaging 19 even, and 5.1 assists per game to boot. And yet, it wasn’t just about the numbers.

*St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Bob Turco (left) and senior guard Adam Silas are all smiles after a huge win over national power Gill St. Bernard’s on February 12, 2022. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

All year, head coach Bob Turco, at least publicly, expected, or maybe just hoped – to have back Jaquan Harris, the Seton Hall-bound point guard who was the leader of the team. He suffered an ACL injury late last basketball season, and missed all of football. But he never came back. And slowly, but surely, the leadership role fell to Silas, who welcomed it with open arms.

Click below to hear CJSR’s Mike Pavlichko talk with 2021-22 Player of the Year Adam Silas of St. Thomas Aquinas: