Sports

Valley Stream Central H.S. grad leads college team

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Jeremiah Mordi didn’t receive much attention during his senior year playing for Central High School’s basketball team; college scouts weren’t at his games and Mordi feared his basketball career would end when he graduated — until his very last game.

“I was frustrated, and I was definitely carrying a bit of a chip on my shoulder,” said Mordi, who graduated in 2011. “I believed that I was better than a lot of the guys I was playing against who were getting more looks from colleges, but at my last game for Valley Stream, a friend convinced one of the assistant coaches for Queens [College] to check me out. I had a great game, and they offered me a spot on the team.”

Mordi jumped at the chance, determined to make his impact felt at the school.

“When I came in, I definitely felt like I had a lot to prove,” he said. “I knew I was good enough to compete in this league, but I had a lot of people to try and prove wrong. I just kept working, stayed in the gym, tuned my game and found a way to have a big mark on the team.”

Mordi, now a senior, assumed a leadership role on and off the court. He was twice named to the East Coast Conference Honor Roll Team since the season began in November. The designation highlights the best performances from around the conference on a week-to-week basis.

Mordi leads the Knights in a number of statistical categories, including a points-per-game average of 19.1 and assists per game at 3.7. He’s also among the team’s most effective players on defense, taking the lead in blocked shots, averaging just shy of one a game, and the team’s second-best rebounder, averaging 5.7 per game.

“He’s a huge factor on our team,” said coach Darryl Jacobs. “We look for the best players from all over the country, and we always have a close eye on players in Valley Stream. He’s had a big impact for us each and every night out on the floor. He does a great job.”

His impact extends past the score sheet. Mordi is a role model to many of his younger teammates, including one from his hometown. Diego Maldonado, a sophomore guard

Maldonado, who also hails from Valley Stream, said Mordi’s tutelage has played a role in his development of his game.

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