Sectional Group 3 Finals: Players to Watch

<p>The sectional finals for Group 3 are here as eight teams have a chance to take home a sectional title. Three teams are looking to repeat as champions, while a new winner will be crowned in South Jersey. These finals are terrific opportunities for players to step up their game. Here are the top players to watch in the sectional Group 3 finals.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="896623" first="Moses" last="Pierre"], 6’0 SG Irvington 2020</strong></p> <p>Classmate <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="896627" first="Karriem" last="Thomas"]</strong> has been a marksman from behind the arc, but Pierre sets the tone for Irvington. The senior guard is averaging a near double-double as he excels at ripping down rebounds against bigger defenders. Pierre is at his best attacking the basket and knows how to draw contact around the rim. He has been playing at a high level all season and the Blue Knights will need him to be at his to knock off defending North Jersey 2 Group 3 champion Colonia.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850364" first="Max" last="Pernetti"], 6’6 SF Ramapo 2020</strong></p> <p>Pernetti has powered the Raiders this season as they are looking to repeat as North Jersey 1 Group 3 champions. The Gettysburg commit uses his length and athleticism to get easy baskets around the rim. Pernetti has a good pull-up jumper and is a versatile defender who can defend multiple positions. Ramapo has a tough road showdown against Sparta, but Pernetti’s ability to control the game on both ends gives the Raiders a slight edge.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="896657" first="Demetrius" last="Paynter"], 6’6 PF Timber Creek 2020</strong></p> <p>Senior guards <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="896689" first="Eric" last="Benjamin"]</strong>, <strong>Justin Bladden </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="896688" first="Jalen" last="Bergen"]</strong> have been key parts to the Chargers’ success this season, but Paynter is the one who controls the paint. The 6’6 senior knows how to get position down low and is tough to move off the block. Paynter has a nice touch around the basket and knows how to draw contact. He is a great rebounder and is an underrated shot-blocker because of his timing and positioning. Timber Creek hosts Cherry Hill West in the South Jersey Group 3 final and the Chargers need their senior quarter to be at their best.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="896620" first="Quinn" last="Calabrese"], 6’3 SG Wall 2020</strong></p> <p>Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900360" first="Pat" last="Lacey"] </strong>carried Wall in the semifinals against Allentown, but Calabrese will have to be at his best in the final. The 6’3 senior can score from all three levels and takes the ball to the basket strong. Calabrese has a good-looking stroke and is capable of getting hot in a hurry. The Crimson Knights are looking to defend their Central Jersey Group 3 title against division rival Neptune, so Calabrese will have to be at his best for Wall in the final.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900292" first="Sam" last="Fagan"], 5’10 PG Neptune 2021</strong></p> <p>Neptune needs Fagan to be at his best in order for the Scarlet Fliers to pull off the upset. The junior point guard is capable of scoring points in bunches as he dropped 40 points in the double overtime upset of Somerville in the quarterfinals. Fagan has deep range, but is also capable of blowing by his defender in the halfcourt. Neptune lost both games this season against Wall, but Fagan is hoping for a different result in the Central Jersey Group 3 title game.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Other Players to Watch:</strong></span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="937270" first="Aidan" last="Mastandrea"], 6’1 SG Sparta 2020</strong></p> <p><strong>Jimmy Frage, 6’0 PG Colonia 2020</strong></p> <p><strong>Hakim Melvin, SG Cherry Will West 2020</strong></p>