Wednesday,
June 25, 2014
By Richie 'Ballgame' Barton
Boys' Team of the Year:
Bergen Catholic Wrestling
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BERGEN CATHOLIC WRESTLING |
A look at the final ranking would make one think that Bergen Catholic cruised through the season as it was expected to with its stacked lineup. However, a deeper look shows that the Crusaders battled through a ton of adversity and a slew of key injuries to get to where they ended up.
Along with a more highly-publicized shoulder injury to eventual three-time state champ Johnny Sebastian, the Crusaders also suffered to injuries to wrestlers like Joe Grello, Jordan Pagano and Troy Schaafsma that cost them good chunks of the season. The loss of four key starters usually means big trouble for any team, but not BC as it showed its depth against the state's toughest schedule and one of the toughest in the entire country.
The season both started and ended with a bang. The Crusaders finished second at the prestigious Beast of the East Tournament to America's No. 1 ranked team, Blair Academy, before breezing to a BCCA Tournament title. Then having to navigate their way through injuries in suffering four losses, all coming to teams who were ranked in the top 20 in the country, the Crusaders saved their best for last.
They beat rival Don Bosco for the second time to win the section before a romp over St. Augustine secured the Non-Public A state title. Despite having the their full projected lineup intact for all of one of their 28 matches, the Crusaders finished 24-4, were ranked as high as No. 9 nationally, and sent 11 of their 14 starters down to Atlantic City for the state tournament. In the process, they became the first Bergen County team in 36 years (Pascack Hills in 1978) to finish the season ranked as the No. 1 team in New Jersey.
Runner-Up:
St. Joseph's Regional Football
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SPENCER AUKAMP |
After a whirlwind 2012 season in which St. Joe's finished as the No. 1 team in New Jersey, it was a matter of how the 2013 team could not only finish on that lofty perch, but do it against a beefed up schedule. The Green Knights not only equaled that No. 1 ranking, but they did it against tougher teams and did it in more convincing fashion.
Starting the season with a 42-14 rout over national power DeMatha (MD) was just a sign of things to come.
The offense was nearly unstoppable with quarterback Spencer Aukamp and running back Sherman Alston leading the way behind a massive offensive line anchored by Kevin Wilkins and Tommy Hatton. Defensively it was more of the the same with players like Joseph Giles-Harris and Dominic Carfagno flying all over the field. Not to mention that the Green Knights had the state's most versatile player in Mark Fossati, who did it all on both sides of the ball and on special teams.
In a three-game stretch against Paramus Catholic, St. Peter's Prep, and DePaul (all of whom finished in the top 5 in New Jersey), SJR walloped all three by a combined score of 121-56. Although their season did not end in perfection because of a Thanksgiving Day loss to Don Bosco Prep, the Green Knights rallied to score 62 points over Pope John in the Non-Public Group 3 state final. It was the most points ever scored in a state final and it capped off the program's second straight No. 1 state ranking.
Honorable Mention:
Teaneck Basketball
St. Peter's Prep Volleyball
Paterson Eastside Basketball
Paramus Catholic Football
Harrison Soccer
DePaul Football
Westwood Football
Bergen Catholic Lacrosse
Pascack Valley Football
Pompton Lakes Football
St. Anthony's Basketball
Ridgewood Lacrosse
Hudson Catholic Baseball
Girls' Team of the Year:
Indian Hills Softball
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INDIAN HILLS CELEBRATED 34 WINS |
Against a schedule that was at best unforgiving and at worst downright brutal, Indian Hills found a way to meet each game's challenge head-on and somehow came out the other side completely unscathed.
The first week of the season was a telling one as the Braves opened with a 7-1 win over Northern Highlands, whom they also beat in the Bergen County semifinals. Then Maddie Levine's RBI double in the ninth inning drove home the only run in a 1-0 win over eventual Group 2 state champ High Point and the state's all-time strikeout leader, Ally Frei.
The Braves then got in a groove. No matter the level of competition they absolutely steamrolled, trailing only once in any game over the next month-and-a-half before playing some nail-biting games down the stretch.
Pitcher Devin Durando was outstanding all season long with a sparkling 0.16 ERA but especially in a Bergen County quarterfinal showdown with Ridgewood's Nicole Parks. Shelby Allen's home run in the bottom of the sixth provided the only run of the game and the Braves would get their long-awaited showdown with IHA. Levine ended the best game in the history of the Bergen County Tournament in the most exciting way possible with a two-run walkoff homer for an exhilarating 5-4 victory in a battle of unbeatens.
The season would not be complete without a second straight state title, though, and it would not come easy. In the Group 3 semifinals against Warren Hills and needing just one out for victory, the game ended up tied and headed for extra innings. It went all the way to the 11th until Karley Jo Greulich's RBI double put IH one win from perfection.
It was more of the same in the Group 3 state final as upset-minded Ewing rallied from a four-run deficit to tie the game. Then, with the bases-loaded and two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Allen came to the plate in an at-bat that defined Indian Hills' season. She fouled off seven straight pitches with the count stuck at 2-2. Then, after running the count full, she roped a bases-clearing double to left and Indian Hills set the all-time state record for victories in a season as they finished 34-0 and No. 1 in New Jersey.
Runner-Up:
Northern Highlands Soccer
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HIGHLANDS HASN'T LOST SINCE 2010 |
Northern Highlands has been as dominant over the past three years as any team in any sport ever in New Jersey. With a relentless attack, a solid midfield, speed and the will to win on a day-to-day basis, the Highlanders have created a culture that is simply unmatched in New Jersey.
Led by NSCAA National Player of the Year Clare Shea, playmaker Casey Richards, and University of Virginia-bound speedster Hana Kerner up top, the Highlanders possessed the best 1-2-3 offensive punch in the state. Throw in experienced players like midfielder Maddie Heaney and sweeper Nicole Miko, the emergence of younger players like Eva Hurm and Sarah Kelly, and the growing confidence of Kayla Klatt in net, and the end result is a complete team with simply no holes.
The Highlanders eclipsed a long standing state record for consecutive victories with a win over rival Ramapo but finally faced some adversity when IHA scored late in the Bergen County final for a 1-1 tie to break the streak. The unbeaten streak is still intact, however, and it will continue into next year as the Highlanders reeled off six straight victories to finish 23-0-1 with a third straight state title, a third straight No. 1 ranking in New Jersey and a No. 2 ranking nationally.
Honorable Mention:
IHA Volleyball
Bogota Volleyball
Northern Highlands Basketball
Old Tappan Volleyball
IHA Basketball
Northern Highlands Field Hockey
Paterson Eastside Basketball
Immaculate Conception Softball
Ramsey Soccer
Demarest Volleyball
New Milford Soccer
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