Monday,
June 23, 2014
By Richie 'Ballgame' Barton
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CRAIG NIELSEN |
Boys' Sports Coach of the Year:
Craig Nielsen, Pascack Valley Football
No coach has suffered more heartbreaking losses in state tournament play over the past decade than Pascack Valley's Craig Nielsen, who has handled it all with grace and always looked forward to the next chance. Although the Indians lost of ton of talent from the 2012 team that lost in the section final to Roxbury, Nielsen still believed that he had a special group going into the 2013 season. It was a matter of jelling, peaking at the right time and instilling the belief that this year's team had what it took to be state champions.
Pascack Valley was at the tipping point of its season when it headed into a game against perennial power Wayne Hills with a 3-2 record. It was make or break time and the Indians, who walked out of Wayne on the plus side of a 35-7 romp to start the run that ended with that elusive state title. Pascack Valley was never threatened in any of its final seven games, never allowing more than eight points in any of those games and scoring over 30 in all of them. That included a dominant state run in which they outscored their opponents 117-18 capped by a 32-8 victory over Paramus in the North 1, Group 4 final in MetLife Stadium.
With the award, Nielsen also becomes the first coach ever to take home a Barton's Best as a coach of a boys sport and a girls sport (he won the award last year as the coach of Mahwah softball).
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JOE GAMBARDELLA |
Runner-Up:
Joe Gambardella, Ridgefield Baseball
Preparing a team for a lengthy state tournament run through a balanced state section full tough teams is enough to drive any baseball coach crazy. While that coach has to focus on every particular pitch and every particular at-bat regardless in any given postseason game, he also has to look ahead to future opponents in terms of how to game plan and set up a pitching rotation.
No coach navigated his way through that better this season than Ridgefield's Joe Gambardella. He effectively found a way use his top three pitchers and maximize their effectiveness. He went back and forth with Eamon Catherina and Chris Martucci as his starters and did not hesitate to go to hard-throwing Gavin Salazar out of the pen to close out games.
It was not just with the rotation though Gambardella managed brilliantly. He also called for the hit-and-run, the bunt or a wheel play and key times throughout the state tournament as Ridgefield won just the second section title in the program's history and advanced to the Group 1 state final.
Honorable Mention:
Tony Karcich, St. Joseph's Regional Football
Kevin Standford, Hawthorne Christian Basketball
Ron Heyward, Marist Baseball
Dave Bell, Bergen Catholic Wrestling
Jim Fucci, Cliffside Park Soccer
Jerome Smart, Teaneck Basketball
Vito Campanile, Westwood Football
Juan Griles, Paterson Eastside Basketball
Kevin Kirkby, Pascack Hills Basketball
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TARA MADIGAN |
Girls' Sports Coach of the Year:
Tara Madigan, Northern Highlands Soccer
There was no team in any scholastic sport in New Jersey that had more pressure on it coming into its season than the Northern Highlands' girls soccer team did. With consecutive unblemished seasons and state championships in hand, the Highlanders knew that every team would circle them on the calendar as 'the game'. With a possible state record looming for consecutive wins, things got even tougher when three starters went down before the season even began with knee injuries.
Madigan never panicked and trusted the depth she had on the bench by plugging in the next person available. Their preparation and fitness level put the Highlanders on a level of their own as the most dominant team in New Jersey.
Highlands went about its season with a 'business as usual' approach by methodically picking apart one team at a time. Even though they had a handful of close games, they never walked off the field with a loss. Under Madigan's tutelage Highlands broke the state record for consecutive wins, and secured their third straight Group 3 state title with a 2-0 win over Toms River South.
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JOE LEICHT (RIGHT) |
Runner-Up:
Joe Leicht, Indian Hills Softball
With the schedule they play, the league that they are in, and the depth of quality teams in both Bergen County and in Group 3, winning any of the four available titles (league, county, section, or state) would have been considered a successful season, but the Braves finished with an astonishing clean sweep.
Leicht did not let his team bask in the glory of winning a Group 3 state title in 2013. He felt this year's team could be even better and pushed them to their limit to maximize their ability and instill a will to win no matter who was in the opposing dugout.
Whether it was a calming word in key situations, getting his point across in more forceful fashion or letting his team work things out on its own, Leicht always pushed the right buttons at the right time. The most important of those moments came with his team down to its final two outs in the Bergen County final.
With Nicole Leocata on first and possibly his best contact hitter (Nicole Mellone) at the plate, he decided to bunt Leocata over to second to bring power threat Maddie Levine to the plate. It proved to be a wise move as Levine provided as dramatic of a moment as there has ever been in Bergen County softball with a two-run homer for a 5-4 win over previously undefeated and three-time defending Bergen County champ IHA.
Honorable Mention:
Chris Broking, Northern Highlands Softball
Joe Albanese, New Milford Soccer
James Turner, Bayonne Basketball
Melissa Landeck, Old Tappan Volleyball
Rich Smith, Northern Highlands Field Hockey
Helen Antzoulides, Rutherford Volleyball
Jeff Horohonich, Immaculate Conception Softball
Beth Powell, Demarest Volleyball
Miscellaneous Awards:
Dave Jones Fan of the Year Award:
Ed Bates
After a year away from the spotlight, Easy Ed was back in full force and seemingly everywhere during the 2014 softball season with stuffed animal in hand and a voice that could be heard within a half-mile radius. From players to coaches to parents, everyone seems to know the guy no matter where he goes. That he can get to any game in any county without a car is amazing, especially considering that I go to the same high schools every year for the past 15 years and have a GPS and still get lost.
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CHRIS GASKIN |
Worst Dressed Male Coach:
Chris Gaskin, Ridgefield Park Basketball
While there were several coaches gave Gaskin a run for his money this year, Gaskin always rises to the occasion with a mismatched outfit or a horrible tie to let the other coaches know that he's still the top dog when it comes to horrendous gameday outfits. Plus, he's our boy and we know he can take this in stride. Complete stranglehold on this award. #dynasty
Best Dressed Female Coach:
Pucci, Ridgefield Park Basketball
That's right, Pucci. It's no longer Nicole Pucciarelli or Nicole Cerniglia as we knew her in her playing days, not to me anyway. Just like Madonna, Cher, Liberace, Pele or Rerun, the great ones always have one name...therefore I'm going with Pucci. Not only does she class up the sideline every game, but I also get to call her Pucci in an incredibly annoying voice. She's also making her way towards a strangehold on this award...and she is doing it without wearing a horrible tie with basketballs all over it.
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BENNY TURANO |
Best Dugout Yapper:
Benny Turano, Ridgefield Baseball
This kid is fantastic. Funny, yells out random stuff from squirrel, to peas, to saying he'd cheat off a kid's test because he's so smart. He also knows esactly what to say when a teammate says something out-of-bounds or is just flat out unfunny.
To all you young kids out there wondering how to be a better trash talker in the dugout, it's not really about trash talking at all. Just scream completely off-the-wall things and the opposition will have no clue what you're saying or why you're saying it. It works trust me.
How's your burger???
Vic Shack Award for Best Official:
Andy Wingfield
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ANDREW WINGFIELD |
Andy has been a fixture on the basketball court for quite some time now and does a great job in being consistent from a regular-season game to a state or county tournament game. He balances letting the kids play without it getting out of hand and also is not afraid to give a technical when warranted. Speaking of consistency, no ref sweats more over the first two minutes of a game than our friend Andy does. While hilarious to me personally, it also means the guy is working his tail off. Only problem is that whenever I see him outside of a uniform, he's spending $80 at the concession stand of the Bergen County Tournament on his kids.
Worst Official:
John Way
As long as both of us are alive Way will win this award. Lets go through the reasons. One, he's gross. Two, he has talked his way into some big assignments (including the Bergen County softball final, rated our No. 1 game of the year) and it's amazing that he hasn't found a way to blow a big call. Three, he looks like a Beluga in either basketball or baseball gear. Four, as his former college roommate I can tell you that his hair looks exactly the same when he wakes up as it does when he's reffing (insert Vanilla Ice joke here). His heyday as 1989 when his facorite outfiit, a pair of Z. Cavaricci's and a button down shirt from Chess King, were all the rage.
Best Announcer:
Jim Callan, Ridgefield Park
“It's a great day to be a Scarlet” as they are dominating the awards this year. While Callan foolishly cut off his trademark mullet, he has kept his colorful ensemble with the bright scarlet suit in full effect. It's hard not to love a PA guy as passionate and as on the money as he is and it's equally as hard to get a word in edgewise in a conversation with the guy. But you give me one game to watch, I want Callan on the mic.
On a lighter note I'll take my grilled cheeseburger medium with fries, charge it to Callan's bill.
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RETRO RICHIE B. |
Worst Nickname:
Ranch
I somehow just acquired that nickname while at a bachelor party in Austin, Texas from my boy Heckel (aka Heck Booty). I absolutely hate the name and unfortunately it's spreading like wildfire with my friends from home. If people want me to quit my post here, just start screaming Ranch at a game, that will be pretty much do it.
Best NorthJerseySports.com Personality:
Richie Gorgeous
Doviak keeps whining for this award on podcasts almost as bad as our man River Dell head girls' basketball coach Lou Wejnert cries for calls during a key game. In both cases, it's irritating and falls on deaf ears. In case you didn't notice in the top 25 games of the year, most of those were covered by me personally. Why you ask? Because I'm still bring the party to the party. I speak for everyone at NorthJerseySports.com when I say that we look to continue bringing the best coverage in the history of high school sports and I look forward to how much more ridiculous these awards will get in the years to come.
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