Shore stars nominated for McDonald’s All-American games

The Jersey Shore could be well represented when the prestigious McDonald’s All-American game for top high school seniors is played in Houston’s Toyota Center on April 2.

St. Rose forward Matt Hodge is one of the nominees, with 6-8 Villanova commit listed among six New Jersey players nominated for the game on the boys’ side. In addition, two players who transferred this season to College Achieve Asbury Park, a startup charter school program, are nominated, including LaSalle commit Michael “Deuce” Jones and 6-10 Eunique Rink.

In addition, the Shore has a flood of talent listed on the girls side, with the seven nominees, including: Allison Cannon, Holmdel; Julia Karpell, St. John Vianney; Hope Masonius, Katharine Collins and McKenna Karlson, Manasquan; Devyn Quigley, Manchester and Megan Sias, Toms River North

The final teams of 24 boys and girls players who will participate in the game will be unveiled Jan. 24 on ESPN.

Hodge, a native of Belgium, is rated among the top-5 players in New Jersey’s Class of 2024 by numerous scouting services. He led the Purple Roses to the NJSIAA Non-Public B championship game last season, before falling to Roselle Catholic. The Purple Roses are 9-1 this season, with Hodge coming off a 27point performance in a win over St. Benedict’s Saturday.

The last time a Shore Conference athletes competed in the game was 2019, when Ranney’s Bryan Antoine and Scottie Lewis both played in the game. Other Shore Conference players to participate include Lakewood’s J.R. Smith and CBA’s John Crotty.

On the girls’ side, Manasquan star Marina Mabrey, now in the WNBA, was co-MVP of the 2015 McDonald’s game.

Also nominated from New Jersey on the boys side is Rutgers-bound Dylan Harper from Don Bosco Prep, Auburn commit Tahaad Pettiford from Hudson Catholic, and St. John’s-bound guard Jaiden Glover from the Patrick School.