Trenton’s Hutson is our CVC Player of the Year
When you look at the amount of team success, this was undoubtedly one of the best seasons in Colonial Valley Conference boys basketball history.
Twelve of the 14 teams qualified for the state tournament, six won at least one state game, three advanced to sectional title games, two captured sectional titles, and one made it to a state final.
Trenton (29-2) was the cream of the crop overall, setting a school wins record with the top winning percentage in CVC history among teams that played 30 games. The Tornadoes were 13-0 in CVC games to win the Colonial Division title. They won the program’s first Mercer County Tournament title in 15 years and its first Central Jersey Group IV title in five years to produce an 18-0 home record before bowing out in the Group IV state semis against Egg Harbor Township.
For those historic achievements, senior wingman Davontay Hutson is our CVC Player of the Year and Darryl Young is our CVC Coach of the Year.
Nottingham (22-9) surged late in the season by winning five state tournament games including an upset in the Central Jersey Group III final at Ewing and then against South Jersey sectional champion Moorestown to reach the Group III state final at Rutgers.
Senior guard JP Dickerson put the team on his back with 123 points in the state tournament, while coach Chris Raba molded role players to accomplish more than some outsiders believed was possible early in the season.
Ewing (23-5) got back to its storied tradition by winning nine
more games than last year for the Valley Division title and reaching a sectional final in Hall of Fame coach Shelly Dearden’s second year back on the bench.
Robbinsville (17-2) won two state games to reach the Central Jersey Group III semifinals. Despite a midseason slump that saw the team lose nine of 11 games, coach Conor Hayes got his team to persevere and play some of its best basketball at the right time.
Coach Brandon Johnson’s Hamilton West (16-10) and coach Chris Gero’s West Windsor-Plainsboro South (14-13) each won a state tournament game as well. For South, it was the program’s first state win since 2014 and its top record in the past nine years.
Coach Tim Stevens’ Notre Dame (16-10) had an impressive run to the Mercer County Tournament final as the No. 3 seed, knocking off No. 2 seed Ewing in overtime in the semifinals before falling to Trenton.
Coach Don DeLeo’s Hightstown (13-15) beat Princeton to win the Mercer County Invitational, which was a new eight-team consolation bracket for those outside the eightteam MCT field.
Here is a look at the CVC’s top players this winter.
ANTWAN BRIDGETT, TRENTON >> The 5-foot-9 senior point guard led the conference with 6.3 assists and 3.5 steals per game along with averages of 12.1 points and 4.0 rebounds. Bridgett was the key to Trenton’s ability to push the pace and play faster than most teams in the state. He became the program’s 10th player to reach 1,000 points during the MCT final and finished his career with 1,071. JP DICKERSON, NOTTINGHAM >> The 6-foot-2 senior guard finished fourth in the CVC with 16.8 points per game thanks to a postseason surge that got him to 520 in 31 games. He scored a career-high 34 points in the sectional final against Ewing with his smooth ability to penetrate the lane at will and finish underneath the basket. Dickerson also averaged 5.9 rebounds and led Nottingham’s stingy defense with 3.0 steals per game. BEN JACLIN, WW-P SOUTH >> The 6-foot-1 senior guard led the CVC in scoring during the regular season and finished the year with the second-highest points per game (18.2). He made a league-best 113 free throws on 148 attempts. Jaclin also averaged 4.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists. His 30 points in a win against Hightstown on Jan. 6 were a career high, and he steered
South to its first playoff win in nine years with his relentless stamina, ball-handling and scoring ability. DARNELLE FORREST, EWING >> The 5-foot-11 senior guard took a big leap this season by averaging 15.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists to lead the Blue Devils to the second-most wins in the CVC. Forrest stepped up with 22.3 points per game in four state tournament games and was a consistent floor general and defensive presence on the perimeter for Ewing’s balanced machine. DAVONTAY HUTSON, TRENTON >> The 6-foot-2 senior wingman is our CVC Player of the Year for his all-around ability to score, dish it, defend and rebound from anywhere on the court. Hutson averaged 15.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.6 blocks. He reached the 1,000-point plateau on Jan. 10 and finished his career with 1,310 — six points shy of the most in Trenton history. He was also named MCT MVP. CHRIS WILSON, TRENTON >> The 6-foot-3 senior forward was arguably the CVC’s most improved and dynamic weapon with his ability to run the floor and stretch it with 3-pointers, while also having a smooth post game and crafty array of layups. Wilson averaged 13.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks to help raise Trenton to a dominant level this season.
ROBERT EAVES, HIGHTSTOWN >>The 6-foot-5 Montclair State-bound senior center led the CVC with 19.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Eaves netted a career-high 33 points against Perth Amboy Magnet on Feb. 9 during a stretch where he had at least 12 rebounds in five straight games. Eaves had 14 double-doubles and was a consistent force in the paint for the Rams.
The 6-foot-8 Army-bound senior center finished third in the CVC with 17.4 points per game and pulled down 7.5 rebounds per game. Mathelier’s size presented the biggest mismatch for Mercer County opponents. He was also a sharp passer for Notre Dame’s array of shooters. Mathelier ended his career with 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks against Red Bank Catholic in the Non-Public A South Tournament.
DARRYL YOUNG, TRENTON >> The eighth-year head coach guided Trenton to a school record for wins (29) and the second-most in CVC history. Young always had his team supremely conditioned and ready to outwork opponents, and the result was a nearly flawless campaign in which the Tornadoes came within two wins of the program’s first state title in 62 years. Young was only the third CVC coach since 2011 to win both county and sectional titles in the same year.