Sterns Trailer Sets Records And Milestones This Summer

By Walter J. O’Neill, Jr.

Jersey Shore Basketball League 56th season finals had Sterns Trailer beating Sea View Jeep 114-90. It was the third consecutive JSBL title for Sterns Trailer. Pictured are head coach Christine Hatfield; Joe Marapondi assistant coach; Fred Stern; Ron Pastore general manager and MVP David Coit.

The Jersey Shore Basketball League just completed its 56th season of summer hoops. It was one of the most competitive years setting a few records in the process. Sterns Trailer became the first team since 1971 to win three consecutive JSBL titles.

Sterns Trailer is also the first team to win a title with a female head coach and had one player set the scoring record in a finals games. August 8, Christine Hatfield led Sterns Trailer to a 114-90 win over Sea View Jeep. In that win, David Coit scored 56 points for Sterns Trailer breaking the 1974 record of 55 points set by Earl Foreman, who played for Larson Ford.

In the championship game against Sea View Jeep, Sterns Trailer took a 24-20 lead in the first quarter and outscored their opponents 27-25 in the second quarter. It was the second half where Sterns Trailer excelled. They outscored Sea View Jeep 32-28 in the third and the final 10 minutes had scored 31 and held Sea View Jeep to 17 points.

Coit made nine of 21 attempts from the three-point area for 27 of his game-high and league record 56 points. He was three of five from the foul line, pulled down seven rebounds and had four assists. When told that he broke a finals scoring record that stood for 50 years he was shocked. “You mean that Jay Rob (Justin Robinson) didn’t beat that? I’m sorry that he wasn’t here tonight. If we lost tonight and he wasn’t here, that wouldn’t be good,” said Coit.

Breaking a 50-year old JSBL finals scoring record was David Coit (2) of Sterns Trailer. He had 56 points in the 114-90 win over Sea View Jeep. The old record of 55 points was set in 1974 by Earl Foreman.

In 2022 Robinson set the record by scoring 48 points per-game during that summer, has been a fan favorite of the JSBL and inducted into the Hall of Fame last year. He plays for Sea View Jeep, but missed the finals as he signed a new contract to play professionally overseas and left the morning of the 2024 finals. “Robinson is an inspiration to many of us with what he has accomplished at Monmouth University, playing professionally overseas and what he has done here in the JSBL,” said Coit. This was his first season in the JSBL and he made it exciting. “Getting to meet Robinson and playing against him this summer was an honor. And I love putting a show on for the fans and the kids in the stands. They love the sport and I love it, so playing hard and putting on a great show is very important to me.”

It is reported that Coit will be playing his final college season at the University of Kanas, as he entered the transfer portal this year. Pastore said that Coit promised to return next summer as did the rest of his championship Sterns Trailer squad.

Parker Dortch finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block for Sterns. Also getting 15 points was Larry Smith who had three rebounds and four steals. Mason Jones had 12 points and three rebounds in the win.

Leading Sea View Jeep was Xander Rice, recent graduate of Monmouth University where his dad is head coach. Rice scored 23 for Sea View Jeep and had eight assists. Roy Mabrey finished with 19, Max Mahoney scored 18, and Tyrone O’Garro and Collin Stewart each had 12 in the loss.

Stern’s History And a New Coach

Back in 1989 a story appeared in the newspapers that the JSBL was looking to add teams. Fred Stern, owner of Sterns Trailer, contacted the league and said he would sponsor a team but needed a coach. They told him about a guy who had a history in the JSBL and was coaching in Long Branch.

Stern went to the Long Branch Middle School and sat in the stands while Ron Pastore coached his Green Wave squad to victory. “I didn’t know that he was in the stands and scouting me. But he was asking parents and spectators questions about me and my abilities,” said Pastore. One week later Stern reached out to Pastore and a 35-year friendship has ensued.

“I coached Sterns Trailer to their first JSBL title in 2005. We won again in 2012 and 2022,” said Pastore. In 2023, Pastore took on the responsibility of general manager and was recruiting players and coaches. Sterns Trailer won the title in 2023, making them the first back-to-back champions since Sea View Jeep did it in 2016 and 2017.

Christine Hatfield became the first woman to coach a Jersey Shore Basketball Team to a championship win with the Sterns Trailer win. Here Mason Jones and his teammates celebrate her milestone.

“This year, I needed to go in a direction with a coaching staff that was more in line with my ideas. And that coach was Christine Hatfield, who was assistant coach in last year’s championship run,” Pastore said.

“I started coaching fifth and sixth grade girls’ basketball at St. Rose grammar school in 2012. The following year I moved to seventh and eighth grade, and still I’m coaching that program today,” said Hatfield. Joe Whalen, who was head coach of the St. Rose HS girls team in 2017, asked Hatfield to be his assistant coach. “That season we won the Shore Conference Tournament. Joe left the following season and the new head coach, Mary Beth Chamber, didn’t keep me on the staff.” However, one year later, Chamber had Hatfield back on the bench as an assistant until 2023.

“When Mary Beth left last season, St. Rose High School hired me as the head varsity coach. I have also coached the AAU Central Jersey Hawks for two years,” added Hatfield. Basketball is in her blood, as Hatfield stated that her mom is the oldest of 11 in the Paterno family from Spring Lake. “Almost all of them played high school basketball and half played in college.”

As a kid, Hatfield grew up in gyms from St. Catherine’s, St. Rose and CBA. Spending lots of time with her grandparents growing up, they would also head out to Fordham, Monmouth, Wagner, Kean and Marist to watch basketball games. “We did that multiple times a week my entire childhood. I learned my love of the game from my family,” said Hatfield.

When asked if it was a big difference going from high school girls coaching to the JSBL, her answer was very insightful. “I do not believe there is a significant difference in coaching males vs females. It’s all hard work, dedication, teamwork and a strong desire to win which exist in all of the teams I have had the privilege of coaching,” said Hatfield. However, when it came time for the summer league, it’s a different game. “What makes JSBL different is that these are all athletes that have already excelled at the collegiate and professional level, so it is less coaching per se and more game management. These guys know the game, have strong basketball IQ, can all score, easily adjust defenses on the fly and know what it takes to get the win.”

She added the challenging part is that all of the guys want playing time, but you can only get five on the floor at a time. “If a certain five guys are clicking, you want to let them stay on the court and sometimes that affects the minutes for others. I think that has been the hardest aspect of coaching in the JSBL,” Hatfield said.

Standing at only 5’2” tall, Hatfield has earned the confidence and respect of all the players on Sterns Trailer roster, most of them standing at 6’6” or better. “I have to thank Ron Pastore and Fred Stern for the opportunity to coach in the JSBL. I have learned so much from them and the players and I hope to get the opportunity again next summer,” Hatfield said.

Additional photos of the game will be at www.Facebook.com/TheLinkSports

Sterns Trailer beacme the first team since 1971 to win three consecutive Jersey Shore Basketball League titles. This was their fifth overall title with the 114-90 win over Sea View Jeep.