Dec 27, 2017 3 min read

Name: Trent Belleville

School: McGuffey

Class: Senior

Sport: Basketball

Belleville’s Week: In the lone game for McGuffey last week, Belleville scored 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as the Highlanders defeated Elizabeth Forward 58-46 in a Section 3-AAAA matchup Friday.

Not only did Belleville’s double-double improve McGuffey’s record to 5-1 overall, it also extended his streak of 10-plus points and rebounds to six straight games.

“He has been Mr. Consistency,” said McGuffey head coach Mike Fatigante. “We know what we’re going to get from him every night. A lot of times with high school kids, you have a lot of great players with upside. But a lot of the time they can be inconsistent. He is doing it every single night.”

Through McGuffey’s first six games, Belleville is averaging 22 points.

“I want to try to make everyone better,” Belleville said. “If I can set somebody up for a better shot or an easier look than mine, then I will do that every time. The points will come. For me, it’s about grabbing those rebounds.”

That tendency to pass up shots has even led to Fatigante calling Belleville over to the sideline during games and insisting he shoot the ball more often.

“A lot of guys who score as much as he does tend to have the ball stick to their hands,” Fatigante said. “Trent is the opposite of that. There are numerous times where I’m telling him to shoot it more. We don’t have to set up plays for him because he just finds ways to score.”

Chip on the shoulder: Belleville, a three-year starter, knows that his “big man” frame of 6-2 isn’t necessarily going to send opponents running.

Instead, he relies on a competitive spirit driven by out-hustling teams more than anything.

“You might be able to jump higher and run faster,” Belleville said. “But I will out work you every single time.”

That mentality resonates across the entire team that focuses on team defense – the Highlanders have allowed opponents score more than 60 points in only five of their last 28 regular-season games – to stay competitive.

Last year was the first time McGuffey made the playoffs in boys basketball since 2012.

“Coach Fatigante told us that we don’t have the firepower to come out and score 90 points, and we agreed as a team 100 percent,” Belleville said. “We know that we don’t have the best athletes, at least compared to other teams. It puts a huge chip on our shoulder.”

Compiled by Luke Campbell.