June
12, 2004
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| Rutherford junior Vin Mazzaro had 130 strikeouts in just 77 innings. |
Male
Co-Athletes of the Season:
Mohammed Khadraoui, Kennedy Track
Vin Mazzaro, Rutherford
Junior distance runner Mohammed Khadraoui has reached just about every goal available to a high school distance runner can have in New Jersey, with the exception of one. The 3,200-meter outdoor title at the outdoor Meet of Champions had eluded the immensely-talented Khadraoui. Since he will be ineligible to run next year due to his age, 19, this year was going to be his last shot at putting a picture-perfect ending to great career.
He took the lead in the sixth lap over Justin Scheid of Pope John and never gave it back. Late in the race, he pulled away and took home the gold medal with a time of 9:01.34, beating his own Passaic-County record.
The win marked the first time in state history that a runner won the Cross-Country Championship, the indoor 3,200-meter run, and the outdoor 3,200-meter run in the same scholastic year.
Mazzaro, a junior, came into the season as one of the best pitchers in the state with unlimited potential. He was lights out all season as Rutherford captured the North 2, Group 2 section title and prepared to face Morris Hills. The junior got the ball against the Scarlet Knights and its all-state right-hander Dan McDonald, who was drafted by the New York Mets several days following the game. It was the first time all season that Mazzaro faced an opponent he rarely sees, adversity.
Mazzaro allowed back-to-back homeruns, the only two he let up all year, following a long rain delay in the sixth that tied the game and sent it into extra-innings. Most pitchers might have cracked under the pressure, but not Mazzaro. He did not allow a hit the rest of the way, finishing with an eight-hitter and 15 Ks in a 148-pitch effort. He capped the incredible game by lacing a bases-loaded, two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Bulldogs into the Group 2 final.
Not many
players could top an effort like that, but Mazzaro did. He tossed a three-hitter,
walked two, had nine Ks and went the distance again in the state final against
Sterling as the Bulldogs captured their first Group 2 title since 1992. Mazzaro
finished 11-1 on the season with a 0.94 ERA and 130 strikeouts in just 77
innings.
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| PJ Saporito allowed only two earned runs in 28 innings in the state tournament as New Milford claimed the Group 1 title. |
Runner-Up:P.J.
Saporito,
New Milford Baseball
You can really interchange any of these three athletes with one another and Saporito made his claim right alongside Mazzaro as the two top junior hurlers in the state. The 6-1, 205-pound southpaw was dominant from his first start of the season to his last.
He finished undefeated with a state-best 12 victories, but like many of the great area athletes, saved his best stuff for the state tournament. In 28 innings during the states, he allowed just two earned runs. His best performance came in the Group 1 state final when he fanned 11 to finish with 98 Ks on the season, and tossed a four-hit shutout in a 2-0 victory over New Providence to give the Knights the title.
Honorable
Mention:
Jairo Sierra,
Fair Lawn Volleyball
Kevin Weime, Paramus Baseball
Brent Weiss, St. Joseph Baseball
Kevin Thompson, North Bergen Track
Eric Katzman, Northern Valley/Old Tappan Baseball
Jack Riley, Ridgewood Lacrosse
Andrew Giuliani, St. Joe's (Mont.) Golf
Luis Santos, PCT Baseball
Brian Ko, Teaneck Tennis
James Muliwan, Ramapo Tennis
Chris Lugo, Hudson Catholic Baseball
Female
Athlete of the Season:Daina Pucurs,
Northern Valley/Demarest Track
Pucurs shined on the volleyball court and was heavily recruited by Division 1 schools during the fall. But that powerful right arm that pounded rockets through intimidating blocks at the net, is also well-known for throwing a javelin as far as anyone in the state.
She was not tested throughout most of the season, and when she hurled a throw 155-8 at the Bergen County Championships for a county record and the second best throw in the nation this spring, it seemed as if she was untouchable. But a defeat to Amanda Harmata of Raritan in the Group 3 state championships refocused the determined senior.
It took just one throw in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions to right the ship. She tossed her first throw 146-10 for her best of the day. Pucurs never relinquished the lead and won the meet by almost four feet. She was the first-ever North Jersey athlete to win the javelin at the Meet of Champions and finished as the only female athlete in North Jersey to win two Tournament of Champions titles in different sports.
Runner-Up:Janine Davis, Queen of Peace Track
Davis has put the Queen of Peace track team back on the map with her sizzling sprint times, qualifying for the Meet of Champions in both the 200 and the 800. She had the chance to become the first ever New Jersey athlete to win both races, but decided to concentrate solely on the 800-meter run. It was decision that benefited the strong legs of Davis, a record-breaking one at that.
She smashed a stacked field by pulling away in the final 200 meters for the gold medal. In the process, she not only won by over three and a half seconds in a time of 2:07.78, but also shattered the 17-year old county record held by six-time collegiate All-American Jasmin Jones of Hackensack (2:08.2).
While Davis can surely finish as an All-America herself as a collegiate athlete, she still has another year left in high school to lower her times and make her record almost as untouchable.
Honorable
Mention:
Nicole
Protomastro, West Milford Softball
Kasi Lee, Paramus Golf
Amy Piccinich, Ramapo Softball
Essence Carson, Paterson Eastside Track
Amanda Jones, Ramsey Softball
Danielle Masters, West Milford Softball
Ali Bryan, Midland Park Softball
Ashley Amo, Ridgewood Lacrosse
Mallorie Matthews, Fair Lawn Softball
Jaci Rahey, DePaul Softball
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| Jason Koziol led SJR to the Parochial North A state championship. |
Boys' Team of the Season:St. Joseph's Regional High School (Mont.) Baseball
After hours of deliberation, I had to come to a decision with nine teams from five different sports truly deserving of this honor. As you can see from the previous seasons, I value the state tournament more than I do county and league titles, but they latter two often provide a solid tiebreaker, which was the case in this instance.
Although Rutherford and New Milford also won state titles, the Green Knights allowed just two runs over their final three state tournament games, all against state powerhouses (Delbarton, Seton Hall Prep, Holy Cross). While St. Joe's lost in the county final, ending its two-year run as champ, it went three rounds further than either Rutherford or New Milford, so I have to go with the Green Knights.
After
losing four Division 1 starting pitchers to college baseball after the 2003
season, Jason Koziol and Tim Klein filled the void and SJR never skipped a
beat. SJR also has several capable offensive players as Dave Schwartz, Steve
Casares, Brent Weiss and Matt Kougusian all came up with big hits throughout
the season, especially during the county and state tournaments.
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| Rutherford celebrated its first state championship since 1992. |
Runner-Up:Rutherford Baseball
Once again, I could have picked out of a hat for this one, but Rutherford is certainly deserving and had one of the best 1-2 pitching combinations in the area with Vin Mazzaro and Jon Guzman.
The Bulldogs also received clutch hits throughout the season from not just the aforementioned duo, but from guys like Sean Ryan, Zack Gorman, Matt Ventura, and Joe Espinoza. The one aspect of this team that often went unnoticed was its stellar defense or at least until the final play of the spring season in the Group 2 state championship.
Up 2-1 with two outs in the seventh inning, Ventura ran a long way into left-center and reached up and made an over-the-shoulder catch to preserve the win and the state title for the Bulldogs. They also showed that they could win a close game, winning three of their five state tourney games by a single run.
Honorable
Mention:
New Milford
Baseball
St. Joe's (Mont.) Golf
Fair Lawn Volleyball
Tenafly Tennis
Bergen Catholic Golf
Ridgewood Lacrosse
Northern Valley/Old Tappan Baseball
Paramus Golf
Ramapo Tennis
Northern Valley/Old Tappan Golf
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| Nehidy Cruz helped lead Clifton to both the Group 4 and Passaic County finals. |
Girls' Team of the Season:Clifton Softball
The Mustangs did not win their ultimate goal, the Group 4 state championship, but they got the next best thing, a Barton's Best Award the girls' team of the season. Although they finished a lightning and rain delay short of a shot at a county championship, the Mustangs rebounded in time to win the always-rugged North 1, Group 4 state sectional title.
Brianne Moore was steady all season on the mound, but she also swung a potent bat in the middle of the lineup. But when the state tournament started, Moore began to come alive with the exception of the North 1, Group 4 semifinal against Fair Lawn. The Mustangs fell behind 4-2 in the third inning, but got clutch hits from Nehidy Cruz, Jen Carrara, and Moore to pull out a 6-4 win.
Moore carried the Lady Stangs almost single-handedly into the Group 4 final by throwing two straight shutouts in a pair of 1-0 victories. Over that 14-inning span, she allowed just six hits, walked two, and struck out 18. Only one runner reached third base during that span.
Runner-Up:DePaul Catholic Softball
Coming into the season, not much was expected of DePaul Catholic. Especially after losing several key players, including four-year starting pitcher Ria Galiano. It was left up to an untested freshman in Jaci Rahey to take the mound. Early on in the season it looked like the pressure might be too much for the rookie sensation, but with each passing game came more confidence, culminating with a showcase of her overall talents during the Passaic County tournament.
She slugged the game-winning homerun in extra innings to get past perennial power Pompton Lakes. Then she quieted the powerful lineup of West Milford through six innings, only to lose a two-run lead with two outs in the seventh. It seemed like destiny was on the side of West Milford, but Rahey was not about to let the team lose on her watch. The 6-0 freshman slugged an RBI triple and shut down the Highlanders in the eighth to bounce the two-time defending champion and top seed.
In the county final, Rahey struggled but was picked up by a versatile batting order. Beth Kirby, Ally Minarik, Ashley Caprio, and Katie Dolberry all played huge roles as the Spartans won thier first county championship in 19 years with a rain-shortened 6-5 win over Clifton.
Honorable
Mention:
West Milford
Softball
Ridgewood Lacrosse
St. Mary's (Ruth.) Softball
St. Dom's (J.C.) Softball
Paramus Catholic Softball
Holy Family Softball
Northern Highlands Lacrosse
Ramapo Softball
Fair Lawn Softball
High Tech Softball
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