The Kearny High School girls’ basketball team only have 11 players on their varsity roster and only one of those is a senior.
But that’s not a concern for veteran head coach Jody Hill. The Hudson County Sports Hall of Famer for her 2,000-point career at nearby Harrison High and then Pace University is poised to have a great season after posting an 8-5 record last year in the truncated COVID-19 schedule.
“We were just happy to have something last year,” Hill said. “We didn’t know whether we would get a season in. It was important for us to keep the sport going and keep their minds in it.”
Hill’s current junior class has to be considered the strength of her team.
“It would have been devastating for them to lose the whole year as sophomores,” Hill said. “But we were able to get them some experience and it really paid off. We joined the Lyndhurst summer league and played there twice a week. We had my camp in July and most of the girls were there. So we got through the summer well.”
Hill is not concerned at all that the team has only one senior in Victoria Vinon.
“It’s a first for us,” Hill said. “We never had just one senior. We also only have 11 players, but since we’re graduating only one player and have 10 returning next year, if we held too many and didn’t get them any playing time, that would not be beneficial. We’ve also had efficient practices from the start and that’s a help. Drills don’t get slowed down. Everyone participates in practice. We’re getting through things quickly. The practices have been intense. We also have a very intelligent team. Nine of them are on the high honor roll. So we’re going through things faster than we ever did. We have great listeners and I think that carries over from the classroom. I think we’re going to do well because of their intelligence.”
Vinon has the distinction of being the lone senior. The 5-foot-7 swing guard does so much for the Kardinals.
“She’s our defensive stopper,” Hill said of Vinon. “She gives her heart and soul every day. She hustles all the time. She’s also developed her offensive game, where she now has three-point range. We need her to take those shots. She’s put in the time to become a good shooter.”
The team’s best player is junior guard Ava Hyams, who has grown at least five inches from last year to reach 5-foot-10 this year.
“That’s definitely our biggest surprise,” Hill said of Hyams’ growth spurt.
But Hyams’ talent surprises no one.
“She plays basketball all year long,” Hill said of Hyams, who averaged 15 points per game last year. “She’s legitimately in the gym all the time working on her game. She has the quickest release I’ve seen, but she’s improved in every aspect of the game. Our plan this year is to have her play more at the two (shooting guard). But she’s very versatile.”
And Hyams will cause a host of problems as a post-up player.
“She can jump as well,” Hill said of Hyams. “I’m very happy with the way she’s improved her defense. It’s evident how she’s worked on every aspect of her game.”
Hyams has hopes of being an NCAA Division 1 scholarship player after her senior year. With the height and the talent and the grades, it’s hard to see how she couldn’t reach that dream.
“She’s really going to have a productive season,” Hill said. “She has everything going for her. The colleges will come calling.”
Although she’s also a standout soccer and softball player, junior Maci Covello is also a fine basketball player. She’s a 5-foot-11 power forward who has a diverse basketball game.
“She’s a defensive force,” Hill said. “She’s one of our captains (along with Hyams), so she displays a lot of leadership, which is one of her biggest strengths. She is a great rebounder, an intense player close to the basket. She hustles all the time and she’s so strong. Now, she’s developed a 15-foot perimeter game. She’s very versatile. She’s also a great passer and makes the no-look pass. She really has the ability to be a point guard if needed because she can handle the ball.”
The center is 5-foot-11 Julia Araujo, who has also developed her game.
“She didn’t play varsity last year until the JV (junior varsity) season was over,” Hill said. “But she’s come full circle and become a solid basketball player. She has a nice little shot. She takes the jab step and goes. She has made huge strides. She’s fast and athletic. The basketball skills gradually had to come and they have finally come to her. She’s going to surprise a lot of people.”
The point guard duties will be shared by 5-foot-1 sophomore Jocelyn Huancaya, the younger sister of former Kardinal standout Eliana, currently playing at Rutgers-Newark, and 5-foot-6 freshman Olivia Covello, the younger sister of Maci.
“They both have so many great qualities,” Hill said. “It’s a great problem to have to have two point guards. Right now, it’s a hard decision as to who is going to start. But they both will play. What I love is that the two encourage each other and help each other. It’s just great to have two.”
Junior forward Alex Colon was set to be part of the regular rotation, but she suffered a high ankle sprain. The 5-foot-10 Colon will play considerable minutes when she returns.
“She’s so strong,” Hill said. “She’s probably the strongest girl on the team. She can also shoot the three (point shot). We have to get her healthy and back into the mix.”
Aracely Vazquez, the 5-foot-7 sophomore who was the standout goalkeeper on the Kearny girls’ soccer team, is a favorite of Hill.
“She’s one of the most coachable kids I’ve ever had,” Hill said. “She does all the little things and loves to play as a big (forward). She has all the fundamentals.”
Junior Natalie Osorio, the younger sister of 2020 Observer Female Athlete of the Year Samantha Osorio, is a 5-foot-8 junior who can play either forward slot. Freshmen Johanna mEscalante, a 5-foot-5 athletic guard, and Jazlyn Villanueva, another 5-foot-5 guard, round out the roster.
“Their skill levels are different than the average freshmen,” Hill said.
The Kardinals open their season on Friday, Dec. 17 against rival Bayonne. But Hill likes the character of her team.
“In my mind, we’re going to be one of those teams that can turn good defense into offense,” Hill said. “We want to get our share of fast breaks.”
Much like the way her coach and mentor Jack Rodgers had his Harrison teams doing for year after year, including the years that Hill was there.
“We should be a fun team to watch,” Hill said.
Sure looks that way.
CAPTION
The Kearny girls’ basketball team will be a young team, but an exciting one this season. From left are Ava Hyams, Victoria Vinon, head coach Jody Hill and Maci Covello. Photo by Jim Hague
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Jim Hague | Observer Sports Writer
Sports Writer Jim Hague was with The Observer for 20+ years — and his name is one of the most recognizable in all of sports journalism. The St. Peter’s Prep and Marquette alum kicked off his journalism career post Marquette at the Daily Record, where he remained until 1985. Following shorts stints at two other newspapers, in September 1986, he joined the now-closed Hudson Dispatch, where he remained until 1991, when its doors were finally shut.
It was during his tenure at The Dispatch that Hague’s name and reputation as one of country’s hardest-working sports reporters grew. He won several New Jersey Press Association and North Jersey Press Club Awards in that timeframe.
In 1991, he became a columnist for The Hudson Reporter chain of newspapers — and he remains with them to this day.
In addition to his work at The Observer and The Hudson Reporter, Hague is also an Associated Press stringer, where he covers Seton Hall University men’s basketball, New York Red Bulls soccer and occasionally, New Jersey Devils hockey.
He’s also doing work at The Morristown Daily Record, the very newspaper where his journalism career began.
During his career, he also worked for Dorf Feature Services, which provided material for the Star-Ledger. While there, he covered the New York Knicks and the New Jersey Nets.
Hague is also known for his announcing work — and he’s done PA work for Rutgers Newark and NJIT.
Hague is the author of the book “Braddock: The Rise of the Cinderella Man.”