Sterns Trailer starts 2025 with a win

By Walter J. O’Neill, Jr.

Derrick Woods (22) of Sterns Trailer goes up and over Colin Byrne (3) of Ortho-NJ in Jersey Shore Basketball League action.

The start of the 57th season of the Jersey Shore Basketball League tipped off on June 24, at Manasquan High School. Sterns Trailer, who has won the last three JSBL titles seems to have their sights on a fourth straight crown as they beat Ortho NJ 113-108 to start 2025.

This summer Sterns Trailer has an entire new look. For the first time in years, they are loaded with big men and strong, fast, and accurate guards. The JSBL has always been a guards’ league, with running and shooting. However, this year looks to be a season for big men.

Ron Pastore, who coached Sterns Trailer to several titles is now the general manager and responsible for getting the talent to go for the title again this year, which will be their sixth overall.

Sterns Trailer won their first title in 2005, when they beat USA Financial 106-95. Then in 2012 that they took their second championship with a 110-100 win over T&T Coast. In 2022, Sterns Trailer beat Orthopaedic Institute 119-117, in 2023 they faced Orthopaedic Institute and won 93-87. Last summer they faced Sea View Jeep in the finals and easily won 114-90 winning their third consecutive title.

Last season, Diggy Coit, who scored 56 points in that championship game, went on to play ball at Kansas and now at Maryland and unfortunately will not be playing this summer in the JSBL. “It’s a shame as he is a very exciting player and fan favorite. However, we have Jakari Spence, Larry Smith, Jalen Gaffney and Kevin Mateo as our ball handlers this summer and they are all amazing players,” said Pastore.

He also has Parker Dortch returning for another summer. Dortch, who stands 6’7” is a powerhouse under the boards defensively and offensively. Also returning from last summer is 6’8” Alanzo Frink, who has dropped some weight and looks faster and stronger.

One of the big additions this summer for Sterns Trailer is Rasheen Merlin, 6’10” center, who played his high school ball at Washington Township and college ball at Rowan College and Winston-Salem State. Another big man is 6’8” Derrick Woods who played at Saint Peter’s.

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

“We’re also hoping that Anthony Selby, 6’5” forward, Christian Lyons a 6’4” forward and 6’4” guard and forward Ron Ukawuba will return to play this summer for us,” said Pastore. A majority of the JSBL players are either current NCAA Division 1 players or recent graduate playing professional overseas or in the NBA G-League. “Have to remember, the players in the JSBL do not get paid or compensated for playing, they come here for the love of the game and the league.”

Ortho-NJ has been lead the past few summers by Raritan HS graduate and Wagner star Mike Aaman, George Papas, who graduated from Monmouth University and Denzel Mensah, who was the all-time leading scorer at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

In the 113-108 Sterns Trailer win, Spence was the leading scorer with 30 points. He also had four rebounds and three assists. The rest of the scoring for Sterns Trailer was evenly spread out. Smith finished with 15 points, five rebounds and four assists. Woods had 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists. Two players finished with 13 points; Frink and Gaffney. Dortch had 12 points, five rebounds, one assist and one block. Merlin finished with eight points, pulled down 12 rebounds and had one block. Also getting eight points was Mateo, who also had two assists and two steals.

Leading Ortho-NJ in the loss was Mensah who had 30 points. He finished with a double-double as he had 10 rebounds. He also assisted in five baskets and had two steals. Aaron Goldstein had 19 points, Mike Dunne scored 18, Colin Byrne scored 15, Jesse Steele had 14, and Mike Aaman, 6’8”, finished with 10. The other big man for Ortho-NJ was Tommy Conniff, 6’11” had two points and nine rebounds.

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