On Tuesday night, the Pascack Valley Boys Basketball team defeated Bergen Tech, 59-34. Senior Guard Devin Merker came into the game 14 points shy of 1,000 career points and, in the third quarter, scored a layup to reach his 1,000th point.
Merker is the sixth player in Pascack Valley Boys Basketball history to accomplish this feat. The other five are John Blackgrove (Class of 2001), 2,237 points; Ron Greve (Class of 1982), 1,144 points; Michael Leighton (Class of 2002), 1,189 points; Sean Liddy (Class of 2008), 1,009 points; and Matt Vasel (Class of 2017), 1,058 points.
After the game, Merker discussed how scoring his 1,000th career point felt.
“It felt great, like a weight was lifted off my shoulders,” Merker said. “I’m just super happy that I was able to do it with my family and friends in the stands, along with it being at home, in the gym I’ve been playing in for four years.”
Since his freshman year, Devin has been a key part of PV basketball. As a freshman, Merker came off the bench for Valley, and as the year progressed, he earned more minutes each game.
As a sophomore, he was a starter—replacing Ethan Silcher, a senior from the previous year. Devin was a reliable scoring option on this team, averaging 10.5 points.
During his junior year, Devin averaged 14.8 points per game, highlighted by a 37-point game against DePaul Catholic.
This season, he is currently averaging 16.5 points per game.
Every year, Merker’s total points have increased by 100 or more. He had 148 points freshman year, 253 points sophomore year, 386 points junior year, and currently has 231 this year.
This achievement has been a goal of Merker’s—one he spoke about with former PV Boys Basketball Head Coach Al Coleman.
“I never really knew if I would do it, but I do vividly remember talking to Coach Coleman after a game, and I told him about some of my goals, one being to score 1,000 points,” Merker said. “So, I always kind of had the goal in mind, but I knew it would be a very tough task,” he added.
Merker has played under two head coaches at PV: Coach Coleman and Coach John Michael Santulli. Both coaches speak about Devin’s growth, on and off the court.
“He’s not only a great bball player, but brings so much more to the table,” Coleman said. “The way he’s grown is a testament to who he is. He is a leader and is a focal point on the court and in the school.”
While Coach Santulli is in his first season as the team’s head coach, he also worked with Merker as the team’s assistant coach last season.
“We are all so proud of Devin. I am thankful I was able to share part of the experience with him,” Santulli said. “I am sure Devin would agree: this is an achievement born of a lifetime of dedication to the sport he loves…”
Assistant Coach Ron Villone, who has worked with Merker for four seasons, adds to the sentiments surrounding Merker.
“Watching him grow from freshman year to sophomore year with his injury, I’m so happy for him,” Villone said. “Everybody sees the 1,000 points, but not all the work that goes into it.”
Merker looks to continue to lead his team as the boys continue in the county tournament, look to win a league title, and head into the state tournament.
