Ward Leads Center Moriches To BCD Title

Nae’Jon dominated this Ward.

The former force in Bridgehampton scored a game-high 22 points in Center Moriches’ 107-55 win over Southold Saturday, February 22, for the school’s fourth straight Suffolk County BCD title. He also had seven assists and collected five rebounds.

Jaden Kealey had a double-double on 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Emond Frazier added 18 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.

Center Moriches faces Class A’s Amityville in the small school championship Friday, February 28, at Farmingdale State College at 6 PM. The winner will face the Class AA winner in the overall county title game at Ward Melville High School March 5 at 7:30 PM.

Ward was on the Killer Bees team last year that lost to the Red Devils in the same BCD game. The then-junior hit the game-winner in an 87-85 win over Greenport to get there. Oddly enough, Ahkee Anderson, who scored 40 points in that February 16, 2019 victory, is now Ward’s teammate. Anderson, who just a few games ago reached his 2000th varsity career point, finished with 14 points, five rebounds, and six assists in the win over Southold to bring his varsity point total to 2048.

Center Moriches head coach Nick Thomas is also no stranger to the East End. The former Killer Bee, who played point guard from 1992 to 1996, helped Bridgehampton win the first of the three straight state crowns.

Nick Eckhardt led the Settlers with 12 points and sank two three-point shots to Ward’s three. Anderson also made two. John Kaelin finished with 11 points, Nick DeNicola, nine, and Nick Grathwohl, seven.

desiree@indyeastend.com