Jay Sarkis of the Rochester area has been a basketball standout since he was in middle school. After about two weeks on the junior varsity squad, Sarkis was called up to the varsity team while only an eighth grader, a first for the Greece-Athena school district. During his first varsity season, Sarkis played approximately half the games,  but as his skills improved, he earned a starting role as a freshman last season.

The 6’1” point guard led his team last season, averaging 12 points, eight assists, two rebounds, and one steal per game. The team finished with an 11-8 record, winning one game in sectionals. For Sarkis, this simply was not good enough. He expects his team to win sectionals and have a run at the state title. For this goal to be realized, Head Coach Jim Johnson and Assistant Coach Kevin Legrett would like to see Jay take on more of a leadership role and apply what he has accomplished off the court.

According to Janine Sarkis, Jay’s mother,  he is a “conscientious student with a solid 3.5 GPA.  He has been asked to take part in mentoring programs at school with other students shadowing him for positive behavior reinforcement.” It seems clear that the coaching staff from Greece-Athena can expect Jay to lead by example, even at such a young age.

Outside of the school team, Jay plays for the RAP Elite- the Rochester Area Players. Like many other high school athletes, he enjoys pick-up games in his driveway and at the YMCA. Jay has been playing competitively since the third grade, and has been traveling for his AAU team since fourth. These places are where he has “learned the fundamentals of basketball and team participation to become an adult who excels at life,” according to Janine Sarkis.

Once Jay finishes up his high school career, he will have the option of pursuing basketball at the next level. This tenth grader has seen interest from colleges including St. John Fisher and Hilbert. Jay hopes to continue to improve and play either Division 1 or Division 2 basketball.

Jay wants the readers to know that he “would like to thank my two older brothers Nick and Cody for pushing me since I was old enough to dribble, to try my hardest, have no fear, and strive to become a standout player.” Cody has some talent as well, and currently plays for Nazareth College.

Upstate Scouting would like to thank Janine and Jay Sarkis for their time. Jay will be a positive influence on any team due to his hard work both on and off the court. We would like to wish him luck this season as Greece-Athena works for a sectional title.

Josh Skinner-Staff writer

 

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