North Jersey Male Athlete of the Week secures history and hardware in his final game
Chris Cervino was at peace with the fact that he would fall a little bit short.
The Ramapo senior went into his final high school game with a distant chance at 1,000 points, but winning a state title was more important than personal accolades.
Then the shots started falling. And falling. And falling.
As the lead continued to grow, the Raiders made sure to work the ball around to the 6-foot-0 guard.
"When he got six away, that's when the bench started to talk about it," Ramapo coach Nick Vier said. "And that's when I first found out he was that close."
Cervino got the history and the hardware after turning in the game of his life in the Group 3 final against Freehold Boro earlier this month. He scored a career-high 34 points before subbing out in the fourth quarter with exactly 1,000 points to his name.
The last shot of his high school career was a right-wing 3-pointer that swished through the net at RWJBarnabas Health Arena. By then, the Raiders were well on their way to a comfortable victory (94-47) and the program's second straight state title.
"It just felt amazing," Cervino said. "To do it two times in a row is an incredible feeling. I just feel honored that my group of guys was the one to do it."
Honors are nothing new for the people around him. Cervino became the third player on the Raiders' roster to earn Athlete of the Week honors, joining seniors Peyton Seals and Wyatt Eglinton Manner in the exclusive club.
On top of that legacy is the one in Cervino's own family. Four relatives went on to play college sports, including his cousin Chaz Cervino (football at Hofstra and Syracuse), who earned his own AOW sketch for a five-touchdown game at DePaul.
"I knew I had to back up the last name," Chris Cervino said. "My cousin Luke was a really good athlete too."
Cervino tried football for a while and played a year of baseball, but the son of a Montclair State point guard was always bound for a life on the hardwood. The Franklin Lakes native started his basketball journey around 3 or 4 years old, then locked down a starting varsity spot by sophomore year.
Playing alongside two college commits in Seals and Eglinton Manner made him dream of a trophy that was missing from Ramapo's collection.
"We knew we wanted to win at least one state championship," Cervino said. "That was a huge goal coming into high school."
This year was Cervino's best at Ramapo. He averaged 13.4 points and 3.9 rebounds and for a team that reached the Bergen Jamboree final and lost only once in its last 16 games. For now, he's still deciding whether to head to the college ranks or take a prep year.
While shooting is his calling card, Cervino has worked on becoming a more complete player.
"He was able to play point guard for us, handle the ball and get to the basket a lot more so he wasn't so one-dimensional," Vier said. "In years past, he was known as a shooter and he still largely is. But I think he's added to his game where he can score off the dribble and get to the basket so defenses have to be wary of that."
That may explain why Cervino went out with his highest scoring total since dropping 60 in a rec game in middle school. (His previous career-high at Ramapo was 21.)
His milestone moment came with about four minutes left when senior Zach Schnorrbusch tracked down an offensive rebound and found Cervino for an uncontested look.
"I had so many emotions going through my head when I hit that because it was my last time ever on a high school floor," Cervino said. "I completely went off in the state championship and I was just excited and just proud."
Chris Cervino
Sport: Basketball
School: Ramapo
Class: Senior. Age: 18
Accomplishment: Cervino scored a career-high 34 points, including the 1,000th of his career, to lead Ramapo past Freehold Boro in the Group 3 final on March 10.
Also nominated: Colin Graham of Dumont for indoor track and field.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bergen Record Male Athlete of the Week: Chris Cervino, Ramapo
