Belleville senior Connor Cook, second from left, scored his 1,000th career point on Feb. 20. With him, from left, are Belleville head coach Jim Catalano, and Cook’s father and brother.
BELLEVILLE, NJ — Senior point guard Connor Cook has joined the list of great Belleville High School boys basketball players.
Cook achieved a tremendous milestone, as he scored his 1,000th career point during the Buccaneers’ 62-48 road win over Passaic County Tech in Wayne on Thursday,
Feb. 20. He became the ninth player to
join the Bucs’ boys basketball 1,000-point scoring club.
In the next-to-last game of the season, Cook finished with 24 points on five 2-pointers, two 3-pointers and eight free throws.
A presentation honoring Cook was scheduled for the final game of the season on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at home against Roselle Park, after press time.
Cook was ecstatic about achieving this milestone.
“I want to thank God and my family for all supporting me every step of the way,” Cook said. “I want to thank my teammates as well. It was surreal. I always dreamed of accomplishing something like this, and with hard work, I made it happen. I am just happy that I share this moment with my friends, family and teammates on my final home game, Tuesday, Feb. 25. I am truly thankful to everyone involved.”
BHS head coach Jim Catalano also was thrilled for Cook, who worked hard, while becoming a role model for the young players on the team.”
“I want to congratulate Connor on reaching the milestone of scoring 1,000 points in his varsity career,” Catalano said. “Connor had to take on numerous roles this season in order to compensate for a very young, inexperienced team that needed a full year to understand our system to gain confidence and to elevate their skills. He had to be our point guard, our leading scorer and be a major factor in our ability to rebound the basketball. All done with our opponents double-teaming him, and a couple of cases, triple-teaming him on the offensive end of the floor. I’m not quite sure too many high school student-athletes would be able to succeed, and yet through all of that, he averaged over 20 points per game and took on the role I had to give him with intensity and confidence. He is deserving of the accolades he is receiving.”
In the win over PCT, senior Justus Tschopp scored 20 points, Jerel Rodiguez had eight points, Sean Sharpe had four points, and Kahaire Floyd and Brandon Alvarez each had three points for the Bucs, who improved to 7-18 on the season.
Here is the list of 1,000-point scorers in BHS boys basketball history:
- Connor Cook
- Ted Sochaski
- Abdel Anderson
- Troy Talmadge
- Leon Puentas
- Dennis Dework
- Wayne Bubet
- Phil Colalillo
- Lucius Millinder
Photo Courtesy of Belleville HS Athletics
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