Tuesday,
June 16, 2015
By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer
What is the No. 1 reason that North Jersey high school athletes work so hard at their respective sports? It's for the chance to be one of Barton's best, of course. North Jersey's most highly anticipated postseason awards spectacular kicks off today with Barton's Best: Fall 2014...
Male Athlete of the Season:
Brandon Wimbush
St. Peter's Prep Football
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Notre Dame-bound Brandon Wimbush led St. Peter's Prep to the Non-Public Group 4 state championship. |
When Wimbush was knocked out of the Non-Public Group 4 state championship game against Paramus Catholic with an injury that put an abrupt end to his stellar junior season, there was only one thing on his mind going into his senior year: Getting back to MetLife Stadium and finishing what he started.
The Notre Dame-bound quarterback dazzled opponents all year with his strong and accurate arm but it was his legs which provided the most exciting and important play of his spectacular scholastic career in the fourth quarter of the Non-Public Group 4 title game back in December.
Wimbush made two cuts to elude would-be tacklers on his way to a 64-yard TD run that sealed St. Peter's Prep's first state title since 2005, a 34-18 triumph over Paramus Catholic, reversing a loss from the 2013 title game.
On the year, Wimbush finished with 3,187 yards passing and 37 TDs against just five interceptions to go with another 723 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Of all the great players who have worn the pads at St. Peter's Prep, Wimbush's senior season cemented him as one of, if not the, best to ever play for longtime head coach Rich Hansen.
Runner-Up:
Rashan Gary
Paramus Catholic Football
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Rashan Gary was unstoppable on the edge for Paramus Catholic. |
Ever since transferring to Paramus Catholic, Gary has firmly established himself as New Jersey's most feared defensive lineman. His transformation from a run-stuffing nose guard to a defensive end who relies on quickness and athleticism has been a remarkably seamless one considering that he is listed at 6-foot-4, 290 pounds.
Despite being double or triple-teamed on virtually every single snap, Gary took over this year. The junior recorded 55 tackles, 24 quarterback hurries and 14 sacks. Six of those sacks came in a 44-7 victory over Bergen Catholic.
Gary, who has over 50 Division 1 scholarship offers, goes into his senior season being widely considered as the top college football prospect in the country.
Honorable Mention:
Nolan Borgeson, Westwood Football
Minkah Fitzpatrick, St. Peter's Prep Football
Danny Aversano, Northern Highlands Soccer
Kareem Walker, DePaul Football
Tommy Hatton, St. Joseph's Regional Football
Sebastian Ferriera, Kearny Soccer
Grant Kelly, Wayne Hills Soccer
Dave Tolentino, St. Peter's Prep Football
Leandro Gonzales, Harrison Soccer
Daiquan Kelly, Union City Football
Patrick Sullivan, Don Bosco Prep Cross-Country
Female Athlete of the Season:
Alexandra Mesropyan
IHA Soccer
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Alex Mesropyan, who will play at Sacred Heart next year, helped lead IHA to Bergen County and Non-Public A state titles. |
It is easy to compare players when just looking at their statistics. While eye-popping stats are often found among top players on championship teams, behind all that is the fearless leader that everyone rallies around. For the Immaculate Heart Academy girls' soccer team, Alexandra Mesropyan was the quintessential example of a player who led by example.
When she suffered what looked to be a serious knee injury in the Bergen County semifinals against Ramapo, there was the possibility that Mesropyan's senior season might be over. That thought never entered her mind though. Her only focus was getting herself back on the field for a long-awaited showdown with undefeated Northern Highlands in the Bergen County final.
Mesropyan was not 100-percent, but was on the pitch for that final and saved her best for last. The Sacred Heart-bound senior, who assisted on the first goal of the game, split two defenders then blasted a shot into the lower right-hand corner with 6:26 for the game-winner as IHA won the BCT crown with a 2-1 win that also snapped Northern Highlands' state record 88-game unbeaten streak.
It appeared to be a fitting end to a great season, but Mesropyan's heroics were far from done. In the Non-Public A state final against Holy Cross, IHA was defending an unblemished season and No. 1 rankings in both New Jersey and nationally. As time wound down in the second overtime of a scoreless game, it looked like the Blue Eagles might finally run out of steam. But after a penalty in the box with 2:29 to play in the second OT, there was no doubt who was going to take the kick.
Mesropyan stepped up to the ball knowing that, one way or the other, she would remembered this particular penalty kick for the rest of her life. With all of that pressure, she ripped a a shot into the upper right-hand corner to cap IHA's undefeated season with a state title.
Runner-Up:
Julia McClure
Secaucus Volleyball
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Julia McClure helped Secaucus win a school record 33 games. |
The development of girls' volleyball over the past decade in North Jersey has been simply remarkable. Even on perennial powerhouse teams, there are a vast amount of players who have been playing since elementary school and already have knowledge of the nuances on the varsity level. Secaucus' Julia McClure was not one of those players.
In fact, McClure had never played organized volleyball and had no plans of playing it going into her freshman year of high school. Secaucus head coach Sheila Rivera was able to convince her to play and the rest was history, literally. While McClure was a threat at the net right from her freshman year, it was the growth of her all-around game that finally helped Secaucus get back to its glorious past this season.
McClure finished with 511 kills, 266 digs, and 145 service points, including a match-highs of 18 kills and 11 digs as Secaucus beat Bogota to win the Group 1 state title and finished the season with a school record 33 wins.
Honorable Mention:
Hana Kerner, Northern Highlands Soccer
Rebecca Jarrett, IHA Soccer
Maria Bellinger, Paramus Volleyball
Caitlyn Floyd, IHA Volleyball
Casey Richards, Northern Highlands Soccer
Olivia Budinich, Old Tappan Volleyball
Catherina Pagano, Northern Highlands X-Country
Kendall Caruso, Secaucus Volleyball
Abby Adams, Ramapo Soccer
Sasha Shumyatsky, Tenafly Tennis
Kristin Kirwan, IHA Volleyball
Jordan Paton, Northern Highlands Field Hockey
Hailey Riede, Demarest Volleyball
Lizzie Miller, IHA Soccer
Victoria Stec, Elmwood Park Volleyball
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Head coach Richie Hansen led St. Peter's to its first state title since 2005. |
Boys' Team of the Season:
St. Peter's Prep Football
After a stinging loss to Paramus Catholic in the Non-Public Group 4 state final in 2013, the Marauders set a goal to bring the hardware back to Jersey City for the first time in nearly a decade in 2014. In that 2013 loss to PC, the Marauders scored on their first drive. But after the aforementioned Wimbush went down with an injury, Prep did not score again.
After a regular season loss to nationally-ranked IMG Academy, the Marauders took their frustrations out on Hudson County competition, winning by an average of a 57.5 points per game.
The state tournament was more of the same as the Marauders' offense was virtually unstoppable. They averaged 37 points per game in their three state tournament wins en route to capturing the Non-Public Group 4 section title.
Runner-Up:
Harrison Soccer
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Harrison won its 25th state title in boys soccer. |
Ever since the early days of New Jersey high school soccer, Harrison has been a contender for state titles seemingly every year. Having the most state titles in New Jersey history means that the expectation year in and year out is to peak at the end of the season and hoist the trophy.
The momentum of the Blue Tide started truly building as the state tournament began. Locked in a scoreless tie against upstart Secaucus in the North 2 Group 1 section final, the Blue Tide got a rousing halftime speech from head coach Mike Rusek. It was all they needed.
Harrison scored twice early in the second half in pulling away for a 3-0 win. However, their most impressive wins were yet to come. Against very strong teams from Waldwick and Haddon Heights, the Blue Tide outshot them by a whopping 56-5 margin and won both games by a score of 4-0 to win the program's 25th state title.
Honorable Mention:
Westwood Football
Pascack Valley Football
Ramsey Soccer
Don Bosco Prep Football
Kearny Soccer
Northern Highlands Soccer
Lincoln Football
Ramapo Soccer
Girls' Team of the Season:
IHA Soccer
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IHA was a perfect 22-0 in 2014. |
For the past several years the Blue Eagles have been nipping at the heels of Northern Highlands, which is saying something being that Northern Highlands has become one of the top girls' soccer programs in America.
After tying the Highlanders in the 2013 Bergen County final and being declared co-champs, the Blue Eagles wanted something more this year. They wanted to be the ones to break the Highlanders' vaunted 88-game unbeaten streak and that opportunity came once again in the BCT final.
This time they delivered behind the heroics of Mesropyan and a rock solid defense, led by sweeper Lizzie Miller and goalie Taylor Lupi.
IHA won that game 2-1 and went on to win every other game en route to a 22-0 record.
Runner-Up:
IHA Volleyball
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IHA has not lost to an in-state opponent since 2012. |
With arguably the best high school player ever to come out of New Jersey (All-American Nia Reed) having graduated, just how potent the Blue Eagles' attack would be depended on how the younger players adjusted to playing larger roles.
It was a smooth transition thanks in large part to the play of setter Caitlyn Floyd and libero Maeve Kenny, who often started the offense with pinpoint passing. Kristin Kirwan and Annabel Reyes grew into leadership roles at the net as the Blue Eagles battled through injuries all season. That did not stop them from being dominant against New Jersey competition.
The Blue Eagles have not lost to a New Jersey opponent since losing to Bogota in the 2012 Bergen County final. Their winning streak against in-state competition is now at 80 games, capped by a thrilling 2-1 win over Northern Valley/Demarest in the Tournament of Champions final, the Blue Eagles' 7th T of C title in the past 8 years.
Honorable Mention:
Northern Highlands Soccer
Demarest Volleyball
Secaucus Volleyball
Ramapo Soccer
Old Tappan Volleyball
Paramus Volleyball
Ramsey Field Hockey
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