There’s one thing that Ed Stinson never wants to experience.
"A retirement dinner," said Stinson, the long-time head football coach at Hoboken High School. "I never want one of those retirement parties. I’m against that idea."
However, when his wife and daughters wanted to organize a testimonial dinner in honor of his 25th anniversary of coaching high school football, Stinson reluctantly agreed to be feted.
"It really turned out to be a reunion event," said Stinson, who was toasted for his 17 years at Hoboken, as well as stints at Park Ridge and Pascack Hills High Schools in Bergen County. "It was really nice. My family did a tremendous job."
Nearly 400 people turned out to Stinson’s testimonial dinner, which was held at the Hi-Hat in Bayonne recently.
Several prominent college football coaches sent congratulatory wishes to Stinson, either via letter or video. Penn State coaching legend Joe Paterno and Rutgers coach Greg Schiano sent video greetings. Current Cleveland Browns head coach Butch Davis and current Washington Redskins coach Steve Spurrier sent letters.
"Those coaches all recruited our kids over the years and were very complimentary towards me," Stinson said. "I was appreciative of what the coaches did."
Vince Ascolese, who coached Stinson at Hoboken High School, and Jack Stephens, who coached Stinson at Jersey City State College, were part of the esteemed dais, along with master of ceremonies Charlie Tortorella, the former principal at Hoboken High.
Stinson also received proclamations from Hoboken Mayor David Roberts, State Sen. Bernard Kenny and Freeholder Maurice Fitzgibbons during the course of the evening.
"The best thing was seeing kids who I once coached who are no longer kids," Stinson said. "They’re now grown men with their own families. They tell me that I had an impact on their lives. Well, that’s the greatest compliment."
Stinson said that he thought the whole experience something to behold.
"I think it was very humbling," Stinson said. "But it tells you something about the great game of football. I believe that it is the best activity and the best-taught subject. It teaches discipline, organization, teamwork. Looking back, I have a great appreciation of the time I’ve spent. Not many people stay in coaching for 25 years anymore."
Added Stinson, "I told the audience that I was under no delusions that this happened by myself. I was lucky to have great players, great coaches and a great family that supported me along the way. It took a lot of lives that had to get involved along the way."…
Congrats to two members of the Hudson Reporter All-Area Basketball team who declared their collegiate intentions last week.
St. Anthony standout Donald Copeland, the Hudson Reporter Player of the Year, signed a national letter of intent to attend Seton Hall next year. Copeland was certain that he could secure a big-time scholarship and he most certainly did that, locking up a free ride to play in the Big East.
Now, Copeland will get a chance to lock horns with former teammate Elijah Ingram, who is headed to St. John’s. That’s a much-anticipated showdown on the horizon…
And Hudson Catholic’s star Darlington Okerulu made his decision last week, when he decided to accept the scholarship offer from St. Anselm’s College in Vermont.
St. Anselm’s head coach Keith Dickson, who has been at the school 16 years, was delighted to get a player of Darlington’s caliber.
"We are very excited that Darlington has decided to attend Saint Anselm and
we look forward to working with him for the next four years," Dickson said. "He is an
outstanding player and person and we expect him to make an immediate impact on our program. Darlington is a ferocious competitor and has been an extremely productive player at the high school level. We will look for him to give us an added presence around the basket while also rebounding both backboards. He has great potential and should be an outstanding player at this level."
Those are high compliments coming from a coach who is well respected in the NCAA Division II ranks….
Did anyone catch the score of the Dickinson-Snyder softball game played last Tuesday? Dickinson was down 15-8, but scored 17 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to capture a 25-15 win.
Yes, that is a correct score. Seventeen runs in the sixth. No touchdowns were scored. But Angelica Sepulveda had three hits and seven RBI, Heather Torres had four hits and four RBI, winning pitcher Kristie Thomas hit a grand slam and Yessenia Genea had three hits and three RBI, including a solo homer. All four young ladies stroked home runs for Dickinson in the victory. An amazing offensive explosion…
Here’s a name to remember on the softball front. St. Dominic Academy freshman Leigh Ann Murduca, who threw a two-hit shutout, striking out eight in a 10-0 win over North Bergen, while hitting a grand slam in the win as well. Murduca is making her mark as a player to watch down the stretch…
Congrats to the recently inducted members of the Emerson High School Sports Hall of Fame, namely Luis Bido, Eddie Antommarchi, Ron Dario, John Graham, Jason Morgan, Sonny "Luke" Hamlin, Vinny DeSena, Dave Hanrahan, Coach Bernice Campen (Cheerleading) and Coach Roger Schmitt (Bowling and Tennis).
The late John Mangiante, Jr. was named to the Hall of Fame posthumously.
A special humanitarian award was given to Union City Mayor Brian Stack.
Again, I feel ancient, when two kids who I got to see play the majority of their high school games, namely All-State grid standout Bido and stellar running back/linebacker Morgan, both of whom were on the 1987 Emerson team that won the HCIAA American Conference title, are named as Hall of Famers. Shouldn’t honors like that go to older people? Or am I just getting older?… – Jim Hague
Pictured: On the dais from left are Bill Lally, the former head coach at Pascack Hills, Glen Noto, the athletic director at Park Ridge, Monsignor Frederick Eid, Ascolese, Master of Ceremonies Charles Tortorella, Stinson and former Jersey City State head coach Jack Stephens.