Fleetwood’s Nate Herb is Weeber/Langdon Team of Merrill Lynch Player of the Week
Even after seeing Fleetwood graduate the leading scorer in its program history, return starter Nate Herb hasn’t felt compelled to score more this season.
“I’m just attacking and creating,” said the senior and four-year starter. “If I have a shot I’m gonna take it in there (but mostly) I like to find the shooters.”
The Tigers’ point guard has done exactly that this season, helping the two-time defending Berks III champs off to a 7-0 start. He scored 31 points over a pair of wins last week and has been named the Weeber/Langdon Team of Merrill Lynch Player of the Week.
Herb scored a game-high 15 points, had five rebounds and four assists in a key Berks Conference Division III win over Schuylkill Valley on Tuesday. He came back with a team-leading and season-high 16 points Thursday against Daniel Boone.
Despite graduating a pair of starters, including 1,300-point scorer Jake Karnish, the Tigers are off to another good start. Herb and return starters Aiden Soumas and Hunter Svoboda have picked up their respective games. Herb is averaging 10.6 points per game, second on the team. Last season he averaged 8.9 points.
“We’re missing 20 points a game there, a go-to guy you could always count on to knock down the open shots,” Herb said of Karnish, who is now playing at Wilkes University. “Everybody’s just kind of chipping in a little bit more than last year. It’s not one person that’s trying to make up those 20 points, it’s a team effort.”
Herb has been one of the foundations of a Fleetwood program that has gone 56-21 over the past four seasons. The Tigers won only 30 games the previous four seasons.
“Nate is a true point guard,” said Fleetwood coach Terry Sitler. “He sees the floor well, he’s very hard to pressure into mistakes and he can drive by most anyone.”
The Tigers are in early control in Berks III after opening league play with wins against two of their toughest challengers, Schuylkill Valley and Berks IV preseason favorite Oley Valley.
Herb was an all-division pick as a junior.
His top sport is soccer, which he’ll play in college. He is expected to announce plans soon to play in the Pennsylvania Conference.
Herb is a two-time All-Berks pick and team captain who helped the Tigers to a 23-2 record and BCIAA and District 3 Class 2A championships as a senior. He scored the first goal in a 5-1 win over Camp Hill in the district title game.
As a defender, he anchored one of the strongest defenses in the league. The Tigers shut out Berks II rival Conrad Weiser in the Berks championship game. The Scouts were the only team to beat them in the regular season.
Herb also plays with FC Revolution.
Herb is Fleetwood’s first Player of the Week recipient this season. Karnish was selected twice and Soumas once last season.
Players considered for Weeber/Langdon Team of Merrill Lynch Player of the Week honors are nominated by their coach or by members of the MikeDragoSports.com coverage team.
Also considered for Player of the Week:
- AJ Scheifly, Antietam
- Parker Nein, Berks Catholic
- Reece Garvin, Exeter
- Colten Mathias, Kutztown
- Ben DeBalko, Oley Valley
- Correll Akings, Wilson
- Justice Hardy, Wyomissing
Players selected earlier this season:
- Dec. 11: Alex Collado, Muhlenberg
- Dec. 18: Madyx Gruber, Wilson
Players selected last season:
- Dec. 12: Jake Karnish, Fleetwood
- Dec. 19: Mark Rajnath, Schuylkill Valley
- Dec. 26: Ryan Koch, Berks Catholic
- Jan. 2: Myles Grey, Reading High
- Jan 9: Jake Karnish, Fleetwood
- Jan. 16: Yadiel Cruz, Reading High
- Jan. 23: Ruben Rodriguez, Reading High
- Jan. 30: Aiden Soumas, Fleetwood
- Feb. 6: Anthony Caccese, Exeter
- Feb. 13: Cooper Hohenadel, Schuylkill Valley
- Feb. 20: Ruben Rodriguez, Reading High
- Feb. 27: Ruben Rodriguez, Reading High
- March 6: Anthony Caccese, Exeter
- March 13: Myles Grey, Reading High
- March 20: Kevin Saenz, Exeter
- March 27: Nick Chapman, Reading High
Players selected in 2021-22 season:
- Dec. 20: Matt Harley, Gov. Mifflin
- Dec. 27: Colin Payne, Exeter
- Jan. 3: Jake Karnish, Fleetwood
- Jan. 10: Myles Grey, Reading High
- Jan. 17: Danny Turchi, Oley Valley
- Jan. 24: Ruben Rodriguez, Reading High
- Jan. 31: Julian O’Brien, Wyomissing
- Feb. 7: Xavier Goodman, Kutztown
- Feb. 14: Danny Turchi, Oley Valley
- Feb. 21: Ruben Rodriguez, Reading High
- Feb. 28: Hector Tiburcio, Antietam
- March 7: Joey Chapman, Reading High
