Fernando Fuentes doesn’t want to wake up just yet. His entire senior year at Weehawken High School has been a dream.
“You could never imagine all that has happened could actually be true,” Fuentes said. “The whole year has basically been that way.”
It started in the fall, when Fuentes, as the quarterback of the football team, guided Weehawken to an 8-3 record – the best record in the school’s history – and the school’s first appearance in the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group I state playoffs.
It continued through the spring, when Fuentes, as the catcher and cleanup hitter, led Weehawken to its best baseball record ever (21-4), winning the Bergen County Scholastic League National Division championship for the first time.
“Before the season, I told Mike Maione [a fellow senior] that the baseball season was our last chance to win something,” Fuentes said. “We never won anything before and we were able to win a championship.”
The dream wasn’t over. Two weeks ago, Fuentes received word that the New York Yankees selected him in the Major League Baseball draft. Although he will not sign a professional contract, the idea that a player from Weehawken could be drafted – also a first – was another honor.
Last week, the honors continued to pour in. Fuentes was selected as the recipient of the Lester Purvere Award as the Outstanding Male Athlete at Weehawken High School. He received his award at the annual Senior Athletic Awards Banquet and Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies at Schuetzen Park in North Bergen.
Fuentes was tabbed as the best male, while fellow senior Ileana Fajardo was picked as the recipient of the Ernest J. Demontreaux Award as the school’s Outstanding Female Athlete.
Both students were extremely flattered by the honor.
“It’s a big honor for me,” said Fuentes, who will attend junior college instead of signing with the Yankees. “So many of my teammates are big-time athletes and some play all three sports. I was actually very surprised.”
“Even though I knew I had a shot, I was still kind of surprised,” said Fajardo, who played tennis, basketball and softball on the varsity level. “It’s a great honor and it makes up for all the hard work I put in over the years.” Fuentes batted .510 with 10 homers and 40 RBI for the Indians this spring. Fajardo batted .507 with 27 RBI, helping the Weehawken softball team reach the state playoffs for the first time.
According to Athletic Director Richard Terpak, the two recipients represent a senior class that could have very well been the best athletic class the school ever produced.
“I think of the NCAA [Basketball] Tournament, when it’s over and they show the video highlights with the song, ‘One Shining Moment,'” Terpak said. “Well, these kids have left us with many shining moments. The memories that this class has left us will last a lifetime. It’s probably the best class we’ve had since 1955 and that alone speaks for itself.”
Terpak added, “Ileana is so soft spoken and doesn’t really know how good she is. Fern had just a great year in two sports and it was capped by being drafted.”
The athletic banquet honored all of those students who received varsity letters over the course of the year. It also honored other award winners: Joel Rodriguez and Michael Maione, who received the Weehawken Booster Club Awards; Angeli Leal and Maione, who won the ETS/NJSIAA Award; and Leal, who was named the school’s top scholar/athlete and given the Board of Education Achievement Award.
It was also the opportunity to induct the latest members of the Weehawken High School Athletic Hall of Fame, which begins its eighth year of existence. The three new members inducted were: Annmarie DeBari Pansini, from the Class of 1985, who was a 1,000-point scorer in basketball; Alan Kashian, Class of 1962, a standout baseball and football player, and Sal Maione, Class of 1973, who was one of the best basketball players in the school’s history and still serves as a basketball coach in the township’s recreation department.
Terpak made no bones about Fuentes’s and Fajardo’s future accolades. “When their time comes, you can be sure that Fern and Ileana will have their day in the Hall of Fame,” Terpak said. “They certainly rank right up there with the all-time greats.”
Fajardo, who will attend Montclair State and maybe play softball there, can’t believe her high school days are ending.
“I really can’t believe it’s all over,” Fajardo said. “I really don’t have words to describe it. I’m just very happy to get this honor.”
“It’s all been amazing,” said Fuentes, who will participate in the state Coaches Association All-Star Classic in Princeton this weekend. “One honor after another. The whole year has been remarkable.”