Boys basketball: Skyland Conference and western Union County All-Area teams
The 2023-24 season was another exciting campaign in the Skyland Conference and western part of Union County, with local teams producing plenty of hardware.
Here are the players in the area, and those that led their teams this season.
FIRST TEAM
AJ ALTOBELLI
Union Catholic
Guard
Junior
Regarded as one of the top true point guards in the state, Altobelli averaged eight assists per game and was second on the club with 12. 2 points per contest. He had 10 or more assists nine times, with a season-high of 13 in a Jan. 20 win at Scotch Plains-Fanwood. The junior scored in double figures 21 times with a season-high 25 against St. Thomas Aquinas. He will begin his senior year with 785 points and 443 assists.
More: Boys basketball index: Links to the Courier News and Home News Tribune All-Area package
STEVEN DONOHUE
Montgomery
Senior
Guard
Sure, he had plenty of help from teammates, but the senior had one of the best seasons in Montgomery hoop history to match his team’s great season. Donahue returned from a lost junior season because of a broken wrist to lead the Cougars to Central Group 4 and Skyland Conference Valley Division titles. He had a game high 21 points vs Rutgers Prep in the Somerset County Tournament final and game-high 24 against Monroe in the sectional final win. The 6-foot-4 guard will play at Franklin & Marshall.
More: Boys basketball: Montgomery’s Steve Donahue is the Courier News Player of the Year
MICAH GORDON
Plainfield
Freshman
Guard
He was the center of the Cardinals jump from 4-18 to 19-8 that included a trip to the North 2 Group 4 final against eventual state champ Elizabeth. Gordon, who averaged 19.7 points per game, led the team in points (533), assists (134), steals (71) and 3-pointers (52), and was third in rebounds (138). He led a 12-0 run in the sectional final that tied Elizabeth before the Minutemen won 69-67. He had a game-high 29 points in the final and scored 96 points in the four sectional games. He had a double-double in his first varsity game – 25 points, 10 rebounds in a 54-33 win over Union.
JACOB CANTON
Rutgers Prep
Freshman
Guard
The rookie had a superb debut for the Somerset County and Skyland Delaware Division champs, leading the team with 435 points and 125 assists. He had a season-high 31 points in a win over Skyland Delaware rival Franklin, then went for 25 in another big division win at Hillsborough. Both games in January. He was an impact player from start to finish. He averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game,
FRANCIS DENVIR
Delaware Valley
Senior
Guard
Denvir was the leader of the Terriers’ strong season that ended in a tight loss to Manasquan in the Central Group 2 semifinals. Denvir scored 10 of his game-high 22 points from the foul line in the section quarterfinal 74-65 overtime win over Spotswood. He hit a program record 47 points in a win over Roselle, and became the ninth Terrier to reach the 1,000-career point mark in the same game. He led the team with 558 points and in steals with 83. He hit a game-winner at the buzzer from inside the opposite foul line (about 75 feet away) to give the Terriers a 50-47 victory against Hamilton West in their last regular season game.
SECOND TEAM
Myles Parker, Rutgers Prep, Jr.
Bohdan Biekietov, Montgomery, Jr.
Elijah Peters, Union Catholic, Sr.
Phil Unangst, Hillsborough, Sr.
Cam Brown, Franklin, Sr.
THIRD TEAM
Jackson Morrison, Bound Brook, Jr.
Luke Schorr, Union Catholic, Jr.
Matt Schwartz, Hunterdon Central, Sr.
John Kelly, Watchung Hills, Sr.
Shane Sheehan, Westfield, Sr.
HONORABLE MENTION
Bernards: Connor Laverty
Bound Brook: Jeremiah Williams, Jarred Wooden
Bridgewater-Raritan: Collin Woodring
Delaware Valley: Eric Klemmer, Danny Shapiro
Franklin: Ja’naad Cady, Landen Miller
Gill St. Bernards: Kobe Closell, Stanley Kjekwe
Governor Livingston: Pat McGrath
Hillsborough: Jayden Green, Zion Harrison
Hunterdon Central: Layndyn Marsh, Weston Shirk
Immaculata: Chigozie Anyora, Cole Hayden
Manville: Tyler Kesolitz, Edryn Morales
Montgomery: Jack Fromelt, Ethan Lin
New Providence: Corey Rust, Peyton Pazdera
North Hunterdon: James DelSantro
Pingry: Trey Maultsby, Donnie Gregory
Plainfield: Ala-Meen Watkins, Rashawn Williams
Ridge: Luke Kreitz, Owen Chwatek,
Rutgers Prep: Andrew Kretkowski, Rocco Loomis
Scotch Plains-Fanwood: Jaden Carpien, Sam Sponheimer
Somerville: Brady Scheier, Quinn Carran
South Hunterdon. Aaron Zalescik
Union Catholic: Yaw Ansong, FK Muntari
Voorhees: Jackson Trego
Watchung Hills: Aidan Hockmeyer, Zack Patetta
Westfield: Enzo Ferrero
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Boys basketball: Skyland Conf. and western UCC All-Area teams
