Ridge Lacrosse Player Eric Scott named NJ Player of Year

Ridge High School's Eric Scott has been named the 2013 Player of the Year in the New Jersey Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association Individual Awards. This is the first ever time a Ridge lacrosse player has received the award, said Red Devils Head Lacrosse Coach Ken Marsh.

"The coaches recognize he's the best player in New Jersey this year — that's such a great honor," Marsh said.

Team wins semifinal game in state Tournament of Champions on Wednesday

The coaches association's recognition of Scott and other players was announced days before the Ridge Red Devils traveled to Kean University Wednesday night for a state Tournament of Champion game against Rutgers Prepatory School from Somerset. Ridge took the game 11-3. Further photos and a story are coming on Patch.

The Red Devils (19-3) next face Don Bosco Prepatory School at 5 p.m. at Kean University in Union for the final game of the state Tournament of Champions.

The lineup of players that got this far received other recognition from the N.J. lacrosse coaches association, which announced the choice of Scott as its top player of the year on Sunday, according to Marsh. The recognition takes place during a season in which the Ridge varsity boys lacrosse team captured another first — the Somerset County championship, with a win over Somerville last month.

Scott, Goalie T.J. Jones — named MVP in the Somerset County Tournament — and J.T. Palladino were named All American by the lacrosse coaches association, Marsh said.

Those three, along with face-off artist Alec Burckley and Chris Palladino were named first-team all state, and Owen Malloy and Mitchell Gray were named second-team all state, Marsh said. Brian Mangion received an honorable mention all state. Ray Abbiatici was named academic All American, according to the list from the lacrosse coaches association.