The 2014-15 Hudson Reporter All-Area Boys’ and Girls’ High School Basketball Teams represent some of the most talented players that Hudson County has ever produced, especially on the girls’ side.
So let’s start there for a change.
The amount of talent on the Hudson Reporter All-Area Girls’ High School Basketball Team has no parallel. It is an astounding litany of top flight players, making historic strides.
How’s this for a slice of history? Four of the five honorees on the 2014-15 All-Area First Team are repeat honorees.
That’s right. Julia McClure and Andie Lennon from Hudson County Tournament champion Secaucus, Icies Hammer of North Bergen and Kiante Johnson of Lincoln were all named to the First Team last year and repeated their performances again this year. That says a lot right there.
The repeat honorees are joined this season by Samantha Hines of Ferris.
Let’s take it one step further. McClure joins a miniscule handful of players to earn First Team honors in all four years of high school. Teammate Lennon and Hammer were selected on the All-Area team for all four years, but only McClure was a First Team honoree in all four years. That’s quite an honor and certainly a distinction.
All four of the repeat First Team honorees scored way more than 1,000 points in their respective careers. Johnson tallied 1,702 points, followed by Lennon with 1,631, Hammer with 1,582 and McClure with 1,494.
When was the last time that an All-Area team provided that much offensive firepower?
Hammer and Hines both averaged better than 20 points per game this season, with Johnson right behind at 19.2. Again, solid numbers all around.
With that in mind, the 2014-15 Hudson Reporter Girls’ High School Basketball Player of the Year is none other than McClure, who averaged 13.7 points, 11.5 rebounds and four assists per game for the Patriots, who won the Hudson County Tournament for the first time in school history and posted a school-record 27-1 record.
McClure, who leaves Secaucus after collecting 1,494 points and 1,141 rebounds, has already accepted a scholarship to play basketball next season at Wagner College. There’s no question that McClure has etched a permanent place in the Secaucus record books and there will be a time when her name is added to the already impressive list of Secaucus High School Hall of Famers. Both McClure and Lennon had remarkable basketball careers at the school.
The Hudson Reporter Girls’ High School Basketball Coach of the Year is Tom Corradino of Ferris.
Led by the return to action of the spectacular Hines, Corradino guided the Bulldogs to a 17-7 record after winning just four games last season. Because of the dramatic turnaround, the Bulldogs were able to qualify for the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group III playoffs for the first time in seven years.
It was definitely a breakthrough season for Corradino and the Bulldogs, although they will sorely miss Hines when she leaves to graduation in June.
The 2014-15 Hudson Reporter Boys’ High School Basketball Team is a solid group, but doesn’t have the historic perspective and offensive numbers that the girls’ team produced.
On this year’s team, only St. Anthony senior Markis McDuffie is a repeat honoree from last year’s First Team. Hudson Catholic’s Nassir Barrino and Weehawken’s McKay LeDuke were both Second Team selections last year.
Those three are joined on this year’s First Team by Jagan Mosely of St. Anthony and Issac Neal, Jr. of Snyder.
The 2014-15 Hudson Reporter Boys’ High School Basketball Player of the Year is McDuffie, who averaged close to 15 points and more than seven rebounds per game for the Friars, who had a 28-2 record and won the NJSIAA Non-Public B North state sectional title for the sixth straight year.
McDuffie, headed to Wichita State in the fall, was as smooth a performer as one would find in New Jersey high school basketball this season.
The 2014-15 Hudson Reporter Boys’ High School Basketball Coach of the Year is Drew Morano of Union City, who guided the Soaring Eagles to an impressive 19-7 record without having one true go-to scorer and after starting the season off with a somewhat slow start. Morano has carved his niche as an excellent high school basketball coach, following in the footsteps of his father, Hank, who was a legendary player and later long-time coach at the old Emerson High School.
Hank Morano is living these days in retirement comfortably in Florida. He has to be proud of the fine coach his little boy has turned out to be. – Jim Hague
2014-15 Hudson Reporter Girls’ H.S. Basketball All-Area Team
FIRST TEAM
Julia McClure, Secaucus
Icies Hammer, North Bergen
Kiante Johnson, Lincoln
Andie Lennon, Secaucus
Samantha Hines, Ferris
SECOND TEAM
Hannah Johnson, St. Dominic Academy
Kristina Ulrich, Secaucus
Zhan’e Williams, Lincoln
Madison McGlone, Bayonne
Nellasia Cedeno, Union City
THIRD TEAM
Natalie Cortes, Lincoln
Jillian Jover, North Bergen
Jasmine Reese, Marist
Tania Smith, Hudson Catholic
Zyearah Taylor-Gaston, St. Anthony
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Julia McClure, Secaucus
COACH OF THE YEAR: Tom Corradino, Ferris
2014-15 Hudson Reporter Boys’ H.S. Basketball All-Area Team
FIRST TEAM
Markis McDuffie, St. Anthony
Nassir Barrino, Hudson Catholic
Jagan Mosely, St. Anthony
Isaac Neal, Jr., Snyder
McKay LeDuke, Weehawken
SECOND TEAM
Mark Thomas, Marist
Sammy Friday, Hudson Catholic
Logan Santiago, Marist
Tyshon Hanberry, Hoboken
Abraham Felix, Union City
THIRD TEAM
Taurean Thompson, St. Anthony
R.J. Cole, St. Anthony
Jahvon Quinerly, Hudson Catholic
Alain Ravelo, Weehawken
Anthony Florence, Dickinson
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Markis McDuffie, St. Anthony
COACH OF THE YEAR: Drew Morano, Union City