Anacker reaches 1,000 career points

By: Kyle Moylan
   All anyone has to do is look at the chosen line of work by the family to know what kind of player they are getting with an Anacker.
   Mark Anacker Sr. is a firefighter. Mark Jr. is a state police officer. Greg Anacker is in the police academy. Scott Anacker, currently a senior at Allentown High School, figures he will be a state trooper one day as well.
   "All three of my boys are team players," noted Mark Sr. "They’d gladly cash in points for wins."
   While team accomplishments come first for the Anackers, the individual ones have a way of creeping up as well.
   This past Tuesday night, Scott Anacker scored 23 points in Allentown’s 85-53 setback to Hamilton. Those points put him over 1,000 for his career.
   "(Scott’s) always been coached to hit the open man, the hot shooter," his father stressed. "He just happens to be a real good shooter."
   Scott wasn’t sure whether he had any shot at the start of Tuesday’s action, though.
   "To tell you the truth, my shot was off," Scott noted. "I just figured, what have I got to lose. I figured I’d give it my all and see what happens."
   You know, like any Anacker. Hey, Scott may be the latest Anacker to score 1,00 points at Allentown, but he wasn’t the first. Greg is, after all, the all-time leading scorer at the school. As of Tuesday night, Greg and Scott Anacker are only the second brother duo to ever score 1,000 points each in the Colonial Valley Conference.
   One thing Scott will not able to do at Allentown is pave the way for a younger brother. Because of the fact they are spread out so much in age, there is no sibling rivalry among the brothers. When Mark played, he said his brother Greg would be better. When Greg played, he said the same thing about Scott.
   Because he had two athletic older brothers, Scott Anacker had a basketball in his hands almost from the time he could walk. He was in organized leagues at the age of 5 and playing for travel teams by the time he was 8. His Bayshore Youth Athletic Association team even won back-to-back National Championships when Anacker was 8 and 9 years olds.
   Travel basketball has taken Anacker to such places as Puerto Rico, Florida, Tennessee and North Carolina. Throw in a trip to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Massachusetts as well. Scott is in there after winning the National Free Throwing Shooting Championship when he was 13.
   While Scott is comfortable on any basketball court, he’s especially at home on the court at Allentown High. He started as the unscripted halftime show at the games for both of his brothers. He’d come running out on the court the second the horn sounded to end the first half and had to be chased off the court before the third quarter could get on the way.
   "They were so long ago, I don’t even remember Mark’s games," Scott smiled. "I remember a few of my other brother’s games. I do remember coming out at halftime."
   Another thing Scott remembers is Greg led Allentown into the state playoffs in 1999. Following a 1-3 week, Allentown is currently 5-9 and will need to win all five of its remaining games before the cutoff to become the first team from the school since then to make it back to the states.
   "It’s a tough task, but we’re going to go for it," noted Allentown Coach Craig Parker. "We’ll work our hardest to try."
   You know, like an Anacker.
   NOTES: Anacker scored 14 points and Chris Mazzella 12 in a 53-44 setback to Nottingham back on Tuesday, January 18.
   Greg Amatrudo scored 14 points and Anacker and Mazzella each put in 10 as Allentown defeated Pennington last Thursday, 54-42.
   In Allentown’s other game this past week, it was defeated at Notre Dame on Friday night, 58-50. Mazzella scored 23 points and Anacker tossed in 12.
   Allentown will be back in action Friday at Hightstown in a 7 p.m. start.