HCT Championship: St. Peter's Prep 54, Hudson Catholic 43

This year's Hudson County tournament championship hosted at NJCU in Jersey City, NJ featured a second consecutive championship matchup between the county's two top seeded programs in this year's tournament— St. Peter's Prep and Hudson Catholic. Capturing it's fourth straight consecutive county title, St. Peter's Prep in their defeat over Hudson Catholic. With that being said, let's take a look at the interesting group of prospects that delivered strong performances over the course of this county championship game.    [player_tooltip player_id='3040469' first='Nick' last='Ferdinand'] has quietly developed into a compelling and multifaceted presence in the frontcourt for St. Peter's and once again demonstrated his value in the midst of St. Peter's capturing another Hudson County title. What was one of Ferdinand's most impressive performances to date, Ferdinand effectively balanced intriguing finesse with physical and hard nosed interior play— making his presence known inside with strong rim running in transition, slipping ball screens for easy finishes around the basket, being effective as a roller in different PnR actions, rejecting DHO's to attack driving angles and get to the basket, and catching dump offs in transition. Countering his physicality and bruising interior play, Ferdinand with his intriguing shooting touch, flashed both his pick and pop ability and mid range area shot making off the catch.     [player_tooltip player_id='2509329' first='Ashton' last='Graves'] is an assertive, offense first guard who distinguishes himself with unwavering confidence and a scorer's mindset. Graves thrived when attacking the paint, efficiently and effectively getting downhill and applying constant pressure at the rim in both transition and half court settings—something he consistently demonstrated in Hudson Catholic's matchup against St. Peter's Prep. Graves showcased an impressive blend of speed and body control, using quick change of pace and rejecting ball screens to finish at the basket while also mixing in some tough coast to coast finishes in transition.     Continuing to solidify his reputation as a dependable and high impact two way wing, [player_tooltip player_id='2858267' first='Oscar' last='Martinez'] delivered another impressive showing—standing out for his offensive instincts and the toughness and physical attributes he provides defensively. His off ball effectiveness continued to be a key asset, as he showed an innate ability to knock down clean perimeter looks while also converting on trips to the free throw line and contributing on the offensive glass. On the defensive end, Martinez's length and strength were evident in his work on the glass and overall versatility. He actively chased second chance opportunities, secured defensive rebounds, and consistently held his own at the point of attack.     A savvy and creative guard who functioned as a steady and efficient force throughout Hudson Catholic's offense, [player_tooltip player_id='1595764' first='Elijah' last='Williams'] found a solid rhythm as he generated a solid amount of rim pressure routinely getting to the rim off the bounce—getting into the paint frequently and with ease, and leveraging that penetration to consistently attack driving angles and closeouts to get to the rim to convert on both tough finishes and soft touch runners.     The epitome of a versatile, plug and play guard, [player_tooltip player_id='1595680' first='Mason' last='Santiago'] brings a clear sense of toughness and selflessness that consistently benefits his team. In a gritty matchup against Hudson Catholic, the veteran combo guard was true to form—impacting the game on both ends with timely, difference making plays. Comfortable adapting to whatever the moment required, Santiago made composed and intelligent decisions with the ball, showcasing a confident handle and strong court vision, spraying the ball out to open shooters on the perimeter and hitting dump offs down low when he got deep in the paint. He balanced his playmaking with a sound scoring punch, finishing through contact at the rim and displaying soft touch in the paint. That offensive poise was matched by his physical and sturdy presence defensively. Santiago proved capable of guarding multiple positions, battling across the floor, and crashing the glass for key rebounds—once again underscoring his all around value to St. Peter's.     Having emerged as a steady and productive guard in Hudson Catholic's rotation of guards so far this season, [player_tooltip player_id='2201955' first='Noreaga' last='James'] delivered a sound performance that highlighted his ability to provide effective scoring from different areas on the floor. A diverse scoring attack saw James convert on mid range area shot attempts off the bounce, capitalize on forced turnovers for easy finishing at the rim in transition, flashing a combination clean and balanced footwork and utilization of pump fakes for a clean step through in the paint, and even perimeter shot making off the bounce.

This year's Hudson County tournament championship hosted at NJCU in Jersey City, NJ featured a second consecutive championship matchup between the county's two top seeded programs in this year's tournament— St. Peter's Prep and Hudson Catholic. Capturing it's fourth straight consecutive county title, St. Peter's Prep in their defeat over Hudson Catholic. With that being said, let's take a look at the interesting group of prospects that delivered strong performances over the course of this county championship game.