Morris County boys basketball honors: Chatham's Leskauskas is top player, Reel top coach
EAST HANOVER — Ryan Leskauskas was recognized as the Morris County boys basketball coaches' Player of the Year on Wednesday afternoon.
Leskauskas earned his 1,000th career point this winter and helped Chatham win the NJAC-National. The Cougars reached a Morris County Tournament semifinal and the second round of NJSIAA North 2, Group 3 tournament. A four-year letter-winner, Leskauskas averaged 18.3 points, almost six rebounds and two assists per game, according to coach Todd Ervin.
"He became a real leader through example and by his commitment to the team," Ervin said. "He stepped up in every big game we played."
Hanover Park coach Todd Hartman, whose team faced Chatham on Dec. 29, echoed those sentiments, saying, "I love your game and I love how you play the game. You elevated your game when your team needed you most."
The Morris County coaches' first team included Hanover Park senior Chris Smith, Pequannock senior Finn Powers and junior Karson Culuko, West Morris senior guard Eli Stoute and Morris Catholic junior center Michelangelo Oberti.
Oberti emigrated from Italy alone in August 2021, and Crusaders coach David Grande said, "Because of him, we have a lot of kids who love basketball."
Madison's Joe Reel was acknowledged as the Coach of the Year by his peers. The Dodgers started 1-4, and finished 20-9, including an upset of top-seeded West Morris in a Morris County Tournament quarterfinal − part of a run to the final as the No. 9 seed. In the NJSIAA Tournament, second-seeded Madison was itself upset in overtime by No. 14 West Side in a North 2, Group 2 semifinal.
"You don't get an award like this without kids who value winning," Reel said.
Reel, who played for Ervin at Chatham, recalled being passed over for 11 jobs in three years – including at Governor Livingston, where he had been an assistant. Ervin invited Reel to be a volunteer assistant at his alma mater, and "without that phone call, I would not be standing here today."
Reel also thanked his wife, Jen Reel, for all the single parenting she put in during the season with their daughter, Lindsey, who is almost 2. Randolph coach Nick Lavender recognized the players' parents, who have "a thankless job."
"If they don't say it enough, I want to make sure the coaches say, 'Thank you,'" he said.
More:Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference boys basketball coaches' postseason honors
Some of the highest praise was reserved for someone who wasn't even in the room: retiring Pequannock coach Jeff DeBell. A three-time Coach of the Year honoree who has led his teams to more than 300 victories, DeBell was recognized by Jefferson coach Joe DiGennaro as "the most humble man I've ever met" and "the kind of coach I'd want my son to play for" by Hartman.
First team
Michelangelo Oberti, Morris Catholic; Karson Culuko, Pequannock; Finn Powers, Pequannock; Eli Stoute, West Morris; Chris Smith, Hanover Park
Player of the Year: Ryan Leskauskas, Chatham
Coach of the Year: Joe Reel, Madison
George Tyree Award for officials: Nick Peloso
Second team
Mike Ewing, Mendham; Mike Rustad, Morris Knolls; Zion Baitey, Morristown; Sean Mariani, Madison; Lincoln Zimmermann, Delbarton
Third team
Ryan Kress, Randolph; Andrew Piombino, Morris Hills; Jayson Eisele, Jefferson; Mike Van Raaphorst, Delbarton; Matt Niedermaier, Parsippany
This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: NJ boys basketball: Morris County coaches luncheon, honors
