Hartford vs Fair Haven: Clash at the Top of D2 Table

Cody Quattrocci

February 13, 2025 @ 02:36 PM

I tuned in to this highly anticipated D2 matchup and left feeling conflicted. Hartford felt well-organized and in rhythm on both ends and yet leaned on a 4th quarter flurry from [player_tooltip player_id='2553776' first='Noah' last='Jenks'] to seal the deal. Additionally, Fair Haven struggled to find much flow yet were in it all game and clawed until the very end. With that, I bring you six guys who stood out. Lock in!   Kole Fotion, 6'1 G - Hartford H.S. Class of 2026   The primary orchestrator of Hartford's win wasn't stuffing the stat sheet. Instead, he was pulling the strings. Fotion's attention to detail, crisp passing and organization of the offense had Hartford in rhythm. I liked Kole's keen sense of who to get the ball, how, and when to exploit different matchups in addition to his clear sense of how to steer momentum. Moreover, Fotion's measured on-ball defense, tight rotations, and anticipation had the Slaters out of sorts for long stretches. A heady player whose impact is widespread yet at times subtle.   Sam Kyhill, 5'9 G - Fair Haven Union H.S. Class of 2027   While FHU seemed to struggle as a whole to catch stride offensively, it was Kyhill who made a number of critical plays to keep them hanging on. Sam's creation came via agile slashing and athletic lays, beating defenders to the rim and finishing against sizable defenders. Importantly, many of these buckets came in the 3rd and 4th quarter when it was desperately needed. Moreover, he did well to feed Phil Bean, FHU's post presence. On the other end, I saw Sam's on-ball defense force Hartford's PG into a distribution heavy mindset as he took away scoring opportunities. One of VT's best young guards.   [player_tooltip player_id='2553776' first='Noah' last='Jenks'], 6'3 W - Hartford H.S. Class of 2026   Jenks led everyone in scoring, going for 19. A streaky scorer with some microwave tendencies, Noah was knocking down the open look and creating some offense off the bounce too. In the second half I saw Jenks get to the rim, hit the 3, and run off a flurry of 4th quarter buckets to separate Hartford and secure the W. A lanky, athletic player who can go for 15+ any given night.   Ryan Murphy, 6'4 F - Hartford H.S. Class of 2026   The dirty work from Murphy was relentless. Ryan's physicality around the paint made life tough for FHU's forwards as he held position on the inside, forced difficult entry passes, and then anticipated moves and counters inside. In turn, he was able to prevent much post scoring and kept aggressive offensive rebounders off the glass, a couple vital components of the Slaters offense. On the offensive end, his post touches led to 10-points off savvy footwork, and his tough ball screens provided perimeter advantages. A classic forward who goes about his business.   Phil Bean, 6'4 F - Fair Haven Union H.S. Class of 2025   The backbone of the Slaters had his hands full in this one. Phil's task of owning the paint was significant as he battled for position all night. Bean managed to collect 12-points, FHU's highest tally, by knocking down a couple mid to short-range jumpers, getting to the FT line, and converting a few looks at the rim. And on the defensive end, I saw Phil work endlessly to prevent post scoring with his physical playstyle while also attending to tall perimeter slashers looking for interior finishes. A strong inside presence on both ends.   Noah Danielli, 6'2 W - Hartford H.S. Class of 2026   I was routinely impressed by Danielli's finishing. Noah's strong slashing featured both power and finesse as he surged by defenders and read the second layer, either finishing over the top of contests or gliding by for reverse finishes. Danielli was efficient and controlled in his attack, consistently making good decisions on shot selection. Moreover, he provided a hawk-like perimeter presence defensively, able to cover a lot of ground with his speed, disrupt with his length, and overpower opponents with his strength. A tough 2-way game.

I tuned in to this highly anticipated D2 matchup and left feeling conflicted. Hartford felt well-organized and in rhythm on both ends and yet leaned on a 4th quarter flurry from Noah Jenks Noah Jenks 6'2" | SG Windsor | 2026 State New E to seal the deal. Additionally, Fair Haven struggled to find much flow yet were in it all game and clawed until the very end. With that, I bring you six guys who stood out. Lock in!