Boys Basketball – VOTE: Orthopaedic Institute Week 7 Player of the Week

Each week over the course of the high school basketball season, Shore Sports Network recognizes the top performers in each division of Shore Conference boys basketball and gives the readers a chance to weigh in.

Read about the eight candidates - six divisional players of the week and two wild cards - from last week and pick the one you think has the best case as the overall Player of the Week, with the winner taking home a Surf Taco gift card. Vote once per hour in the poll at the bottom of the post until voting ends on Wednesday at 10 p.m.

Class A North Player of the Week

James Anderson, Middletown South

Anderson helped close out a near-perfect regular-season for the Eagles with three more stellar scoring performances. The senior scored 25 points twice last week, the first time in a win over Long Branch and again in a win over Freehold Township to complete a 14-0 season in Class A North. Anderson finished off the week with 19 points in a win over rival Middletown North.

Class A North Honorable Mention: Colin Farrell, CBA; Ryan Neely, Freehold Boro; Joe Lardaro, Freehold Twp.; Aleksy Friedman, Marlboro; Alex Ratner, Marlboro; Ryan Knorr, Manalapan; Luke Albrecht, Middletown South

Class A Central Player of the Week

C.J. Ruoff, Red Bank Catholic

Red Bank Catholic won only one game last week but it was against one of the toughest three-game stretches any Shore team has faced this season. Ruoff hit double-figure scoring in each game, including 20 points in Saturday’s win over CBA. On Thursday, he scored 15 and hit a three-pointer with 30 seconds left that cut Holmdel’s lead to 51-50 after the Hornets led by 13 earlier in the quarter. Ruoff opened the week with 10 points in a 60-42 loss to No. 1 Manasquan.

Class A Central Honorable Mention: Doug Chan, Holmdel; Geoff Schroeder, Rumson-Fair Haven; Alex Baker, Holmdel; Ben Roy, Manasquan; Kieran Flanagan, Manasquan; Jack Collins, Manasquan; John Beattie, St. Rose; Justin Rivera, Raritan; Kevin Bauman, Red Bank Catholic

Class A South Player of the Week

Riley Engelhard, Toms River East

Engelhard has been a rebounding and shot-blocking force all season for Toms River East and those qualities, plus his reliable scoring prowess, were on display last week. Engelhard scored 12 points to go with 10 rebounds and six blocks in a win over Toms River South and then put up 16 points, 20 rebounds and three blocks in a Raiders rout of Central.

Class A South Honorable Mention: Brandon Bautista, Brick; T.J. McArthur, Brick Memorial; Jakari Spence, Toms River North; Colin Baker, Toms River North; Najae Hallenbeck, Toms River North; Ben Ridgway, Southern; Mike Goodall, Toms River East

Class B North Player of the Week

John Beukers, Matawan

Matawan needed a win this week to qualify for the Shore Conference Tournament had to get one against two tough opponents. The Huskies struck early in the week with a blowout win over Red Bank, which Beuekers helped ignite with 16 points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots. Matawan came up short at Class B North division champion Wall to close the week, but Beukers stepped up with a team-high 18 points in a 65-58 loss.

Class B North Honorable Mention: Matt Spencer, Middletown North; Jack Miller, Ocean; Alex Leiba, St. John Vianney; Colin Ackerman, Wall; Quinn Calabrese, Wall

Class B Central Player of the Week

Jake Clark, Point Beach

Needing to win both its games this week to make it back to the SCT following a one-win season in 2018-19, Point Beach came through thanks, in large part, to Clark. The senior guard, who missed most of last season due to injury while his team struggled, scored 14 points in a win over Henry Hudson, then put up 31 points, six rebounds and five assists to carry Point Beach to a 67-60 win over Keyport that clinched an SCT berth and completed a season sweep of the Red Raiders.

Class B Central Honorable Mention: D.J. Thomson, Keyport; Davon Jackson, Keansburg; Elijah Perkins, Ranney; Kyle Rhoden, Ranney; Eryck Brown, Asbury Park

Class B South Player of the Week

Alex Drucquer, Point Boro

Point Boro entered the week under duress, having lost four out of five games and facing Barnegat and Donovan Catholic to close out its division schedule. With Lakewood threatening to run away with the B South title, Point Boro had to beat Barnegat to stay in the race and did just that thanks to a buzzer-beater by Drucquer in overtime. The senior guard scored 21 in that win and put up 12 in an overtime loss to Donovan Catholic to close out the regular season.

Class B South Honorable Mention: Ryan Savoy, Lakewood; Josh Kline, Pinelands; Ty’zon Jackson, Barnegat

Wild Cards

Jakari Spence, Toms River North

Spence was a scoring machine again last week, which he opened with 24 points and five assists in a win over Central while also passing Mike Ritacco as the program’s all-time leading scorer. The senior guard followed with 23 points in a win over Jackson Memorial that clinched Toms River North’s fifth straight unbeaten season in Class A South. Finally, Spence recorded his first career triple-double, tallying 26 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a road win over a talented New Brunswick squad.

Geoff Schroeder, Rumson-Fair Haven

After a rough stretch of games, Rumson rebounded with a two-win week behind two strong scoring performances by Schroeder. The sophomore scored 25 points in a win over Shore and rung up 33 in a 20-point win over Raritan.