Even the least likely of Hudson County football teams can somehow pull themselves by their collective bootstraps and earn a win every now and then.
It was proven last weekend when previously winless Weehawken and Snyder both won their respective games.
Weehawken downright shocked Ridgefield, 24-21, when freshman Damian Corredor caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Jason Pineda with just 14 seconds remaining, giving the Indians their first win after 11 straight losses.
Corredor, the latest in a line of great athletes from a family that has already produced standout athletes Crystal (an All-Area basketball player), Angelo, and Daisy at Weehawken High, had almost 200 yards in total offense in the game.
Having a talented freshman like Corredor and a sophomore signal caller like Pineda gives head coach Chris Johnsen hope for the future…
And Snyder snapped an even longer losing streak. By defeating Sussex Tech, 46-12, Snyder won for the first time in 20 contests, dating back to the 2006 season, and gave new head coach Franz Pierre-Louis his first head coaching victory.
Congratulations to both coaches and their respective programs…
More on the football front: Is there a hotter quarterback right now than St. Peter’s Prep’s standout Raphael Ortiz?
Ortiz had his second straight sensational week, completing 10 of 13 passes for 170 yards and three touchdowns in a 60-7 win over Bayonne. Ortiz is completing nearly 75 percent of his passes this season and has thrown for eight touchdowns…
Almost lost in the shuffle was the passing performance of St. Anthony quarterback Sylvester Wright, who completed 17 of 30 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns, coming in the wild 47-34 loss to Hoboken last Friday night…
Secaucus’ Niko Petruzzella also had a great day, making it a fine weekend for quarterbacks, throwing for 220 yards and three touchdowns in the Patriots’ 45-13 rout of Lyndhurst…
Lincoln improved to 4-0 with a huge win over Robbinsville, with last week’s Athlete of the Week, Tyron Stevens, adding three more touchdowns…
The Hudson Reporter’s Top Five: 1. St. Peter’s Prep (2-1). 2. Lincoln (4-0). 3. North Bergen (3-1). 4. Secaucus (3-0). 5. Hoboken (2-2)…
In soccer action, Dickinson has moved its way into the forefront of the Hudson County boys’ soccer scene by defeating front-running St. Peter’s Prep, 3-1, Wednesday night. Senior standout Maxi Garcia scored two more goals and is on pace to reach 100 for his career, which is quite an accomplishment. We’ll have more on Dickinson’s fine soccer team next week…
Sad news about legendary Jersey City boxer Mark Medal, who allegedly has run afoul of the law while under suspension as a Jersey City police officer. Medal, the former IBF world junior middleweight champion, was reportedly arrested and charged with an unidentified crime last week, although the Hudson County Prosecutor’s office would not release the severity of the charges.
Medal has always been a pure gentleman and a credit to this area, having earned induction into both the Hudson County Sports Hall of Fame and the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame. It’s a shame if these charges are true, because no one ever wants to see a true legend run into legal woes…
Last week, there was a special roast and toast for retiring Marist girls’ basketball coach Bill DeFazio at the Casino in the Park in Jersey City. About 30 of DeFazio’s former players were on hand and several people, including yours truly, acted as roasters for the fun-filled evening. It was a good way to celebrate the incredible achievements of a great coach and a great man…
Former St. Anthony standout Rodrick Rhodes has left the coaching staff at Seton Hall and will coach this season at the University of Texas-Pan American….
Felician College in Lodi has named Secaucus native and resident David DeFerrari as its new head men’s basketball coach…
New Jersey Institute of Technology has named St. Peter’s Prep graduate Nelson Albino as its director of basketball operations…
News items about former St. Anthony basketball players: Tyshawn Taylor allegedly got into a fight on the campus of the University of Kansas and dislocated his thumb. The injury will keep Taylor out of action for up to two months…
Former Friar point guard Jio Fontan will lead Fordham into the IZOD Center on Dec. 19 against nationally ranked Villanova and another former Friar Dominic Cheek. Game time is set for 1 p.m. and tickets are now available through Ticketmaster…
The St. Anthony documentary movie, “The Street Stops Here,” will be showcased at the New Jersey Film Festival next month in New Brunswick. We’ll have more about the showing in the coming weeks. The trailer for the movie can already be seen on YouTube.com and more can be seen on the website, www.thestreetstopsheremovie.com. – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.