Thanks to Richard Klein and Garden State Check Cashing, we were able to take a few students/players from the school on a trip to our nation's capitol. It was an educational and enlightening experience.
6/29/08
JUST JUNE LEAGUE - 2008
East Side wrapped up it's summer league shecdule with a record of 5 - 1 in the William Patterson Team Camp league and 6 and 4 in the Patterson Just June League. East Side lost in the semi's against Paterson Catholic by 3 points. It should be noted that last year team struggled in the summer league setting. This year version while still trying to gel have been playing the kind of defense that East Side has been know for a few years back. It should be a fun ride in 08-09.
5/17/08
Former East Sider has D1 potential....
While the last name may throw you off (mother's maiden name) the first name and the face should not. East Side is extremely happy to hear the Hasaan is doing well and making a name for himself in basketball. What's even more impressive for Hasaan is college coaches are using their two phone calls per week to speak to him at home. Scout.com has him rated as a 3 Star recruit. Recruiting guru Dave Telep said "Hassan Whiteside, a 6-10 center, may be a bit of a sleeper in 2009."Hasaan Whiteside, 6'10 JR F/C 2008 Summer Ciruit Secret. Here's a photo of him from his Newark Day's....
5/4/08
Outstanding Newcomer
Rookie guard Corey Chandler (Newark, N.J.) was named the Scarlet Knights' 
Outstanding Newcomer. The freshman made an immediate impact on the collegiate hardwood, scoring in double figures in nine of his first 11 contests. He averaged 11.9 points and 4 rebounds per game for the season, while leading the team and finishing fifth in the league in steals. Chandler, whose 51 steals marked the most for a freshman in Rutgers men's basketball history, averaged a team-best 10.5 points in BIG EAST games. The local product scored in double figures 18 times and led the team in scoring on 10 occasions. At the conclusion of the season, Chandler became the ninth Scarlet Knight to be named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie team.
Outstanding Newcomer. The freshman made an immediate impact on the collegiate hardwood, scoring in double figures in nine of his first 11 contests. He averaged 11.9 points and 4 rebounds per game for the season, while leading the team and finishing fifth in the league in steals. Chandler, whose 51 steals marked the most for a freshman in Rutgers men's basketball history, averaged a team-best 10.5 points in BIG EAST games. The local product scored in double figures 18 times and led the team in scoring on 10 occasions. At the conclusion of the season, Chandler became the ninth Scarlet Knight to be named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie team.4/21/08
The Randy Foye Foundation
It is with pride and excitement that I announce the launch of my charitable foundation.
The Randy Foye Foundation serves to improve the quality of life in my hometown of Newark, NJ by raising money to fund specific projects throughout the city with a focus on the children.
We have a talented team of dedicated individuals who are working constantly to ensure that the Foundation operates with class and professionalism as we seek to achieve our mission. Your support is just as important.
I hope you will join us in our efforts. Our first event is the "Night for Newark" black-tie gala to be held August 2nd, 2008, at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. We invite you to be a part of this special inaugural event in one of many ways: purchasing tickets or tables and attending the dinner; placing an ad in our program journal; or becoming a sponsor at any level.
I am thankful for the opportunity to serve a community that helped raise me. I am truly excited about the opportunities that the Foundation can bring to Newark, and our team is happy to be a component of Newark's continued rebirth. I look forward to working with you to make the dreams of the Foundation a success!
Sincerely,
Randy Foye
4/3/08
East Side 411.......
The April Live period is upon us and East Side’s 6 foot 7 225 pound rising senior Eddie Brown checks in to give us his thoughts on this past season and the future.
What about you individually? Do you think you’ve played up to your own expectations? No, I feel I let the team down when I got hurt.
What’s your most memorable moment thus far in basketball? Putting on an ESH unif
orm for the first time, it was one of the times I felt like I belonged.
Which contest this season has been the team’s best accomplishment thus far? When we beat Plainfield at home, it showed our potential as a team.
Which games or team do you and your team mates consider East Side Rival? Linden
If you could have dinner with one sports star, past or present, who would it be and what would be your first question? Jason Kidd. How hard did you have to work when you were my age to get to the point you are now?
What/Who inspires you? My dad inspires me everything he showed and told me was for me to become a better person and responsible like he is.
How did you feel about your season overall? The team didn’t play to the expectations that we had. I played about 10 games due to a broken hand. So I have to say it was a let down.
How did you think you played individually? I missed a couple of games with a broken hand. I have to learn from my mistakes, but when I did play, I played with my heart and tried to leave it all on the court.
What was your role on the team? Block shots and rebound
What AAU Team do you play for? Team New Jersey Elite
This is your last semester on the circuit; do you have any expectations for it? I want to play hard and get scholarship offers.
What’s your most memorable moment thus far in basketball? Putting on an ESH unif
orm for the first time, it was one of the times I felt like I belonged.Which contest this season has been the team’s best accomplishment thus far? When we beat Plainfield at home, it showed our potential as a team.
Which games or team do you and your team mates consider East Side Rival? Linden
If you could have dinner with one sports star, past or present, who would it be and what would be your first question? Jason Kidd. How hard did you have to work when you were my age to get to the point you are now?
What/Who inspires you? My dad inspires me everything he showed and told me was for me to become a better person and responsible like he is.
How did you feel about your season overall? The team didn’t play to the expectations that we had. I played about 10 games due to a broken hand. So I have to say it was a let down.
How did you think you played individually? I missed a couple of games with a broken hand. I have to learn from my mistakes, but when I did play, I played with my heart and tried to leave it all on the court.
What was your role on the team? Block shots and rebound
What AAU Team do you play for? Team New Jersey Elite
This is your last semester on the circuit; do you have any expectations for it? I want to play hard and get scholarship offers.
3/18/08
East Side 411.......
The 2007-2008 season officially ended for everyone after the TOC. We wanted to catch up with a few of our players to hear their thoughts on the season and the future. Up first is Demetrius Smith.
What about you individually? Do you think you’ve played up to your own expectations? Yes and no.
Which contest this season has been the team’s best accomplishment thus far? When we beat Plainfield at home. We played as a team and a-lot of my teammates had double figures. If we played that way all the time I feel we could of made the states.
Which games or team do you and your teammates consider East Side rival? Irvington
If you could have dinner with one sports star, past or present, who would it be and what would be your first question? I would like to have dinner with Randy Foye because he went to the same high school I go to. I would ask him how he managed to become a man without his parents in his life, and how to become a better basketball player.
What/Who inspires you? My coaches inspires me the most, they push me to become a better student, a better person, and also an athlete.
How did you feel about your season overall? This season was very bad in terms of overall team play. I feel as though we didn’t play up to the East Side standards. Next year hopefully we can start it off early and play with confidence and with that East Side swag.
How did you think you played individually? Honestly I think I played so-so. Physically I played alright but mentally I played bad. This is really the first time I played varsity but I’m getting the feel for the top level in high school basketball.
What was your role on the team? This season I supposed to be a scorer. I ended up being the quiet guy, but I now realize that on the court we all have to communicate in some type of way. I know I have to work on that aspect of my game. Hopefully next year we all can talk to each other and win more games.
What AAU Team do you play for? I play for the New Jersey Panthers.
This is your last summer on the circuit; do you have and expectation for it? I have a lot of expectations. I want this summer to be the best AAU season ever. However it doesn’t come over night so I have to work hard on and off the court. I want to become a better player period, so with this summer I just want to take it day by day and focus on school work and as well as the game of basketball.
What about you individually? Do you think you’ve played up to your own expectations? Yes and no.
Which contest this season has been the team’s best accomplishment thus far? When we beat Plainfield at home. We played as a team and a-lot of my teammates had double figures. If we played that way all the time I feel we could of made the states.
Which games or team do you and your teammates consider East Side rival? Irvington
If you could have dinner with one sports star, past or present, who would it be and what would be your first question? I would like to have dinner with Randy Foye because he went to the same high school I go to. I would ask him how he managed to become a man without his parents in his life, and how to become a better basketball player.
What/Who inspires you? My coaches inspires me the most, they push me to become a better student, a better person, and also an athlete.
How did you feel about your season overall? This season was very bad in terms of overall team play. I feel as though we didn’t play up to the East Side standards. Next year hopefully we can start it off early and play with confidence and with that East Side swag.
How did you think you played individually? Honestly I think I played so-so. Physically I played alright but mentally I played bad. This is really the first time I played varsity but I’m getting the feel for the top level in high school basketball.
What was your role on the team? This season I supposed to be a scorer. I ended up being the quiet guy, but I now realize that on the court we all have to communicate in some type of way. I know I have to work on that aspect of my game. Hopefully next year we all can talk to each other and win more games.
What AAU Team do you play for? I play for the New Jersey Panthers.
This is your last summer on the circuit; do you have and expectation for it? I have a lot of expectations. I want this summer to be the best AAU season ever. However it doesn’t come over night so I have to work hard on and off the court. I want to become a better player period, so with this summer I just want to take it day by day and focus on school work and as well as the game of basketball.
3/11/08
Chandler Named to BIG EAST Conference All-Rookie Team
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers guard Corey Chandler (Newark, N.J.) was today named to the 2007-08 BIG EAST Conference Men's Basketball All-Rookie Team. Chandler 
averaged 11.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, while leading the Scarlet Knights and finishing fifth in the league with an average of 1.82 steals per contest.
averaged 11.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, while leading the Scarlet Knights and finishing fifth in the league with an average of 1.82 steals per contest. Chandler (6-2, 190), whose 51 steals marked the most for a freshman in Rutgers men's basketball history, averaged 25.2 minutes in 28 games (12 starts). In BIG EAST contests, he averaged a team-best 10.5 points, while also grabbing 4.6 rebounds, which was tops among conference freshman guards. The local product scored in double figures 18 times and led the Scarlet Knights in scoring on 10 occasions. Chandler exceeded 20 points twice, posting a season-high 25 at Big 12-member Nebrask
a before registering 23 points versus No. 1-ranked North Carolina at the RAC. His performance versus the Tar Heels earned him inclusion on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll. A preseason honorable mention freshman All-America selection by CollegeHoops.net, Chandler opened his Scarlet career in style. He scored 16 points on seven-of-nine shooting versus Tennessee Tech, the most points scored by an RU rookie in a season opener since 1993. The East Side High School graduate scored in double figures in nine of the first 11 contests, before being sidelined for three games with a right foot injury. In the process, Chandler became the first RU freshman to score in double-figures in his first four games since Earl Johnson accomplished the feat in 1996-97.
Chandler also closed out his rookie campaign in definitive fashion, scoring 11 second hal
f points to help Rutgers to a dramatic 64-61 win at rival Seton Hall Sunday afternoon. He scored seven consecutive points and had two assists during a 19-5 RU run to open the second half. The Scarlet Knights overcame a 17-point first half deficit to end 2007-08 on a positive note. Chandler is the ninth Scarlet Knight to be named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team since Rutgers joined the Conference in 1995-96.
3/6/08
Top Juco Frosh Has an East Side Feel...
The Region 19 Junior College Semifinals were held on Friday at the County College of Morr
is for both Division 2 and Division 3 schools. Jay Gomes of NJHoops.com was on had to cover the event. Here's a snapshot of two former East Side players, the Zapata brothers. They were great students and players here at East Side and we wish them the best.
is for both Division 2 and Division 3 schools. Jay Gomes of NJHoops.com was on had to cover the event. Here's a snapshot of two former East Side players, the Zapata brothers. They were great students and players here at East Side and we wish them the best.The top juco freshmen we saw among the eight teams:
Alfry Zapata
5-foot-9
Essex CC
8 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal
Tommy Zapata
5-foot-11
Essex CC
11 points, 3 treys, 2 assists, 1 steal
Note: Essex CC won the tournament. Alfry was extremely happy.
2/22/08
East Side Finishes the Season With a Win!!!
Actually the 2007-2008 team ended the season with a two game winning streak. East Side defeated Kearny 70-64 and Paramus Catholic 74-58. Demetrius Smith led the way with 22 and 24 points. Eddie Brown chipped in with 20 in the season finale. These two juniors need to work hard in the off season to ensure that East Side gets back to its winning ways.
JV team Makes ECT final four
Congratulations guys for turning in a pretty good season and having something to build upon heading into next season. The coaching staff applauds your efforts and hope you guys come back hungry for more next season. East Side lost to SHP 55-50 in the Semi-Finals.
Senior Sendoff!
Despite enduring a difficult season overall; the basketball program has some really good kids. The Staff at East Side would like to thank Daryl Dickerson for all of his hard work and effort and wishes him nothing but the best in life. Remember, once an East Sider, always and East Sider.
2/13/08
Mixing hoops with homework
This was a great article forward to me by the NJ Panthers. We had 3 kids play for them last season. It was a nice experience for them and I'm sure the relationship will continue in the future. Education is equally important as athletics.
by Robert E. Williams III / Star-Ledger Staff
Athletes aspiring to play with the New Jersey Panthers basketball club not only have to remember their athletic gear, but their report cards as well. While they don't have to be a straight-A student, they have to show they work hard at school.
The emphasis on the balance between academics and athletics has helped shaped the basketball program's budding reputation as a place where athletes can play teams from other states and show college recruiters they have the skills to compete at a higher level.
"We wanted something to stress academics and basketball," said coach and team co-founder Van Johnson. "If they don't get it done in the classroom, they wouldn't be allowed to play for college teams."
More than 300 girls and boys attended the tryouts held at the Morristown Neighborhood House during the past two weeks. They selected about 150 to participate in the club.
The program, which has grown from three to 12 teams since its inception, recruits student athletes age 12-17. Most of the players live in Morris County, with others coming from the surrounding counties of Union, Essex, Somerset, Middlesex and Sussex counties.
The teams, formed three years ago to provide playing opportunities to student athletes, play in the Amateur Athletic Union basketball league. The younger Panther teams play regional AAU teams in New York and Rhode Island, and older teams play in national and regional tournaments, traveling to such places as Chicago and Orlando.
The emphasis on the balance between academics and athletics has helped shaped the basketball program's budding reputation as a place where athletes can play teams from other states and show college recruiters they have the skills to compete at a higher level.
"We wanted something to stress academics and basketball," said coach and team co-founder Van Johnson. "If they don't get it done in the classroom, they wouldn't be allowed to play for college teams."
More than 300 girls and boys attended the tryouts held at the Morristown Neighborhood House during the past two weeks. They selected about 150 to participate in the club.
The program, which has grown from three to 12 teams since its inception, recruits student athletes age 12-17. Most of the players live in Morris County, with others coming from the surrounding counties of Union, Essex, Somerset, Middlesex and Sussex counties.
The teams, formed three years ago to provide playing opportunities to student athletes, play in the Amateur Athletic Union basketball league. The younger Panther teams play regional AAU teams in New York and Rhode Island, and older teams play in national and regional tournaments, traveling to such places as Chicago and Orlando.
The team is a nonprofit organization that raises funds through corporate sponsorship and player fees. The organization incurs an estimated $1,200 cost per student, with student's families paying a fee of $650 per player to help with costs, Johnson said. Travel and registration fees for regional and national tournaments in such places make up a majority of the team's costs.
The teams play outside of the winter season, allowing student athletes to play for their school teams. The Panthers start tryouts in late January and early February, and typically end their season in July, when national championships are scheduled.James Pisciotto, a 15-year-old Morristown freshman, joined the team because of the competition his encounters in its tournaments.
"The competition level is through the roof," Pisciotto said of his travel to national destinations with his team. "It was a great learning experience."
Johnson, a successful financial consultant who owns V & C Financial Services in Morristown, formed the team with his childhood friend Donnie Forster to foster the concept of athletics as an avenue to teach life lessons. It was a concept they learned as members of successful basketball teams at the former Bayley-Ellard High School in Madison.
"We are teaching them that working hard on the basketball court will give them the values (they will need) to do the things they want to do in life," Johnson said.
If they have bad grades, they are given time and tutoring help from coaches and their peers to improve their grades. If a student has academic problems, they make the athletes bring homework to practice to work on during free time, Forster said.
"I have them bring their books on the road when we travel," he said. "There is a lot of free time. Instead of playing video games in their room, they could be doing homework."
The region and national competitions have enabled coaches from the league to expose their students athletes to recruiters from some of the nation's top schools and athletic programs. Recruiters usually attend AAU tournaments to scout for their programs, Johnson said.
Former players of the coaches have been accepted to and attended Harvard, Georgetown, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, John Hopkins and other Division I NCAA programs, Johnson said.
Some of the club's former players include Jyles Tucker, a Morristown standout who attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., and plays for the San Diego Chargers as a linebacker, and Jamar Thorpe, who played for the University of Houston and currently plays for leagues in other countries.
For more information, visit http://www.newjerseypanthers.org/.
The teams play outside of the winter season, allowing student athletes to play for their school teams. The Panthers start tryouts in late January and early February, and typically end their season in July, when national championships are scheduled.James Pisciotto, a 15-year-old Morristown freshman, joined the team because of the competition his encounters in its tournaments.
"The competition level is through the roof," Pisciotto said of his travel to national destinations with his team. "It was a great learning experience."
Johnson, a successful financial consultant who owns V & C Financial Services in Morristown, formed the team with his childhood friend Donnie Forster to foster the concept of athletics as an avenue to teach life lessons. It was a concept they learned as members of successful basketball teams at the former Bayley-Ellard High School in Madison.
"We are teaching them that working hard on the basketball court will give them the values (they will need) to do the things they want to do in life," Johnson said.
If they have bad grades, they are given time and tutoring help from coaches and their peers to improve their grades. If a student has academic problems, they make the athletes bring homework to practice to work on during free time, Forster said.
"I have them bring their books on the road when we travel," he said. "There is a lot of free time. Instead of playing video games in their room, they could be doing homework."
The region and national competitions have enabled coaches from the league to expose their students athletes to recruiters from some of the nation's top schools and athletic programs. Recruiters usually attend AAU tournaments to scout for their programs, Johnson said.
Former players of the coaches have been accepted to and attended Harvard, Georgetown, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, John Hopkins and other Division I NCAA programs, Johnson said.
Some of the club's former players include Jyles Tucker, a Morristown standout who attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., and plays for the San Diego Chargers as a linebacker, and Jamar Thorpe, who played for the University of Houston and currently plays for leagues in other countries.
For more information, visit http://www.newjerseypanthers.org/.
2/2/08
He's BACK!!!!
After missing all of the season with a knee injury, East Side's own Randy Foye returned to the hardwood. It's good to have him back. It's been a rough year for the East Side family in terms of injuries, but I love the toughness I see from the kids bouncing back.
Downward Spiral Continues
The 2007-2008 Version of East Side HS Boys Basketball has been plagued by a few internal problems that these youngsters need to work hard to correct. The coaching staff is hoping the light bulb comes on and the players can focus on winning games and not other issues. Not even the return of big 6’7 Eddie Brown could change the fortune of this group. The Love and Passion for the game seems to be missing. Will they finish out the season strong? Will the throw in the towel? Nearly everyone is wishing the team will come together and win a few more games to end their season.
Linden 77 East Side 45
Newark Academy 62 East Side 58
Union 45 East Side 32
Shabazz 53 East Side 48
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
