(Photo: Avoca-Prattsburgh Junior J.J Crowder came into the game at 996 career points. He got his 1,000 point just 44 Seconds into the first quarter)
Jaedon “J.J.” Crowder was called up to varsity basketball when Avoca-Prattsburgh won a state title with his brother, Jamel Crowder on the team. J.J had fun, but the pressure was on the starters. As he become a start, he became a leader as well.
After scoring his 1,000th point, a lot of well-wishers congratulated him on Facebook. J.J was humbled and wrote, “I worked for this moment for as long as I can remember. None of this would be possible if it weren’t for my family, teammates and community … now that’s said it’s time to set new and higher goals.”
Bill Collmer with a story on the student-athlete and a chance to keep re-writing the history books:
Avoca-Prattsburgh Junior joins elite Club
By Bill Collmer, Hornell Sun Senior Sports Writer
PRATTSBURGH — Avoca-Prattsburgh Junior Guard Jaedon “J.J.” Crowder entered Wednesday night’s home game versus Sodus with 996 career points.
Forty-four seconds into the first quarter, Crowder scored his 1,000-career point. Crowder helped lead A-P over Sodus 51-25 finishing with 28 points and now has 1,024 career points.
Avoca and Prattsburgh combined for sports in 2021. Since then, two other players have joined the 1,000-point club and Crowder was teammates with both of them. Crowder came up to varsity for sectionals as an 8th grader, helping A-P win their second consecutive state championship in 2023. Sawyer Devoe was a senior on that A-P Squad and was named New York State Class D Co-Player of the year with teammate Macoy Putnam. Devoe would graduate with 1,044 Career points and 556 Career Rebounds.
The following season, Crowder was a key player as a freshman teaming up as “Robin” to Macoy Putnam’s “Batman.” They would lead A-P back to Glens Falls for the 3rd consecutive season. However, they lost to Sackets Harbor 58-57 in the state semifinals.
Putnam finished his career with 1,346 Career Points, 650 Career assists and 437 Steals. Crowder finished his freshman year averaging 15.3 points per game, 4.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.6 steals per game. Crowder was named to the Section Five Class D All-Tournament Team and was a First Team Steuben County All-Star. Crowder was named third team All-State in Class D by the New York State Sportswriters Association.
His sophomore year, Crowder was the man in charge of the Titans and finished the season averaging 26.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.3 APG & 6.7 SPG. He was a First-Team Steuben County All-Star and was selected Third Team All-State in Class D for the second consecutive season. However, for the first time since joining forces, A-P did not win a sectional championship, falling in the sectional semifinals to eventual champion, Fillmore.
Avoca and Prattsburgh both won sectional championships in 2020, then in 2021, captured a sectional championship as Avoca-Prattsburgh in the Covid-shortened season finishing 11-0.
In 2022, they went undefeated — 27-0 — winning the New York State Class D State Championship. In 2023 they won their second consecutive state championship finishing 25-2.
If things go well the rest of this season — and with his senior year coming up next season — Crowder should graduate as A-P’s all-time leading scorer and could pass Devoe and Putnam on the career rebounding and steals records as well. But what Crowder really wants is to hang more Section V Championship banners on the wall.
