Ta became leader of Cougars
Kris Grundy could tell right away there was something special about Chase Ta.
”Watching him in middle school and early on in his freshman year you could see he had unbelievable court vision and he could handle the ball well,” said Grundy, the Montgomery High boys’ basketball coach. “He had a great ability to see the floor and find his teammates. His ability to score the ball over the last two years even surprised us as a coaching staff. We knew he could score but the extent that he has become a scorer has led to our success the last two years.”
Ta began his freshman year with the Montgomery varsity and was in the starting lineup by the middle of that season. He has been a fixture there for the Cougars the past three seasons, helping the team to continued success.
”I think back to that a lot,” said Ta, a senior who just completed an outstanding four-year career with the Cougars. “Ever since my freshman year when Coach Grundy told me that in a couple of years this would be my team, it gave me time to gain experience. I learned that year that I was not strong enough to play at the varsity level. I had to work in the weight room to gain muscle and be able to play with bigger guys. It paid off for me.
”The first two years were big learning years and then my junior year we were a top 20 team in the state. Coach Grundy put me and Justin (Kovacevich) in for playing time my freshman year and I think that really helped us. That is something he always does and did this year with the Matt Remsen types. It helps the program overall.”
Ta helped the Cougars to a school-record 27 wins last year and this year the team won 17 games and earned a Skyland Conference Raritan Division championship.
”He’s been starting since he was a freshman,” Grundy said of Ta. “Midway through that season we decided to make him our starting point guard and from that point on he took the ball and ran with it. To see how far he has come has been amazing.”
Chase Ta is the Princeton Packet Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
Ta finished this season as the Cougars leading scorer at 16.6 points per game. He also led the team in assists (3.5 per game) and steals (3.8 per game), and was second on the team in rebounding at 5.9 per game.
”My first year we had Kevin Johnson and he was a great point guard,” Ta said. “My sophomore year it was my job to put the team in motion and not turn it over. That was my main goal. My junior year we changed the offense and we were more athletic and more of a fast-break oriented team and I was able to create a few more shots for myself.”
Ta averaged 9.8 points and 5.2 assists per game last year. This year he was counted on to do more scoring for the Cougars.
”From the midway point of his junior year through his senior year he turned the switch on and became more of a scorer,” Grundy said. “Before he just fed his teammates and scored when had to. He became a point guard who not only set his teammates up but could score.
”To watch him and Justin for three years was fun. Justin became Chase’s security blanket like a tight end with a quarterback. They knew where each other was and to see him step up without Justin this year was great. He took on a role as a rebounder was also our leading scorer.”
The whole Montgomery experience was one Ta will always cherish, even as he gets set to move on to a college career at Skidmore.
”Montgomery High basketball has a tradition that preaches family,” Ta said. “We have it on our shirts and that is true. Players and alumni come back to practices and games, even if they didn’t get a lot of time. We have the MIRE, which is internet radio, and I know one of the former players is in Italy and he listens to all the games.
”I remember when I was younger and Coach Grundy had his basketball camps and I would go. In sixth grade I would work on the side when the older players were practicing and realized then I had a chance to play varsity basketball someday.”
Added Grundy: “He is great leader. The guys look to him on the court. Everybody sees what he can do when the lights come on. But also on the practice court and off he is such a high character kid. He will do great things at Skidmore. I know Coach (Joe) Burke is excited for that.”
Ta realizes when he gets to college he’ll face the same challenges he did as he worked his way into the lineup for the Cougars.
”They just came off a pretty successful season,” Ta said. “They had 20 wins and won their league. It is another good environment that I will be going into. I talked to the coach and I probably won’t start but that was the case my freshman year of high school, too. They have a great point guard right now who will be a senior. He had another great season again this year.”
Ta hopes his college career takes the same path that his high school career did at Montgomery.
”I know I became more confident knowing I could play with these guys and do what I wanted to do instead of deferring to others,” he said. “I knew I could drive and get to the basket. As I went on I gained a lot of confidence. I still remember back to the Senior Nights when I was younger and those guys would say it goes by so fast. You don’t believe it until it is your turn. Now that it is over it went by so fast.”
