Hudson Hall of Fame set; Stinson, McMichael, Boylan head list
The 2003 Hudson County Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will take place at Jersey City’s Casino in the Park on Thursday, Jan. 30. The 18 inductees will once again represent the finest in athletics that our county has to offer over the years.
Among the honorees is current Hoboken head football coach Ed Stinson, who ranks third all-time among Hudson County grid coaches in victories; former Lincoln and Rutgers standout quarterback Ed McMichael; Union City sports legend Nick "Whizzer" Mastorelli; former St. Aloysius High School three-sport star Felix Addeo; former Memorial and St. John’s University basketball star Ralph Passante, Sr.; and Maria Pepe, the Hoboken native who was the first girl ever to break the gender barrier in Little League baseball, gaining national attention for her attempt in the 1970s.
Also to be honored: Tom Hespos, a three-sport standout at St. Joseph of the Palisades; the late Richie Arricale, a former standout baseball player at Weehawken who became a respected basketball official; Stanley Chesney, the late Bayonne native who is a member of the United States Soccer Hall of Fame; and Jersey City native Tommy O’Keefe, the first-ever 1,000 point scorer at St. Peter’s Prep who went on to play at Georgetown University and later became the head coach at Georgetown.
Also: Albio Sires, the two-time All-County basketball player at Memorial who is now the State Assembly Speaker and Mayor of West New York; and Jim Boylan, the former St. Mary’s of Jersey City standout basketball player and 1,000-point scorer who first went to Assumption College, then transferred to Marquette, where he started for the 1977 NCAA Champions. Boylan is currently an assistant coach in the NBA with the Houston Rockets.
Also: The late Johnny Buff, who was Jersey City’s first world boxing champion in the 1920s; long-time sportswriters Mike Rowan and Wayne Witkowski; former Dickinson baseball standout George Polasky; and Fred Constantino, the Secaucus councilman who was a fine two-sport athlete at St. Michael’s of Union City and then St. Mary’s of the Plains in Iowa.
The late Carmine Conti, the long-time executive director of the District 7 Little League tournament, will receive the Community Service award.
It should be a great night of nostalgia and honor for all of the inductees. For further information about tickets, please contact Jane Green at (201) 915-1386 during business hours… — Jim Hague