So what were the top sports stories for 2014?
We had the crowning of major champions and the passing of major legends. We had dreams fulfilled and others curtailed. More importantly, we had another year to remember in Hudson County sports, so let’s take a closer look at The Hudson Reporter’s Top 10 Sports Stories for 2014.
1-St. Peter’s Prep wins NJSIAA Non-Public Group 4 state football title
Every year since 2005, the St. Peter’s Prep football team has vied for the elusive NJSIAA Non-Public Group 4 state championship in probably the toughest classification that the state or even the country has to offer. In a handful of those years, the Marauders were considered the favorites to win the title, but fell short of the main goal.
But in the chilly rain and wind of a December Friday evening at MetLife Stadium, the goal became a reality once again. Thanks to a memorable effort by the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year Brandon Wimbush, who threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another, and a brilliant blocked punt return from Kolton Huber, the Marauders reached the pinnacle once again. The Marauders defeated Paramus Catholic, 34-18, and avenged two straight losses to the Paladins in the state playoffs, including a loss in last year’s state title game.
The victory, the Marauders’ fourth NJSIAA state title under head coach Rich Hansen, enabled the Marauders to secure the state’s No. 1 ranking overall, as well as a Top 10 national ranking and the No. 1 Sports Story of the Year here.
2-North Bergen football legend Ascolese dies
Just days before the thrilling St. Peter’s Prep victory, there was a major sense of sadness and loss in the Hudson County and New Jersey scholastic sports world when legendary North Bergen football coach Vince Ascolese died after a long battle with cancer. Ascolese was 77 years old.
Simply put, Ascolese was a larger-than-life legend in the sport of high school football in New Jersey. He won an astounding 356 games as a head coach over a career that spanned an incredible 50 years, first at Hoboken and then later at North Bergen. The win total still ranks as No. 3 all-time in New Jersey football history. Ascolese led his teams to an amazing eight state championships, seven at North Bergen, the final one coming in 2011 in thrilling fashion on the final play of the game against Montclair at MetLife Stadium.
Incredibly, Ascolese died three years to the day of that final victory, one that was eventually stripped by the NJSIAA for alleged recruiting violations, but has never been wiped away from North Bergen’s memory. Nor will Ascolese’s achievements as a true giant in scholastic sports. His passing is duly noted as the No. 2 Sports Story of the Year.
3-Hudson Catholic wins NJSIAA Non-Public B state baseball title
Over the last 50 years, Hudson Catholic has established a reputation for producing some of the best high school baseball teams in Hudson County. The Hawks won several county championships and featured some of the best coaches in history, including two members of the Hudson County Sports Hall of Fame in the late Joe “Rocky” Pope and Mike Zadroga.
But never had the school ever captured an NJSIAA state championship in baseball — that was, until last June.
The Hawks, spearheaded by the pitching of Brandon Pilovsky and a clutch three-run homer from Victor Guzman, defeated St. Joseph of Hammonton, 7-0, to capture the NJSIAA Non-Public B state championship in Toms River.
Ironically, it was the same day that several of the Hawk senior players enjoyed their graduation, so it was truly a day to remember for them and for the entire school, as it is the No. 3 Sports Story of the Year.
4-Union City’s Matias wins national football title with Florida State
No one could have ever imagined that the NCAA national championship football game would have a Hudson County flavor, but it did in January of 2014, when Union City’s Josue Matias helped to lead Florida State to the national title, defeating Auburn, 34-31, in the title game held in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Matias was a starting guard on the Seminoles, helping to lead the blocking for then-reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston.
Matias became the first Hudson County native to play for a national championship football team since Jersey City’s Rich Glover won the national title with Nebraska in 1971.
Not a bad distinction for a kid who came to Union City from the Dominican Republic when he was 6 years old, never having played football in his life. Now, Matias will forever be known as a national champion – and has a chance to win a second national title as the Seminoles will face Oregon on New Year’s Day, again at the Rose Bowl, in the national semifinals in the first-ever college playoffs.
5-North Bergen’s Giraldo repeats as state wrestling champion
Hudson County has only crowned a handful of NJSIAA state wrestling champions in its history. North Bergen is the only program with more than one state champion, namely John Bott (1983) and Anthony Giraldo (2013).
Well, in March, Giraldo became the first Hudson County wrestler to ever win two state titles, winning his second consecutive NJSIAA state title.
Giraldo won the 132-pound crown in Atlantic City, defeating Mike Magaldo of Watchung Hills, 3-1, in the championship round to finish his brilliant senior season with a perfect 41-0 record and end his career with 157 wins, the most in Hudson County history.
Giraldo graduated from High Tech last June and is now wrestling at Rutgers University. His legacy of greatness will be very hard to top in the years to come.
6-North Bergen native Anderson drafted by defending NBA champion Spurs
In June, a lifelong dream became a reality, when North Bergen native and former St. Anthony basketball All-American Kyle Anderson was selected in the NBA Draft, taken by the defending league champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round, the No. 30 selection overall.
Anderson became the first Hudson County product to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft since Jersey City native and fellow St. Anthony product Roshown McLeod was taken by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 1998 NBA Draft.
Anderson played for two seasons at UCLA before moving on to the NBA. He is slowly getting accustomed to life in the NBA, but he’s in a good situation with the reigning NBA champs. Getting selected in the NBA Draft was something that Anderson always hoped would happen. In June, it became a reality.
7-Secaucus volleyball team wins another NJSIAA state championship
It used to be an annual occurrence, Secaucus winning a state championship in volleyball. After all, the school had 17 such championships at either Group I or Group II over the years.
But it had been since 2006 that Secaucus was without a state volleyball title.
However, in November, the Patriots put an end to that drought, as they defeated archrival Bogota, 25-22 and 25-15, to win the NJSIAA Group I state crown.
The Patriots were led by a solid senior class of Katelyn Schlemm, Andie Lennon, Kendall Caruso and Julia McClure, who all chipped in and helped the cause.
8-Hudson Catholic freshman Ortiz blazes cross country scene
When the cross country season began in September, no one knew who Crystal Ortiz was. By the end of November, the entire state knew exactly who she was, as the Hudson Catholic freshman blazed the trail this season.
Ortiz not only won every race imaginable locally, including becoming the first Hudson Catholic product to ever win a Hudson County Track Coaches Association championship, but she also went on to win the NJSIAA Non-Public B state championship and finished 11th overall at the state Meet of Champions, the second best placing for a freshman in the race.
Needless to say, Ortiz has made a name for herself and she’s certainly a runner to watch over the next three-plus years.
9-Hoboken wins NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group I softball title
It was a wild season for the Hoboken girls’ softball program, getting a new coach in Vinnie Johnson and a host of new players who took a while to get going. At one point in the season, the Red Wings owned a 2-5 record.
But the Red Wings rebounded in time for the NJSIAA state playoffs and they rolled through the North Jersey Section 2, Group I bracket, winning the state sectional title for the first time since 2007.
Naomi Olacio hit a clutch three-run homer and pitcher Nicole Barron made it stand up, as the Red Wings toppled Glen Ridge, 4-2, to win the state sectional title in late May, only the second state sectional crown in the school’s history and only the sixth in Hudson County history.
10-Hudson Catholic, Lincoln both “three-peat” as county champs
It’s one thing to win one Hudson County Tournament championship. After all, before Hudson Catholic won in 2012, it had been 37 years since the last time the Hawks won the boys’ title. It was almost as long of a drought with the girls’ program at Lincoln.
But in late February, both Hudson Catholic’s boys and Lincoln’s girls won their third straight Hudson County championship, giving both schools a reason to celebrate a “three-peat.”
Hudson Catholic defeated favored St. Peter’s Prep in the title game, while Lincoln held off Bayonne in their title game, both games being held at Union City High School.
Just-missed list
There were several other noteworthy sports stories that just missed being a part of our Top 10 list:
While St. Peter’s Prep won the NJSIAA football state sectional, two other local teams reached the championship games in their respective sections, namely Lincoln and St. Anthony, the latter for the first time ever; There were the tragic deaths of former athletes Kermy Amparo (Memorial) and Josue Romero (Union City), with Amparo being stabbed to death and Romero dying in an automobile accident just two weeks apart in August; there was the mass exodus of players and head basketball coach Todd Decker from St. Peter’s Prep, leaving that program to totally rebuild; there was the success of the Union City girls’ cross country team, winning the Hudson County Track Coaches Association team title for the first time ever; there was the Secaucus boys’ soccer team advancing to the NJSIAA North 2, Group I sectional title game for the first time. Jersey City native Robert Ayers came home again twice, first to play at MetLife Stadium in the Super Bowl for the Denver Broncos, then a few months later, signing as a free agent with the New York Giants; the Marist baseball team captured the Hudson County baseball tournament once again; there was the tragic tale of former St. Peter’s Prep standout Will Hill getting his release from the New York Giants after failing his third drug test while with the team; Lincoln’s Tyrik Darby and North Bergen’s Carolina Herrera were named the Hudson Reporter Male and Female Athletes of the Year respectively; there were seven local football products who gave verbal commitments to play major college football, the most in over a decade; and former St. Peter’s Prep basketball standout Ronald Roberts was signed to a roster spot with the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA.
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com
You can also read Jim’s blog at www.jimhaguesports.blogspot.com.