Tuesday,
June 21, 2016
By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer
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Senior David Herrera led Garfield to the first-ever boys soccer state title in school history. The Boilermakers won it all in Group 2. |
Male Athlete of the Season:
Dave Herrera, Garfield Soccer
Herrera earned a spot in the starting lineup as a freshman and quickly earned the respect of his teammates. The bigger the game, the better he played. But as his senior season was winding down, Herrera knew that this was his last chance to do something special for a team, a coach and a town that was hungry to celebrate a championship. During a two-week run in the state tournament, Herrera went on a legendary tear proving he was the most clutch player in North Jersey.
It started in the North 2 Group 2 semifinals against perennial state power Harrison. Herrera erased two deficits on fantastic goals before sealing the upset over the top seed with a clinching penalty kick.
He followed that up with a game-winning goal against Dover to give Garfield, a soccer-loving town, the first state sectional title in program history. Herrera was not done though, not by a long shot. After scoring on a direct kick with 2:52 left to send Garfield into the Group 2 state final, the do-everything senior saved his best for last.
Down 1-0 to Holmdel with just over two minutes to play, Herrera served two perfectly placed free kicks in a 27-second span that teammate Wojciech Piwowarczyk headed home. The late-as-can-be heroics from Herrera allowed Boilermakers to celebrate the first outright state title in school history.
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Jordan Fuller will take his talents to
The Ohio State University. |
Runner-Up:
Jordan Fuller
Northern Valley/Old Tappan Football
Growing up in the shadow of his older brother Devin, an all-stater in high school, a standout at UCLA and a recent draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons, Jordan Fuller had a legacy to live up to. Throughout his scholastic career, Jordan not only withstood his family history, but also penned a few new thrilling chapters as the most dangerous two-way weapon in New Jersey.
Fuller was a nightmare for opposing defenses all season. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound pure athlete was a threat to get the ball in the end zone every time he touched it and he did it in a variety of ways. Even with opposing defenses designed to stop him, Fuller was just as effective running or catching the ball. He finished with 747 yards and 10 TDs rushing, 733 yards and five touchdowns receiving and threw three TD passes for good measure.
The Ohio State-bound senior was not just an offensive dynamo however. He finished with 44 tackles, a team-leading six interceptions and also provided a spark for the special teams unit with three touchdowns in the return game in helping lead the Golden Knights to the North 1, Group 4 state sectional title.
Honorable Mention:
Rashan Gary, Paramus Catholic Football
Kareem Walker, DePaul Football
Frankie Feaster, Bergen Catholic Football
Dylan Rocchio, Ramapo Soccer
Carter Warren, Passaic County Tech Football
John Najarro, Kearny Soccer
Rene White, Hawthorne Christian Soccer
Louis Acceus, St. Joseph’s Regional Football
Will Woodfin, Hawthorne Christian Soccer
Michael Dwumfour, DePaul Football
Evan Lazurus, Pascack Hills Soccer
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Kassidy Shetler led the charge as Ramsey won the Bergen County title and reached the state sectional final. |
Female Athlete of the Season:
Kassidy Shetler, Ramsey Field Hockey
Shetler evolved from a talented but raw player as a freshman and sophomore to one of the more polished offensive weapons in New Jersey as a junior. With a team chock full of seniors, Shetler stepped right into a leadership role with them as they became far and away the best team in North Jersey.
Shetler’s speed, stick-handling ability and dead-eye shooting were traits that were simply unmatched. The difference was her consistency as Shetler scored in all but two games this season.
She started with a bang by notching a career-high four assists in the second game of the season to go with two goals in a win over Passaic Valley. Less than a week later, she matched a career-best with four goals (which she matched later in the season) in a win over Westwood.
It was in the big games where the Rutgers commit really made her mark. Shetler scored the capping tally in the Bergen County Tournament title game. She then added two goals and an assist in a North 1, Group 2 quarterfinal before adding a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win over Hackettstown in the semis as the Rams reached the sectional final for the first time in program history.
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Paramus' Maria Bellinger finished her career with more than 1.500 kills |
Runner-Up:
Maria Bellinger, Paramus Volleyball
Bellinger was the most feared outside hitter in the state in 2015. If she got a good set, the end result was a familiar one with Bellinger slamming down a huge kill to pump up her teammates. She led the state with 434 kills, but she was no one-trick pony. Bellinger also had a team-highs of 159 digs, 17 blocks, and 42 aces.
The Delaware-bound senior was huge in big matches, regardless of the outcome. She notched a season-high 24 kills in a loss to Northern Valley/Demarest in the Bergen County Tournament quarterfinals. After losing three straight years in the Group 3 semifinals, Bellinger helped get the Spartans over the hump with 19 kills in a straight-set win over West Morris Central.
She finished with career with over 1,500 kills.
Honorable Mention:
Morgan Busacca, Northern Highlands Soccer
Sophia Gulati, IHA Soccer
Natalie Alechko, Old Tappan Volleyball
Eva Hurm, Northern Highlands Soccer
Andrea Cerdan, Paramus Catholic Tennis
Julia Guerra, Indian Hills Cross-Country
Abby Adams, Ramapo Soccer
Casey Richards, Northern Highlands Soccer
Kelly Brogan, Old Tappan Volleyball
Lia DiPiazza, Ramsey Field Hockey
Caitlyn Floyd, IHA Volleyball
Kayla Klatt, Northern Highlands Soccer
Ashley Hess, Holy Angels Tennis
Olympia Martin, Ridgewood Cross-Country
Lauren Messina, River Dell Volleyball
Samantha Gioiosa, Bogota Volleyball
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Old Tappan won its first state sectional title in 30 years. |
Boys’ Team of the Season:
Northern Valley/Old Tappan Football
With talent, experience, veteran coaching and the singular goal of an undefeated season, everything fell into place for Northern Valley/Old Tappan. The Golden Knights were tested early against Ramapo but held on for a 32-28 win.
That proved to be the only time they were threatened all season as they beat quality opponents one after the other.
Pounding the opposition both running and throwing? No problem with the Golden Knights scoring over 35 points in nine consecutive games to reach the North 1, Group 4 state final.
Winning a defensive struggle? They did that, too. Locked in a scoreless battle with longtime nemesis Wayne Hills, the Golden Knights broke out for 17 second-half points while keeping the Patriots off the scoreboard for a 17-0 win at MetLife Stadium that gave the program its first state sectional title in 30 years.
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Ramapo won its final 10 games and the program's 10th state title. |
Runner-Up:
Ramapo Football
After a tough loss to Northern Valley/Old Tappan in the week 2, the Green Raiders took out their frustrations out on each of their remaining opponents en route to a championship season.
They averaged 43.3 points per game over their final 10 games and saved the best for last with three straight 40-plus point efforts in the state playoffs, capped by a 45-15 romp over River Dell in the North 1, Group 3 final at MetLife Stadium to win the school’s 10th state title.
Honorable Mention:
Mahwah football
Garfield soccer
Don Bosco Prep football
Northern Valley/Old Tappan soccer
Ramapo soccer
DePaul football
Hawthorne Christian soccer
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Old Tappan lost only three games all season on the way to the Tournament of Champions title. |
Girls’ Team of the Season:
Northern Valley/Old Tappan Volleyball
While head coach Melissa Landeck knew her team would be very good this season, just how well they would jell and if they would peak at the right time remained to be seen. Not only did the Golden Knights jell like no other team in New Jersey, they ran roughshod over one of the state’s toughest schedules.
They did not take long for the Golden Knights to heat up. They rattled off 11 consecutive straight-set sweeps, including one over previously undefeated IHA that snapped the Blue Eagles’ 93-match winning streak against New Jersey competition.
Overall, Old Tappan dropped just three sets the entire season on its way to a 26-0 season with Bergen County, Group 3, and Tournament of Champions titles to its credit.
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Ashley Hess' arrival helped Holy Angels, which made it all the way to the Tournament of Champions. |
Runner-Up:
Holy Angels Tennis
Behind the play of three-year first singles player Adrienne Alfonso, Holy Angels has been a solid team in recent years, but was never really considered a serious challenger for county and state titles. That all changed with the emergence of younger players and the arrival of standout freshman Ashley Hess. With the Angels now having one of the most potent 1-2 punches in New Jersey, expectations were raised significantly.
Both Hess and Alfonso won county titles en route to helping Holy Angels to a Bergen County Groups 3-4 crown and that was just a tune-up for the state tournament.
Third singles player Allison Kim rallied from a set down to score a three-set victory that clinched a huge 3-2 victory over state power Pingry in the Non-Public B North semifinals. That was followed by 4-1 wins over Oak Knoll in the section final and over Bishop Eustace to secure the program’s first ever Non-Public B state title.
The season ended with a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Montgomery in the Tournament of Champions first-round match, but it could not take away from a record-breaking season in which the Angels finished 20-2.
Honorable Mention:
Northern Highlands Soccer
IHA Volleyball
Ramapo Soccer
River Dell Volleyball
Bogota Volleyball
Ramsey Field Hockey
IHA Soccer
Northern Valley/Demarest Volleyball
Ramapo Tennis
Leonia Tennis
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