Ridge’s Max Mahoney is the CN Boys Basketball Player of the Year
After losing a number of strong senior scorers from last season, Ridge’s Max Mahoney knew he needed to step up.
Mahoney, who averaged 19.3 points per game last season, expanded his skill set in the offseason in order to make himself a more well-rounded player who could help the Red Devils in every situation.
A versatile Mahoney averaged a double-double this season, scoring 23 points and pulling down close to 14 rebounds a game as Ridge finished at 17-8 and was second in the Skyland Conference Delaware Division. He scored his 1,000th point on Jan. 21 and finished his career with 1,329. He also helped lead Ridge to the Somerset County Tournament semifinals as the No. 4 seed, as well as the quarterfinals of the NJSIAA North 2 Group IV Tournament.
For his efforts, Mahoney is the Courier News Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
“I knew it was going to be a lot different this season from last season, but I just took it in stride,” Mahoney said. “I worked hard in the offseason, worked on my development, stretching my game out so I could shoot from the perimeter and handle the ball as well as posting up down low to extend my game and be more of a threat to help my team.”
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Mahoney, who is heading to Boston University in the fall, saw his hard work pay off as he posted a double-double in every game but one and finished the season with 575 points. He dropped a season-high 40 points and 21 rebounds in a win over Rutgers Prep on Feb. 9, then scored 20 points as the Red Devils fell to Gill St. Bernard’s in the SCT semifinals Feb. 20. His ability to score from almost anywhere on the court was a catalyst for Ridge this season.
“We lost a lot of scorers from last year, some good seniors that went on to play, but I know I had to kind of step it up this year, take on a bigger role,” Mahoney said. “I kind took it upon myself to kind of carry the team a little bit when it came to scoring and just moving the ball around and helping the younger kids, because we had a lot of younger kids in the program this year.”
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Despite the fact that Ridge didn’t win a county or state title, Mahoney is proud of this season and what he and his teammates were able to accomplish, including head coach Brian Feath’s 100 career win.
According to Mahoney, there are about 14 sophomores in the program who will become the basis for success in coming years, and he hopes that he and the other seniors were able to leave an indelible mark on the underunderclassmen.
“Hopefully we inspired them, showed them what a winning season looks like,” Mahoney said. “I remember my freshman year when the seniors won a county championship. I wasn’t a part of it, but just watching them grow up as a group and play as a group and upset a great Gill team in the final was really something that inspired me through the rest of my years, so I hope I had the same impact.”
COURIER NEWS FINAL TOP 10
1. Gill St. Bernard’s (25-5)
2. Hunterdon Central (24-5)
3. Somerville (24-4)
4. Union Catholic (17-8)
5. Westfield (18-9)
6. Ridge (17-8)
7. Montgomery (14-9)
8. North Hunterdon (14-10)
9. Plainfield (10-14)
10. North Plainfield (19-6)