Kates, Danella are '08 Kerwin Award winners BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer The scholastic basketball careers of Mitchell Kates and Kristina Danella may not have a lot in common. But, they do share one thing, as they've been cited as the best players in the Shore area as the 2008 Margaret M. and James J. Kerwin Award winners. The Kerwin family, in honor of their parents, has presented the Kerwin Award every year since 1974 to the outstanding boy and girl basketball player in the Shore. Danella, a senior at Red Bank Catholic who lives in Manalapan, has been a star since her first days at Red Bank Catholic (RBC). She was All-Shore as a freshman and every year since. This year, she kept the Caseys afloat when injuries took down three starters by leading the Shore in scoring (22 points a game) and rebounding (12) and taking RBC to the Shore Conference Tournament final and last night's NJSIAA Non-Public School A South final. Along the way, she has amassed more than 1,600 points and over 1,100 rebounds. She has scoredmore points and pulled down more rebounds than any girl or boy in the rich tradition that is RBC basketball. "Kristina plays both ends of the court very well," said John Kerwin. "She is very strong around the basket and has developed a nice outside shot, which makes her very difficult to defend. "Her strength is evident by the amount of foul shots she has taken this year, averaging over 10 per game," he added. Numbers aside, her biggest contribution has been as a leader. Without taking the Caseys under her wing, they wouldn't be 21-6 and playing for the Non-Public South A championship. Coach Joe Montano has seen his forward respond to the underclassmen and become a more complete player on both ends of the floor. "She's taken on the challenge as a leader and doing other things like rebounding," he said. Danella noted that the Kerwin Award means a great deal to her. "It's a huge honor," she said. "There are a lot of great names who have won it." When Kates was a freshman at Colts Neck, he was a 5-0 gnat on the basketball court. He threw his body around the floor frustrating bigger opponentswith his hustle and sheer will. There were also signs of sheer basketball talent - the way he controlled a game at point guard to his gift for finding the open man on the floor to a confidence that made him a leader that others would follow. He was a basketball player. Those basketball talents became more pronounced each season as he added 2-3 inches to his frame. Now, he stands at 6-0 and is dominating games. He still has the same hustle and willpower only now he has the size, strength and speed to put his full arsenal of talents on display. He takes a back seat to no one on the floor as evidenced by the Kerwin Award. "Everything revolves around Mitchell on the offensive end," said Kerwin. "He sees the whole court, handles the ball and passes well. Mitchell is deceptively quick on defense and anticipates very well." Kates leads the Shore in assists and steals and is a big reason that forward Steve Spinella is leading the Shore Conference in scoring (23 points per game). Kates has become more of a scoring force averaging 16 ppg in leading the Cougars to 19 wins. "I've been able to be more offensive," said Kates. "It's easier to finish at the rim and I've worked hard on my pull-up jumper." As if to confirm that he deserved the KerwinAward, Kates went out and put on a show as the Cougars took out the Bombers, 72-49, making sure that the final home game for the seniors was one to remember. Kates had 19 points and dished out 10 assists in the win. He had a hand in the first nine points his team scored (three points and three assists along with two steals) as the Cougars raced out to a 9-2 lead. Kates shredded the Bombers on the fast break as theCougars scored lay-up after layup, or he burned them with his jumper. Cougar head coach Lou Piccola has said that Kates is the best in the Shore in the open court, and certainly the Bombers aren't going to argue against his case. Kates is only the third player from the Freehold Regional District to win the Kerwin Award, which has been given out each year since 1974. Manalapan's Ed Zucker and Freehold Township's Manny Ubilla were the others. "I was ecstatic," Kates said of his reaction when he was told he had won the award. "It's more than basketball, it's about leadership and being a good person. "I'm glad that all of the hard work and dedication paid off," he added. Cougar head coach Lou Piccola attested to the work ethic of the school's first Kerwin winner. "He's worked so hard," he pointed out. "He's put in the extra time, made a commitment to being a better player." What Kates will remember most about the 2007-08 season isn't his award or his newfound offensive prowess, it's how the Cougars became a team during the season and were able to reach their full potential. "We played together," he said. Kates and Danella each received their award at what was their final home games, state playoffs. Kates sparked the Cougars to a 72-49 win over Sayreville on Feb. 27 in a Central Jersey Group IV quarterfinal. The senior had 19 points and 10 assists. Danella received her honor Saturday, before RBC started play in the Non-Public SouthASouth section. She scored 16 points and had 16 rebounds as the Casey beat Camden Catholic, 64-53, and advanced to last night'sNon-Public South championship game against St. John Vianney.