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ABOUT THE COVER
On June 10, 2017, St. Augustine Prep head coach Mike Bylone called on sophomore Cole Vanderslice as a reliever in the state championship game against Delbarton. With the score tied, 1-1, in the bottom of the seventh, Vanderslice gave up a game-winning hit as the Green Wave won, 2-1, in walkoff fashion. That’s a tough pill for any pitcher to swallow, much less a kid who is in his first year of varsity baseball. But Bylone said he knew Vanderslice had the mental toughness to handle that situation, and told him after the game, “don’t worry kid, we’ll be right back here next year.” He let Vanderslice know that if the Hermits made it back to the state championship game in 2018, No. 25 is who he was going to give the ball to. The following year, Vanderslice indeed was on the mound in the state championship game, and the Hermits exacted revenge on Delbarton with a victory. This year, injuries limited Vanderslice’s time on the hill, but he still went out as a starting outfielder and hit better than .400 while leading Prep to a berth in the state title game again. It’s been a tremendous career for Cole, both on the baseball diamond and basketball court, and Bylone and hoops coach Paul Rodio know just how difficult it’s going to be to replace him next year. — Dave O’Sullivan, Staff Writer
GLORY DAYS MAGAZINE General contact: 609-788-4294/advertising@acglorydays.com Dave O’Sullivan, Publisher: sully@acglorydays.com On Twitter: @GDsullysays Giuseppe Ungaro, Managing Editor: gungaro@acglorydays.com On Twitter: @GDgisepu Amy D’Adamo, Graphic Design: advertising@acglorydays.com Bill Lynskey, Director of Advertising: bill@acglorydays.com STORY IDEAS/ADVERTISING: Have a story you’d like to see told in Glory Days Magazine? Want to get your business noticed with a marketing campaign in our digital or specialty print platforms? Call us anytime at 609-788-4294. Volume: 6 Issue: 24 Overall Issue Number: 131. Cover Photography: Dave O’Sullivan. 2019 Glory Days Magazine. All rights reserved.
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MAKING HEADLINES Sully takes a closer look at the athletes, coaches and teams who are generating news and highlights in the Cape-Atlantic League and throughout South Jersey.
u Another one, just like the other one: Oakcrest senior javelin
thrower Brielle Smith capped her career off in style earlier this month, winning the Meet of Champions for the second straight year. The Stanford-bound Smith is one of the top javelin throwers in the nation. You can read more about her tremendous high school career in a July digital edition of Glory Days Magazine that will be dedicated solely to track and field. u Big-time support: On June 15, JD’s in Smithville hosted a fundraiser for Mark Patten, father of Holy Spirit freshman pitcher Van Patten. Mark is battling colon cancer, and the South Jersey community came through in a big way, raising more than $20,000 to help the Patten family.
glory days digital Want the best high school sports coverage every day of the week? Visit glorydaysonline.com for game coverage, features and more! You can also like us at facebook.com/acglorydays, and follow Sully on Twitter @GDsullysays. Get the best. Every day.
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OLD CAPE RECYCLING SCHOLAR ATHLETE
Strikeouts in D minor
Rudy Kreutzer was more than just Absegami’s most reliable relief pitcher this year, he’s also an accomplished pianist and percussionist
By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer udy Kreutzer could sit for hours after school in the Absegami High School music room, getting in arguments with his friends about who the best drummer on the planet is — Neil Peart of Rush or Ginger Baker, one of the founding members of the band Cream. Or maybe John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, or Keith Moon of The Who, who also was the inspiration for the Muppets’ “Animal.” Or perhaps discussing the brilliance of composers such as Gustav Mahler, one of the leaders in the late 1800s, and Aaron Copland, whose Americana-inspired melodies are still used in commercials to this day. You wouldn’t expect a kid like that to skip out on such conversations during the spring and instead don a baseball uniform and perplex opposing hitters with a cutter that teammate Ray Lewis describes as “nasty.” Kreutzer wasn’t your typical high school baseball pitcher during his career with the Braves. A 4.0 student, he often would think his way out of tough situations. Mostly because he had to. He didn’t possess the kind of fastball that could blow hitters away, or a knee buckling curve. Instead, the sounds of Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” would float through his head as he methodically got hitters out and bailed his teammates out of big jams as coach Mike DeCicco’s most reliable big-game reliever. “Rudy is an amazing kid. He just got the Governer’s Award for New Jersey for being first-seat All-State as a drummer — he’s going to college to drum in the band. He’s an incredible musician, and also a really good pitcher, and a 4.0 GPA kid,” said DeCicco, who took over for longtime coach Brian Wastell this season. “What a nice kid. Just a fantastic kid. I’m so proud that he stuck with baseball all four years, and not only stuck with it, but had some great success, so that’s been awesome.” “Every day you have to be ready. There were some times when I would be in there three games in a row if my pitch count was low enough, so every day I
R
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Absegami senior southpaw Rudy Kreutzer was one of the Braves’ top options out of the bullpen this year, and also is one of the school’s best students. He plans to continue his education at Rutgers University, where he’ll study music in the hopes of one say joining a major symphony orchestra. was focusing on keeping my arm in shape, and during the early innings of a game I would make sure I was staying energetic, had my sweatshirt on ready to warm up at any time. I had to be ready for any situation. It was the same mentality, just pounding the strike zone,” said Kreutzer, who plans to study classical percussion music performance in college. “My coaches gave me a lot of confidence this year. The last three years, I wasn’t really trusted because my consistency wasn’t there and I wasn’t pounding the zone the way I did this year. This offseason, I really just focused on being a P.O. (pitcher only) and not playing the field. My role this year was to just be a reliever, so I had a lot more time to just focus on my consistency and my arm slot. (DeCicco) let me pitch a lot, and I feel like getting a lot more time on the mound really helped me a lot. “There’s so much to say about him. I’ve known him since preschool, and ever since then we’ve remained like brothers. I’ve had the pleasure of watching him grow up, not only as a baseball player but also as a friend, and kind of like a family member. To see him at senior awards and getting all those scholarships, and everything from having his own band to working on his nasty cutter in baseball, I really couldn’t
be happier for him,” said Lewis, who along with Kreutzer was one of a dozen seniors this year who helped lead Absegami to a 16-6 record. “You really don’t see that much, especially in high school, where somebody is that gifted in band and also a sport like baseball. It’s pretty cool to see. He also took honors classes all throughout high school, and he’s one of the smartest guys I know. He’s gifted in every aspect.” One of Kreutzer’s best gifts was his ability to stay calm on the mound and work his way out of tough situations. Lewis recalls a game when it seemed as though everything was about to go wrong, with the Braves facing a bases-loaded situation. “For the first couple of outings, he would come in with the bases loaded, or he would come in with nobody on and then walk the bases loaded, but he would pitch himself out of it every time. I remember going out to the mound when it was bases loaded and saying, ‘listen, you have your cutter (if you need it)’ and he’d be like, ‘yeah, I know, I got my pitches back and I got this.’ He would go out there with all this
See Rudy, page 7
June 17, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 7 Rudy, from page 6 confidence and he would get the job done,” Lewis said. “That’s just who he is, and that’s a testament to his mental standpoint. Being able to come in with the bases loaded and nobody out and just be like, ‘hey, I’ll figure it out.’ That’s what I look for with these kids. He had a fantastic year for us. He’s been our first guy out of the bullpen,” DeCicco said. “Rudy was on my freshman team and he always had a great arm and a sharp curveball. It was more just consistently throwing the ball in the strike zone. I still have all my freshman evaluations that I gave all those guys at the end of the year, and one of the things I said to Rudy was that he had to find a consistent balance point. But it’s a testament to him that he worked on it and believed in us, and what we were telling him. His cutter, which I didn’t even know he had, is something he developed on his own and that turned out to be a nasty pitch.” Added Kreutzer, “I lost my cutter and gave up a couple of walks, so I had to pound the zone with my fastball, which I’m not as consistent with. The bases were loaded and Ray came up to me and said, ‘you good, man? You look a little freaked out.’ I was just like, ‘I got it. I’m good.’ And I struck out the next couple of batters on all cutters.” Kreutzer has kept himself very busy the past four years, and that likely won’t change in college with such a demanding major. But, he likes it that way, he said. “I was in marching band, too, so I’ve basically been busy and staying after school for extra-curricular activities nonstop throughout my high school career. High school was the hardest challenge of my life, but I just tried to keep myself as busy as I could and put myself through all the work so I could figure out management skills and discipline — all the things you need to become a good man,” he said. “I tried to do everything I could in music and to become a better musician, because I knew that’s what I wanted to do my whole life. I feel like baseball, if anything, was a nice relaxer for me coming off focusing on music and academics the first six or seven months of the school year. It was a nice stress reliever
and it helped me out with my music more than if I hadn’t played baseball.” Finishing up his high school career with such a memorable season, one that included a share of the Cape-Atlantic League National Conference championship, certainly left an impression on Kreutzer. “It’s a different energy when you’re out there winning games with a bunch of other guys who you’ve been playing with since you were 7 or 8 years old. There was a lot of chemistry and a lot of those players played together through freshman and JV, and I think that bond and that chemistry really helped us this year. (The end of the season) was bittersweet. We all knew we were going to see each other throughout the summer, but that’s the last time we’ll ever all be playing baseball together. But it was a nice three months of playing together and I feel like we went out the right way,” Kreutzer said. “These last few months of playing baseball have been the most memorable of my career. Going into senior year, I wasn’t even sure if I was going to play, but coming in with all the confidence my team gave me, and the winning and good times — all the baseball we played together, these past few months have been a great wrap to my high school career.” Most high school baseball players dream of making it to the big leagues, but not Kreutzer. He has visions of one day sitting as a member of the New York Philharmonic, or the Boston Symphony Orchestra. And, if you want to debate who the best drummer of all time is, or the best composer, pull up a chair, he’ll gladly indulge. “Ginger baker from Cream is my favorite, he’s a great drummer. And I respect Neil Peart so much, he’s an amazing drummer and I get so much influence from him,” he said. “My favorite composer? I’d have to say Gustav Mahler. His music is just brilliant in every way possible and he expresses everything that was going on in Germany during the time that he lived. I think everything he expresses is just absolutely gorgeous. It’s something I love to play. Aaron Copland is amazing, too. I love playing “Rodeo” and “Appalachian Spring.” His music is definitely a sign of American culture in the 1900s.”
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GREATE PERFORMANCES
SPONSORED BY GREATE BAY RACQUET & FITNESS
Jumping into the record books The Egg Harbor Township boys track coaches told senior triple jumper Mubeen Momodu that he would need to leap at least 47 feet to make it into the finals at the Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington High School earlier this month. Momodu dug deep and came up with the best jump of his career, leaping 48 feet, 1.5 inches to finish third and capture the bronze medal. Momodu, who came into the field seeded eighth, broke the EHT school record. “It’s crazy. I didn’t really expect top three. My goal was top six, but PRing with a 48 (48-1.5) and setting the school record, it felt great. It’s amazing,” said Momodu, who plans to further his education this coming fall at Harvard University. “The biggest thing I was working on was my run-through. What was getting me messed up was I was stuttering when I was running through, but I just kept hammering that the last couple days at practice. The field here is crazy because everyone is so good.” u Sincere Rhea, St. Augustine Prep track: Rhea has been one of the best hurdlers in the nation throughout the past two seasons, but this year, as a senior, he wanted to prove he was more than just a one-trick pony. He did just that at the Meet of Champions, winning the 400 meters with a time of 47.89 seconds. He was trying to become the first ever to win both the 400 and 110-meter hurdle events, but with less than an hour separating the hurdle prelims, 400 finals and hurdle finals, he wasn’t able to finish the hurdle finals, pulling up after clearing the second hurdle as his legs began to give out. Still, winning another gold at the MOC was an impressive way to end his high school career. “The same thing happened at the indoor MOC, I went right to the 55 hurdles and then ran the 55-meter dash. Even the 400 was a game-time decision. We saw that Mario (Heslop, Franklin Township, the 100-meter champion) pulled out, so that opened up the window of opportunity,” said Rhea, a Millville resident. “So we were going to take a run at (both).
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Egg Harbor Township senior Mubeen Momodu didn’t place in the high jump at the Meet of Champions, but later in the afternoon he scored a school-record leap in the triple jump to bring home a bronze medal. Knowing what I did for New Jersey in bringing a national championship (in the hurdles), an MOC title, state titles, I was trying to make people notice that I’m more than just a hurdler, that I can do it all. I think that’s what I definitely did today.” u Lauren Princz, Egg Harbor Township track: Just a sophomore, Princz has already established herself as one of the best sprinters in the state. At the MOC, she scored a fourthplace finish in the 200 meters and nearly won the 100, taking second in a photo finish to Dennisha Page of Woodrow Wilson High. It couldn’t have been any closer, as Page clocked in at 11.86 and Princz at 11.87. u Jayson Hoopes, St. Augustine Prep baseball: Hoopes was called on to pitch against Delbarton, and Green Wave ace Jack Leiter, in the Non-Public A state championship game, and Hoopes, a University of Virginia commit and Chicago Cubs draft pick, pitched perhaps the best game of his career in the Hermits’ 4-3,
extra-innings loss. He allowed just one hit while striking out seven in six innings of work. u Brielle Smith, Oakcrest track: Smith has been the best javelin thrower in the state the past two years, and this year’s MOC wasn’t even close, as Smith won gold with a throw of 157 feet, nearly a full eight feet ahead of secondplace finisher Alianna Eucker of Bergen Tech. “I’m happy, I’m just disappointed in the last couple of throws. I was hoping to PR, but it’s still a good throw,” said Smith, who won the event last year and will be heading to Stanford University this summer to begin her collegiate track career. “I had a setback in the middle of the season with injuries, so just to be able to come close to where I was — there was a lot of overuse stuff with my back and elbow — but to be able to come back and throw in the 150s and win it again is awesome. It’s a great accomplishment, I just wish my performance was a little better.”
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VIC’S SUBS COVER STORY
keep calm and
let cole handle it
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Vanderslice exemplified leadership, composure throughout his Prep career By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer t. Augustine Prep had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning of the state championship game against Delbarton, and had just tied the game, 2-2, on an infield error by the Green Wave. But Delbarton had Jack Leiter, one of the best high school pitchers in the nation, on the hill, so scoring runs was at a premium. The Hermits desperately needed to at least push one more run across to take the lead, because you never know how many scoring opportunities you’ll get against a player of Leiter’s caliber. Senior right fielder Cole Vanderslice stepped to the plate — the perfect player for that situation. Vanderslice battled Leiter, continuously fouling off some of the best pitches the righty had to offer. He drew an RBI walk after a grueling 10-pitch at-bat, giving St. Augustine a 3-2 lead. Delbarton eventually won the game, 4-3, by scoring a run in the top of the eighth after tying the game at 3 in the sixth, but that at-bat showed just how valuable Vanderslice was throughout his career with the Hermits. As a sophomore, coach Mike Bylone turned to Vanderslice to come on in relief in the state title game, and Delbarton scored in walk-off fashion to win the championship. Bylone and the rest of the coaching staff told Vanderslice not to worry, be-
S
“As a sophomore, that year really developed me a lot as a baseball player, and as a person. Being in those tough situations, having to come in as a closer, I think I learned a lot from that. Having to face all the ups and downs. I had a big game against Eustace to help get us to the state championship, and then I’m walking off the mound (in the state championship) having thrown the last pitch and we lose on a walk-off. All those things really came together and made me a better player in the end.”
Cole Vanderslice, St. Augustine Prep senior
cause the Hermits were going to make it back to the big game the following year, and again Vanderslice would be the guy they turned to. That’s a lot of confidence to have in a sophomore pitcher. Last year, Vanderslice was, indeed, on the hill, as the Hermits got some revenge by beating Delbarton and winning a state title. “Early on we could see the talent that he had. His sophomore year we put him in some big spots, pitching-wise, and you could tell he was a hardnosed, tough kid who wasn’t afraid of the spotlight. And that helped him flourish throughout his career. He played in some really big games as a sophomore and junior. His career played out like we expected it to go from him. Another state championship would have been icing on the cake
for him. Even in basketball, he battles and loves the pressure, and you don’t come across many kids who can thrive in a championship atmosphere. He had to at such a young age, and that helped mold him into the type of player he became for us,” Bylone said. “He used that as motivation. We told him he’d be back here next year, and damn if he wasn’t. He won that game in 2018, and just to have that career where he’s played in three straight state finals — he’s a good leader, he was a captain this year. It was tough this year with such a young team, but him and Gerry (Peacock) put their arms around these kids and were positive because they remember when they were in their shoes. That
See Cole, page 11
June 17, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 11 Vanderslice, one of Prep’s top pitchers, took over as the Hermits’ starting right fielder this year and batted .407 with 10 RBIs and 18 runs scored as St. Augustine posted a 24-5 record.
Cole, from page 10 comes with experience. I can think of the 2016 season and the guys who helped (Cole and Gerry) along, and they learned from experience. Some of those seniors put their arm around them and said, ‘hey, go get ’em next year,’ and he did the same thing for the young players this year. It’s really neat to see. These kids put their heart and soul into it, and just because they graduate doesn’t mean they are done. We had a lot of alumni at our playoff games this year, and guys like Gerry and Cole look up to the guys who came before them.” “As a sophomore, that year really developed me a lot as a baseball player, and as a person. Being in those tough situations, having to come in as a closer, I think I learned a lot from that. Having to face all the ups and downs. I had a big game against Eustace to help get us to the state championship, and then I’m walking off the mound (in the state championship) having thrown the last pitch and we lose on a walk-off. All those things really came together and made me a better player in the end. Sophomore year was a really big year for me,” said Vanderslice, who plans to continue his education and baseball career this fall at Villanova. “Our pitching coach always had a lot of faith in me, even from the beginning of my sophomore year. After I walked off the mound he brought me in and said, ‘we’ll be back here again
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
next year and you’ll get another shot.’ I remembered that, and the next year I got a chance. There’s a picture — the same one as the year before — but instead of him telling me we’ll get another shot, we’re celebrating. It was cool to see that.” “There’s so much I could say about the kid. He’s been my right-hand man since the beginning of our Prep baseball careers,” said fellow senior Gerry Peacock, who spent this season on the injured list. “I love to watch him play and grow. He’s a competitor at the highest level. He could turn on the switch anytime he wanted. During our playoff run, he did everything he could to help us win games. I know he didn’t pitch a lot this year, but you could see in everything he did this
year he was competitive. I love that kid like a brother. Villanova is getting a great kid who will compete at the highest level.” During that at-bat against Leiter — who likely would have been a first round Major League Baseball draft pick had he not been so committed to play at Vanderbilt — Peacock said he just leaned on the rail of the dugout and watched in awe. Here was a guy who was primarily a pitcher throughout his career fouling off fastballs in the low-to-mid 90s, sliders, changeups, and drawing a huge RBI walk. “You could just see in his eyes he wasn’t going to back down. I didn’t even say anything, I was just watching him. I could see in his eyes he wasn’t going to give up. Leiter is a
great pitcher, obviously, but I knew Cole wasn’t going to give up. He fought through (that at-bat) and won the battle, and that’s what he’s always done for this team,” Peacock said. “Young guys see that and they immediately see what they can do when they have a leader like that on the field. Here’s a guy who’s not going to college to be a hitter, but he was fighting in every at-bat for this team. He got on base, and everybody on the team loved that. It was a ridiculous at-bat, but that’s his competitive nature. Nobody is as competitive as him. He’s an athlete, plays basketball, gets up to bat against a top Ma-
See Cole, page 13
June 17, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 13 varsity) for the playoff roster, and he was giving me a few jabs about that. jor League Baseball prospect and just When he came here we knew he was a great basketball player and pitcher, keeps fouling off pitches.” With such a young team this sea- and it was just going to be a matter son, the Hermits leaned on guys like of time before he flourished. We were Vanderslice, Peacock and Jayson fairly deep in 2016 and he just waited Hoopes to lead the way, and Vander- his turn, and he had a great career for slice’s quiet confidence had a big ef- us,” Bylone said. “He has the deterfect on players who were facing the mination and the will to win, and the varsity spotlight for the first time in will to succeed, and that rubs off on one of South Jersey’s most presti- everybody. It was great to see him progress through his career, whether gious baseball programs. “It was interesting this year. Gerry he was on the mound or up to bat. It’s took on a coaching role, almost. A a luxury to have a guy like him.” “I always joke around with him lot of kids would go to him and ask questions. And Jay stepped up and about that. I was in Disney on our took over the presence on the mound. freshman trip and following all the If he was on the mound, you knew baseball on Twitter. I saw they lost he was our guy. I just tried to step up and I told coach Bylone, in a joking into the role where I’ve been here be- way, ‘hey, maybe you were missing fore and played in these big games, something.’ That got a laugh out of so I just kind of always tried to keep him, but it was something that drove in mind that I had to lead these guys me and motivated me. I wanted to be on the field, keep them calm and a part of it, but everything happens keep them composed. ‘One inning for a reason. That pushed me to be at a time’ is what I told everybody. up there and make an impact the next Take it all in and play one inning at couple of years,” Vanderslice said. It wasn’t easy for the Prep seniors a time because a lot of kids can get to walk off the field at Veterans Park caught up in the moment. As a senior, you have to keep everybody in check in Hamilton a few weeks ago havand make sure everybody is having ing lost in the state championship fun and staying loose,” Vanderslice game, and losing the final game of said. “This year was a lot of picking their high school careers. And, as a each other up. We didn’t expect to crowd of reporters came to his side, have Kyle Neri in the lineup, and I Vanderslice answered all their quesdon’t think a lot of people expected tions thoughtfully, and with a lot of to see Jack Peacock in the lineup, but perspective about how fortunate he’s everybody had so much confidence been to have had such a great high in them stepping into those spots that school career. “It was a cool moment, but it was it made them play at another level, even as underclassmen. As a team, it also the toughest interview I’ve had showed we were all playing togeth- to give. It was pretty humbling having all these reporters coming up and asker.” During his career, Vanderslice ing me questions about my career, and helped lead the Hermits to four seeing me as a leader,” he said. “I take straight South Jersey championships that to heart, leading such a storied proand three straight appearances in the gram. People really look up to the Prep, state title game, including a victory and for people to see me as a leader is in 2018. He likes to joke with By- pretty cool. I was just trying to take lone that had the coach put him on in every last moment because I know the playoff roster as a freshman, the how much I’m going to miss these high Hermits might have played in four school games. These last four years have been something special.” straight state championship games. “We were having a conversation Contact Dave O’Sullivan: a few weeks ago and he was talking sully@acglorydays.com; about how I didn’t bring him up (to on Twitter @GDsullysays
Cole, from page 11
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BASEBALL
Facing adversity helped Hermits develop Injuries, tough schedule forced young players to grow up quickly By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer ith all the talent the St. Augustine Prep baseball program typically has, the Hermits usually are odds-on favorites to be the best team in the Cape-Atlantic League every year. Coming into the 2019 season, Prep still had plenty of talent, but was very short on experience, and the Hermits took a big hit before the season even began when it became evident that senior pitcher and first baseman Gerry Peacock would miss the entire season with an arm injury. Plus, senior football star Joe Bonczek, Prep’s starting left fielder last year, decided not to play baseball so that he could concentrate on his upcoming gridiron career at Princeton University. That left Cole Vanderslice and Jayson Hoopes as the only returning seniors with any significant experience from the defending Non-Public A state champions. But a team like St. Augustine usually doesn’t rebuild, instead it reloads with more young talent. And that’s exactly what happened this year, as new stars began to emerge as they got playing time. It wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns, however, as head coach Mike Bylone said the 2019 version of the Hermits had plenty to overcome throughout the course of the season, and there was no guarantee they could make another run to a state championship game even after earning the No. 1 seed in the sectional playoffs. “We faced more adversity this year than we ever had, and the way these kids responded — we had our ups and downs, but it was good to see them respond. When we come together at the end of the year, that’s what wins ballgames. That’s the pleasure and the joy
W
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Left fielder Anthony Sofran, right, a senior, and junior catcher Brian Furey were a big part of St. Augustine Prep’s lineup throughout a year that culminated in another state championship game appearance. I get out of coaching, to watch all these individuals — whether you’re the No. 1 player or the No. 25 player, mesh and come together,” Bylone said. “This year, I was always peeking into the dugout to see if Josh Hood, Jack Billings or Kevin Eaise was on deck. We had a different team, and every year is different. We knew we were losing a lot of offense, and next year will be different as well. We have to learn as coaches what the players have, and we have to game plan and take the approach based off the personnel. I think we’ve done a pretty good job with that.” “These guys really stepped up this year. I told them how proud I was of them, whether we won or lost,” said Peacock, who is headed to Notre Dame. “They played their hearts out
(in the state championship) and put everything they had into that game. It came down to the wire and we couldn’t pull it out, but they knew they had a great season.” “Coming into this season, we had the three main goals of the Diamond Classic, winning the CAL (American) and winning South Jersey again and making it back to the state championship. We had high expectations because we had so many good arms. A lot of people were counting us out a little bit because we lost a lot of good seniors and had a lot of spots to replace, but that kind of was a big part of our group. We felt like we were the underdogs a little bit, which is ironic coming back as a returning state champion. We were dealt some tough cards with all the injuries
— obviously, with Gerry being out of the season, we had Mason Carmolingo go down, I couldn’t pitch and Rob (Ready) was out for a little bit, but we had a tough group. This season was different than last year in a lot of ways,” added Vanderslice, a Villanova recruit. “In the beginning, we were just trying to figure things out. We lost to Eustace and had to come back and play a really good (Gloucester Catholic) team, and we came out and took that game. That was big for us, and right there we started coming together as a team. We needed that one big win for us to get going, and I think that got us rolling a little bit. Even after that, I went down
See Hermits, page 15
June 17, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 15 Hermits, from page 14 and Jack couldn’t pitch, but I feel like we didn’t really lost much because time after time we had guys stepping up. Jay stepped up so much this year, Kenny (Levari) stepped up as a closer. Coming together was a little bit more of a process this year, but I could definitely see us coming together after that GC game.” The loss of Hood, one of the best shortstops in the state last year and the Ivy League Rookie of the Year this spring at Penn, would have devastated a lot of teams, but Prep simply moved star second baseman Kenny Levari over to shortstop and didn’t miss a beat. The Hermits’ infield really stepped up late in the season, as guys like third baseman Jack Peacock, second baseman Ryan Weingartner, first baseman Rob Ready and catcher Brian Furey got more experience. And senior Anthony Sofran, who came off the bench last year, blossomed as an everyday outfielder. Junior Kevin Foreman, Prep’s center fielder, also flourished with more playing time.
“Pitching was a challenge for us this year with all the injuries. We had guys going down and it was a struggle sometimes to juggle all that. But guys stepped up, we had some young kids who got some innings who probably wouldn’t have gotten that many innings this year,” Bylone said. “That just goes with experience and the grind of the season. We play a pretty tough schedule, whether it’s in the CapeAtlantic League, our nonconference schedule or in the Diamond Classic. We try to expose these kids to quality opponents, and the hope is that we’re battle tested by the time the state playoffs come. The silver lining is that we only have to replace two positions. It almost reminds me of the team from 2017, where we didn’t have to replace too many guys, and (the younger players) had gotten that experience.” “They had a lot of veterans behind them, guys like me and Cole, who talked to these guys. The energy was there, and energy helps keep guys motivated, it puts pressure on the opposing pitcher
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Jayson Hoopes, a University of Virginia commit and 2019 draft pick by the Chicago Cubs, became the ace pitcher for the Hermits See Hermits, page 16 this season and allowed just one hit in the state championship game.
Page 16 w Glory Days Magazine w June 17, 2019 Hermits, from page 15 and can really change a game. We put pressure on teams, and we kept the pressure on,” Gerry Peacock said. “I think these guys realize how important it is to keep energy up in the dugout and stay in the game no matter what. At the end of the year you could see guys like Kevin Foreman, who had about 40 hits, and guys like Sofran, who’s a senior who didn’t really play much last year and he stepped up. Even my brother, he came out of nowhere and stepped up for us, and I’m glad I got to see him play.” In the end, the Hermits won their fourth straight South Jersey championship and advanced to the state Non-Public A championship game for the third straight year, facing Delbarton each time. This time around, the Green Wave pulled off a 4-3 victory in extra innings, and the Hermits finished with a 24-5 record. “It’s tough, we were the No. 1 seed, but in NonPublic A all the games are tough. I think we experienced some pretty tough games during the regular season where we were down and had to come back,
The Hermits got big contributions all year long from previously unproven players such as freshman Kyle Neri. Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
we had some key moments. At this point, I don’t really care what our win-loss record is as long as we’re playing our best ball at the end of the year. That tough schedule pays dividends,” Bylone said. Added Peacock, “I know a lot of Prep teams have had a lot of big hitters — last year Josh Hood hit a
bunch of home runs — but this year, these guys put it together in little ways. They got the bunts down and saw big opportunities in doing the little things right.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Ray Lewis, Absegami Baseball, Cross Country
The power of positivity With a guy like Ray Lewis on your team, you always have a chance to win By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer ay Lewis was one of the most recognizable runners at the Cape-Atlantic League Cross Country Championships last fall, but he was nowhere to be found in the final results. That’s because the Absegami senior was running in the junior varsity race. An injury as a sophomore set his cross country career back and he never full regained the potential he showed as a freshman, but that didn’t stop Lewis from having the best time he could in one of the last races of his career. He wore a headband, and came across the finish line with outstretched arms as if he had just won the New York City Marathon. Lewis brought that same kind of passion and positive energy to the Braves’ baseball program the past four years, and he and 11 other seniors helped make new coach Mike DeCicco’s first season a memorable one. The Braves went 16-6, tied for the Cape-Atlantic League National Conference championship with Mainland, and beat Mainland in the opening round of the South Jersey Group 3 playoffs before losing to Cherry Hill West. “Ray Lewis is an amazing kid. He did bat eighth in the lineup, but he’s one of our better hitters. He hit better than .300 with a .430 on-base percentage. He
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Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Ray Lewis, a recent graduate of Absegami High, got the best out of his high school cross country and baseball careers. batted fourth for us when he was a junior. Our lineup, once we set it, it was kind of the same all year. He was struggling a little bit in the preseason and we decided to put him down in the lineup because people didn’t know much about him,” DeCicco said. “He used to be a shortstop, and it was between him and
Matt Pisardi, so we decided to leave Pisardi at short and move Ray to second. He was huge for us. To win at this level, you need guys like Ray, who may not be
See Lewis, page 20
Page 20 w Glory Days Magazine w June 17, 2019 Lewis, from page 18 playing in college but he’s a bright kid, a team-oriented kid, and he’s battled tested. He made a lot of plays for us when we needed them, and that’s all you can ask from any ballplayer.” In one of the final regular-season games, Absegami trailed Mainland 11-3 late in the game, but Lewis came bounding off the field, encouraging his teammates not to give up, that they were still in this game. Mainland eventually did win the game, but not before Lewis and his teammates rallied to cut the final score to 11-7. That kind of never-give-up attitude came to define Lewis’ career at Absegami. “Freshman year, I was getting pretty fast (in cross country), but then I had an injury sophomore year and I wasn’t as good as I used to be. But, I recognized the other side of the sport, which is to just enjoy what you’re doing. It’s high school, and if you’re not enjoying it, what’s the point of being on the team? This year, I had the mentality that I was going to push myself as much as I could, but I was also going to take in the moments and enjoy that I was
running with my friends and running for one of the greatest cross country coaches in Mr. (Brian) Tickle. I really did enjoy myself,” said Lewis, who plans to pursue a degree in journalism and media at Rutgers University beginning this fall. “I think this (baseball season) goes to show how this group of guys we played with grew as a family. From the beginning of the year to now, we had a bunch of injuries, but we grew closer and it shows the character of everyone. I’m very grateful to have been part of such a great group of guys. “One of my mindsets is that you’re not going to get anything done if you’re being negative about it,” he continued. “You’re not going to come back from being down 11-3 if you’re saying, ‘what’s the point?’ In tough situations — like, say we’re up 4-2 and a guy hits a double to bring the tying run to the plate, what’s negativity going to get you? So, I really think keeping calm and taking a step back, and realizing there’s a way to come back from anything, I think that’s how you win big games, and even the small battles. Positivity is what drives teams to success.” “It’s a testament to him and the other
kids that they never quit, and Ray was a major part of that. He wears these aviator sunglasses around school and he has this strut. He’s an amazing kid and I’m going to miss him a lot. Ray absolutely is a guy I’ll miss a ton,” DeCicco said. “(Former coach Brian) Wastell said this about Rudy (Kreutzer), that he has absolutely maxed out his high school experience, and I feel the same about Ray. And a lot of these kids, they are maxing out their four years in high school, and that’s all you can ask for. Don’t have any regrets, don’t leave anything in the tank — live it to the fullest, and we have a lot of kids like that. There are so many of them, and it’s been awesome.” More than any big win the Braves might have had, Lewis said what he’ll remember most about his career is the friendships he made along the way. “The coolest thing is just to play with my brothers on the team. The friends I made through high school baseball, everyone on the team, it was cool to play ball with them and develop relationships in the hallways and classrooms. What we made on the field, the friendships, they didn’t stop there. They con-
tinued after school, seeing each other in the hallways and doing our little baseball handshake — that was the coolest thing about this year,” he said. “I’m going to miss just going out there and enjoying myself with everyone. A majority of the time, just laughing with each other and making jokes, and bonding, that’s what I’ll miss most. As I go off to college and meet a bunch of new people, I’ll make new friends, but the people I had this year were something special. I’m going to miss that, and I’m grateful I was a part of it.” The son of Bill and Dawn Lewis will be joining older sister Maddie at Rutgers in a few months, and Ray said it’s still hard to believe his high school career went by so quickly, even though many warned it would. “Two years back, people would always tell me it goes by fast, and you’ll blink and your high school career will be gone,” Lewis said. “That couldn’t be more true, it really has gone by fast. But I’m so blessed and grateful for everything that I’ve been a part of.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Ocean City Softball Seniors
Last hurrah a memorable one for Red Raiders O.C. senior class sent coach Bruno out with a captivating playoff run By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer oming into this spring, Ocean City softball coach John Bruno had a feeling this might be it for him on the diamond. This was his 20th season coaching the Red Raiders in two different stints, one from 19942000 and another from 2007 to now. He stood just seven wins shy of 100 for his career, and the math was looking tight, as Ocean City had averaged 7.125 wins per year since 2011. From 2011-2017 Ocean City had qualified for the state playoffs, but hadn’t won a game in the South Jersey Group 3 tournament, bowing out in the opening round each time. But there was some excitement around the program that this could be a special year, even if nobody else in the Cape-Atlantic League was worried about the Red Raiders, who went just 5-11 in 2018. But Bruno had five seniors returning, including his entire infield, and a pretty good starting battery in junior pitcher Hailey Neville and junior catcher Abby Craige. He also had a star outfielder in the making in freshman Christina Barbella and a pair of
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Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Shortstop Lindsay Konick and the Red Raiders won 16 games this year, the most in coach John Bruno’s 20 seasons, and made it to the sectional semifinals. sophomores in Alexis and Brooke Illas. Ocean City began the year with a 10-0 win over Atlantic City, then got a huge jolt when the Raiders went on the road and took down Mainland, their arch nemesis, 3-0. Mainland went on to win 20 games and capture the CapeAtlantic League National Conference title, so that was a huge early season win, and a sign of things to come. “None of us had any inkling that we would be the type of team that had the
potential to do what we did, but we knew we were talented. Coach Bruno would tell us all the time that we had potential if we worked hard. It all came together for us,” said shortstop Lindsay Konick, one of five seniors along with third baseman Savanna Holt, second baseman Alex Vitola, first baseman Jackie Nesi and reserve pitcher Ashley Vitiello. “That win was huge, especially because we hadn’t beaten Mainland since probably my freshman or sopho-
more year. They’re always our biggest rival and best competition, so it was a great feeling to beat them. The bus ride home, the energy, it was really cool. We were like, ‘OK, we tackled Mainland, let’s move on to the next.’ At that point we knew we could beat anyone, we just had to have the right mindset, and to go into every game like that.” Ocean City lost its next game, but then won five straight games to start the season 7-1, and suddenly people were taking notice. But there was still a question of was this team for real? The Red Raiders did suffer some tough losses, to teams like Vineland, St. Joseph and Cedar Creek, but then started racking up some big wins in the playoffs. The Red Raiders, who came in to the South Jersey Group 3 tournament as the No. 7 seed, slipped past No. 10 Highland, 4-3, in the opening round, then pulled off a shocking upset in the quarterfinals, beating No. 2 Hammonton, 3-1. That put Ocean City into the sectional semifinals for the first time under coach Bruno, and the Red Raiders had a lead on host Moorestown before a fourth-inning grand slam by the Quakers led to a 4-2 loss that ended their magical playoff run. Still, Ocean City finish with 16 wins — nine more than Bruno needed to get win No. 100 before he retired from
See Raiders, page 23
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June 17, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 23 Raiders, from page 21 coaching softball. (He still plans to remain on as the Ocean City boys basketball coach next winter). “We really wanted to do it for him. Getting the 100th win for him was big, but winning playoff games and getting to where we did was a lot bigger than anything else,” Konick said. “He wanted to go out with the group that he had and thought this would be the year to make that decision. We were just happy and proud to go as far as we did, and have that opportunity to be where we were. It was great to get there, but it was frustrating that (Moorestown) won off just one hit. We tried our hardest.” The key to Ocean City’s success this season was not only the play of its five seniors, but the hard work they put in to making the Red Raiders relevant on the South Jersey softball scene before they graduated. All of a sudden, the softball players were getting the kind of treatment around school that is normally reserved for the powerhouse girls lacrosse, swimming and field hockey programs. “I always think it’s great when a team
makes it to the South Jersey semifinals. The final four has a lot of merit because now you’re one game away from the final. You just have to relax, stay loose, have some fun and enjoy it. Savanna Holt came to us her sophomore year from Holy Spirit, but my shortstop, Konick, second baseman Vitola and Nesi have all been with me since they were freshman, so it’s neat to see the reward of four years of hard work. That’s what’s enjoyable. I’m so happy for the kids to see what they can do. A lot of times when you lose in the first round of the playoffs nobody notices, now, all of a sudden, people will stand up and take notice,” Bruno said after the win over Hammonton. “I’m really happy for them because they’ve kind of taken a back seat (to the other girls sports teams). We’ve had phenomenal girls teams with lacrosse, track, field hockey, basketball — and softball has always been kind of an afterthought. But now, at least for the moment, they are in the headlines along with those other kids.” “I don’t know how they are going to rebuild a whole infield. We’ve all been together since third or fourth grade,
and to have that bond and that chemistry, working together as a team. This season coming to an end was so sad because we had played together for long and now we’ll never be on the same field together again. That was kind of heartbreaking. But it was a nice feeling to be recognized and having people congratulate us and asking when the next game was, what the score was of the game we just played, and how good we were playing. That had never happened before, and it was a good feeling,” said Konick, one of the better defensive shortstops in the CAL and a staple in the middle of the Red Raiders’ batting order. “We all had the other four of us to turn to, to relate to, to connect with and bond with. My senior season was the best and most memorable, everything about it. We went out with a bang. It would have been nice to win that Moorestown game, but I’m just thankful for the opportunity that we did have. I’ll remember it forever, share the stories and talk about it with everyone.” Bruno said he was thrilled that his softball players were finally getting some recognition, not only in school,
but around the league as well. “I couldn’t be more proud of these kids, to put me where I was in my final season. It was a neat ride. This was by far my best season ever. I always tell the kids, in basketball, too, when you get to the last four teams in the South Jersey tournament, you’re in the Final Four. We were one pitch away from being in the South Jersey championship. If we strike that girl out instead of her hitting a home run, maybe we’re in the finals,” he said after the loss to Moorestown. “In softball, we’ve always been an afterthought. I had never won a softball playoff game, let alone being in the South Jersey semifinals, so it was kind of neat just to be in that situation where the kids could think about playing in a South Jersey final. People knew softball was a sport in Ocean City. The kids saw what we did, everybody is getting text messages, which is cool because a lot of times these girls get overshadowed by lacrosse, track and things like that. So, it was neat for these girls to get the attention.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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SHORE HARDWARE INSIDE LACROSSE
Stangs’ Klever reflects on 1st year Kelly Klever, a 2008 Mainland graduate, took over this spring for Bernadette Daley and led Mustangs to an 11-win season By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer he Mainland Regional girls lacrosse program was launched in 2005, and until this year the Mustangs had just one head coach. Bernadette Daley left quite a legacy before stepping down after the 2018 season, having built Mainland into one of the top programs in the Cape-Atlantic League. Having to replace her would be an unenviable task for anyone, but former star player Kelly Klever was up to the challenge, and she did a great job in her rookie season, leading the Mustangs to 11 wins and a berth in the South Jersey Group 3 quarterfinals. “It went well. We had a great group, so it was a nice, easy transition,” said Klever, who played college lacrosse at West Chester. “It’s always challenging going into a new position because you don’t expect the outside stuff to be as time consuming as it really is. But, former head coach Bernadette Daley was my mentor this entire year. Any questions I had, she was right there for me and that was nice to have.” Daley unknowingly was recruiting her eventual replacement when she coaxed a young Klever to try lacrosse when Klever was a freshman at Mainland. “Daley was my basketball coach and she said, ‘why don’t you come out and try lacrosse?’ I was going to do track or crew, but I thought I would try it,” Klever
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Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Kelly Klever, a 2008 Mainland Regional graduate, took over the girls lacrosse program this spring and led the Mustangs to 11 wins and another state playoffs appearance. said. “I always wanted to be a coach and health and physical education teacher, but only at Mainland. I didn’t want to go to any rival schools. I wanted to stay at Mainland because I love the school so much and I had such a great experience here. I’m thankful to have been able to do that.” Playing college lacrosse was a big step in setting the foundation for Klever’s eventual coaching career,
she said. “When you get to college, you have so many ‘ahha!’ moments. Your freshman year is full of so many moments when you’re like, ‘I didn’t even know this existed.’ And it just keeps going and going. You’re really able to dissect the game, strategy-wise and
See Klever, page 26
Page 26 w Glory Days Magazine w June 17, 2019 Klever, from page 24
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Sophomore Casey Murray is one of several talented underclassmen who coach Klever will rely on in the coming years to keep up Mainland’s winning tradition.
skill-wise, so I think that really helps me being able to give that information to my players,” she said. “When you go to college, you’re there to be a student, yes, but you’re there to play lacrosse as well. Everyone (at college) was one of the best at their high school. In high school, everyone played midfield, but in college you kind of fell where your strengths lied or where they needed you. In high school you could do it all — you could play defense, you could run the midfield, you could handle the draws. But when you get to college, you have a girl who is a senior and is a master at draws, so it kind of funnels you in to where you need to be.” Klever has been fine-tuning her coaching style for the past five years as an assistant under Daley, so it was a natural transition for the program to turn to someone who knows the ins and outs of Mainland athletics. “In years past, coach Daley really let me have an opportunity to take on more things and tasks, so by the time I was able to become a head coach I had experience with the little things that go into it. I feel like if something is important to you, you’re going to be a little nervous. I was really excited and I knew this group of girls. I really wanted to give them a great season. I wanted them to reach their personal goals and the team’s goals, so I wanted to give them all the tools they needed to do that,” Klever said. “I kind of just taught them lacrosse and kept it simple. I covered the things I thought were needed to perform at the level we needed to perform. I wouldn’t say it was different from coach Daley. It was already a great program, the bricks were already laid out. I feel like this whole year was a learning experience.” What helped Klever make the transition to the head coaching position was the talent and chemistry this year’s team possessed. The Mustangs had some outstanding seniors, such as Ciara Reeves, Mary McLaughlin, Madison Ognibene, Haley Russo, Mary Kate Scannell, Courtney Wolf and Jenna Fantasia, but Mainland also has some very talented underclassmen who will set the foundation for the future, including offensive stars such as junior
“I always wanted to be a coach and health and physical education teacher, but only at Mainland. I didn’t want to go to any rival schools. I wanted to stay at Mainland because I love the school so much and I had such a great experience here. I’m thankful to have been able to do that.”
Kelly Klever Mainland girls lacrosse coach
Meghan Pellegrino, sophomore Casey Murray and freshman phenom Jules Medina, who scored 51 goals this year to go along with 27 assists. Klever also will have a natural replacement for Reeves in goal, as her sister, Gabby, was a sophomore this season. “The coolest thing about this season was the girls’ chemistry and team dynamic,” Klever said. “They were able to face adversity and come together, and keep grinding toward their goals. I never saw a divide, which is awesome to see. We have really strong underclassmen, and we had seven great seniors this year who kept it real and were there to play lacrosse, and that helped us focus in on what we wanted to get done.” The Stangs went 11-8 this year and finished second in the CAL National behind Middle Township, and will be looking for even bigger and better things next spring. Klever and her staff likely won’t waste much time putting together a plan for improvement in Klever’s second season as head coach. “I’m huge on self reflection, so I know what needs to be improved. I think I know what worked well, but I have to constantly be dedicated to growing — growing as an individual, growing as a coach, growing as a program, and just keep working,” she said. “It was a lot of fun to be able to run the show, call the timeouts, put the substitutes in, do the pre- and post-game speeches. Those are things that I really looked forward to and was excited about, and it was awesome.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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Cedar Creek’s Steve Kaenzig delivers to the plate during the Pirates’ loss to West Deptford in the South Jersey Group 2 semifinals.
Glory Days Magazine photos/Dave O’Sullivan
Ocean City’s Alex Vitola tries to bunt for a base hit during the Red Raiders’ state playoff game against Moorestown. Egg Harbor Township senior Mike Dodd pitches against Cherry Hill East during the South Jersey Group 4 semifinals. Dodd and the Eagles came into the playoffs as the No. 16 seed, but were unable to make the finals, as the Cougars scored a 5-0 victory.
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Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Atlantic City senior Claudine Smith competed in a couple of events at this year’s Meet of Champions, and while the Rutgers University commit didn’t win the hurdles, she scored a gold medal in the triple jump to finish her illustrious prep career.