School: Central Bucks South
Basketball
Favorite athlete: Kobe Bryant
Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles
Favorite memory competing in sports: Beating Roman Catholic in the state playoffs my junior year.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: "I was stretching before practice and fell over right on my back in front of everyone."
Music on iPod: lil wayne, drake, meek mills and Notorious B.I.G.
Future plans: Go to Penn State next year and earn a degree from the business school
Words to live by: "Go big or go home"
One goal before turning 30: Graduate from college
One thing people don't know about me: "I've wanted to go to Penn State since I was five."
By Nate Oxman
On a Central Bucks South boys’ basketball team saturated with guards, it’s not hard for Nick Joerger to stand out on the court.
Aside from 6-foot-4 junior forward/center Matt Johns, the 6-foot-3 Joerger is the only other true frontcourt player who sees significant action for the Titans.
But it’s safe to say that even if Joerger was dwarfed by several taller, more talented teammates, the senior forward would still attract more than his fair share of attention.
“He’s a D-I [Division One] player if you give him five more inches,” said C.B. South coach Jason Campbell. “He really is. He plays bigger than what he is. He’s a beast inside. We need him on the floor as much as possible because he makes a difference. He gets offensive boards. He gets defensive rebounds. He’s just a tough interior player. He’s physical. He limits post players.
“He’s played against 6-8 guys where they’ve scored two and four points because that’s the kid he is. He’s a smart player and he knows how to play with the limited size that he has. And he’s also another coach out on the floor.”
Joerger was a contributor on last year’s Suburban One Continental Conference champion team that finished 22-7 and advanced to the second round of the PIAA Class AAAA tournament.
But with the loss of several key seniors to graduation, including the 6-10 Will Barrett, who now plays at Princeton University, Joerger became a team captain and welcomed a larger role.
“We had leaders like Will Barrett last year and I learned a lot from guys like that,” said Joerger. “He had a great work ethic in the offseason, and I just tried to carry that over to this team.”
His contributions this season helped the Titans finish the regular season at 15-7, 9-5 (second place) in SOL Continental play and record a 41-32 win over Ridley in the opening round of the district playoffs last Friday.
“He certainly had some time last year and started some games and came off the bench in others,” said Campbell. “And he certainly has stepped it up this year. He dedicated himself in the offseason and the guys respect him. He’s the strongest guy we’ve got out on the floor. He’s just a tough-nosed, blue-collar type player.”
Joerger has seen an offseason spent splitting time between playing AAU ball and bulking up in the weight room paying off.
“We hit the weight room three or four times (a week) during the offseason,” said Joerger, who added 10 pounds. “Last year we had a bunch of big guys. Coming into this year, we knew we weren’t going to have the size so we all hit the weight room real hard.
“I try to make up for my size with strength and just boxing out, getting them out of the lane. In the paint, any drop step or post move, you can feel the guy move a couple extra inches and that gives me the space that I need.”
Opposing coaches might be more inclined to scheme a game plan for C.B. South to shut down senior guard Mike Pincus, but they’re sure to make mention of Joerger—harping to their big men to box him out on every single shot attempt and to deny him from catching the ball at the free-throw line where he helps orchestrate the Titans’ offense.
That’s because from the second the ball is tossed into the air, Joerger is all over the floor. His 10.5 PPG average this season isn’t the result of a flashy low-post game or a deadly midrange touch, although given the opportunity he will do damage in both fashions.
Instead, it’s a direct reflection of the unwavering intensity with which Joerger plays the game.
He gets his points from using his 200-pound frame to outmuscle taller players for offensive rebounds that lead to hard-fought putbacks or trips to the free throw line, from sprinting down the floor to fill the lane on a fast break, and from relentlessly pursuing the basketball wherever it may be bouncing on the floor.
Joerger gets his points purely from hustle, and that hustle was prominently on display Tuesday night in the Titans’ 64-54 loss to SOL Continental Conference rival Souderton in the second round of the District One Class AAAA playoffs.
Joerger posted up Souderton forward/center Jeff Bishop on his team’s second possession, used his strength to back him down, drew a foul, and converted both free throws.
Two minutes later, he dove on the floor to extend a possession for his team, which led to a three-point bucket by Pincus.
“I don’t care, I’ll do anything,” said Joerger. “I’ll take a charge. I’ll run through the wall for the team. I just want to win.”
Foul trouble limited Joerger’s minutes throughout the contest and limited the Titans from running their offense effectively during some stretches, such as a four-minute span midway through the second quarter when he picked up his third personal foul.
The Indians quickly stretched a six-point lead to 13 at 44-31 before Joerger returned.
He quickly atoned for lost time, posting up Souderton’s Sam Wonderling, drawing a foul and canning both free throws to kick-start an 11-1 Titans’ run that pulled them within 45-42 entering the fourth quarter.
On the very next possession, Joerger filled the lane beautifully on the tail end of a press break and was rewarded with a layup.
Joerger did absolutely all he could to help keep the 14th-seeded Titans stay within striking distance of the third-seeded Indians, a team that entered the game with a gaudy 21-2 record.
He was relegated to the sideline again to start the fourth quarter after picking up his fourth foul, and the Indians coincidentally extended a 46-44 lead to 54-44.
And even though Souderton was able to fend off scrappy C.B. South down the stretch thanks to the free-throw shooting of star senior guard A.J. Picard (game-high 28 points), Joerger and the Titans refused to quit.
Trailing 59-50 with 1:05 to play, Joerger intercepted a pass at halfcourt – showing signs of what could possibly have been a ferocious linebacker for the Titans’ football team had Joerger not left the sport behind as a sophomore to focus on hoops – and was fouled going in for a layup.
He knocked down 1-of-2 free throws and then, despite his team still facing a 10-point deficit with 48 seconds left, sprinted full-speed from underneath the basket to well beyond the three-point line, beating a host of players for a loose ball that he gathered and kicked to Joe Maher for a three-pointer that provided one final highlight.
Joerger finished the game, by doing just what he always does, filling out the stat sheet - 11 points, six rebounds, three steals – and catching the attention of the opposing coach.
“Joerger reminds me of a player that I had here a couple of years ago – Kevin Weaver,” said Souderton coach Perry Engard of the '07 Souderton grad. “Nobody has told Nick Joerger how tall he is.
“You always say it’s how big a player plays, and the kid plays 6-6. He’s listed at 6-2, and he’s probably really 6-1, but he plays a lot bigger. You just see that confidence in him. They have a point guard for the guards and a floor leader for the big men because you see Joerger directing traffic out there.”
Leading and working hard - it's what Joerger does best.
