June
10, 2004
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| Boston College bound Brian Toal is 'Barton's Best' male athlete for the Fall 2003 season. |
Male
Athlete of the Season:
Brian Toal, Don Bosco Prep Football
Heading into this football season the target was squarely on the
back of the Don Bosco Prep football team and that filtered right down to its
two-way leader, Brian Toal.
With a bevy of big-time Division 1 schools vying for his services on the gridiron, he made believers of any possible doubters by proving he was the state's best player week in and week out.
When the lights shined brightly, it was often Toal who shined the brightest. This was especially true during the stretch run. In a game against, then No. 2-ranked St. Joe's (Mont.), Toal rushed for 197 yards, scored three touchdowns, had three sacks, and forced a fumble to help the Ironmen break the game wide open in the second half en route to a 63-17 romp.
The next No. 2-ranked team to fall prey to the Ironmen and Toal was St. Peter's Prep. Toal accounted for 210 yards of offense and scored four touchdowns in the first half alone as the Ironmen cruised into the state final against rival Bergen Catholic.
The Ironmen struggled during that game and were trailing in the fourth quarter, but one play defined Toal's season and his legacy at Don Bosco Prep. He took a swing pass from quarterback Mike Teel, quickly broke a pair of tackles and got loose along the right sideline. After juking a third would-be tackler, he raced into the end zone for the game-winning score to cap off Don Bosco Prep's second consecutive undefeated season.
The 6-2, 220-pound All-American will follow in his brother Greg's, footsteps and play for Boston College this coming fall. He finished with 1,592 yards of total offense and a whopping 32 TDs. Defensively, he had 106.5 tackles, 11.5 sacks, and blocked two punts.
Rutgers, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Miami were among at least 30 other schools that offered scholarships.
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| Junior Jimmy Taranto led Ramapo to the Bergen County title and the Group 3 state final. |
Runner-Up:
Jimmy Taranto
Ramapo Soccer
Taranto, a junior forward, was brilliant throughout the year in leading Ramapo to a Bergen County and a North 1 Group 3 championship. Although not tall in stature, he often came up huge when his team needed it most.
This was no more evident than in the Bergen County semifinals against a rock-solid Northern Highlands defense. The Highlanders were clinging to a 1-0 lead and held Taranto in check for over 60 minutes, but it took just 90 seconds for him to change the complexion of the game.
He rifled a shot just inside the post to tie the game and used his blinding speed to split a pair of defenders, beat another defender, then placed one in the side netting for the game-winner.
He was the offensive star for Ramapo, which was at one time the top-ranked team in the state and the No. 10-ranked team in the country.
Honorable
Mention:
Marquise Liverpool, Don Bosco Prep Football
James Ross, Becton Regional Football
Mohammed Khadraoui, Paterson Kennedy Cross-Country
Matt Sleece, Clifton Soccer
Mauricio Castillo, Emerson (U.C.) Soccer
Ron Girault, St. Joe's (Mont.) Football
Christian Acuna, Harrison Soccer
Sean Ryan, Rutherford Football
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| Indian Hills goalkeeper Allison Vespa was named Barton's Best female athlete for the Fall 2003 season. |
Female Athlete of the Season:
Allison Vespa
Indian Hills Soccer
In
between the pipes on a soccer field, o a goalie is usully judged by size,
athleticism, soft hands, or a booming leg.
It is extremely rare to find all of those great qualities in one player, but that is what Vespa showed throughout her career, especially in her final season.
Although she had a steady defense in front of her, Vespa was still a presence like no other in North Jersey for opposing strikers. She posted 18 shutouts in 25 games this past fall, but saved her best stuff for last. The last five games of her career all ended in shutout wins, including a 16-save effort in the Group 2 state final as Indian Hills won its second consecutive Group 2 championship, and this time outright with a 1-0 victory over Cinnaminson.
Vespa will continue her playing career at Columbia University and will likely see plenty of time as a true freshman.
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| Daina Pucurs led N/V Demarest to a second straight Tournament of Champions title. |
Runner-Up:
Daina Pucurs,
Northern Valley/Demarest Volleyball
You can go either way when choosing between Pucurs and Vespa because both
were as good as it got when the game was on the line and both ended their
seasons with state championships.
Whether it was as a setter, a hitter from the front row, or a blocker at the net, Pucurs was always around the action. When she had the ball, she often had complete control of the match. She closed out her scholastic career with the best match of her career. Facing Caldwell, who was arguably the toughest team they have faced in over the past three years in this year's Tournament of Champions final, she was brilliant from start to finish.
Pucurs ended the match with 31 kills, 24 assists, 19 digs, and 15 blocks as the Norsewomen won its second straight state championship in a five-game thriller.
Honorable
Mention:
Lauren Cash, Northern Highlands Tennis
Nicole Kryzsik, Clifton Soccer
Maribeth Martens, Northern Valley/Demarest
Alli Donofrio, Wayne Hills soccer
Chelsea Steinberg, Ridgewood Gymnastics
Karolina Kowalski, North Arlington volleyball
Krista Lee Gentile, IHA Soccer
Noelle Hickey, Bergen Academy Tennis Boys'
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| Mike Teel led Bosco to the State's No. 1 ranking. |
Team
of the Season:
Don Bosco Prep Football
It
seemed like it would be very tough to top an undefeated season in 2002, but
the 2003 Don Bosco Prep Football team not only made its mark as the state's
best team and one of the country's best teams, but as maybe the best scholastic
football team the state has ever seen.
Despite playing several top-notch schools in the NNJIL, the Ironmen beat every opponent up until the Parochial 4 state final by at least 28 points. Led by the senior foursome of running back/linebacker Brian Toal, wide receiver/running back Marquise Liverpool, Quarterback Mike Teel, and offensive/defensive lineman Eric Cumba, the Ironmen absolutely tore apart their opponents week after week.
Even when they were pushed in the state final against their archrival, Bergen Catholic, the Ironmen dug deep and found a way to win. Under head coach Greg Toal Sr. (Brian's father), Don Bosco Prep has now won 24 consecutive games and two straight undefeated state championship seasons.
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| James Ross was part of a deep senior class that led Becton to a state title. |
Runner-Up:
Becton Football
There is so much to be said for senior leadership and Becton had
plenty of that, heading into the 2003 football season. The Wildcats had 14
seniors and all of them played prominent roles in their three BCSL-National
titles over the past few seasons, but one achievement had eluded them, a state
championship.
They made the season the best in Becton history as the Wildcats suffocating defense led by James Ross, Mike Pappas, and Billy Pangaro smothered opposing offenses. Mix that with a passing attack of Ryan Flannery, who often hooked up with Travis Tyrrell and Fred Owosu on long fly patterns, and it was a recipe for success.
The Wildcats ended the season in style with a 24-0 drubbing of Bogota to give head coach Jim Bonanno his first state title.
Honorable
Mention:
Harrison Soccer
Ramapo Football
Ridgewood Football
Northern Valley/Demarest Football
Ramapo Soccer
St. Joe's Football
Tenafly Soccer
Rutherford Football
Emerson (U.C.) Soccer
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| Alyssa Scaglione (left) and Caitlin Harty helped lead N/V Demarest to another state championship. |
Girls'
Team of the Year:
Northern Valley/Demarest Volleyball
In 2002, the Norsewomen did not drop a single game in cruising
to a state title and the Barton's Best award as Female Team of the Year, but
this year other teams around the county and the state began to catch up.
All-Staters Daina Pucurs and Maribeth Martens were holdovers from the 2002 championship team, but the other four starters were untested and were thrown into the fire against teams just waiting for an opportunity to beat the almighty Norsewomen.
They finally showed a chink in their armor as Pascack Valley snapped their incredible 81-match winning streak in the Bergen County final. While a loss like this would decimate some teams, it only fueled the fire and head coach Beth Powell circled the wagons. Sophomore setter Christy Haller came into her own and improved drastically as the season went on.
Caitlin Harty and Alyssa Scaglione were imposing at the net and defensive specialist Joelle Solomon set the offense up with crisp passes as the well-oiled machine that is Northern Valley/Demarest did not lose another match in winning its third straight state championship.
Runner-Up:
Indian Hills Soccer
Although Indian Hills fell one game short of winning the NBIL title
and the Bergen County championship, they set a goal at the beginning of the
season, which was winning the outright Group 2 championship. Most felt might
not be possible with a decimated defense, with the exception of head coach
Jim Loudon and the players themselves.
But it was the defense that defined the team and the aforementioned Allison Vespa led them. While she was outstanding throughout the year, huge contributions from Jessey Giordano, Chrissy Giordano, and Serena Ham were vital to the Braves' success.
Kerrie Wilson was the leading scorer with 15 goals, including three of them during the state tournament. The most important of which came in sudden-death overtime of the North 1 Group 2 section final 1-0 win over River Dell.
The defense that was supposed to be a sore spot going into the season was the pillar of strength as they did not allow a single goal over five state tournament games, culminating with a 1-0 win over Cinnaminson in the Group 2 final. Jennifer Crespo scored the game-winner with under 15 minutes to play.
Honorable
Mention:
Ridgewood Gymnastics
Glen Rock Soccer
Pascack Valley Tennis
IHA Soccer
Northern Highlands Soccer
Ramapo Soccer
Pascack Valley Volleyball
Cresskill Volleyball
Leonia Tennis
Northern Valley/Old Tappan Soccer
Clifton Soccer
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