July 21, 2017
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Volume 4, Issue 25
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About the Cover Visiting the pool at the Ocean City Community Center on Simpson Avenue, it’s not easy to pick Amanda Nunan out of the crowd of Red Raiders swimmers at a high school swim meet. She looks like any other swimmer on the team and rarely draws attention to herself. In fact, she’s rather embarrassed by all the attention she’s received throughout her career at Ocean City. But when your collection of state championship medals looks like a pirate’s treasure chest, you’re going to get your fair share of attention. In a few weeks, Nunan will be off to the University of Tennessee, and “Rocky Top” will be welcoming in one of the best swimmers the state of New JerGlory Days Magazine photo/Kristian Gonyea sey has ever seen. During her four-year varsity career, Nunan won seven out of a possible eight individual state championships in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events. The only time she ever finished in second place was the first championship race of her career, when she took second to St. Rose’s Casey Lawson in the 200 freestyle at the Meet of Champions, by a mere 25 hundredths of a second. She also helped make Ocean City one of the best teams in the state and was a leader both in and out of the pool. Safe to say the University of Tennessee is getting a gem. — Dave O’Sullivan, Staff Writer
Glory Days Magazine Staff Dave O’Sullivan (Twitter @GDsullysays) Publisher/email: sully@acglorydays.com/phone 609-788-4294
Giuseppe Ungaro (Twitter @GDgisepu) Managing Editor/email: gungaro@acglorydays.com
Amy D’Adamo Graphic Design/email: advertising@acglorydays.com
Bill Lynskey Director of Advertising/email: bill@acglorydays.com
Victor McGuinn Advertising Sales/email: victor@acglorydays.com STORY IDEAS/ADVERTISING: Have a story you’d like to see told in Glory Days Magazine? Want to get your business noticed by advertising in our publication? Call us anytime! 609-788-4294 Issue Number: 81. Cover Photography: Kristian Gonyea
Glory Days Magazine 2312 New Road, Suite 104 D, Northfield, NJ 08225
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COMMENTARY
Sports reporters make their living in storytelling
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ack in the late 1980s, when I was in high school, my dream job was to be a cartoonist. I wasn’t exactly sure what it meant to be a professional cartoonist, I just knew it was something I enjoyed and had a little bit of talent for. Of course, when you are 17 years old, you pretty much have no idea what kind of talent it takes to do something like that professionally. I spent my first year of college at Monmouth (it was called a college back then, not a university) as an art major, but quickly realized the talent I thought I had for cartooning and art was minimal, at best. So when I transferred to Pfeiffer (again, a college back then, a university now — there has been a lot of upgrading the past quarter century) I switched my major to journalism. Mainly because Pfeiffer didn’t offer art or graphic design majors at that time, and because I was terrible at math and science and didn’t want to be a history teacher (apologies to my brother, Paul, who has been an excellent history teacher at Lacey Township High School for more than 30 years!). My main reason for even attending college had nothing to do with academics, really. I was never going to be a Rhodes Scholar, by any means. I wanted to play baseball, and prove to everyone who doubted me that a 5-foot-6, 160-pound kid who didn’t get recruited by anybody (not even the local community college) could, in fact, play college baseball. Mission accomplished, to a certain extent. I rode the bench for the Pfeiffer Falcons for two years, started about half my senior year and because of my lack of offensive punch, ended my career on the bench.
Dave O’Sullivan
I wasn’t bitter. I respected the coach’s decision and finished out my career with pride. Head coach Chip Smith put me in the starting lineup for all three games during the final weekend of my senior year — the only chance my father, Mike, ever got to see me play college baseball. A few weeks later, college was over and there I was, thrust out into the real world. It was like getting hit in the ribs with an 85 mph fastball. Wait a minute, you’re saying I have to go out and work 50-60 hours a week now? And pay all my own bills? I should have stayed in school for a fifth year! So, in 1995, after spending a year back at home, I moved back to North Carolina and got a job at a triweekly newspaper just outside of Charlotte. I knew I liked sports, and had a little bit of talent for writing a story. About the only things that have ever come naturally to me were turning a double play and writing a story about an athlete. I figured if I worked hard enough at it, I could become a pretty good writer, maybe work my way up to a big newspaper and someday be covering Major League Baseball as a beat writer. Ah, the dreams of youth. Obviously, my lofty dreams of being a nationally syndicated writer didn’t come true. Life has a way of throwing you curveballs, and you have to find a way to keep fouling them off before you get a nice fastball to hit. After my career in the newspaper business fizzled out at age 40, I had a decision to make. I knew what I wanted to do, which was create a high school sports magazine. Of course, the safer option would have been to just go get another job, get that steady paycheck and health benefits. But, if I was going to grind away at a job every day, I wanted it to be something I enjoyed doing when I woke up every morning. So, I took a leap of faith in myself, invested the few thousand dollars I had to my name in starting Glory Days Magazine, and four years later we have
become the premier high school sports publication in South Jersey. The most fun part of it all — and make no mistake, running your own magazine is a business and you have to grind hard every day to make it successful — is when I sit down at my computer and start punching the keys on the keyboard. I go from businessman to storyteller, and that’s when I’m in my element. And that’s true for a lot of the guys whose bylines appear above stories in publications such as The Press of Atlantic City, The Courier-Post, The Current, The Ocean City Sentinel, and even on TV. Guys such as Mike McGarry, Kevin Minnick, Mark Trible, Mike Frankel, Giuseppe Ungaro, Dave Nahan, John Russo, Josh Friedman — at our core, we are storytellers. We work late at night pounding out stories, have missed a lot of Thanksgiving dinners throughout the years, and bother coaches at all hours of the day hunting down quotes, stats and information. But, it’s all worth it because high school sports are a fabric of local society. They bring towns together, create legends and impact thousands of people every year. If you don’t think high school sports matter, ask one of the guys listed above about their email inbox. As reporters, we take the good with the bad. We know parents and fans are passionate about their teams, and that’s what drives us to find and write the best stories we can. “High school sports, we see so many games and talk to so many kids afterward, but there are special moments for every kid. Sometimes we see them (in person) and sometimes we just hear about them. That’s the cool thing about high school sports. Every day you can see something special. Every day you can possibly see something you didn’t think you could possible see, and might not see again,” Min-
See Sports, page 5
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Sports, from page 4 nick said on a recent interview with me on 97.3 ESPN FM. “It can happen at the smallest school in South Jersey or during a game between the two biggest. “High schools sports is something that should be cherished and something that can be impactful on so many different levels. When a senior goes out, a freshman comes in, and you never know what you’re going to see.” What really makes what myself and all these other people do so cool is the reactions we get from parents, grandparents and even the high school athletes themselves. In the grind of cranking out 10-15 stories a week, sometimes sports reporters lose sight a little bit of how big of a deal it is for some of these kids to be interviewed after games. I remember being a baseball player at Lacey Township High School and laying in bed at night, envisioning myself getting a walkoff base hit and the local newspaper reporters crowding around me after a
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big win. Sadly, that never happened. But, once in a while, these days, I will catch out of the corner of my eye a parent taking a cell phone picture of me interviewing their kid after a big win and it gives me a little reminder about how big a part of their lives high school sports are. “I notice it out of the corner of my eye — and I notice it a lot these days — you’ll be interviewing a player after a game and mom or dad, or a brother or sister, will be off to the side video taping you interviewing their kid because it is a big deal, and that’s good for us. We want people to think it’s a big deal for people to talk to us, so I have no problem with that whatsoever,” McGarry said recently. “That’s one of the great things about covering high school sports. High school athletes want to talk to you. Pro athletes don’t always want to talk to the media, so that’s one of the really neat things about covering high school sports.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
Glory Days Magazine MVP
South Jersey Sports Report Check out Glory Days Magazine publisher Dave O’Sullivan every Saturday morning, 8 to 10 a.m., as he hosts The South Jersey Sports Report on 97.3 ESPN FM. Sully brings you the best of South Jersey sports and sporting events throughout the year with entertaining interviews from a variety of guests.
Sully
u Also, listen to Mike Gill weekdays, 2 to 6 p.m., as he brings you “The Sports Bash”
Glory Days Magazine’s MVP Program is more than just an ad, it’s a marketing program that incorporates print advertising as well as online and social media promotion, and a feature story about the business. Listed below are some of the great local businesses that have gone above and beyond when it comes to supporting high school athletics, and the work we do to bring you the best stories from your local schools’ sports teams.
Bunting Family Pharmacy, GMS Law, Design Nation, D’Arcy Johnson Day Lawers, Golden Nugget Tavern, Vic’s Subs, Ocean City Library, Glenn Insurance, Mattress Warehouse, King Pin Bowling, Smith Graphix, Shore True Value Hardware, Juliano’s Pub & Grill, Health First Chiropractic, Atlantic Medical Imaging, Think Ink Screen Printing
Want to become a Glory Days MVP? Contact Publisher Dave O’Sullivan or Director of Advertising Bill Lynskey: 609-788-4294/sully@acglorydays.com/bill@acglorydays.com
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STORIES OF THE YEAR
Spirit football back among the elite A strong senior class bought into coach A.J. Russo’s plan, and their hard work paid big dividends By GIUSEPPE UNGARO Staff Writer ometimes you have to take a step back before jumping ahead. This was the case for the Holy Spirit football team. The Spartans needed to reach back into the program’s proud tradition before taking a leap from a sub-.500 team to an appearance in the state title game. In just his second year at the helm of the program, A.J. Russo’s Spartans improved by five wins, registering a 9-3 record. Holy Spirit won two playoff games before falling, 26-20, to Mater Dei in the NJSIAA Non-Public Group 2 championship. “The first year was just to get a feeling of what type of players we had at the school. We came in with a whole new offensive and defensive program than they had the previous three years, so basically we were getting our feet wet and getting our act together,” Russo said. “After getting that first year under our belt it came together last year. It started with the offseason program. We had two years of the offseason program under our belts and that played a huge part to our success.” He added: “At Holy Spirit High School, there is a tradition — certain standards that you have to meet — as far
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Glory Days Magazine file photos/Dave O’Sullivan
Linebackers Dante Daniel, right, and Gavin Liepe sparked a Holy Spirit defense that helped lead the Spartans back into the state championship game in 2016. as academic standards, what you have to do in the classroom, what type of kid you need to be outside of the classroom, and obviously where we want our football players to be athletically. So that first year we were molding that, making sure we are where we needed to be for our kids at Holy Spirit.”
The players bought in to what Russo and his staff were teaching. The seniors, including captains Dante Daniel, Reggie Jean-Charles, Gavin Liepe and James Marcheski, wanted to not only make this season special, but also ensure that the program was solid moving forward.
The work the Spartans put in to achieve their results in 2016 started in the offseason. “It was really important, especially this year. We had some ups and downs at Holy Spirit and I think our class was the stepping stone on whether (the program) will continue with the tradition or fall like many high schools. We really wanted to make a big statement for our school, carry the tradition on and make it to the state title game,” Daniel said. Despite winning four games in 2015, the Spartans believed they were on the path to turning their fortunes around. With the coaches and the seniors leading the way, the team dedicated itself to the offseason program. The first year may have been about installing new programs and attitudes, but the second season as about executing. The players knew what to expect, and they had a base to build on. Holy Spirit opened the season with five consecutive wins, including a 1714 overtime win over long-time rival and state powerhouse St. Joseph, and a 14-7 win over five-time state champion Delsea Regional. Holy Spirit allowed less than a touchdown per game in those first five games while averaging 38 points on offense. It was those two wins, and a close loss to Camden Catholic, that made the Spartans believe they could make a run at a state championship. “With the work the kids did in the offseason, we saw that they were dedicated. A lot of the stuff we did last year
See Spirit, page 7
JULY 21, 2017 Spirit, from page 6 was predicated on the leadership that we had in our senior class,” Russo said. “Those kids did a fantastic job within the team itself with self-motivation; self-discipline, keeping the kids focused. We relied heavily on their leadership and their work ethic. That proved itself last year. Week-by-week, our kids played hard, and we knew if they did that, good things happen. That’s the way it fell.” “It started in the summer. We really
GLORY DAYS MAGAZINE carried that mindset through the entire season. We knew none of the games were going to be given to us. We knew the games weren’t going to be easy,” Daniel said. “We worked every day at practice as hard as we could and as fast as we could. We paid attention to everything our coaches were telling us because they established good game plans. We just had to handle our business.” Contact Giuseppe Ungaro: gungaro@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDgisepu
Senior Reggie Jean-Charles was one of the best running backs in the Cape-Atlantic League in 2016, rushing for more than 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns.
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School of the Season: Mainland Regional, fall sports
Boys soccer, Aldridge took home trophies By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer he Mainland Regional boys soccer coaches knew they had some serious talent coming up through the ranks the past couple of years. In the fall of 2016, the Mustangs’ talented core matured and helped Mainland put together one of its best soccer seasons ever. The Mustangs went 18-3-2 and went undefeated in the sectional tournament, capturing the South Jersey Group 3 championship with a 2-1 victory over Hammonton. Their run finally ended with a 2-1 loss to Toms River South, but Mainland still finished with titles in the Cape-Atlantic League’s American Conference and South Jersey Group 3. Mainland tied St. Augustine Prep, 1-1, in the second game of the season, but then ripped off 14 straight wins, including victories over Egg Harbor Township, St. Augustine and Washington Township, an eventual South Jersey Group 4 finalist. The run finally came to an end on Oct. 24 with a 3-0 loss to Rancocas Valley, but the Mustangs rebounded with a 1-0 win over EHT and won five of their final six games. The squad was led by a group of seniors that included Victor Figueroa, Dennis George, Josh Richards, John McLaughlin and Ayden Nino, but the Mustangs may be set up for another run in 2017 with a strong crop of juniors, including guys such as Dan Adams, Dominic Bongiovanni, Keegan Ford, Jimmy Kryjer, Connor Juckett, Nick Nutile and Sam Watt, and goalie Matt Stellitano will be a senior as well. In addition, Mainland has some talented younger players, including Jack Sarkos, who will be a junior this fall, and rising sophomores Ryan Pellegrino and George Arsenis, who recently helped lead the South Jersey Futbol Club to a U16 national championship tournament appearance. u Conference champs: Not to be out-done, the girls soccer team racked up 15 wins and won the CAL American by beating out a strong EHT team. Led by senior Lexi Miller and sophomore Christine Napoli, the Mustangs had a strong offense and garnered a No. 3 seed in the SJG3 tournament. They blanked Triton,
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Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
The Mainland Regional boys soccer team won 18 games last fall and captured the Cape-Atlantic League American Conference and South Jersey Group 3 championships. 1-0, in the opening round before being upended by No. 6 Lacey Township in the quarterfinals, but the Stangs return plenty of talent in 2017, including Molly O’Shea, Aly Nazarok, Mary McLaughlin, Georgia Schoen, Sammy Williscroft, Jules Cino and goalie Angelina Blanchet, among others. u Another one: Alyssa Aldridge established herself as one of the premier distance runners in the country as a sophomore after winning the NJSIAA cross country Meet of Champions then placing in the top 40 in the nation at the Foot Locker Cross Country National Championship in San Diego, Calif. She did even better last fall as a junior, not only winning her second straight MOC title, but also improving to a 13th-place finish at nationals.
Strong ’Stangs Boys soccer: 18-3-2/CAL/SJG3 champion Girls soccer: 15-3-3/CAL/state playoffs Field hockey: 9-10-2/state playoffs Girls tennis: 16-3/SJG3 champion Girls cross country: SJG3 champion For her efforts, Aldridge was named the Runner of the Year by both the Press of Atlantic City and nj.com. Her MOC victory was the 11th-best time in Holmdel Park history, and her margin of victory was the largest since the 2000 season.
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STORIES OF THE YEAR
Dynasties in the making ’Stangs set the bar high Mainland boys swimming is 30-0 with two state titles in past two seasons By GIUSEPPE UNGARO Staff Writer here’s dominating, then there’s what the Mainland Regional boys swimming team did to their competition during the past two seasons. It’s not just that the Mustangs won 30 consecutive meets and ended both seasons with state championships, it’s just how easily they made it look. The Mustangs swimmers cut through the water with relative ease, consistently improving their times, making it seem like the other team was swimming through mud. Mainland cemented themselves as the elite team in the state. What the Mustangs did this past season was historic, as the swimmers left a lasting legacy.
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“It’s such an awesome feeling now that I can look back on it and really understand what I was a part of. It’s not something that comes around too often,” said recent graduate Brian McGroarty. “To say that I was a part of that, say 10 or 15 years from now, will be really cool to think about.” “People still come up and congratulate us on our season. Has it sunk in? Probably not still because it was so good. We said at the end of the year it was a shame that the season ended because we were doing so well and it was so much fun,” Mainland coach Brian Booth said. “But it’s something myself and everyone on that team will remember how good and dominant we were, so that is something we will always have.” The Mustangs were so good even their playoff wins weren’t even close. Mainland cruised to a 122-48 win over Lenape and then registered a pair of 123-47 wins over Shawnee and Randolph. In the Public B championship, a very good Scotch
See Stangs, page 12
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
The 2017 softball season was an emotional roller coaster ride for Egg Harbor Township junior Elisabeth Alicea. She dedicated her season to her ailing mother, and helped lead the Eagles to a state championship before her mother passed away after a long battle with cancer just a few days after the title game.
Eagles have been nearly unbeatable for three seasons By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer he names have changed, players have graduated and new ones have come along, but no matter what kind of shakeup happens within the Egg Harbor Township softball lineup, the Eagles remain remarkably consistent. A few years ago, when this spring’s seniors were freshmen, assistant coach Matt Belinsky told them they would one day win a state championship. They did exactly that this spring, rallying for two runs in the top of the sixth inning to shock North Hunterdon, 2-1, in the Group 4 title game in June. It was the culmination of years of hard work, and a redemption of sorts, as EHT was denied the title a year before in a 4-0 loss to Watchung Hills. Following a 24-1 season in 2016, the Eagles knew they had a target on their backs, but they played with laser focus and once again ripped through the Cape-Atlantic League schedule. Come playoff time, the Eagles did exactly what they
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Glory Days Magazine file photo/Dave O’Sullivan
The Mainland Regional boys swimming team has been completely dominating the past two seasons, going 30-0 and capturing back-to-back state championships. The Mustangs also set several national records this past season.
See Eagles, page 13
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GLORY DAYS MAGAZINE Stangs, from page 10 Plains-Fanwood team made it somewhat close, but Mainland still won by 36 points with a 103-67 victory. Mainland had some of the best swimmers in the state on the team, including Destin Lasco and Justin Liu, who both won two Meet of Champions titles. Lasco, arguably New Jersey’s best swimmer, set meet records in the 200 IM and the 100 backstroke while Liu won the 50 and 100 freestyle events. Both pushed the 200 medley relay to victory along with Erik Troung and Joey Rogers, and helped set the meet record in the 400 freestyle relay with Glenn Lasco and Rogers. McGroarty, Chris Bradley, Brett Clauhs, Tigue Devine and others added talent and depth to the Mustangs, making them the top team in the state. “We had great swimmers A-throughC,” McGroarty said. “Everyone was really good. We all worked together as a team. It wasn’t about individuals, it was about what we could do for the team, and I think that’s what helped us succeed.” This past year’s team was coming off a state championship and a perfect season, but somehow still managed to improve. McGroarty and the other seniors made sure the Mustangs stayed
JULY 21, 2017 focused throughout the season. “It was a lot of responsibly. I think we handled it well. We just tried to keep the guys motivated, and not get too ahead of ourselves,” McGroarty explained. “Chris Bradley did a great job. Some club kids weren’t at practice every day and Chris was at practice every day, motivating the kids not to get too cocky and just to put their head down, swim and work hard.” “I think it’s just the kids’ attitude and work ethic. Mainland has always been a talented swim team, and it seems over the past few years we have just gotten a group of kids that really embraced working out and getting better and challenging themselves,” Booth said. “When they all come together and swim together in practice, it’s awesome to see them racing against each other to see who is going to be the best that day. That propels us to be better swimmers.” The Mustangs return a host of talented swimmers for this upcoming season and once again should contend for a state title. It remains to be seen just how good they will be. Every future Mustangs team has a benchmark to chase, and it’s the 201617 season. Contact Giuseppe Ungaro: gungaro@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDgisepu
Justin Liu and Mainland went 15-0 again this past winter and captured another overall state championship. Glory Days Magazine file photo/ Dave O’Sullivan
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Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Freshman catcher Kaitlyn Riggs was a huge part of Egg Harbor Township’s state championship run this spring.
Eagles, from page 10 have done for the past several years. They played great defense, got on base, and relied heavily on their pitching battery. In 2016 it was Nicole Wisser and Kate Korte, and this time around it was Tori Szrom and freshman Kaitlyn Riggs. In the South Jersey Group 4 championship game, EHT found itself trailing Rancocas Valley midway through the game. Although Szrom didn’t have her best stuff, she continued to battle and limited the damage, giving her teammates time to mount a rally. They eventually won that game, 13-8, then Szrom came back a few days later to blank Montgomery, 2-0, in the Group 4 semifinals. In the state championship game, North Hunterdon scored a run in the bottom of the first and then loaded the bases with nobody out. Somehow, Szrom was able to work out of that jam, and that was huge because she didn’t allow another run the rest of the way. She also got the sixth-inning rally going with a two-out single up the middle. She had trouble putting her emotions into words following the victory, which sealed the first state championship in program history. “We know we’re always going to have a chance if there are outs left. Coming in, we prepared all the new girls who haven’t experienced this yet, what our goals were and what we were going to do, and I think we handled it better this year,” Szrom said after the game. “I’m at a loss for words. I’m just so excited. I turned around to hug my catcher (Kaitlyn Riggs) and she was already standing right next to me. I was like, ‘wow.’ It hasn’t hit me yet. It’s like I’m still out there on the mound saying I have to get outs.”
“Honestly, I can’t even believe it. I think I cried more this year than I did last year. It’s such a great feeling, just running in after that last out. You never know what to expect,” added senior center fielder Emily Biddle (MacNeil). Egg Harbor Township has set the standard in South Jersey softball the past three years, putting together an incredible 66-5 record. Of those five losses, one came in a state championship game and another in this spring’s Tournament of Champions. Only two have come during the regular season. Coach Mary Dunlap and her staff have built a culture of winning by preaching fundamentals, belief in each other, and getting the players to buy into the idea that every player on the roster counts. Pinch runners have played a huge role in postseason wins, and even when players get injured someone has stepped up to take their place. Cris McElhinney, the starting shortstop from 2016, missed almost the entire 2017 season with a hamstring injury, but freshman Zoe Bork stepped right in and played impressive softball despite having no varsity experience prior to April of this year. A senior shortstop having to sit on the bench with an injury the entire season would have disrupted many teams, but McElhinney kept up a great attitude and helped bring Bork along. That kind of team-first mentality is what has separated EHT from the pack the past three years.
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BREAKOUT ATHLETES
Evans brought respectability to P’ville football From Staff Reports Coming into the 2016 football season, the Pleasantville Greyhounds had lost 20 straight games. Their last win came in the 2013 season finale against Ocean City, and after a Week One loss to Buena Regional, the Greyhounds’ streak had reached 21. But coach Chris Sacco, in his second year at the helm, had a group of players who were intent on turning Pleasantville’s fortunes around. The following week, the Greyhounds routed Riverside, 4014, to record their first victory in two-plus seasons. Pleasantville went on to finish 4-6 and nearly made the playoffs, and a big reason why was the leadership and ability of senior wide receiver and defensive back Tay’shon Evans. Evans racked up nearly 400 receiving yards and also returned kicks, and was one of the hardest-hitting defensive backs in the West Jersey Football League, earning an invitation to the prestigious Adam Taliaferro All-Star Classic in June. But, more importantly was his leadership. He set the example every day in practice, and also got the job done in the classroom, posting a grade-point average better than 4.0. For his accomplishments, Evans leads off our 2016-2017 list of breakout athletes. Here’s a few more who caught the eyes of the Glory Days staff: u Jordan Sweeney, Egg Harbor Township: The big outfielder/pitcher came into his own in a big way during his sophomore season, earning first-team all-state honors after pounding the baseball mercilessly through the spring. He was among the state leaders in home runs (9) and RBIs (46), and had eight games with three or more runs batted in, including seven in a win over Atlantic City on April 28. There were also just five games all year in which he didn’t get a hit, as he helped lead the Eagles into the South Jersey Group 4 semifinals. He’s also a pretty good basketball player, putting up double-digits in points in nine games this past winter. u Tori Rolls, Ocean City: You’re going to hear a lot more about this young lady in multiple sports in the years to come. The sophomore became one of
Glory Days Magazine file photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Tay’shon Evans helped the Pleasantville football team snap a 21-game losing streak last fall, and nearly led his team into the state playoffs while putting up a 4.0 GPA in the classroom. He’s heading to Division II Alderson Broaddus this fall. the Red Raiders’ top scoring threats in soccer, and also was a key contributor off the bench for a girls basketball team that won a South Jersey Group 3 title and advanced all the way to the state championship game. u Drue Nicholas, St. Augustine Prep: Nicholas is just a freshman, but already the Hermits’ rookie has taken the Cape-Atlantic League golf world by storm. He won the Arena/Rifkiin tournament at Ramblewood Country Club in Mt. Laurel in April, and by season’s end he was the Press of Atlantic City’s Golfer of the Year. u Matt Rivera, Holy Spirit: Hardcore CAL baseball fans knew Rivera had a ton of potential, but the
casual fan probably didn’t know his name prior to this spring. That’s changing, quickly, as Rivera put together a monster season as a power-hitting catcher. The junior had 33 hits, including nine doubles and five home runs, 35 RBIs and scored 13 runs in 71 atbats as the Spartans went 21-6 and were in contention for conference and sectional crowns. u Matt Stellitano, Mainland Regional: The key to any successful soccer team is goalkeeping, and the Mustangs had one of the best netminders in the CAL last fall. The junior helped Mainland rip off a 14-game winning streak at one point, and with him
See Breakout, page 16
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Glory Days Magazine file photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Ifreke Andy had his best season as a senior, rushing for nearly 90 yards per game and scoring 17 touchdowns.
Breakout, from page 14 in goal they were able to capture the South Jersey Group 3 championship. u Ifreke Andy, Absegami: If you were a defensive back or linebacker playing against Absegami, chances are you left the game with a couple of big bruises after trying to tackle Andy. Andy burst onto the scene as a senior last fall, putting together the best campaign of his career. He rushed
for nearly 90 yards per game, scored 17 touchdowns and led the Braves to seven victories in 10 games. u Kaitlyn Riggs, Egg Harbor Township: Kate Korte graduated in 2016, and that left some big shoes to fill in the catching position for the EHT softball team. Riggs, just a freshman, was able to fill those shoes and then some, as she helped lead the Eagles to
See Breakout, page 17
JULY 21, 2017 Breakout, from page 16 a second straight South Jersey Group 4 title, and the program’s first overall state championship. She was rock solid on defense, and also chipped in with some big hits during the Eagles’ state playoff run. u Mike Mucciarone, Mainland Regional: The guy known as “Mooch” wasn’t the biggest or strongest wrestler around, but his determination was infectious and he became an inspiration to the Mustangs’ wrestling program. u Marty Cattie, Ocean City: The Red Raiders boys lacrosse team took home the league title this spring, and a big reason why was the scoring ability of Cattie. Cattie had a terrific freshman year, scoring 36 goals and adding 14 assists, and there was no sophomore slump, as this spring he netted 34 goals while adding 30 assists to go up over 100 career points in just his second season. u Brian Townsel, Absegami: The Braves struggled during the basketball season, but the diminutive point guard did all he could to keep them in games, averaging 18.3 points per game, good for sixth in the CAL. u Osun Osunniyi, Mainland Re-
GLORY DAYS MAGAZINE gional: The Mustangs’ big man could barely even dribble a ball as an eighthgrader, but was nearly unstoppable by the time he was a senior this past winter. He shot a league-best 70 percent from the field and average nearly 15 points per game for a Mainland team that went 22-6 and won the CAL National Conference title. u Tahirah Howard, ACIT: The RedHawks’ sophomore forward scored nearly 400 points this past basketball season, averaging 14.4 points per game while leading ACIT to 16 wins and a second-place finish in the CAL American Conference. u Ionyonia Alves, Oakcrest: Just a sophomore, Alves is among a group of solid young players who will be looking to turn around the fortunes of the Falcons’ girls basketball program in the coming years. In 23 games this winter, she averaged 11 points and also was second in the league in rebounds. u Mike Gulig, Cedar Creek: A lot of attention was paid to Bo Melton and Jesse Milza, and for good reason, but one of the reasons the Pirates made a second straight trip to the state championship game was because of a stout defense. Watch out for Gulig this fall, as he could become one of the best linebackers in the league.
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VIC’S SUBS COVER STORY
no distance too far Seven individual state championships. Twelve top-5 finishes at the Meet of Champions. Four sectional team crowns and one state title. Ocean City’s Amanda Nunan built one of the best swimming careers in state history. By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer ant to know how difficult it is to beat recently graduated Ocean City swimmer Amanda Nunan in a distance swimming race? It took someone who currently is enrolled at the United States Naval Academy to do it. And that’s when Nunan was just a 14-year-old freshman. And she lost by just 25 hundredths of a second. Casey Lawson, who graduated from St. Rose (Belmar, Monmouth County) in 2015, probably doesn’t even know this, but she’s the only girl who has ever beaten Nunan at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions — in EITHER the 200- or 500-yard freestyle events. Nunan went 7-for-8 in championship races during her career — that means she won seven individual state championships. What Nunan was able to accomplish during her four years swimming for the Red Raiders qualifies her as one of the best swimmers in state history. If you want to find somebody to argue that assertion, good luck. You’ll be searching for a while. Oh, and just to top it all off, she also helped lead the Ocean City 400-yard freestyle relay team to top-5 finishes in the state in each of her four seasons. “She’s an amazing athlete, and an amazing girl. My first impression of her was that she’s a champion,” said Red Raiders coach Steve Warrington, who took over the program when Nunan was a junior. You need a legal pad to jot down all the accomplishments Nunan accrued during her four years as a Red Raider. Not only did she win those seven individual championships, she also helped lead Ocean City to four South Jersey titles and an overall state championship, in 2016. Oh, and she also just happened to be a four-time Press of Atlantic City Swimmer of the Year, and the state swimmer of the year in her junior and senior years. And she earned a scholarship to the University of Ten-
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Glory Days Magazine photo/Kristian Gonyea
Amanda Nunan, a 2017 graduate of Ocean City High School, won seven individual state championships during her remarkable swimming career, and earned a scholarship to the University of Tennessee. nessee. And she attended the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. She’s done it all while artfully avoiding as much media attention as possible. “I don’t know if we’re ever going to see that again. It’s really incredible what she can accomplish when she puts her mind to it. She’s not loud, and her ego doesn’t get to her. She doesn’t praise herself enough; she’s very quiet and subdued. You almost don’t even realize she is standing there when she is there. But when she’s in the water, she can definitely walk the walk and talk the talk,” Warrington said. “What-
ever she does, she just doesn’t make a big deal about it. The first year I was coaching her, at the Hackneys, she was getting nominated for Swimmer of the Meet, all these different awards, and she was just chatting with her friends and not even thinking about what was going on around her. I was like, ‘Amanda, did you hear what they said? They announced your name.’ She wins the biggest award of the meet, yet she was very nonchalant about it.” Even Nunan herself is a bit taken aback now when thinking about everything she did during her time at Ocean City.
“It was surprising. From my freshman year, coming in and not really knowing what to expect, to senior year and having won a state championship all four years, I was pretty excited about that,” she said. And as a kid, she didn’t even like swimming. “When I was younger, I was kind of forced to do swimming by my parents, so I kind of didn’t want to admit that I was good so maybe I wouldn’t have to do it,” Nunan said. “But, by the time I was 10, I was like, ‘well, maybe I’m
See Nunan, page 19
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Nunan, from page 18 not that bad at this.’ I was reluctant to get into swimming. I was scared of the water. I was into dance and stuff like that.”
Team bonding
High school swimming is unlike any other sport, in that the elite swimmers rarely practice with their high school teams. Instead, they work out with their club teams, in Nunan’s case, the Egg Harbor Township Seahawks. It’s not always easy for the elite swimmers to assimilate themselves into the high school scene, but Nunan said the girls at Ocean City always treated her like any other swimmer on the team. “I had done some USA swimming, so I kind of knew what high school swimming was going to be like. But it’s more of a team atmosphere, and I really liked that. It was definitely fun. The reason I did high school swimming was because of the girls I met. I loved being a part of the team, and I really liked to help them out. And I hated to let them down. That would be my biggest regret, if I were to ever let them down,” Nunan said. “Everyone has their own type of personality, and it was so fun when we all came together. They are all my best friends. That meant the world to me to be a part of this team, and all the girls were so welcoming. I don’t normally go to the practices, so they could have hated me, but they were so welcoming and we had so much fun together. I gained a lot of leadership skills during my time at Ocean City, and I’m really thankful that the girls on the team were so welcoming and allowed me to be a part of that team.” “I knew it would take a little bit of give and take with how I handled her because she’s a very independent swimmer. So, I wasn’t going to try to monopolize her time because I knew that wasn’t going to happen. She was always going to be at that level where she was better where she was (with her club team) rather than me trying to get her to come to my practice,” Warrington said. “I talked to her about it, told her what I was going to do with (the school team) and how I wanted her to contribute. I wanted her to be a leader, set an example and be there when I needed her. That’s pretty much what I told her my first year, when she was a junior.” When Nunan became a senior, Warrington asked more of her, and she responded in the way he hoped she would, he said.
Glory Days Magazine photo/Kristian Gonyea
During her career at Ocean City, Nunan helped lead the Red Raiders to four straight sectional titles and an overall state championship in 2016. “Her senior year, she was a captain and I said, ‘I’d love for you to be a captain, but I need you to be more proactive with the team.’ She had to step it up a little more than she did as a junior, and she responded great. She was there when I needed her and went above and beyond her responsibility as a captain, and did a phenomenal job with the freshmen and the rest of the team,” he said. “I saw that a lot more this year. She went above and beyond what I thought we were going to get from her. The other two captains were going to be more of a presence at practice and on deck, but she surprised even me. She made every attempt to get there when she needed to be there, and she really led by example.”
Defining moment
During her first two seasons, Nunan helped lead Ocean City to South Jersey championships, but the Red Raiders could never get past powerful Chatham in the group stages. In 2016, Ocean City finally got over the hump, and they couldn’t have done it without Nunan. She anchored the 400 freestyle relay team, and
Ocean City had to win that race to win the state championship. When she entered the pool, she trailed Chatham’s anchor swimmer by several yards. “She was definitely my ace in the whole, and I said that to her time and again. She was willing to do everything possible to be a representative of the team. If there was a spot I needed to throw her into at the last minute, she could do it, whether it be a relay or an individual event she normally doesn’t do, she responded. That’s one of the things I loved about her as an athlete,” Warrington said. “I keep going back to that moment, too. That’s one of the things that will stay in my mind forever, how it all came down to that one last relay, that one last swim. It was phenomenal. You never want it to come down to that last relay, but you know you have your best relay in that event, and they should win. Seeing her coming up on the block and (having to make up time), I knew she could win. It was just a matter of hitting every turn and mak-
See Nunan, page 21
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JULY 21, 2017 Nunan, from page 19 ing a strong finish. Within that first 25 yards, she already caught up to the girl. I was like, ‘that’s it, it’s over.’ I started jumping up and down because I knew we had it. I had my best swimmer and it’s coming down to her in the last event, it’s like, ‘hello?’ I knew right away, as soon as she hit the water.” Ocean City won that event, and edged Chatham, 86-84, to win the Public B state championship. “That 400 free relay, that definitely sticks out to me. Thinking about it right now — it was, what, a year and a half ago? — it still gives me anxiety,” Nunan said. “I just remember everyone being like, ‘Amanda, you can’t lose this race.’ I was like, ‘OK, but no promises.’ Luckily, we didn’t lose. We were a little bit behind, so that got me really nervous. I thought to myself, ‘don’t even look, just swim.’ I don’t even remember the race, I just remember touching the wall. That was the best moment ever. I kind of figured we won when people were pulling me out of the pool. That was the best moment ever.” Moments like that came to define Nunan’s career, and her ability to fo-
GLORY DAYS MAGAZINE
Career highlights u 3-time state champion, 200 freestyle u 4-time state champion, 500 freestyle u 12 top-5 finishes at Meet of Champions u 4 sectional team titles u 1 state team championship u 4-time Press of Atlantic City Swimmer of the Year u 2-time state Swimmer of Year cus and perform when the pressure is at its highest is what made Nunan such a special high school swimmer, Warrington said. “You hate to say she’s gotten too many awards, because she deserves every one of them. I don’t know if she’s getting tired of being the person everybody always talks about, but she is. But she doesn’t let that get to her head,” he said. “She continues to just do what she does, and that’s one thing that separates her from so many others — she takes care of business.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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School of the Season: Ocean City, winter sports
Red Raiders girls ruled the court, pool By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer f you were wearing a red-and-white uniform this past winter, chances are you were on a winning team. Normally, Ocean City dominates the fall sports with the success of its field hockey, soccer and cross country programs, and no doubt those clubs had fine years again in 2016. It seems as though the girls basketball players and swimmers were getting a little tired of the field hockey, soccer and cross country athletes hogging up all the headlines. During the 2014-2015 season, the Ocean City girls basketball team lost to Woodrow Wilson in the South Jersey Group 3 semifinals. The following year, the Red Raiders lost by two points to Middle Township in the Cape-Atlantic League championship game at Stockton University, but rebounded to win the sectional title by winning four straight games. This past winter, Ocean City put it all together, outlasting Middle Township, again in overtime, to win the CAL title while also going undefeated at sectionals to win their second straight South Jersey championship. The team, led by an experienced group of seniors that included Press of Atlantic City Player of the Year Grace Sacco, Rosalia Daddi, Alexis Paone and Sadie Ford, put together one of the best seasons in school history by going 30-2. Their only losses came to Mainland Regional in the regular season and Pascack Valley in the Group 3 state championship game, and they did it all while head coach Paul Baruffi was juggling teaching, coaching and caring for his ailing mother. The Red Raiders started out strong by crushing Middle Township, 38-18, in the season opener, then won three more games before a 3-0 trip to Florida. They won their first 21 games before being clipped by Mainland in a game on Feb. 16, but following that loss Ocean City ripped off nine straight wins, including a thrilling, 59-57 overtime win over Ewing in the Group 3 semifinal. u Luciano squared: The boys basketball team also went on a thrilling postseason ride of its own,
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Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Senior point guard Grace Sacco was named the Press of Atlantic City’s Girls Basketball Player of the Year after leading Ocean City to 30 wins and a South Jersey championship. led by sharpshooters Luciano Lubrano and Luciano Keyes. The pair of seniors led Ocean City to 18 wins, including a first-round playoff victory over Toms River East. The run came to an end in the SJG3 quarterfinals, as Lubrano’s game-winning 3-pointer rimmed out and Triton survived and advanced with a 52-50 win. Lubrano established himself as one of the top players in South Jersey, averaging better than 21 points per game to go along with six rebounds per game, and he also nailed 51 3-pointers. As a team, the Red Raiders made 121 threes and shot 42 percent from the field. They also forced 369 turnovers in 27 games. u Ruling the pool: The Red Raiders’ girls swim team had another fantastic season, finishing 10-2 overall and making another trip to the state championship meet at The College of New Jersey. And while they came up short in the final against powerful Chatham, the Raiders still dominated the Cape-Atlantic League and won another South Jersey championship with playoff wins against Shawnee and Moorestown.
Reliable Raiders Girls basketball: 30-2/CAL/SJG3 champion Girls swimming: 10-2/CAL/SJG3 champion Boys swimming: 9-4/state playoffs Boys basketball: 18-9/state playoffs Wrestling: 15-6/7th at District 29 They also took down Manasquan, 92-78, in the state semifinals. Ocean City was led by senior Amanda Nunan, one of the best swimmers in state history, and junior Ryann Styer, who established herself as perhaps the best 50-meter freestyler in the state. The Red Raiders had plenty of contributions from the rest of the lineup, and should be one of the top teams in South Jersey again next winter.
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School of the Season: Egg Harbor Township, spring sports
Eagles put on a show all over campus By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer ust about every day this spring there was something special going on at the Egg Harbor Township High School athletic complex. Whether it was the softball team putting together another tremendous season, the baseball team gaining momentum toward the state playoffs, lacrosse players scoring their 100th goals or the track teams clocking impressive times and distances, almost daily there was a palpable excitement on campus. The softball team (as chronicled in a story on page 10 of this edition) is in the midst of one of the most impressive runs in South Jersey history, as the Eagles went 23-1 and in the past three seasons have posted a mind-boggling 66-5 record while playing in a very tough league and arguably the best playoff bracket in the state. Led by seniors such as Emily Biddle, Tori Szrom, Ella Glenn (the senior class’ valedictorian, no less), and Bri Lagroteria, and featuring some impressive and inspirational performances by varsity newcomers such as freshman shortstop Zoe Bork and junior third baseman Elisabeth Alicea, the Eagles captured their first overall state championship by coming back to beat North Hunterdon in dramatic fashion at Kean University. It took extra innings for EHT to get past Washington Township in the South Jersey Group 4 semifinals, then they had to come from behind to beat a scrappy Rancocas Valley team in the sectional final. Szrom delivered an almost Herculean effort throughout the playoffs, including pitching a shutout over Montgomery in the state semifinals and limiting North Hunterdon to just one run in the championship game. The team also rallied around Alicea, whose mother, Lisa, was battling ovarian cancer. All the players wore teal colored ribbons in their hair throughout the playoffs, and, sadly, just a few days after winning the championship Alicea had to say goodbye to her mother, who passed away after a long battle with the disease.
Sophomore Jordan Sweeney burst onto the baseball scene this year, earning first-team all-state and All-American status.
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Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
u Thrill ride: The EHT baseball team played well all season, but really got hot during the playoffs, scoring a 4-0 shutout over Kingsway in the opening round before pounding Clearview Regional 15-6 in the quarterfinals. That put them into the semifinal round, but Southern Regional rallied for a 3-2 victory in extra innings. But the season was a coming out party for sophomore slugger Jordan Sweeney, who smashed nine home runs and was one of the states RBI leaders. He garnered first-team all-state honors and also recently was named an underclassman All-American. u Burning up the track: The Eagles’ boys track relay teams were the talk of South Jersey all year long, as Alex and Robert Dessoye, Aidin Hendriks, Chris Barnes and Amir Brock teamed up for blistering times in the 4x400-meter relay and the 4x800. Although the team suffered a disqualification at sectionals, the 4x800 team capped off its season with a second-place finish at nationals. u Bittersweet moment: Zach Wechsler always dreamed about scoring his 100th career goal in boys lacrosse, and when he did, in a victory over Vineland
Getting it done Softball: 23-1/CAL/SJG3, state champion Baseball: 20-5/state playoffs Boys track: 1st in CAL/state playoffs Girls track: 2nd in CAL/state playoffs late in the season, he hugged his mother, Sandy, near the visiting stands. The embrace lasted what seemed like hours and was filled with emotion. Zach’s older brother, Tyler, died a few weeks earlier while serving as a U.S. Marine in Hawaii. Zach proved to be an inspiration to his teammates, as instead of crumbling after hearing the news of his brother’s death, he rose above his pain and grief and truly earned his captain’s stripes. The entire spring season for a lot of EHT sports team was a roller coaster ride of emotion, but it made for one of the most memorable sports seasons in school history.
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Female senior of the year/Rialee Allen, Ocean City
Trial by fire
Allen was thrown into varsity competition as a freshman, and she responded with a recordsetting career as a Red Raider
By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer ate in the first half of the Group 4 field hockey semifinals at Egg Harbor Township High School last fall, Ocean City coach Cory Terry lit into her star player, Rialee Allen, who was not having a particularly good game up to that point against Moorestown. It was a rare occurrence, a coach reaming out a star player during a playoff game. But it worked. Allen came to life in the second half and led the Red Raiders to a 2-1 victory in that game, and a 5-0 win over Warren Hills in the state championship game later that week. In the sectional final, group semifinal and state championship game, Allen finished with three goals and three assists. “I honestly needed that. That sparked me,” Allen said of the heated exchange between herself and coach Terry. “I usually get down on myself when coaches yell at me, but that was a do-or-die situation. You’re either going to end your season right there, or you’re going to push yourself and find it in you to score or get an assist, or do something that will benefit your team. When you’re expected to do a lot more and you fall short, that’s embarrassing, so you have to pick it up. It helped me when she yelled at me because that got me motivated. The whole attack line came together after that, and I think that’s what helped us win that game.” “With Rialee, if you see her backing off, even for a second, you’re like, ‘what’s wrong with you? That’s not your M.O.’ I can get a little intense, especially during playoff games, but they know that intensity is my desire to get their desire up,” Terry explained. “If you’re with someone who is hum-drum, that brings your energy down. But if you’re with someone whose energy is up and pushing you to get your energy up, that becomes contagious. She’s definitely someone who picks up on that energy. She’s a catalyst, but as people around her pick up their intensity, that feeds her fire even more.” It was a rare occasion when this year’s Glory Days Magazine Female Senior of the Year needed inspiration to do anything on an athletic field at Ocean City High School. She finished her field hockey career as the school’s all-time assists leader and also was a huge part of the lacrosse program’s success the past four years. Even though she was relatively inexperienced in lacrosse, she still helped establish Ocean City as one of the teams to beat in the Cape-Atlantic League, and led the Red Raiders to their first league
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Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Rialee Allen was a part of two state championships in field hockey during he fouryear career at Ocean City, and also helped lead the Red Raiders’ lacrosse team to its first Cape-Atlantic League title this spring. title this spring. “We all started playing lacrosse in eighth grade, so none of us were the best or the most skillful, but we tried hard and I think that’s all you can really ask for. I always liked the sport, but it was a growing process because you had to learn how to work with a different group of girls,” Allen said. “In field hockey, that was everybody’s main sport. Lacrosse wasn’t everybody’s secondary sport, but it was for a lot of girls, so you had to meet new people that you never played with before. You’d have girls from soccer, basketball, tennis — it was a mixture of girls from all different sports on one team.” In field hockey is where Allen really thrived, as she led the Red Raiders to four straight South Jersey championships and a pair of state titles. Allen said she wanted to be just like her sisters, who also had outstanding athletic careers at Ocean City. “That was my incentive for playing because I always wanted to be just as good as my sisters. Going into my freshman year I ran every day because I wanted to be on that field. I had a little bit of a competition with my sister and I wanted to be as good as her, so I trained every day in the summer before my freshman year so I could be a starter, and that’s
what I ended up doing,” Allen said. “I didn’t expect that at all. Freshman year, I didn’t really know how to play, I just tried as hard as I could. That was my main goal. In my junior year, my goal was to get the assist record, because assists are just as important as goals. I’m just always striving to be the best I can be. I don’t keep track of my stats (during the season). I finished up with 99 assists and coach Terry was like, ‘you couldn’t have gotten one more to get to 100?’ But I had no idea where I stood with that stuff.” Allen’s exploits on the field often left some of her teammates speechless. “Being in the back, I’m always yelling at the forwards. Sometimes I can get a little mean, but I hope she liked me telling her things that she couldn’t see but I could. It was fun to watch her. Every time she would score some ridiculous goal I would just be standing there with my jaw open and thinking, ‘there’s no way that just went in,’” said fellow senior Megan Keenan, a defender on the field hockey and lacrosse teams. “Especially in lacrosse, she would literally pull out a field hockey shot on the lacrosse field and I would be like, ‘is she kidding with that
See Allen, page 26
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Allen, from page 24
“You start off not really knowing how to play when you pick up a stick, but I started working with older girls like Lauren McNally and Jackie shot?’ I always knew that Rialee would Fenton. I eventually got good at field hockey, and I started training with pull through when we needed her. She really good lacrosse players. And that’s what you have to do. You have was always stepping up to the plate.” to put in the extra mile.” Eventually, Allen became a team leader in both sports, and she had plenty of examples to follow while she was a younger player. “I did a lot of different clubs teams for field hockey and lacrosse because I wanted to be the best I could be. You start off not really knowing how to play when you pick up a stick, but I started working with older girls like Lauren McNally and Jackie Fenton. I eventually got good at field hockey, and I started training with really good lacrosse players. And that’s what you have to do. You have to put in the extra mile to become successful, and that’s exactly what I strive to do,” she said. “You want to keep up the history of Ocean City field hockey. You can’t let up even for a second, because you know we have a target on our backs and everyone is coming for us.” Coach Terry said Allen led by example, by doing the little things that nobody outside the program would ever really know about. “The thing that’s so impressive about Rialee is from the first moment she
Rialee Allen, 2017 Ocean City graduate
stepped onto the field, you couldn’t not notice her. In her freshman year, it was just her sheer effort and her hustle and intensity. If you look at Rialee’s highlights it always looks like she is running through a fire. She just has this burning intensity, and that’s something you can’t coach. As her skills started matching her intensity, it’s not surprising she ended up being our assists leader in a single season and career, because she was always making things happen. She scored a lot of goals, but what also speaks a lot about her is her assists. She was always involved and making thing happen. I can’t tell you how many times she shocked opponents with her sheer effort. It’s hard to beat somebody who never stops,” Terry said. “What made her such an exceptional leader is that she was always the first one ready to go in practice, and she was usually one of the last ones off the field. She always wanted to get extra shots in. If I let her practice
for six hours, she would stay there for six hours. She’s one of those kids, and it’s really refreshing. When I was that age, we were always outside, shooting hoops, playing manhunt all hours of the night. I feel like kids don’t do that quite as much, but Rialee has that. She wants to constantly be going and playing sports. Her energy is contagious.” Terry ran a notoriously tough program, but Allen said that’s what made Ocean City one of the best teams in the state every year. Ocean City was known to run full practices after a playoff WIN, because Terry wasn’t satisfied with the team’s performance. “There was one game where we beat EHT, but the score was only 3-0, so we had to run about three miles worth of sprints after the game because that wasn’t good enough. We were all disappointed because we felt we could have done better,” Allen said. “It was awful, having to do all that running after playing in a 60-minute game, but that’s what
JULY 21, 2017 made us the best. That’s what set us apart from our opponents, because we work the hardest and we train the hardest. We gave it all we had, and you couldn’t ask for more from a team.” Allen will take her talents to the collegiate level this fall, but she’ll always have Red Raider blood pumping through her veins. “(Graduating) is sad. It’s bittersweet. I really enjoyed my time here at Ocean City and being part of the history of Ocean City, whether it was field hockey or lacrosse — just the history of this school and being able to say that I did go to the school that’s on the beach, met some amazing people and had a great time. It’s surreal, in a way. You don’t want to leave, but at the same time there are bigger and better things out there for you,” Allen said. “I hope these girls are able to keep the tradition going and find it within themselves to keep pushing hard. They are starting a new program, basically, from the bottom up, but if they keep pushing themselves hard and keep training, I think they will do amazing things. I can’t wait to watch them be successful in the future.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
JULY 21, 2017
GLORY DAYS MAGAZINE
Coming soon...
. . . a reva m p e d g l o r y d a y s o n l i n e. c o m + a b r a n d n ew m o b i l e a p p ! !
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STORIES OF THE YEAR
Red Raiders’ senior class one of best ever By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer very once in a while, a group of young athletes comes along that takes a high school athletic program to a whole new level. Ocean City typically has high standards when it comes to its student-athletes, but coaches and athletes were particularly impressed with what the class of 2017 was able to accomplish this past school year. The Board of Education might have to put in for some additional funding for a new trophy case to house all the championships and awards this class produced in 2016-2017. “It’s just one of those years. We had that a little bit with the class of 2010. It was a similar situation where there were a lot of strong athletes. Some years you have a couple of stud athletes who stand out, but sometimes you
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Glory Days Magazine file photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Senior Luciano Lubrano had an outstanding career at Ocean City, finishing with more than 1,000 career points in basketball.
just get these crazy years when there are a ton of talented athletes,” said field hockey coach Cory Terry, who guided her team to its second state championship in the past four years in the fall. “Growing up, they’ve all been pushing each other in whatever sport it was they were doing, and I think that’s great.” “I knew we were talented. If you just look around at how all the seasons ended — in football, we had our first winning season since 2008, field hockey won a state championship, boys soccer and girls soccer went into the playoffs; in winter sports, the girls basketball team went into the state final and we had a pretty good year even though not many people thought we would. In baseball, we made the playoffs again — nobody could live up to that team we had last year, but still we made the
See Raiders, page 29
JULY 21, 2017 Raiders, from page 28 playoffs. Both boys and girls lacrosse made it far in the playoffs, and you had swimming with Amanda Nunan and them winning South Jersey for about the fifth year in a row,” said recently graduated three-sport athlete Andrew Donoghue, who played football, basketball and baseball for the Red Raiders. “You take it for granted. You don’t really notice that all that stuff is happening. You become accustomed to everyone being good, but now that school is over, I’m like, ‘wow. It was a good way for our class to go out with everyone being so successful.’ “We had a bunch of school records, all-Press this, all-South Jersey that,” he added. “I don’t think we understood how good this class really was, but I think everyone will look back a few years from now and notice it.” Aside from the field hockey championship in the fall, both soccer teams made the playoffs and the boys and girls cross country teams continued to dominate, although the girls lost out on a league title to Mainland. The boys cross country team had another undefeated season, and hasn’t lost a CAL meet since falling to Atlantic City on
GLORY DAYS MAGAZINE Sept. 23, 2008. And the football team won five of its last six games to finish the season 6-4 behind seniors such as Donoghue, Eric Levai and Dan Walsh. The girls basketball team was led by four seniors in the starting lineup, including Press of Atlantic City Player of the Year Grace Sacco, Sadie Ford, Rosalia Daddi and Alexis Paone, who also was on the field hockey state championship team. Amanda Nunan won two more individual state championships in swimming, and that squad also got some key contributions from seniors such as Sam Horowitz and Aleva Parker. “What’s always interesting about the seniors is they’ve been patiently waiting — at least for basketball — and when it’s their turn as seniors they take a really big leadership role. We’ve been lucky the past two years. Two years ago with (Connor) Laverty and (Garrett) Jones and (Noah) Gillian, together they kind of lifted the team up, and I think this year’s team did the same thing with (Luciano) Lubrano, (Luciano) Keyes, Donoghue, (Jimmy) Flukey — those guys really set the tone for the underclassmen. It’s almost like they earn that leadership role and they
See Raiders, page 34
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male senior of the year/Connor Agostino, EHT
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Connor Agostino was a stalwart in football, wrestling and baseball during his outstanding four-year career at Egg Harbor Township High School.
No challenge ever too big for EHT’s throwback star Agostino played three demanding sports all four years for Eagles By NICK KOSKO Staff Writer ome athletes can perfect one sport with years of hard work, and others can maybe repeat that in two different sports. But three sports, no way can that be done at such a high level. That is, of course, unless you are named Connor Agostino. The recent graduate of Egg Harbor Township High School never slowed down in his four years in the black-and-silver, as he donned the pads and helmet for football, a singlet for wrestling and a cap and batting gloves for baseball. This year’s Glory Days Magazine Male Senior of the Year brought intensity, skill and passion no matter what season it was. Let’s start with football, where Agostino stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 220 pounds and was a bruising fullback for the Eagles. EHT had a season to forget, record-wise, but Agostino played a big part in keeping the team together. He was rewarded for his efforts by getting an invite to the prestigious Adam Taliaferro All-Star Classic, which was held at
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Rowan University in June and featured some of the best players in all of South Jersey. “There were a lot of struggles in football this past year,” Agostino said. “My teammates and I got through the adversity by trying to make the best of every little thing, hanging out off the field, and just having fun while we played. That’s what really counted.” Football coach Kevin Stetser knew he had a man to lean on during the team’s struggles, and also during their success early in Agostino’s career. “We always knew he was going to have an opportunity to play right away due to his physicality right off the bat,” Stetser said. “He is just a throwback type of kid and was able to play through any bruise or injury, and just refused to stop.” One moment in particular came to mind when Stetser recounted some of his favorite memories of Agostino running the football. It came in Stetser’s first year as head coach while Agostino was a sophomore, against rival Mainland on Thanksgiving. “He was the catalyst to us winning that one,” Stetser said. “He had a huge run at the end of the game — about 60 or even 70 yards — that allowed us to ice that game and finally bring the trophy home, and it was a special moment for us and the team.”
See Agostino, page 31
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Agostino, from page 30 Imagine taking all of those hits and suffering all of the bumps and bruises only to hit the wrestling mat the following week after football season ended. That is exactly what Agostino did every year, as he began to cut weight down to 195 pounds to get ready for another grueling athletic challenge. Agostino certainly did not let the grind get to him, as he captured two district titles, a region title, and three trips to the NJSIAA state championships at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City during his career, and left as one of the most accomplished wrestlers in school history. The success was great enough that it warranted continuation, as Agostino plans to wrestle in college at Rider University. “Wrestling has been a huge part of my life for such a long time,” Agostino said. “Looking back on my career, I am not 100 percent satisfied with what I did, but I am glad I can continue in college and keep getting better.” Wrestling coach Mike Caiazza knew Agostino’s potential from Day One and felt Agostino gave him four outstanding years, but said he still has an enormous amount of room to grow.
Glory Days Magazine file photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Agostino had an impressive wrestling career at EHT, making it to states threee times and finishing with more than 100 victories. “He is an amazing all-around kid,” Caiazza said. “He’s been one of the most coachable kids I’ve been around and also one of the most talented. He is one of the exceptions to the rule when
it comes to being successful at three different sports. It was amazing to watch. He had the ability to finish high in states as a senior for wrestling and I know it was a disappointing end for
PAGE 31 him. But once he focuses on one thing and really starts hitting the weights and going year-round with it, he is going to do great things. I don’t think he’s even close to reaching his potential yet. “Other kids on the team looked up to him,” Caiazza added. “They all had great chemistry together. I know without him, the team as a whole would not have had the success it had. He was always an invaluable piece to holding everyone together.” One highlight that will stick out in Agostino’s mind, he said, came sophomore year during an unprecedented run as the No. 9 seed in the Region 8 tournament. “Nothing tops when I won that region title,” Agostino said. “Nothing.” Baseball was certainly the most laid back of the three sports he played, but Agostino never stopped working hard to earn his place on the varsity squad throughout his career. “I managed to transition from two exhausting sports to baseball pretty easily,” Agostino said. “Baseball is much more laid back and it’s almost like my offseason because it is so much less strain on the body.” Earning second team all-Cape-At-
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other senior of the year nominees Boys
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u Andrew Donoghue, Ocean City: Donoghue is one of the classic throwbacks, as he plays football, basketball and baseball. He had a recordsetting career as the Red Raiders’ quarterback, and also was an integral part of the basketball and baseball teams. He was the starting shortstop as the baseball team made a run to a state championship game appearance in 2016, and he helped lead the basketball squad into the second round of the state playoffs this past winter. u Bo Melton, Cedar Creek: There wasn’t much Bo couldn’t do on the football field, and the track, for that matter. Despite being double covered most of the football season, the wide receiver/running back still put up great numbers, and helped lead the Pirates to a second straight state championship game appearance. On the track, he won league titles in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. u Donnie Stone and Jonny Dodson, Oakcrest: This duo was one of the most athletic in the Cape-Atlantic League and led the Falcons’ football and baseball programs to solid years. Dodson finished his baseball career with more than 100 hits, and Stone was one of the most reliable shortstops in the league. u Jack and Teddy Bergman, Mainland Regional: The fraternal twins were important leaders for the Mustangs’ football program, which was in a rebuilding season under first-year head coach Chuck Smith, and they carried those leadership qualities to the basketball and lacrosse teams, respectively. Jack helped lead the hoops squad into the state playoffs, and Teddy and the boys lacrosse team had one of their best years in program history. u Dean Kolonich, St. Augustine Prep: Kolonich was one of the toughest linebackers in the league for the Hermits’ football team, and a class act both on and off the field. u Dante Daniel, Holy Spirit: Daniel was the backbone of a defense that carried the Spartans’ football team to a state championship game appearance, and his leadership helped solidify a young basketball team.
u Julia Dolan, Absegami: Dolan was one of the best athletes in the CapeAtlantic League in both soccer and basketball. u Alexis Paone, Ocean City: Paone had a tremendous career with both the Red Raiders’ field hockey and basketball programs. During her senior year, she won a South Jersey championship in both, an overall state championship in field hockey, and in basketball she was one of four seniors in the starting lineup who got the Red Raiders into the state championship game. u Meredith Miller, Mainland Regional: Miller was perhaps the best fielding first baseman in the Cape-Atlantic League throughout her career as a Mustang, and was no slouch with the bat, either. In 2016, she helped lead Mainland to a South Jersey title game. u Ella Glenn, Egg Harbor Township: Glenn was the ultimate team player for the Eagles’ softball program, and came up with a huge hit that helped lead EHT to a victory over North Hunterdon in the state championship game this spring, the first title in program history. Oh, and she also happened to be the valedictorian in a senior class that featured more than 500 students. u Tori Szrom, Egg Harbor Township: Szrom was one of the best pitchers in South Jersey during the softball season, and turned in an impressive postseason performance as she led her team to six wins in seven games. u Jennifer Figueroa, Pleasantville: Behind her leadership, the Greyhounds won their first Cape-Atlantic League championship in volleyball, scoring a huge win over perennial power Absegami late in the season to secure the title. u Abby Silver, Oakcrest: Silver didn’t say much during her career as a Falcon, but let her play do the talking and worked hard to become one of the better soccer defenders in the league as a senior. u Christine Conaghy, Holy Spirit: Without Conaghy’s talent as a goal scorer, the Spartans’ soccer team couldn’t have made a run to the Non-Public B state championship game.
JULY 21, 2017 Agostino, from page 31 lantic League seems pretty good for Agostino, as he was an important piece for the Eagles baseball team achieving its first 20-win season in 10 years and earning a spot in the South Jersey Group 4 tournament. Agostino got hot late in the season at the plate, and helped carry the Eagles to playoff wins over Kingsway and Clearview Regional before EHT’s run was stopped in the sectional semifinals with an extra-innings loss to eventual champion Southern Regional. Now that his “Glory Days” are over, so to speak, Agostino will head to Rider University in the fall focusing solely on wrestling, and he’ll have four more years to achieve greatness. “He’s competed in the ultimate team and individual sports,” Stetser said. “He’s going to be prepared that way. I’ve always felt once he gets to college and focuses on one, or maybe even two sports, it’s going to be really interesting to see how good he can be. I can’t wait to see him at the next level.” To pick just one sport to pursue in college proved difficult, but Agostino knew in the end he would make the right decision for his future.
GLORY DAYS MAGAZINE “Wrestling has been a huge part of my life for such a long time. Looking back on my career, I am not 100 percent satisfied with what I did, but I am glad I can continue in college and keep getting better.”
Connor Agostino
“It was really difficult to figure out where I was going and what sport I would continue with,” Agostino said. “I honestly never thought it would have been wrestling, but I am happy with the decision I made. It was probably the sport I was best at, and I really loved the school, so in the end it was the best choice for me.” Despite preparing to achieve national goals at the Division I wrestling level, Agostino remains a hometown kid at heart as the countdown to move-in day continues. “Senior year as a whole was pretty strange with all of the ups and downs, but in the end I am satisfied with a lot of things I accomplished,” Agostino said. “I will miss being able to play for my hometown, where I’ve spent all 18 years of my life.” Follow Nick Kosko on Twitter @nickkosko59
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Raiders, from page 29 take it and run with it,” said John Bruno, who coaches boys basketball and softball. “A guy like Lubrano, I think, overachieved compared to the expectations I might have had for him two years ago. A guy like Donoghue takes his leadership from the football field and brings it over to the basketball court, and Flukey brings it from the soccer field. That’s another thing I’ve noticed, we’re getting a lot more multiple sport kids, which I’ve always encouraged. I think you’re starting to see the benefits of that on all the teams. It’s a combination of the teams working together and the seniors accepting their roles. We’ve been fortunate this year to have a great group.” “This group, not just in field hockey — there were probably five or six other really athletic seniors who could have been playing for us if they didn’t have other players ahead of them. Even teaching this group, I had them in sixth grade, and I remember thinking this was a powerhouse class. This group is just a really talented, powerful class,” Terry said. “I think that their legacy also goes beyond them just being here. They are setting the bar for the juniors who will be the upcoming seniors. They still leave that lasting impression. When I told the girls I wasn’t coming back to coach (field hockey), I told the underclassmen that they have had the most exceptional leaders ahead of them and they know the traditions and the expectations, and now it’s their turn. The legacy of all these seniors will live on in the next couple of classes.” What has made this senior class so special is that, for the most part, they have all grown up playing on the same teams and been able to develop chemistry to go along with their athletic ability. “With basketball, it’s been the same kids playing for years. We played in middle school, on travel teams, rec ball, and when we got into high school, we didn’t skip a beat,” Donoghue said. “We just always had that chemistry because we grew up playing ball together.” And, there were plenty of seniors who were willing to play whatever role was asked of them if it meant being part of a successful team, such as Megan Keenan in field hockey, or Nick Williams in wrestling. “You need the good athletes, but even kids who aren’t all-Cape Atlantic League talents, we get a lot out of our seniors. Guys like Keyes and Flukey really stepped up, and Keani Hindle did it for us in softball,” Bruno said. “That’s the key, we get a lot out of our players at the top level, but our athletes at the next level overachieve and I think that gives us more depth. When you go through and look at all the teams, yes, there were a lot of all-stars there, but
Glory Days Magazine file photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Nicholl Fenton, left, and Julia Herrington were two outstanding seniors who helped lead the Ocean City field hockey program to a second state championship in four years. Fenton also was part of a girls lacrosse team that won its first Cape-Atlantic League title.
Racking up the wins Here’s a look at how many wins each Ocean City team had in 2016-2017:
Football (6); Boys XC (9); Girls XC (7); Field Hockey (22); Boys Soccer (14); Girls Soccer (15); Girls Tennis (11); Boys basketball (18); Girls Basketball (30); Girls Swimming (10); Boys Swimming (9); Wrestling (15); Baseball (13); Softball (12); Boys Lax (13); Girls Lax (17); Golf (12); Boys Tennis (14); Boys Track (7); Girls Track (4)
Total: 258 there were also a lot of kids who didn’t make all-star teams who were integral parts of those teams. That’s what’s important to me.” Bruno said that this year, more than ever, he made it a point to attend games whenever he wasn’t coaching, because all the teams were so good. “I like to go to as many sporting events as I can, and I get to see kids who I normally don’t get to see.
I’ll see a field hockey girl, or a soccer player, or a wrestler — and this was one of those years when you really took notice of the athletes because this was probably one of our most successful school years,” he said. “You do kind of take a step back sometimes and realize how fortunate we are to have the level of success we’ve had from this senior group in all our sports.” So, who was the best senior of them all at Ocean City this past school year? Donoghue said that’s a debate that may still be going on at the 20th reunion. “Rialee Allen had those records for field hockey, in the winter we had Luciano Lubrano scoring his 1,000th point, Nunan being a state champion swimmer going to Tennessee, and into the spring Keani Hindle had all those softball records,” Donoghue said. “It would be tough to pick who the best was. We’ll have to do a first-team all-Ocean City.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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