With two minutes gone in the second quarter of last Tuesday night’s game against Fair Lawn, Senior Joey Belli was one point away from achieving 1,000 points in his High School Basketball career. As the team ran down the court, Belli received a pass from Jason Modak at the top of the key where Belli nailed the three-pointer that gave him his 1,000th point.

Belli is one of only three players Coach Kevin Grimes has seen reach 1,000 points in his time at Wayne Hills. Needless to say, it’s an impressive feat. When asked about Belli’s potential, Coach Grimes said proudly, “He could’ve been near the 2,000 point plateau if he was more selfish, but that’s not the type of player he is. He is hands down the best player I have ever coached.”

For most people scoring their 1,000th point is a surreal moment full of emotion, but not for Belli. With him being the humble and selfless player that he is, Belli kept his composure. “It’s a great accomplishment for me. For four years I’ve just tried to be as consistent as I could in my role. Stats slowly add up… next thing you know, you just scored your 1,000th point,” commented Belli.

Belli started all four years here at Wayne Hills and showed great strides of improvement each year. His freshman year the team wasn’t too good and he felt the need to distribute the ball to the experienced seniors, but Belli did lose his determination. When asked about Belli’s accomplishment, Jason Sanfilippo, Belli’s longtime friend and teammate, told the Patriot Press, “It’ a cool accomplishment for him to get so early in his last season. It’s something I always knew he would achieve.”

Belli and his teammates look to improve their record during a January 16th game against Clifton at 4:00 pm in the Gifford Gym.