Senior point guard Ryan Kress recently achieved the stellar milestone of becoming one of only four RHS athletes to score 1,000 career points on the Boys Basketball team. He achieved the distinction during a Jan. 11 game against Chatham with a step-back 3-pointer. Since joining this elite group of Randolph basketball players, Kress is looking to rise even further up the list of all-time leading scorers for Randolph.
“I felt pretty relieved after scoring my 1,000th point,” Kress said. “It felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders to finally hit this milestone.”
A dedicated athlete, Kress has put in long hours to achieve such a great milestone. “Ryan’s always been an extremely hard worker,” said Nick Lavender, the head coach at Randolph. “He puts in the necessary time during the off season to develop his game, and great things have happened for him from an individual standpoint because of it. I’ve never had to push him to work harder; it’s just always been a part of his DNA.”
Kress’ achievement as an individual athlete does not detract from his strength as a team leader on the court. “Ryan has always been a leader on and off the court since I can remember playing with him,” senior teammate Andrew Taurman said. “He holds people accountable and also praises them for doing the right thing, which makes him so good at what he does.”
“He’s one of the best leaders we’ve had in this program in a long time,” Lavender noted. “He’s always present, always pushes guys around him, and always tries to do the right thing.”
Kress leads off the court as well. “Ryan gets outstanding grades in the classroom and is very kind and helpful to others in need,” senior teammate Jake Miller said. “He makes it a point that any underclassmen can reach out and receive help from him in school.”
Reaching this milestone not only cemented Kress’ legacy of hard work and leadership ability at RHS but also helped him surpass most of Randolph’s all-time 3-point records. He has improved each and every season and makes a difference on both sides of the ball.
“As a player, he’s obviously an elite scorer,” Lavender said. “But he also does a lot of other things that help our team succeed. He’s a great passer, an above average rebounder, and always willing to play defense and take charges.”
Kress’ journey toward this achievement was not always easy. “One of the biggest challenges I overcame had to do with the mental side of basketball,” he noted. “I think, as time went on, I’ve learned to prepare myself very well for games in the mental side of things.”
Looking back, Kress said one of the most memorable points was the game-winning free throws he made during his sophomore year while playing against Chatham.
Looking ahead, Kress hopes to help lead the team toward competing for a county title. Kress and the rest of the Rams Boys Basketball team play their next game against Parsippany, on Saturday, Jan. 27, at home at 6 p.m.
