Varsity Insider

Each week, Dan and I will each pick a player of the week. We’ll take your suggestions on Twitter. You can tweet us your suggestions @LoHudInsider and @LoHud_DeFran using the hashtag #POTW.

I’ll keep a log of our selections every Monday. These are the first, so let’s get to it:

Josh’s POTW: John Decker, Somers —
Like Dan’s choice, one of the area’s top shooters was on fire during a perfect week for his team. To me, that’s the very definition of a player of the week. John Decker certainly fits that profile.

Decker, a 6-foot-1 guard, led the Tuskers to a 3-0 week, including two wins in the Somers tournament. First, he started off the week by dropping 21 points in a 66-61 victory over neighboring Lakeland. Decker’s performance really picked up over the weekend. At home, he scored 20 points in a 59-32 semifinal win over Ardsley. He followed with perhaps his best yet. In a game that seemed like a toss-up, Decker scorched North Salem with a game-high 31 points en route to a 63-42 victory.

So far, Somers is 4-1 and Decker is among the area’s top scorers at 25 PPG. His team’s only loss came when he had 31 in a duel with Eastchester’s Jack Daly.

Dan’s POTW: Jay Cabell, Peekskill —
For me, a potential POTW doesn’t just put up big numbers, he helps his team win. It doesn’t matter if you score 50 points if your team lost the game. That’s why I am picking Jay Cabell, who helped Peekskill (3-0) remain undefeated this week.

Cabell first made a splash against Putnam Valley. While the rest of the Red Devils were reading press clippings from their win against Poughkeepsie, the junior was busy putting the team on his back. The only Peekskill player to score in double figures, Cabell finished with 25 points, including six three-pointers, as the Red Devils escaped Putnam Valley with a 61-58 win.

Three days later, Peekskill would make a statement against Beacon, outscoring the Bulldogs 52-25 in the second half. Cabell had another big night behind the arc, hitting six threes en route to a 23-point performance. Going forward, teams will have to respect Cabell’s range, stretching the defense and opening things up for Peekskill’s big men.