A YUM Publication
No. 7 Vol. 3
MARCH 2025
3-Sport Standout For Cedar Grove Is Latest Parisi Fairfield/SC AOW By Steve Tober For sidelinechatter.com
W
hile basketball might be Nick Russo of Cedar Grove’s third sport, the same could also be said for former Summit great Willie Wilson, and he too was a darn good hoopster, although he was much more coveted by college football coaches, such as Bo Schembechler at Michigan and Jerry Claiborne at Maryland, before choosing the diamond sport and becoming an all-star centerfielder with the Kansas City Royals to highlight a nice, long 19-year major league career. Baseball will also be the No. 1 sport in the future for Russo, who is headed to play collegiate baseball at Division III national power Salve Regina; however, he was also a superb wide receiver and linebacker last fall for the Panthers’ 13-1 North 2, Group 1 championship football team, and he is currently in his third season as the leading scorer for the Panthers basketball squad. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior, who is averaging 20 points per game for 12-4 Cedar Grove (9-0 in the Super Essex Conference-National Division), has continued to excel on the hardwood, had 16 points in a key 69-66 division victory vs. Weequahic on Jan. 28 coming off another 16-point effort in a 63-46 triumph vs. Eagle Academy. He also led his team with 14 points in a 46-37 setback to Newark Global Studies in this past Thursday’s preliminary round of the Essex County Invitational Tournament. He poured in 27 points in Tuesday’s (Feb. 4) 75-37 triumph over Bard in conference action. For his efforts, which also include 17 points in a hardfought 50-46 win vs. archrival Verona in the Jimmy Jandoli Tip-Off Game at the recent Dennis Gregory Memorial Classic, Russo is the Parisi Fairfield/Sideline Chatter Athlete of the Week. Yes, the wintertime sport may not be as prominent in his scholastic resume as that of being a college-level catcher as he looks forward to his senior season with the Panthers, or in comparison to being a prolific pass catcher as one of the top wide receivers in Essex County this past fall for a 13-1 Cedar Grove gridiron squad, but he’s very much a noteworthy hoopster on the Group 1 scene. “However basketball might stand in terms of his three sports, the one thing I can definitely say is that Nick gives the same amount of effort and dedication to our team as he does for baseball and football,” said veteran Cedar Grove hoops coach T.J. Jones. “And, while he’s been such a great scorer for us the past three years, he’s also stepped up his all-around game this season, is as strong an all-around player as he’s ever been for us along with being a team leader!” As far as Russo is concerned, being a multi-sport athlete at Cedar Grove is really just part and parcel of the mosaic of
Cedar Grove's Nick Russo has been stalwart for the Panthers basketball team the past 3 seasons behind teh guidance of veteran coach T.J. Jones. The CG senior multi-sport star received MVP award in the Jimmy Jandoli Tip-Off Game at the recent Dennis Gegory Memorial Showcase at Caldwell University. (SC photos and by Kathleen Milano Seubert)
being a Panther. “My experience with playing three sports at Cedar Grove has meant everything to me,” said the strong senior swingman. “Being a member of a different team in each season is something that so many kids at a small school like ours have done through the years, and continue to do. “The transition from one season to another has gotten easier because I know what to expect, and I enjoy all the different experiences and all the teammates and coaches in three sports.” Russo entered this week with 1,190 career points based on three strong seasons as he averaged 17.1 points per game as a sophomore for an improving 13-14 squad (8-7 in the SEC-Freedom Division) in 2022-2023, 15.1 ppg last winter for a 16-11 squad (8-6 in the Freedom Division) and his current 20.0 ppg output for a Panthers squad that has its sights set squarely on clinching an SEC-National Division championship. “That’s our philosophy right now as we look at this final month of the season,” said Jones. “We want to secure the division title and then look to make a run in the state
tournament (North 2, Group 1). “Nick is a big part of whatever success we have and I know that he’ll continue to put forth a tremendous effort each and every game!” Russo and talented junior Jermaine Russell have been the top two offensive threats for the Panthers, who have persevered despite having less experienced personnel than it may have had. Cedar Grove was already down a couple of veteran guards heading into this season when all-state quarterback Stephen Paradiso reluctantly decided to forgo his senior basketball season to let his injured knee heal, and another football standout, Anthony Tronio, had to sit out his senior hoops season due to a shoulder injury. More recently, junior point guard Marcus Kuilan was lost for the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL. Still, with steady scorers in Russo and Russell and other contributors including experienced senior guards Matthew Kuilen (Marcus’ brother) and Nick Chen and sharp-shooting junior guard Owen Greene, the cohesiveness has remained intact for the Panthers who had won eight in a row after a cont. on page 2