HILLSDALE, N.J. — Way back in 2001, John Blackgrove was named the New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year. In the past 20 years, among other players who have won this prestigious award are current and former NBA players such as Luol Deng, J.R. Smith, Kyrie Irving, and Karl-Anthony Towns. While John Blackgrove’s back injury and torn Achille’s tendon cut short his playing days, there was a time when he was among the elite amateur players in the country. And his high school career took place right here at Pascack Valley High School.

Pascack Valley Legend

For many years under the tutelage of Jeff Jasper, Pascack Valley High School basketball carved out a niche as a powerhouse in girls’ basketball. However, when John Blackgrove laced up his high tops for the boys’ basketball team, it immediately had a star of its own, and the attention of its competition.

Well before Blackgrove played for Pascack Valley, he was no stranger to Bergen County Boys’ Basketball. Between his uncle who was the head coach at Hasbrouck Heights at the time and his Dad, Blackgrove had two capable teachers. He says, “My Dad and him [his uncle] taught me the fundamentals of the game. I was probably on every court in Bergen County by the time I was 8 years old. Those were special times.”

While honing his skills and work ethic a Holdrum, Blackgrove remembers working on his craft for 4-6 hours a day. He would shoot from various spots on the court, not stopping until he hit 20 shots in a row from a spot. He averaged 40 points a game while playing for the Holdrum Hawks. Still, the question was could he score at will at the high school level.

Over the course of his Pascack Valley career, Blackgrove answered the question with a resounding yes. He scored over 2,000 points over the course of his high school career. In his senior year, he averaged 29 points a game. Still, the Pascack Valley team, until his senior year was more of a one man show.

In his senior year in 2001, Blackgrove was joined by star player Mike Leighton. As Blackgrove remembers, “Mike was the best teammate I had from a basketball sense. He fit my style. He could play off of me.” Leighton says, “We played very well together. He was a great teammate. He wanted to win more than anything.”

And win they did. In the 2001 season, the Pascack Valley basketball team, as a number 5 seed, won a state championship, beating Sparta 62-39. Blackgrove says, “Winning is the only thing that mattered to me.” Driven by Blackgrove and Leighton, the state championship represented the first ever for the Pascack Valley boys’ basketball team.

ABCD Camp and College Years

Blackgrove’s talent garnered him national recognition. In the summer of 2000, he was invited to the ABCD Camp. Among other players in attendance: future NBA players Charlie Villanueva, Eddy Curry, Lebron James, and Carmelo Anthony. Blackgrove fondly remembers, “It was an incredible experience. Kobe Bryant came to speak to us.” During the week, Blackgrove more than held his own against the stiffest of competition.

Blackgrove went on to play college hoops for former NBA Head Coach Bob Hill for two years at Fordham University. In his sophomore year, he averaged 14 points a game. When Hill was fired, Blackgrove transferred to Fairleigh Dickinson, where he finished his college playing days. It was during his college years that he first injured his back and then suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon. His high school teammate Leighton says, “He was never the same after his injuries.”

Coach Blackgrove

Immediately after his playing days, Blackgrove became a basketball coach. After all, he says, “Basketball is in my blood.” Whether coaching youth basketball or college players, Blackgrove’s approach is about one thing: Winning. He says, “I’m fortunate that I’m in a position to pay forward all the things people we have taught me. I’ve been very blessed in the people I’ve been able to learn from and be around.”

Two Way Player Documentary: Behind the Scenes

Ben Bachrach and Andre Dabaghian are the young men behind the Two Way Player documentary on John Blackgrove. In their own words, here is how an idea became reality:

Q: Where did the idea for the documentary come from?

A: Ben reached out to me in April of last year asking if I knew anyone in town or locally that had made it big in sports. I told him about John Blackgrove, who I have known for years since I have played for him from when I was 7 years old. A couple of months went by because of the uncertainty of the world due to COVID-19, but, by August, we came together and decided to do the documentary. From that point, we began production by first outlining how we want to do it. Once we did that, we began filming. 

Q: How long did it take to do the documentary

A: The documentary took about 5 months—from late August to January 12th, which is the date we uploaded the documentary onto Youtube.

Q: What was the most satisfying aspect of the documentary?

A: The most satisfying aspect of it was seeing the months of hard work together come together to tell this previously untold local success story. Keep in mind, we are two college kids with no budget. The only equipment we had was what I just happened to have for videography. So, seeing our hard work turn into something really good was amazing to see. And along with that, the publicity we have received on social media platforms is very satisfying. The Pascack Press even ran an article about the documentary on the front cover page, which was an amazing experience.

Q: What advice would you give to future documentarians?

A: As mentioned, we are two college kids without a budget, so it was very difficult, and sometimes overwhelming. One piece of advice to future documentarians would be that if you have a camera, an idea, and a motivation to do something great, that is all you need. We did not think this documentary would turn out as well as it did. It surpassed even our own expectations. Beyond the wonderful experience Two Way Player has been for us, we hope future documentarians will be motivated by our experience to tell the stories that moved them.

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