Wayne, N.J………Hoop Journal watched some Fallball games at the Wayne Pal and saw some Bergen and Passaic teams and talent for the upcoming season! St. Joseph’s H.S., Wayne Valley H.S., Wayne Hills H.S., Manchester H.S., Passaic Valley H.S., Fairlawn H.S. and Indian Hills H.S. were some of the area teams involved in play! While the games were interesting and competitive, their were some nice individual balling going on! The two most impressive were probably Wayne Valley’s Senior guard Jay Mustafa(right) and Manchester’s Senior guard Tuhray Smith(left)! Mustafa dropped 28 in his game, while Smith scored 21 in his contest! Other strong play came from Manchester senior Nafee Lighty, St. Joe’s Terrence McNair(jr.) and Austin Hliboki(sr.), Passaic Valley’s Olumide Onajide(sr.) and Jamir Lennon(sr.) and Stefan Minic(soph.), Fairlawn’s Joshua Ortiz(sr.) and Wayne Hills Gezim Usini(sr.), Harris Hunt(jr.) and Scott Wills(soph.)! St. Joe’s and Wayne Valley look like very competitive squads while Passaic Valley still looks like they will be a problem! The true test is just around the corner!

    In our first profile of the new basketball year, Hoop Journal is featuring Hackensack Highschool’s combo guard Mershan Monroe! Mershan is the only Senior on the roster for the Comets and will take on a lead role this coming season! A high I.Q. player who plays the game the right way, the smooth playing Monroe can put it on the floor, hit the medium range jumper and defend with the best of them! He also has the knack for hitting big shots in crucial situations as he does not get rattled! His name will be on the map for the coming season!

 

 

FUN FACTS:         Hgt: 5’9        Wgt: 175

 

 

AGE: 18                                 D.O.B.: July 14, 1993

 

 

NICKNAME:  “Shan”

 

 

PARENTS: John Monroe and Valerie Easley

 

 

SIBLINGS:   Marquis Easley- brother

 

 

Who Inspires You(Non Basketball): My Brother Marquis

 

 

Favorite Basketball Team:  Miami Heat

 

 

Favorite Basketball Player:   LeBron James

 

 

Favorite Alltime Sneaker:   Jordan 5’s

 

 

Favorite Artist:  Lil  Wayne

 

 

Hottest Song On Ipod:   “John” by Lil Wayne featuring Rick Ross

 

 

 

Highschool Goals:  To Win The Bergen County Jamboree and State “CHIP” and to get my grades right!

 

 

 

Future Goals: Go To College And Play Ball In School!

 

 

 

 

Something People Would Be Surprised To Know About You:   Love Having Conversations With My Grandmother

 

 

 

 

Favorite College Team: Don’t Have One

 

 

 

 

Schools Interested In You: Rutgers Newark and other D2 and D3 schools

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kennedy H.S., Paterson,New Jersey…….The Playaz Basketball Club sponsored Fallball League is by far one of the best leagues in the State, with some of the best talent and teams involved! Concluding it’s 5th year, the league more than met expectations as the Wednesday Fallball “Chip” went to the Gray Bees and the Monday Fallball”Chip” went to the Essex County Raiders! The Gray Bees beat the Hudson Hawks 79-71 as University of Miami commit Melvin Johnson scored 27 points and was the game M.V.P.! The contest was back and fourth as Hudson’s Junior’s Reggie Cameron and Mike Young help keep it close! But Junior Tyler Ennis and Freshman Isaiah Briscoe complimented Johnson by making big plays late! Briscoe finished with 17 points and Ennis added 16! Cameron scored 25 for the Hawks, while Young finished with 21 points! These two teams made it to the finals by winning semifinal games earlier in the evening! The Gray Bees beat the Somerset County’s Best 76-69 as Johnson and Ennis each scored 18 points, while Briscoe finished with 16! Somerset were led by Junior Jaren Sina with 30 points,including 6″triples” Senior Alex Mottola with 17 points and Senior Dominic Hoffman’s 13! the Hawks reached the final game by holding off the Bergen Highwaymen 77-66! Bergen cut an 18 point halftime deficit down to 2 but the Hawks made a late run to win comfortably! Young led the scoring with a dominating 27 points! Junior Kavon Stewart finished with 16 points, Cameron scored 15 points and Junior Raekwon Kelly chipped in 10!

 

               The Essex County Raiders final game came against crosstown rival Essex Terriors and the game was played as if it was in the backyard with an abundance of emotion throughout! The Raiders won 64-50 going away as Senior Jamal Reed led the scoring with 16 points and Senior Aaron Boddie, who was the game M.V.P. scored 12 points and showed an incredible amount of athleticism! Junior Jarrett Hall was the only Terriors player that played well scoring 17 points in the game! The Raiders reached the finals by coming back from a 15 point deficit to beat the Bergen Comets as Boddie scored 26 points and Reed added 17! Bergen was led by Junior’s Chris Myers and Eugene Marshall with 17 a piece while Sophomore Rashard Figures chipped in 16! The Terriors cruised past the Silk City Knights 64-43! Hall and Senior Yekeh Abel each scored 16 points in the game while the Knights were led with 13 points by Hassan Townes!