June
20, 2006
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| Ray Van Peenen scored a state-best 38 touchdowns in leading Wayne Hills to a perfect season and the North 1, Group 3 State title. |
Male
Athlete of the Season:
Ray Van Peenen, Wayne Hills Football
North Jersey was chock full of outstanding running backs this past fall. But for all the standout individual performances, noone was more consistent or more dynamic than Wayne Hills’ Ray Van Peenen. Every opposing defense devised a specific gameplan to stop him and none of them were successful.
The 5-11, 180-pound junior has the perfect blend of power and speed. He used to devastating effects on any would-be tacklers throughout the 2005 campaign.
In leading the Patriots to an undefeated season and the North 1, Group 3 state title, Van Peenen put up the best offensive numbers in school history. He led the state in scoring with 38 touchdowns and 225 points overall. His 1,928 yards rushing is second on the single-season school record list. He hit the 100-yard mark in 10 of his team’s 12 games and also rushed for over 200 yards on four occasions, including hitting the 300-yard mark once.
He capped off his season in style as Wayne Hills put together as dominating performance as one could put together in a state championship game. He rushed for 131 yards on 26 carries and found the end zone three times as the Patriots romped over Parsippany Hills, 46-0.
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| Majdi Zaineh's steady play in net helped Clifton win its ninth straight Passaic County title. |
RUNNER-UP:
Majdi Zaineh, Clifton Soccer
Clifton has had a long line of successful players during their decades of dominance. However, most of those players have been either dynamic playmakers or dangerous strikers. That was until three years ago when an athletic sophomore came in and immediately grabbed a starting spot in between the pipes that he refused to relinquish.
In the process, Majdi Zaineh became the best goalie in the storied history of the Mustangs. The only thing more impressive than his cat-like reflexes is his knack for cutting down angles for opposing forwards trying to score.
The FDU-bound senior also came up big in the most important games. He made a whopping 23 saves against to help the Mustangs win the NNJIL Division B title and also came up huge in the Passaic County final over Wayne Valley. He had 16 shutouts in 22 games this season and finished with 37 saves during his career allowing just one goal every two games over that span.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Anthony
Ferla, St. Joe’s (Mont.) Football
Chris Hogan, Ramapo Football
Patrick Murray, Pompton Lakes Soccer
Doug Klopacz, St. Joe’s (Mont.) Football
Sam Roca, Wayne Valley Soccer
Jeff Seidel, Hasbrouck Heights Football
Joe Torchia, Queen of Peace Football
Ryan Lindsey, Don Bosco Football
Jonathan Yazo, Cliffside Park Soccer
Kee-Ayre Griffin, St. Peter’s Prep Football
Matt Simms, Don Bosco Football
Dave Ogden, Wayne Hills Football
Markeece Preston, Paterson Catholic Football
Brian Callahan, Don Bosco Football
FEMALE
ATHLETE OF THE SEASON:
Chelsea Steinberg, Ridgewood Gymnastics
Ridgewood junior Chelsea Steinberg proved that winning the all-around state title as a sophomore was no fluke. She defended her title by scoring 38.025 to put herself in an elite class not only among North Jersey gymnasts, but among the state’s best ever as well.
To put it bluntly, Steinberg has simply blown away the competition at every turn. Her most dominating display came in the NNJIGL championships. She swept all four events in which she entered and cruised to her third straight title.
At the state meet, she did it all in not only winning the all-around, but also leading her team to its second consecutive second-place finish. She is the first person in nine years and only the third gymnast overall to win back-to-back all-around titles at the state championships.
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| Marissa DeMais helped Pascack Valley grab the Group 2 state title. |
RUNNER-UP:
Marissa DeMais, Pascack Valley Volleyball
As a freshman, Marissa DeMais was a talented, but timid player for the Indians. Having to play in her shadow of her sister, All-Bergen standout Jaclyn, was also difficult for Marissa. But in the last two years, she has not only turned into a fearless leader, but also one of the most valuable players in all of North Jersey.
DeMais, a junior setter, brings her ‘A’ game every match and appears to improve with each passing win. She led the state with 524 assists, and added 52 kills, 39 aces, and 26 blocks, along with 95 percent serve efficiency.
She saved her best for the Group 2 state championship against league rival and the state’s most dominant team over the past five years, Northern Valley/Demarest. Down a game, DeMais simply willed her team to victory. She finished with an eye-popping 35 assists and 11 digs to help the Indians comeback and earn their first-ever state championship after several near misses.
HONORABLE
MENTION:
Jen Orlando, IHA Soccer
Danielle Schulmann, Northern Highlands Soccer
Christy Haller, Northern Valley/Demarest Soccer
Jen Galgano, Ramapo Soccer
Daniela Gomez, Paramus Volleyball
Dani Raske, Pascack Valley Soccer
Cory Roesing, Secaucus Volleyball
Courtney Snyder, River Dell Soccer
Tara Ricciardi, Wayne Valley Soccer
Brittney Steinbruch, Ramapo Soccer
Ali Larson, Passaic Valley Field Hockey
Lauren Dinsdale, Northern Valley/Old Tappan Volleyball
Aly Hanson, New Milford Soccer
Meredith Parilla, Ramapo Soccer
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| Will Hill and St.Peter's Prep finished off an unbeaten season with an upset of Don Bosco Prep in the Non-Public North A state title at Giants Stadium. |
BOYS
TEAM(S) OF THE SEASON (tie):
St. Peter’s Prep and Wayne Hills’ Football
Perfection is what every team in every sport strives for. To finish a season unbeaten in any sport is extremely difficult. In fact, the only sport in which a North Jersey team finished unbeaten was football. Four teams did it and walked away with state championships as a result.
As the No. 2 seed in Parochial Group 4, St. Peter’s Prep knew it was going to have beat three perennial powerhouses to notch a state title. After going through HCIAA play unbeaten, the Marauders dispatched of Notre Dame easily before squeaking out a win against South Jersey power Camden Catholic.
That set up a game with Don Bosco, which had knocked them out of the states the previous two seasons, for all the marbles. The Marauder defense was tested throughout the first half but held its ground and kept the game close, thanks to strong play from Joe Valenti, Brandon O’Keefe, and Ravi Pradahang.
St. Peter’s Prep came alive in the second half and it was Will Hill and Kee-Ayre Griffin who led the way. Andrew Booth snapped the tie late in the fourth quarter when he returned an interception 65 yards for the game-winning score to help give St. Peter’s Prep its first state title since 1994.
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| Nick Romeo's abilty to strectch the defense gave Wayne Hills a balanced offense that was not stopped all season. |
While the Marauders had a tougher road to a state title than any other team in North Jersey, there is no question as to what team was the most dominant during the state playoffs. That distinction belonged to Wayne Hills.
As good as they were on both sides of the ball and on special teams, the Patriots seemed to improve every game. They were rarely tested throughout the season, but saved their best stuff for the states.
Van Peenen starred offensively, but not without lots of help. Matt Johnson and Dave Ogden consistently opened up huge holes for Van Peenen. Quarterback Mike Peischel often found his number one target Nick Romeo in the end zone to give the Patriots scoring threats all over the field. Defensively, Ogden was as impressive as they come leading the state with 18 sacks, along with 85 total tackles.
The Patriots cruised relatively easily through the regular season, but thrived even more during the North 1 Group 3 state tournament. They shellacked all three opponents they faced, scoring at least 40 points in each game. It all added up to a section title, winning their three state tournament games by a combined score of an eye-popping 127-19.
RUNNER-UP:
Hoboken Football
The Red Wings had just 27 players on its roster and was still stinging from an upset loss in the 2005 North 2 Group 1 state championship to Cedar Grove. With longtime head coach Ed Stinson moving onto the college ranks, Lou Taglieri took over and the Red Wings did not miss a beat.
With Damian Bates rushing for over 1,800 yards and Rashawn Brown cracking the 1,000-yard mark, the Red Wings had the most potent 1-2 ground combination in the area. Throw in steady quarterback Norman Smith and high-caliber Division 1 prospect Duval Kamara at wide receiver and you have a simply unstoppable offense.
Meanwhile, the defense was equally as potent. Without an individual standout, the Red Wings banded together and did not allow more than 14 points in any game this season. As the aforementioned teams have done, they saved their best play for the state tournament. They dispatched their three opponents by a combined score of 111-25.
With most of the team returning, expect more of the same the Red Wings this coming fall.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Paterson
Catholic Football
St. Joe’s (Mont.) Football
Pompton Lakes Soccer
Lodi Football
Pompton Lakes Football
Ramapo Soccer
Tenafly Soccer
Cliffside Park Soccer
Kearny Soccer
 |
GIRLS
TEAM OF THE SEASON:
Secaucus Volleyball
Group 1 schools generally do not well when facing larger schools in the Tournament of Champions. While Secaucus has been the a juggernaut in Group 1 over the past two decades winning 16 championships, neither them or any other Group 1 team every won a match in the Tournament of Champions. That was until this year.
Led by junior middle blocker Cory Roesing, the Patriots won its first-ever T of C match by defeating Union Catholic in the first round. The biggest win in school history was topped two days later when they defeated Pascack Valley, the top seed and the state’s top-ranked team in the semifinals.
Nicole Degenhardt, Jenna Totaro, Kristen Bronowich, Amanda Mitchell, Maxine Bania, and Courtney Waters rounded out the rotation for head coach Sheila Rivera. They all played important roles at different times during the season to lead Secaucus to a 25-2 record.
Although
they eventually succumbed to another upstart, Paramus in the T of C final,
they still accomplished more than any other small in the history of New Jersey
high school volleyball.
RUNNER UP:
Paramus Volleyball
Facing Moorestown in the second round of the Group 3 state tournament, Paramus was in serious danger of losing both games. Led by Daniela Gomez, Mary King, and Britney Canaff, the Spartans banded together and found a way to win them both. It was a theme that followed them throughout the state tournament.
The Spartans followed that up with four consecutive upsets, all the way to their first Tournament of Champions final. Head coach Maria Elena Bellinger is one of the best in the state and was constantly able to adjust her lineup and her tactics to attack their opponents’ weaknesses.
Despite not playing their best match of the tournament in the T of C final, Paramus once again found a way to win, sweeping the Patriots to come from being the seventh seed in the Group 3 state tournament to finish as the No. 1 ranked team in the state and stand on the mountaintop when all was said and done.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Ridgewood
Gymnastics
Pascack Valley Soccer
IHA Tennis
Pascack Valley Volleyball
Northern Highlands Soccer
Ramapo Soccer
Northern Highlands Tennis
Northern Valley/Demarest Volleyball
River Dell Soccer
Indian Hills Tennis
Wayne Hills Soccer
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