Sterns Trailer wins back-to-back JSBL titles

Fred Sterns (center) proudly holds the 2023 Jersey Shore Basketball League “Larson Trophy” as the league champions. It is the second consecutive title for Sterns Trailer, who also finished this summer with a perfect 10-0 season.

By Walter J. O’Neill, Jr.

The finals of the 2023 Jersey Shore Basketball League were played Thursday night, August 3, at Manasquan High School. This is the 55^th year of JSBL that had top seed and defending champions Sterns Trailer facing third seed OrthoNJ.

Games are 40 minutes and for 39 minutes and 35 seconds, OrthoNJ was in command of the game. At one point they were up 20 points on Sterns Trailer. But the last 30 seconds of the game were controlled by Shavar Reynolds, a Manchester HS graduate and played at Seton Hall University and Monmouth University; Myles Cale who played at Appoquinimink HS in Delaware and a teammate of Reynolds at Seton Hall; and Jakari Spence, Toms River North HS and current Monmouth University player. Sterns Trailer pulled out the 93-87 victory with only seconds to play.

With 2:43 to play in the game, Reynolds had a big block on a shot by OrthoNJ. He then grabbed the loose ball and threw to Spence, who made the basket and pulled Sterns Trailer within four points, 85-81.

Cale then had a huge basket with 1:10 to play as he drove hard to the hoop and cut the OrthoNJ lead to two-points, 87-85.

With 28 seconds to play, Spence stole the ball from Mike Aaman and hit a basket giving Sterns Trailer the lead. With 10 seconds to play he blocked an OrthoNJ shot that sealed the back-to-back wins for Sterns. It also capped off a perfect 10-0 season, only the third team in the 55-year history to have an unbeaten season.

Reynolds was high man with 31 points, five rebounds, 11 assists, and one block. He was also named back-to-back most valuable player of the JSBL championship game.

Cale was right on Reynolds heels with 30 points. He also pulled down eight rebounds, had one assist and one steal. He was shooting three-point shots with precision during the game.

Larry Smith was the third highest scorer for Sterns Trailer with 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Spence finished with seven points, his lowest turnout of the season, but pulled down three rebounds, had one assist, one steal and one block.

“I am so happy for our players, our general manager Ron Pastore and coaches Joe Whalen and Christine Hatfield,” said Fred Stern, sponsor of Sterns Trailer. He added that Greg Kapalko, Chairman of the JSBL Board of Governors, and his son Eddie, who handles all social media and is the webmaster, have done an amazing job in revitalizing the league. “This was the most competitive season in years. All the teams were so equally matched, and for us to win back-to-back titles and go undefeated is a testament to the recruiting strength of Ron,” Stern said.

Leading OrthoNJ in scoring was Ray Salnave, who played at Monmouth University, DePaul and the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He finished with 25 points, eight rebounds, one assist, two steals and one block.

George Papas, Union Catholic High School and Monmouth University graduate, finished with 23 points, three rebounds, and four assists. His teammate, Louie Pillari a graduate of CBA and Monmouth University, scored 20 points, had four rebounds and one assist.

Mike Aaman, graduate of Raritan High School and played at Rhode Island and Wagner, is the big man on the floor for OrthoNJ. The 6’8” Aaman led the JSBL in rebounds this summer with 152 rebounds and 152 points. In the loss to Sterns Trailer, Aaman had 10 points, 14 rebounds and one assist.

For more information on the Jersey Shore Basketball League, please visit: https://jsbl.leaguerepublic.com/index.html

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