Rick Tickles

by Ross A. Wilson

Tickles can’t wait for the start of the 2000-2001 high school basketball season. As the starting point guard for the defending South Jersey Group IV champion Highland Tartans, Tickles will be counted on in a big way to provide stability, points and leadership. He’s capable. He’s ready. And he’s prepared to reinforce the fact that he is the best pure point guard in South Jersey.

Rick Tickles can’t wait for the start of the 2000-2001 high school basketball season. As the starting point guard for the defending South Jersey Group IV champion Highland Tartans, Tickles will be counted on in a big way to provide stability, points and leadership. He’s capable. He’s ready. And he’s prepared to reinforce the fact that he is the best pure point guard in South Jersey.

After transferring from Newark H.S. in Delaware after his sophomore season, Tickles contributed to the Tartans South Jersey championship march by averaging 14 points per game and dishing out over 6 assists. His dependable ball handling and ability to penetrate and to create was also the main reason why the teams’ leading scorer Mark Groark (19.9 ppg) found himself open for so many long 3-bombs.

"I try to serve the table and eat less" said the 5-10 Tickles, when asked what he feels as though he needs to do to be a solid floor general. "I feel that if I can get my teammates involved, that will open up more opportunities for us to score and to win."

Highland finished the season with 19 wins and 9 defeats. The most memorable victory was undoubtedly their stunning victory over Atlantic City at Atlantic City in the South Jersey Group IV final. "We were down by 22 and we didn’t give up. We fought our way back. I hit a few big shots and next thing I knew, a miracle had taken place", said Tickles, who scored 27 points in the 76-74 win. "It was a great game."

Tickles’ father, Rick Sr. can always be found cheering him on courtside at Tartan games. He sits focused while surveying Eric’s every move on the court "My dad’s my role model", says the junior Rick. "He used to play for Glassboro State (Rowan University). He’s the only person I look to. He encourages me, and I know he’ll always be there cheering us on."

With the loss of Groark, Gene Mergenthal and Andrew Frazer, Highland will be without much of the punch that helped in their magical run of last year. However, with Tickles a year better, and with Dad in the front row, another miracle Tartan run isn’t out of the question.