SJ_sportsweekly_052919

INsIdE ThIs IssuE Williamstown golf makes history

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MAY 29-June 4, 2019

Cherry Hill East captures elusive sectional championship

MikE MoNoStRA/South Jersey Sports Weekly sahil Tilak and Peter leese accept the south Jersey Group 3 championship trophy from Moorestown athletic director shawn Counard.

Continuing a legacy Moorestown boys tennis won its 42nd sectional title in 46 years last week with a number of fresh faces

By MIKE MONOSTRA Sports Editor

Winning sectional titles is nothing new for the Moorestown boys tennis program.

Last Monday, the Quakers won their 42nd sectional title in 46

years with a 4-1 win over Clearview in the South Jersey Group 3 final.

While winning a sectional title has been nearly an annual occurrence for more than 40 years for the program, it was a new experience for most of the players on the court last week.

The 2019 South Jersey Group 3 champion Quakers were a very young team. Out of the seven players on the court for Moorestown last Monday, none were seniors and only two players, juniors Peter Leese and Sahil Tilak, had been regulars in the Quakers’ lineup last year.

“I wasn’t in the lineup last please see QuAkeRs, page 5

RYAN LAWRENCE/South Jersey Sports Weekly Cherry Hill east’s players — Arnav Gupta, kevin Hu, Jeffrey Xi, Adam Yu, Brett schuster, nathan Belitsky, and Max sobel — pose with their new trophy along with their coaches.

After three straight years of heartbreak, the Cougars seniors headed to graduation with redemption

By RYAN LAWRENCE Sports Editor

From the moment the Cougars took the court, it felt like their fortune was going to change.

The mid-May sun blanketed

story idea? Email us: news@southjerseysportsweekly.com

the tennis courts at Cherry Hill High School East with a warmth that felt more like summer, a changeup from the sectional championships in the last two seasons, when rain forced the action indoors and miles away from their school.

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Less than two hours later, a crowd of a couple dozen players, students, parents and coaches gathered along the fence outside Court 5 and you could feel that advantage, along with the palpable tension in the match being played out in front of them.

The Cougars’ top seniors, Adam Yu and Kevin Hu, who were competing in their fourth straight sectional championship, won their matches in please see COuGARs, page 6

South Jersey Sports Weekly

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SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY — MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2019

BOYs GOLF

POwEr

POLL!

1. Williamstown Boys Golf

Won the first state championship in program history by putting up the best score out of all public schools competing at states. (Previous: 6)

2. Cherry Hill East Boys Tennis

Win over Lenape in the South Jersey Group 4 final capped off an undefeated season against South Jersey opponents.

(5)

3. Moorestown Girls Lacrosse

outscored the opposition by a combined 39-5 in their first two playoff games after losing their final two games of the regular season. (3)

4. Moorestown Boys Golf

the Quakers won the NJSiAA Group 3 state championship and finished fifth in the tournament of Champions standings by shooting a 326 at states. (2)

5. Bishop Eustace Baseball

Bounced back from a May 17 loss to Clearview with back-to-back wins over Cherry Hill West and Moorestown. (4)

6. Haddonfield Girls Lacrosse

Dominated in their first two games of the postseason by outscoring Sterling and Lower Cape May by a combined 41-8. (8)

7. Cherry Hill East Baseball

First round playoff win over Lenape gave the Cougars the olympic Conference American Division title and extended the team’s winning streak to nine. (NR)

8. Haddonfield Baseball

Won four consecutive games after falling in the Diamond Classic championship game and are the No. 1 seed in the South Jersey Group 2 playoffs. (10)

9. Burlington Township Softball

MikE MoNoStRA/South Jersey Sports Weekly Junior Tyler Geatens, senior liam Caspar, senior sean Caspar, senior stephen Burek and senior eric McCoy made history this season as williamstown boys golf won the first sectional and state championships in program history.

Golfing giants Williamstown boys golf wrapped up its best season in school history last week, winning its first-ever NJSIAA Group 4 state championship

By MIKE MONOSTRA

Pitcher Bailey Enoch pitched 12 combined innings of shutout ball in the Falcons’ first two postseason wins. (NR)

10. Moorestown Boys Tennis

Future looks bright for the Quakers after winning the South Jersey Group 3 title with a youthful lineup. (NR)

GaMEs TO waTCh

Sports Editor

Hours prior to the Central/ South Group 4 sectional tournament on May 14, Williamstown boys golf head coach Tim Rue

Wednesday, May 29 Boys Lacrosse: NJSiAA Group State Championships times and sites tBD

decided to do something a little different.

Wanting to give the team a motivational pep talk prior to the tournament but also not wanting to disturb them from their prematch routine, Rue went with an

Friday May 31, Saturday June 1

track & Field: NJSiAA State Group Championships Groups 2, 3 and Non-Public A at Central Regional High School, Groups 1, 4 and Non-Public B at Franklin High School, 2:30 p.m. start time at both locations

Monday, June 3

Baseball: NJSiAA Public State Championship Semifinals times and sites tBD

unconventional method to deliver his message.

“They got on the bus, they’re always quiet, they’re listening to their headphones,” Rue said.

“We’re driving up to sectionals and I thought, I have to talk to these guys. I didn’t want to get too emotional right before the match but I want them to think about what I have to say.”

Instead of addressing them verbally on the bus, Rue instead decided to text his motivational speech to each of his players.

“You say it and it’s in one ear and out the other,” Rue said.

“When they’re reading it and have an opportunity to read it two or three times before the match, as crazy as it sounds, it

Thursday, May 30

actually worked.”

The Braves emphatically responded to Rue’s message, winning the first-ever sectional title that afternoon. A little less than a week later, on May 20 at the NJSIAA Group 4 Championship, Rue texted his pep talk again.

Again, Williamstown responded, winning the program’s first-ever state title. The Braves shot a 322 in the state finals to finish third in the Tournament of Champions standings behind non-public powers Bergen Catholic and Christian Brothers Academy.

“That’s the best feeling,” junior Tyler Geatens said of being the top public school at states.

“Just to be able to see you’re please see GOlF, page 7

Softball: NJSiAA Public State Semifinals South vs. Central champions Group 2 (1:30 p.m.) and Group 4 (4 p.m.) at Stockton University, NonPublic B (1:30 p.m.) and Non-Public A (4 p.m.) at Rowan University, Groups 1 (1:30 p.m.) and Group 3 (4 p.m.) at Rowan College at GCC

Tuesday, June 4

Boys Volleyball: NJSiAA State Championship Semifinals 5 p.m. at South Brunswick High School

MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2019 – SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY

Cherry Hill east seniors Adam Yu and kevin Hu, who were on the Cougars teams that were runners-up in the last three sectional championship matches, celebrate victory with their coach Greg dewolf, who earned his 100th coaching win.

senior Adam Yu embraces schuster when Cherry Hill south Jersey Group 4

freshman Brett east clinched the sectional championship.

3

Michael Hu winds up for a forehand for Moorestown at first doubles.

ALL PHotoS: MikE MoNoStRA AND RYAN LAWRENCE LAWRENCE/South Jersey Sports Weekly

Cherry Hill east’s first singles player Adam Yu completes a serve.

Peter leese watches his forehand sail over the net.

sahil Tilak prepares to make a play during the first set of his second singles match.

Brett schuster prepares to volley a shot cross court.

Cherry Hill east’s Adam Yu watches a backhand shot.

Cherry Hill east first doubles team Arnav Gupta and Max sobel celebrate a point.

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SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY — MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2019

ONE ON ONE

Running for your life Cinnaminson junior Austin Gabay is quickly establishing himself as one of South Jersey’s best runners. But he may just be scratching the surface on what he can still accomplish before he graduates next year.

By RYAN LAWRENCE Sports Editor

Cinnaminson High School junior Austin Gabay was out on the track preparing for what is perhaps the most important month of his high school career when the kindergarten-aged son of Pirates coach Dan Fourney appeared with some temptation: a milkshake.

“You want some?” the boy asked.

Gabay shook his head.

“If you want to be a good runner,” Gabay explained, “you can’t eat stuff like that.”

Gabay still has another high school season but he has already graduated from good to great runner this year.

The 17-year-old won the 1600 and was on the winning 4X800 team at the Burlington County Championships and, within the last two weeks, he PR’d twice in the span of three days in the 800. Gabay ran a 1:54.73 at the Haddonfield Distance Night for the second-fastest time in school history.

Gabay, who gave up wrestling this year for winter track, appears to be peaking at just the right time with states and Meet of Champions around the corner.

“Now he’s a full, year-round runner,” Fourney said. “And that’s going to put him on the next level. That was the hope, and that’s what’s happening. I think he’s going to continue to get better and better now that he’s running year-round. It’s kind of scary to see what’s going to happen.”

Gabay spoke with South Jersey Sports Weekly a day after the Haddonfield meet.

South Jersey Sports Weekly: When did distance running become your top sport?

RYAN LAWRENCE/South Jersey Sports Weekly Cinnaminson junior Austin Gabay has wrestled since he was a kid but gave it up this winter to focus on track. The results have been startling, including PR-ing twice within three days and becoming one of the fastest runners in school history in the process. “I think he’s going to continue to get better and better now that he’s running year-round,” Cinnaminson coach Dan Fourney said. “It’s kind of scary to see what’s going to happen.”

Austin Gabay: Probably my second year of running, so, fifth grade.

SJSW: How did you get into the sport?

Gabay: [Laughs] So we have like a Field Day at elementary school and in third grade I came in third or fourth when we ran around the track. And I was like, “I never want to lose again.” I wanted to join a track team and I did.

SJSW: That’s a good story. I saw you’ve run a PR twice in the last week (in the 800).

How do you describe getting better with every race, it must be an exhilarating feeling?

Gabay: It really is. I mean, I hadn’t raced hard early in the season so I was expecting my times to drop low, but I mean, twice in a week, or twice in three days, I blew myself away with that, I wasn’t expecting that at all.

SJSW: You also had a pretty good season in Cross Country. What would you consider your top accomplishment of everything you’ve done in high school so far?

Gabay: The 1:54 is impressive, but the 4:17 sophomore year in the 1600 was probably my most accomplished (feat).

SJSW: What do you want to accomplish before you graduate next year?

Gabay: Obviously I want to get all three (school) records, in the 800, the mile and the two mile. The county records, too. I got the sophomore mile county record. So getting some of the county ones would be nice.

I just want to run fast times and get myself out there.

SJSW: Who is your favorite person to compete against?

Gabay: The Haddonfield kids. And Cherokee.

SJSW: Assuming you want to run in college?

Gabay: Of course. I’m looking at a couple right now.

SJSW: Do you have a dream school or two?

Gabay: Yeah, right now Duke and Yale are my top two.

SJSW: What’s your favorite subject in school?

Gabay: Chem. I love Chem. I have a great teacher in AP (Chemistry) this year.

SJSW: That was going to be my next question, do you have a favorite teacher?

Gabay: Mr. (Matthew) Perekupka.

SJSW: Who would you consider the best track athlete in South Jersey?

Gabay: Best athlete? Hmm. Obviously I’d consider myself up there, having a wide range definitely helps. Stone Caraccio from Kingsway is definitely up there, too, and so is Ethan Wechsler (of Cherokee).

SJSW: How about best athlete at Cinnaminson? And it can be any sport.

Gabay: Athlete at Cinnaminson. Right now?

SJSW: Sure.

Gabay: Myself.

SJSW: OK, I like that answer. You need to have confidence to be a good athlete. Do you have any role models?

Gabay: My track coach when I was younger. Coach (Jim) Johnson. He’s always keeping me humble, telling me what to do and what not to do, certain things that will help me in the long run.

SJSW: Any pro athletes or teams you like to watch?

Gabay: Yeah, I like watching the pro athletes run, like Craig Engels and Matt Centrowitz.

SJSW: Do you have nay pre-race rituals or superstitions?

Gabay: Yeah, I always wear my pineapple socks. I have to get a new pair because my other ones are ripped.

SJSW: We’re at the state championships.

There’s a medal ceremony and you get to pick the song you come out to when you collect your medal. What are you walking out to?

Gabay: [Laughs] “Welcome to the Jungle.” Definitely.

SJSW: Guns and Roses? Are you a classic rock guy?

Gabay: Not really. But it’s one of my warm-up songs on my playlist.

SJSW: How much fun are you having right now, going through what you’re going through as a junior and really coming into your own in your sport?

Gabay: It’s the best. It’s a really great feeling. Doing what I love and knowing – or hoping – I’m going to be doing it for four more years (after high school), it’s a great feeling. ■

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MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2019 – SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY

Quakers

continued from page 1 year,” sophomore first doubles player Naveen Shah said. “As someone who is a part of this team, it really feels good to be added to the list of good Moorestown tennis players and to really understand what it means to have that name.”

“It feels good knowing that I’ll have three more years here,” freshman second doubles player Aidan Nemiroff added. “It’s nice to be part of this legacy of this team that’s won so many times.”

A team with fresh faces in the lineup will inevitably hit some bumps in the road, especially early on with the Quakers’ difficult schedule. In addition to hosting the Moorestown Classic in early April, the Quakers took part in tournaments at Delbarton and Westfield, where they encountered a slew of tough North Jersey opponents. When the Quakers returned from Westfield on April 20, their record sat below .500. However, the record didn’t accurately reflect how good Moorestown really was.

“When you go to North Jersey, you learn that there’s so much more talent within the state boundaries,” Shah said.

“So it’s humbling and helps you work harder.”

“We play a lot of tennis on the weekends,” Leese added. “That helps us out for the matches during the week.

Against South Jersey opponents, Moorestown lost two matches in the first week of the season to Lenape and St. Augustine. Since then, they have been perfect, with last Monday’s win over Clearview being their 14th straight win against a South Jersey team.

The Quakers pulled out the sectional title even though their normal third singles player, Sean Kirk, was unable to play.

Sophomore Deven Patel filled in for Kirk, and while the team said they didn’t feel the pressure of being short-handed, Tilak said there was plenty of pressure for another reason.

“There’s a long line of sectional champions,” Tilak said.

“Peter and I have won the past two years. We wanted to keep

that streak going so there was a little bit of pressure.”

Tilak helped turn last Monday’s match in Moorestown’s favor. With the Quakers falling at third singles and dropping the first set at second doubles, Tilak won eight consecutive games in his second singles match against Clearview’s Ryan Weiss, turning a tight 4-3 score into a 6-3 6-0 win. Tilak’s win following a Moorestown win at first doubles gave the team a 2-1 lead. Leese would close out the match shortly after Tilak’s win with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Clearview’s Martin Lacsamana.

The story of this year’s Moorestown team doesn’t end when the season concludes.

The Quakers will have all of their regular players back in 2020 and the team feels its improvement from 2019 will carry over to next season.

“Even though we won today, we still have a lot of room to grow,” sophomore first doubles player Michael Hu said.

“Hopefully we can keep on improving more in the future.” ■

5

Mike Monostra/South Jersey Sports Weekly Moorestown’s Deven Patel watches his forehand sail over the net.

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SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY

PLAYER OF THE WEEK!

Kayla Frank

Moorestown High School Senior Girls Lacrosse

Overtime winner to keep her team from being upset at Haddonfield? Check.

A half dozen goals, including a late-game winner, to knock off a team from Washington, D.C. that’s also one of the nation’s top teams? Check. An athletic scholarship to continue her career at a D-1 program? Check. The Virginia Tech-bound Frank is wrapping up an impressive prep career in grand fashion. In the last week, she reached the 100-goal plateau and was invited to play in the Under Armour All American Game as she also keeps Moorestown in line to collect its 16th state title since 2000.

Quotable: “In a game, Kayla’s style of play is the spark that lights the (Moorestown girls lacrosse) fire,” Quakers coach Colleen Hancox said. “Whether she is winning a draw control, scoring an impressive goal or denying a challenger on defense, Kayla creates a wave of momentum for Moorestown. … When my friends and family come to watch Moorestown with fresh, new eyes, one of the first things they say to me post-game time is, “Wow. Who is 51? Where is she playing next year?” When Kayla is on the field you cannot take your eyes off of her. She is tenacious, dynamic and plays with emotion. … Kayla is a go-to player on the field, who has delivered the goods when called upon in clutch moments. Off the field she is a popular, fun-loving member of the team. I have incredibly high expectations of Kayla because when she plays at her best, she is unstoppable.” ■

6

SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY — MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2019

COUGARS

continued from page 1 straight sets. The first doubles team of Arnav Gupta and Max Sobel were in an extended 10-minute break before heading to a third set.

On Court 5 was the second doubles team of junior Jeffrey Xi and freshman Nathan Belitsky. They had won the first set 6-4, but the second set was in a tie break and the first six points of that tie break were evenly split between the two Cougars and their Lenape opponents.

“Very stressful,” Hu said afterward.

“It sucks, it sucks to be on the sidelines,” Yu said, “but I knew our guys were going to pull it through.”

When they did come through, winning the tiebreak 7-4, the celebration began. After losing in the sectional finals in three consecutive years, Cherry Hill East captured the 2019 South Jersey Group 4 championship on Monday, 3.5 to 1.5 over Lenape. It was the third straight sectional title meeting of the two schools, which decided to retire the first doubles match after splitting the first two sets since the overall match outcome had been decided.

“It’s crazy, it’s kind of surreal,” said Hu, who won his second singles match 6-1, 6-3. “Both Adam and I have been to sectional finals in all four years and for the past three years we came up a little bit short, so to get over that hump, it feels amazing.

There aren’t really words to describe it.”

East advanced to the team state playoffs two days later, where they fell to three-time reigning champion Montgomery. But the South Jersey sectional title was the goal the always-thebridesmaid, never-the-bride Cougars set out for when they began practicing last summer.

“It means everything,” said Yu, a 6-1, 6-0 winner in his first singles match, as he

helped cut and pass around a celebratory cake for the Cougars’ championship.

“The first three years didn’t go to plan, but the fact that we were able to just keep coming back and working at it, it’s incredible,” Yu continued. “And to be 15-0 as of today? It’s a dream come true to be honest. I still can’t believe we won to be honest. It was getting a little tight at the end with that last match.”

In that last match, Xi admitted to getting “shivers down (his) back” as the crowd erupted with each point and the momentum seemed to shift with each point. But the Cougars’ second doubles team kept their cool and helped their seniors head to graduation with the title that had eluded them in the previous three springs.

“They were great examples throughout the season and it feels great to be able to get them a championship,” Belitsky said.

“The four seniors and one junior, this was their goal from day one, ever since the heartbreaking loss from a year ago,” said East coach Greg deWolf, who picked up his 100th career coaching victory with the sectional championship win over Lenape. “They were able to reset. Even the guys on that team last year that lost were here cheering them on. It’s been tantalizingly close, and now we’re able to finally get over that step, even if it takes a tiebreak.”

The sectional championship was a milestone win for deWolf: his 100th career coaching victory.

“I had no clue what my record was, I don’t do it for that, I do it for those guys (seniors), this is what they’re going to remember, and to get this on their resume, and honestly they’ve been that good,” he said. “It’s been a turn of events here and there. We feel we’re one of the better teams in South Jersey and now we get to prove it at the state level.” ■

SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY

COACHES CORNER Rick Craft

School: Burlington Township High School Sport: Track and Field Years as a head coach: 42 Hanging it up: A 1972 graduate of Burlington Township, Craft was hired to teach physics and algebra five years later and began his illustrious coaching career in 1978.

Craft will retire from both positions in June, helping his wife, Cheryl, look after their twin granddaughters, Jane and Eloise, and perhaps make more trips to Florida to visit their grandson, Brixton, too. “I hit 65 this year and basically I’m retiring from teaching so, do they have to go together, I don’t know,” he said. “I might still be around helping out, but it’s time for the young guys to take it on and learn all of the other little things (that go along with coaching).”

Fun fact: Craft, who double-majored in geophysics and secondary elementary at Penn State, got into teaching after realizing he might not be cut out to be a field scientist. “I did some summer work and ended up in Montana, and I realized the length of the season I had.

I thought, ‘Is this really what I want to do?’ I was working at 9,000 feet and we were an hour’s drive from anywhere. … I came back and decided to add secondary ed and look at the options of teaching. And that’s where I ended up.”

Coaching Highlights: “There are a lot of groups that had something special,” Craft said. “I remember struggling with a small Group 1 team and in the Freedom Division

in the early ‘80s when it was 10 teams. And to beat anybody or get any All-Star selections over the other schools that had reputations (was gratifying). … Probably in 1987 I was interviewed by a paper for the first time after winning the Freedom Division meet. We had some really talented individuals and that made it special. We had a county record set in the discus that year that’s still held by Kurtis Johnson. … As a small Group 1 track team, we always struggled with having four runners who could handle running a successful 4x400. We had not won a Saturday relay race under my tenure until 1995. ... We made our first trip to the Penn Relays that year, and came back with a win in our heat of the 4x400 and our first Penn Relay plaque. Later that year, we would win the South Group 1 Sectional Track meet by one point over Burlington City.

“As the spring of 1996 was approaching (the Burlington County Times) predicted that we were likely to be state champions that coming season. Would these boys ever be able to live up to these expectations? Fortunately they were; they went 9-0 in dual meets, won the Bridgeton Relay and Woodbury Relay team trophies, and returned to the Penn Relays to win our second plaque. With these accomplishments, we were encouraged to try something different and we traveled north to the East Coast Relays in Morristown, N.J. We ran the 4x100 and Sprint Medley races.

Ironically, we ran a school record time to win the first heat, which I was accustomed to being the slow heat; but I was wrong. We had the fastest time of the day, beating some 80 schools in attendance.”

Life lessons: Beyond seeing players improve in their four years at Burlington Township, what does Craft hope his athletes can take out of their high school experience?

“That they were simply proud of what they had accomplished, while still respecting the accomplishments of their peers,” he said. “I hope that I treated everyone with a level of respect that they would likewise emulate to others.” ■

MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2019 – SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY

GOLF

continued from page 2 the No. 1 public school in the state is something special,” senior Stephen Burek added.

This year’s Braves lineup was identical to last year’s, but the results were very different. In 2018, the Braves went 16-8, but finished in 10th place at the sectional tournament. This year, Williamstown finished its regular season with a 17-1 record, with its lone loss coming against Group 3 state champion Moorestown.

When asked how they were able to make such immense improvement in 2019, the team said it was simply a matter of confidence.

“More time playing and experience in the tournaments last year definitely made us less nervous this year,” senior Liam Caspar said.

Rue’s message to his team this year was to not get too wrapped up in small mistakes or adversity. The Braves ran into a bit

of adversity at sectionals when Geatens was forced to withdraw due to illness. At sectionals, each team enters five players, with each team’s top four scores counting. With Geatens out, this meant the four remaining players: seniors Liam Caspar, Sean Caspar, Burek and Eric McCoy would have all of their scores count and left no margin for error. The response from the team wasn’t one of panic, but instead of determination.

“I found out with only four holes to play,” McCoy said. “At that point I knew my score was counting and I just knew I had to play as smart as I could.”

Liam Caspar stepped up huge, shooting a 69 to take first place and help his team to a big sectional win.

“I’m a longer hitter than most people, so I was able to go driver wedge for most of the holes,” Caspar said of his performance at sectionals. “Then, after I heard my teammate had to withdraw, I ended up birdieing five of the 10 holes.”

Rue believes the team’s per-

formance in the face of adversity showcased how tight the team’s chemistry was and believes that chemistry is what the 2019 team will be remembered for.

7

“Something clicked this year,” he said. “They unified. They had each other’s back. When someone had a bad match, another was there to pick them up. It was just phenomenal.” ■

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