MOORE HAVEN — High school basketball coaches enjoy pleasant surprises, so when a player like Marquis Fudge adapts to a coach’s style of play and surpasses expectations, the results don’t go unnoticed.

“He’s been really good for us this year,” said Moore Haven boys basketball coach Matt Zinser. “He’s been a bright spot for us. We weren’t really expecting that from him, but he’s played well. He’s starting for us and he’s doing a good job rebounding the ball for us. He’s been really fun to coach this year.”

In a 61-49 win at Clewiston on Jan. 10, Fudge’s presence in the paint at both ends was hard to miss. Defensively, the 6-foot-2 Seminole forced opponents to take bad or awkward shots and he prevented second chances by snagging rebounds. Offensively, he wasn’t shy about taking the ball from up top and driving the lane.

“He plays hard and he plays the style we want to play. We want to get up and get out on the floor and he likes to do that,” said Zinser, whose team improved to 9-7. “He does a really good job getting to the rebounds, both offensively and defensively. And he’s been doing a good job of getting the ball to the rim lately.”

Fudge is one of the reasons Moore Haven is above .500. The Terriers entered late January with a 9-7 record.
“His role for us is to get in there and rebound and get after it on the boards and defensive end. Anything we get offensively is a bonus,” Zinser said.

Zinser said Fudge is averaging about nine points and six rebounds per game.

Fudge hasn’t been the only surprise for Moore Haven. Sophomore forward Andrew Fish, who played at PECS and lives on the Brighton Reservation, provided several quality minutes coming off the bench in the win at Clewiston. He chipped in with six points and, similar to Fudge, made his presence felt in the lane.

“He’s doing OK,” Zinser said. “He’s getting used to my style of play. He’s been getting better these last couple games than where he was at the start of the year. He’s been solid for us these last few games.”