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f there is one team this fall that has surprised everyone this fall, it’s TOMS RIVER NORTH. Not because they have yet to lose in the Hoop Group Fall league. What is impressive is how hard they play as a group. They are unselfish, smart and embrace their roles. They also are very talented. In fact they are the most talented team in Ocean County. In fact if the had Megan Sias they would be a Top 10 team in the state.
Everyone knows TRN’s Gia Pissott, she is a Division One player going to Navy. I believe she is going to be a All Shore player this year. Julia Grodzicki was 1st Team All Freshman 2 years ago. JACLYN BENVENUTO Is instant offense and been around forever. Faith Wavershack the teams leading scorer and unsung star returns. Sidney Howell has been a 4 year year starter and a double figure scorer. All 4 players joined the TRN team as freshman 4 years ago. This will be the final ride together. They want to go out with a bang. But if they want to go out with a bang. The key to the entire operation just may start with one of the most important players in the Shore … ARLIANA TORRES!
Two years ago Arliana Torres who attends the Mates school with fellow teammate Gia Pissott was a unknown freshman. She was 5’4” thin and physically weaker than most babies entering high school. But she was fast , skilled and loved to play basketball. It didn’t hurt that she had a next level IQ to go along with all these tools. Her freshman year she played JV. Then last year as a sophomore she started to show signs that she could have a chance to be special. She seemed to grow a little and physically got stronger. She started to show flashes of greatness at times. But she didn’t have a big reputation or play for a brand name AAU team. So many where not playing attention as to what was coming next.
Last spring it seemed every time I turned around I saw ARLIANA TORRES in the gym. She seemed to pop up everywhere. Then another thing happened she joined the TURHAN Belles team. Her AAU coach, RBR Head Coach John Truhan was her coach. Coach Truhan, started telling me over and over. ARLIANA TORRES, is really good. In fact he said she is way better than anyone realized. I just didn’t realize how good until she showed up at the NBS summer camp. That’s because it was then I knew ARLIANA TORRES!was special. It was then I started thinking she just might be a division one player. Because when she made the Top 20 court three days in the week it left no doubt in my mind about her status as a player. She was starting to look like a player that shore conference was going to have to deal within . This fall it’s seems everyone is having a problem dealing with ARLIANA TORRES.
This fall ARLIANA TORRES, has been one of the best players in the fall league. She won player of the week twice. If their was a Hoop Group Fall League All Star team. She clearly would be first team. Her ability to get in the lane and score is almost as dynamic as her shooting ability. She appears to be all over the court at times. Her motor and energy are Undescribable. Watching her dog the ball on defense is like watching a clinic on how to defend the ball. She in a word had been spectacular. She also looks nothing like the freshman she was 2 years ago
The first words use to describe ARLIANA TORRES two years ago was “little” . It was little Arliana, well these days that’s sounds rather silly. She is 5’8” with a wire type body. She is strong and wonderfully athletic. Her jumping ability and hand strength are a thing of beauty. She has physically matured and worked on her body. It goes to work ethic. It’s no surprise she attends the MATES SCHOOL. It’s a place for high achievers. ARLIANA TORRES Is the ultimate achiever. She squeezes every drop of talent out of her body. I see it every weekend starting at 7am at NBS. I watch her against the best. Her reputation seems to grow every day. Not because of hype but rather because of elite performances consistently day in and day out.. yup TOMS RIVER IS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE THIS FALL… and the person that might be most responsible is future D1 guard… ARLIANA TORRES!
