Rhinebeck’s Spencer is Player of Year
Player of Year: Spencer lifts Rhinbeck to stellar 19-3 mark, netting double-double for season
Jack Spencer was a born rebounder. The shot came later. This year he added the role of team leader. That package all came together in 2016-17 for the Freeman Player of the Year.
Spencer led Rhinebeck High to a 19-3 record, the Mid-Hudson Athletic League’s Division IV title and a spot in the Section 9, Class B finals. The senior averaged a double-double for the season, scoring 22 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
The 1,000-point scorer was quiet as a leader, but certainly loud in his actions on the boards. “I like to play rough and tough inside. I got stuck in that role,” Spencer said. “It was good for me, because in AAU I was always inside getting beat up and stuff. It worked perfectly, because not a lot of people like to do that I found out later on. That was definitely the best of my game, because I wasn’t afraid of getting hurt.
“You can’t really teach that. I guess I’ve always had this aggressive behavior probably from playing football all the time when I was younger. That alone and the drive helped me a lot in becoming a good player.”
His shooting has improved every year. He was steady from mid-range and has developed a soft bank shot off his dribble drives to the basket and fast breaks.
“I think I did a lot better overall than last year,” said Spencer, who was not concerned with his final numbers.
“I wasn’t sure how many points I ended up scoring per game and whether it was a little less or not, but I think this year as a leader for the team I helped out a little bit more,” he said. “I think my assists went up a little bit and I rebounded.”
It was the leader role that concerned him.
“(Head coach Dave) Aierstok and (assistant coach Dave) Jutton told me that to be a big part of this team is to make sure my head stays focused and everyone will follow,” Spencer explained.
“Even though we had
a senior-laden team, a lot of guys didn’t play a lot of minutes the last couple of years. There alone I helped out a lot more. I felt that I did play a better leadership role this year. I feel that I really didn’t understand the role until at practice when I realized that a lot of guys were looking at me for leadership.”
“Even as another senior, I still look up to him, especially because he has been on the team longer than me and was more experienced,” said Rhinebeck teammate and fellow Freeman All-Star Rob Veith.
“He’s one of my best friends, but I look up to him as teammate, mentor, everything. He’s accomplished a lot of stuff that I haven’t accomplished in my high school career and it’s just something to look up to.”
“I’m not like the best vocally, I guess. It always comes off a little bit sarcastically, so definitely by example is the best way I show it,” Spencer said.
“There are certain drills where they joke around a little bit. The next thing you know, no one is focused and that’s my fault. I had to grow personally as a leader to understand that and always had to keep focused because everyone is watching me just for guidance.”
He brought that leadership on game day, too.
“If I dove in there for a ball, everyone else on the team is, ‘Okay’ and start going. If I’m on the bench talking it up loud, everyone will start joining in,” he said.
Spencer noted the influence of past team leaders Eric Rodriguez, Ian Katomski and Hunter Brandt.
“Eric and Ian helped me a lot to grow as a player and then Hunter the next year.”
Spencer has played football, baseball and, for two seasons, was on Rhinebeck’s tennis team. His speed and fearlessness were big intangibles in whatever sport he played.
He joined the varsity late his freshman year and quickly earned a starting spot.
“I barely shot. I wasn’t comfortable shooting. I didn’t make a lot, so I just drove all the time and got rebounds,” Spencer said. “I got my points just from getting a bunch of rebounds and scoring off the fast break,
“Some of the big men on varsity when I got moved up were like, ‘C’mon dude, stop running so fast.’ I was just running and getting rebounds. I don’t think they were mean to me, but it was like they were a little
hostile. I mean, I was taking their spot. I ended up starting after my first game.”
He increased his scoring each year. He averaged 19 points last year and his rise this season made him the target of opposing defenses. It was something he relished. He liked the challenge. He also knew it opened up his teammates.
“I was always in the post kicking out, passing around. This year, with Aidan (Hack) and Robert, too, everyone got better, so we had more guys inside who could do stuff. I was on the outside sometimes passing, which helped. I would draw some more of the defense, leave some of guys more open. We had Lex Kronbichler and Joe (Boland), who got more shots up this year and could shoot better, too. That helped.”
It was the season that Spencer and his mates had been anticipating.
“This is the year that we’ve all been saying the last couple of years like, “Senior year, we’ll get it. Don’t worry about it,’” he noted.
Rhinebeck opened the season with a 15-game win streak. The Hawks lost three of their last seven, all clashes with Spackenkill. The Spartans snapped their win streak, beat them
in the Mid-Hudson Athletic League semifinals and again in the Class B finals.
“We had a great season, no matter what,” Spencer said, “but it ended a little earlier than we’d all wished. What can you do, though?”
The 1,000-point milestone was achieved during the first Spackenkill game, making for a bittersweet moment.
“When I got it, everybody was mad, because we just lost the game and we lost our winning streak,” he said. “They announced it real quick and I got the ball, but the minute I got in the locker room I went, “Come on.” I went home. The next day I was happy, but the victory would have been a little sweeter.
“Don’t get me wrong. It was a great accomplishment,” said Spencer, who finished with 1,133 career points in little more than three years. “I’m glad I got it. I would have liked the victory, too.”
At this point, Spencer does not intend to play in college.
“I don’t think so. I had some offers, but I decided not to,” he said. He hasn’t chosen a college yet, but is eyeing the University at Albany and its excellent Early Assurance Medical College Program.