BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI Staff Writer
It’s been 20 years since Mater Dei High School’s boys basketball team had a 1,000-point scorer.
But Glen Holck achieved the milestone recently in a game against Rumson Fair Haven, being the first to hit the mark since Chris Yetman did it in the 1989-90 season. Yetman’s nephew Ryan Yetman is a sophomore backup point guard on this year’s squad.
Chris Yetman went on to play at Princeton University, and longtime fans would remember the big game he played when Mater Dei upset an undermanned St. Anthony High School team that was missing star players Danny Hurley, who went on to play at Seton Hall, and future NBA player Rodrick Rhodes.
“I guess shooting is what I’m best at, and four years of experience has helped,” said Holck, who plays shooting guard. “You play with more confidence [when you have experience].”
Holck has been a rare four-year player for coach Bob Klatt’s Seraphs.
“He’s been playing varsity for four years, and normally I don’t have freshmen playing varsity, but we had a small senior class when he was a freshman,” said Klatt, who is in his 13th season at Mater Dei. “He’s a pure shooter who has gotten better at hitting shots consistently. This year he has learned how to create his own shots. In the past, we’d set him up against the zone. But this year he has improved with his ball handling in getting off his shots.”
Holck needed two points going into a game against Rumson Fair-Haven and reached the millennium mark on Mater Dei’s second possession with a five-foot jumper off a pass from another fouryear varsity player, point guard Chris Jetter.
“He’s been shooting pretty well,” said Jetter. “When we need to score, we go to him. I trust him more than anyone on the team.”
Holck, who had 1,041 points at the conclusion of the regular season, averaged just under 17 points a game this year.
“I think I’ve been playing more consistent, and when we’re playing more as a team, it makes everybody better,” said Holck, who said he is uncertain whether he will continue to play in college, although his coach said Kean University and Brookdale Community College have shown interest. “We’ve been together four years and we all hang out, so there’s good chemistry, not just on the court.”
Mater Dei won seven of its first nine games, including impressive victories over Asbury Park, St. Rose and St. John Vianney. But when Mater Dei lost another game against Asbury Park by two points after leading most of the way, it led to a tough stretch that has included five losses by a combined 11 points. Mater Dei finished in third place in Shore Conference B Central.
“When we’re going well, we’re really unselfish,” said Klatt. “We play hard and look for each other.”
Chemistry certainly was evident at the start of the season with a roster that carries 11 seniors. Despite the slump of late, Jetter said the season still “is better than we thought. No one thought we’d be good. We were playing together. We hope to start playing together again for the states.”
That calls for players performing well within their roles. The other starters include 6-foot-1-inch senior forward Mike Glynn, 6-0 senior swingman Mike Gallo, and seniors A.J. Knutsen (6-2) and Nick Ault (6-3) alternating at the other forward spot.
“When we play well, it’s our defense,” said Klatt. “We average 54 points a game as a team, and that won’t outscore a lot of people. But we’re allowing 49 points a game.”
Also seeing significant playing time are senior guards Brian McCormick and Tim Loheide, junior forwards Ryan Fredericks (6-5) and Chris Pace (6-5), and freshman forward John Dini (6-2).
Seniors Ryan Guydes and Conner Holly at guard and Ryan Molicki at forward round out the roster. But with some good prospects on the 9-6 junior varsity team and the underclassmen on this year’s varsity playing well, the future looks favorable despite the 11 departing players.
“We’ll be all right. I’ll just be doing more teaching next year,” said Klatt.
Mater Dei was looking for its farthest advance into the state tournament since 1999 when it lost to St. Augustine in the Parochial B South Jersey final.
“None of us shot well against Red Bank Regional in our last game,” said Holck, who finished with 14 points. “But I think we’ll be fine pulling it back together for the states.”
The Seraphs did just that in the first round, beating Timothy Christian, 62- 49, in Middletown. Holck, in his final home game, added 23 points to his career total. Jetter and Glynn each chipped in with 10 as Mater Die advanced to the semifinals on Saturday (March 6).
The Seraphs, though, ran into a powerful No. 1-seed Trenton Catholic and lost, 59-37. Holck scored 12 points in the final game of his career.
Trenton Catholic improved to 24-3, and the Seraphs finished their season at 9-13.