By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
Austin Hutcherson had every right to be frustrated., Injuries have basically kept him off the basketball court the last two seasons. But this year the Hun School senior is making up for lost time. He’s finally healthy and has been a leader and huge contributor for the Raiders., “I love basketball,” said Hutcherson, who scored a team-high 12 points as the Raiders topped Mercersburg, 68-37, on Sunday to improve to 4-9 on the season. “So any time I can play it is great. The last few years have been hard being injured and now I am happy that in my senior year I can really contribute and show people what I can do., “I haven’t really played more than 10 games since my freshman year. It’s been a lot of physical therapy and talking to Coach and trying to stay positive and know that my time was going to come. It’s here now so I am just trying to make the best of it.”, Hutcherson missed his sophomore and junior seasons with a variety of injuries. This year he’s been able to play in every game for the Raiders and is averaging 7.6 points points per game. The senior co-captain has been asked to play a variety of positions on the floor and has delivered no matter where he plays., “He is a big part of our team,” Hun School coach Jonathan Stone said. “If we’re going to have success here in the second half of the season it is going to be through him. He has battled through a lot and he is a big part of what we’re looking to do.”, Hun improved to 5-9 with a 70-63 win at Lawrenceville, on Tuesday. Hutcherson came away with a double-double in the win, scoring 16 points and adding 11 rebounds. Overall, the Raiders have played better than their record would indicate. Of their nine losses, five were by two points or less., “From the beginning of the season until now, most of the teams we have gone up against have probably been, on paper, better than us,” Hutcherson said. “They have been a challenge to help is get ready for the MAPL season. Now, I think we are coming into the stretch where we have played those better teams and we’re prepared to play against the guys in our conference.”, Past history has shown that Hun plays its best basketball at the end of the season, when they get into the state Prep A and Mid-Atlantic Prep League tournaments. With a fairly young squad this year, the Raiders are hoping history repeats itself., “That is usually the way it goes,” said Hutcherson, a Freehold resident who has attended Hun since the seventh grade. “The beginning of our seasons are usually really difficult so we can be ready for the MAPL tournament at the end of the season. I think that is a possibility this year., “We have a lot of young guys and sometimes with that you struggle a little bit. Now we’re getting everything down right and toward the end of the season and like we did today we’re starting to put it together a little more.”, For the past two seasons, Hutcherson hasn’t been able to contribute as much as he would have hoped on the court. But this year he’s proving that perseverance pays off as he has helped on the court during his first healthy season in three years., “I’ve been here since middle school, so I know a lot about the program,” said Hutcherson, who will follow the lead of many former Hun players and play his college basketball in the NESCAC as he heads to Wesleyan University. “I try to fill in wherever I can to make the team better. Some days we need ballhandling, so I will do that. Some days we rebounding. I just try to fill in wherever needed, really., “Last year we graduated a lot of guys and the same thing the year before. This year we have a lot of freshmen and sophomores so it is up to the juniors and seniors to really take them under our wing and help them as much as we can.”, And as the younger players come along, the Raiders’ chances of late-season success grow right along with that development., “I think every year we can do it,” Stone said of making a late-season run. “We play a tough schedule in order to prepare ourselves for the postseason. We needed a win today and we got one. But we turn right around and play another tough team Tuesday., “We just have to keep coming together as a team and keep competing.”, Against Mercersburg, Hun led 28-14 at halftime and opened the second half with a 16-0 run to break the game wide open. Hutcherson’s 12 points led a balanced effort that also included 11 points from Desmond Cambridge and nine from Lorenzo Spinazzi.
