Secaucus’ volleyball streak continues; Hudson Catholic off to strong soccer start
It stands at 61 straight and counting, the impressive winning streak compiled by the Secaucus volleyball team, which begins the 2000 season among the top teams in New Jersey once again.
Veteran head coach Maria Nolan, who has collected more awards of late than NBC’s "The West Wing" collected Emmys, has once again assembled a fine team that should make a solid push for an unprecedented sixth straight Group I state championship later this year.
Senior Tiffany Aciz is an All-State candidate, but reports have it that Jessie Lunapiena is equally as talented. If that’s the case, then Secaucus will be very tough to beat this fall, despite the nervousness that constant worrywart Nolan always exudes.
The string of success that Nolan has enjoyed is absolutely amazing. Not only has the coach won her last 61 matches, but she also has enjoyed a mark of 188-5 over the last nine seasons, including this year. Those numbers are beyond mindboggling.
We’ll keep a close eye on the Lady Patriots and their record-setting winning streak…
It’s still very early in the high school soccer season, but one of the teams to watch so far has been Hudson Catholic, spearheaded by veteran coach John Cruitt. The Hawks suffered through somewhat of a disappointing campaign a year ago, but Cruitt has a strong squad this fall, evident by the Hawks’ soaring 4-0 start.
Victor Kotynski has been the player to watch for the Hawks so far, scoring seven goals in the first week of the season, including the three-goal hat trick in the season opening
victory over Lyndhurst.
Cruitt is one of the true gentlemen of high school athletics and truly deserves a comeback season like the one he’s enjoying…
After leaving Seton Hall in a lurch, then turning his back on a letter of intent with the University of Miami, former Marist basketball standout Rashid Dunbar has now headed to the University of Memphis, where he will be united with former Nets head coach John Calipari.
Now, I adore Dunbar and my heart and soul went out to him during his time of crisis, when he nearly lost his life in an automobile accident in May of 1999, but giving commitments to three major colleges in less than a year isn’t exactly the way a freshman wants to begin collegiate life.
Here’s hoping that Dunbar now remains put, set in his decision and has a long and prosperous career with Calipari in the Land of Elvis…
On the cross-country front, it’s great to see the dedicated Sal Rizzo resurface as the head coach at Lincoln. Rizzo was implicated in a silly incident two years ago that he had absolutely nothing to do with, yet was forced to step aside because of it.
I’m glad to see that the powers-that-be chose to examine the situation further and realize that Rizzo is a wonderful coach who performed miracles with that program when he was there.
And Rizzo’s return will only mean great things for the Lions’ entire track and field program…
And it appears as if St. Dominic Academy will have a strong season again, with returnees Danielle Biondo, Bernadette Laracy and Tai Wikins all back for another season with the esteemed Blue Devils cross-country program.
Speaking of the Blue Devils, my condolences go out to SDA track coach and athletic director John Nagel on the passing of his beloved stepfather, Vic Bastek, last week.
There was no bigger supporter of the SDA program than Vic, who was a constant presence at many meets, not to mention many local sporting events throughout Hudson County. He was a wonderful soul and a joy to be around and I will sorely miss him…
Congrats to St. Peter’s College head football coach Rob Stern on the Peacocks’ 13-0 victory over Canisius last week. The Peacocks staggered to a 1-10 record last season, so it was good for the affable Stern to get a win under his belt early in the campaign…
Congrats to former St. Dominic Academy basketball coach Mike Perchun on his St. Louis Cardinals clinching the National League Central Division title this week. Perchun, the biggest Cardinal fan next to Gussie Busch himself, better hope that the Cards don’t
face the Mets in the playoffs, or there could be war locally, especially coming from one particularly large Mets fan, who will remain nameless…
Jersey City native Lesli Brea made it back to the major leagues last week with the Baltimore Orioles, pitching in three games in relief for the O’s, who are playing out the string in yet another disappointing season.
With the controversy surrounding Brea’s true age (26, not 21, as reported when he was traded to the Orioles from the Mets earlier this summer) now totally cleared up, the Orioles believe Brea has a chance to be a fine major league pitcher. Apparently, the team will keep Brea in their plans – and that’s good news for Brea and his family, who still reside in Jersey City’s Greenville section…
Finally, in closing this week, I wanted to address the end of the Patrick Ewing era with the New York Knicks. As many of you readers may know, I covered the Knicks on a regular basis a few years ago, as the beat writer for the Newark Star-Ledger, so I had to deal with Ewing on a regular basis as well.
And in all of my 17 years as a sportswriter, I have never encountered a more nasty, surly, abrasive, disrespectful piece of dog meat than one Patrick Ewing, whose constant method of avoiding sportswriters would be to say, "No press today, man," and to duck and hide constantly to get away from any questions.
My lasting memory of how much of a prince – and you know what kind of prince I mean – Patrick Ewing was took place in Dallas about five years ago. The team had called for an unannounced practice at the Downtown YMCA, so only the media knew where and when it was taking place.
When Ewing stepped off the team bus, a little girl, perhaps all of nine years old, recognized Ewing and approached him, holding a piece of paper, perhaps the back of an advertisement flier, looking for his autograph.
Ewing totally ignored the little girl, then took his hand and actually pushed her aside as he walked into the gym. I was absolutely mortified for the girl. So were two of Ewing’s teammates, namely Herb Williams and J.R. Reid, who then quickly stopped to give the girl their signature on the paper.
I never understood that move. How long could it have taken for Ewing to scribble his name on the paper? It wasn’t like this girl was turning the paper over to an autograph dealer to make a buck. And she was a little girl – of his own race, no less.
When I told the incident to former Knick point guard Derek Harper, he just shrugged his shoulders.
"That’s just Patrick," Harper said.
Two years later, when the NBA was in the throes of a lockout, and the NBA players were being judged by fans as greedy idiots, Ewing was spotted outside the Knicks’ training facility, shaking hands with fans and signing autographs. It was so hypocritical that I wanted to throw up.
Ewing wanted out of New York in the worst way, because he knew that the Knicks were not about to give an aging, broken down, 38-year-old warhorse $20 million a year to continue. So he brokered with power agent David Falk to get him traded, which finally happened Wednesday night, when the Knicks shipped their former franchise aircraft carrier to Seattle.
My response to the trade can best be summed up in two words: Good riddance.
When Ewing came to the Knicks in 1985, he was supposed to be the savior, the Messiah. He leaves 15 years later as a pariah.
Nice career, nice jump shot, lousy attitude, horrific human being. See ya…
Hudson Reporter H.S. Football Top Five
1. Hoboken (1-0)
2. Emerson (2-0)
3. North Bergen (2-0)
4. Memorial (1-1)
5. Lincoln (1-1)
Hudson Reporter H.S. Soccer Top Five
1. St. Peter’s Prep (3-1)
2. Hudson Catholic (4-0)
3. Emerson (2-0)
4. Dickinson (2-0)
5. Memorial (2-1)