Senior Joe Esquivel-Murphy has become the just the eighth Ranney School boys basketball player to score 1,000 career points.
Going into the Panthers’ game with American History High School, Esquivel- Murphy was six points shy of the milestone. He scored those points in the first half of the game on Feb. 21 in Tinton Falls. He would finish with a team-high 16 points in the 64-57 loss.
The Panthers’ standout reached 1,000 points on a jump shot in the second quarter.
“The moment the shot went in, I was filled with elation,” the Panthers’ captain said in a Ranney press release. “When I started my … basketball career at Ranney, 1,000 points was a dream of mine. On [Feb. 21], that dream became a reality.” Panthers head coach Tyler Schmelz recalled the first time he saw Esquivel-Murphy.
“The day I interviewed for the position at Ranney, I was driving away and I saw a young kid working on his game on the outdoor court by himself,” he said. “Four years later, the same kid is still working on his game every chance he gets.
“Joe has improved so much as an allaround player,” the coach added. “He went from being a shooter to one of our best defenders and rebounders. I will miss Joe’s attitude and effort, but he will always have a special place with me as one of my first fouryear players and my first 1,000-point scorer.”