Athlete Of The Week: Joey Berardi

ORLEANS – During a season of big games and high-scoring outputs, Nauset guard Joey Berardi saved his best performance for the big stage.

The junior from Orleans dug deep for a career high 30 points on Friday night, leading all scorers to help the Warriors snap a five-game losing skid with a 63-61 victory over rival Dennis-Yarmouth.

“He’s averaging 16 points, three assists and three steals for the season, so he’s having a really good year,” Nauset coach Kevin Harrigan said.

The big night came amid a stretch of games in which Berardi has scored more than 20 points. He began the month with a 24-point performance in a 72-61 loss to Stoughton on Jan. 3, then reached 20 points in an 84-53 loss to defending Division 4 state champion Wareham on Jan. 20.

But Friday’s effort came during a crucial time, as the Warriors look to rally and qualify for the Division 2 state tournament.

“He’s figuring out stuff,” Harrigan said of Berardi. “He has such great potential and he’s such a good worker that his ceiling is still way higher than what he’s accomplished this season. It’s up to all of us to keep unlocking his potential because he can be a very, very good basketball player.”