NORTH BERGEN – The North Bergen Board of Education will not appeal a ruling stripping North Bergen High School of its 2011 football state championship to the U.S. Supreme Court. Superintendent of Schools Dr. George Solter released the following statement on Thursday:
“While we will always believe that the facts of the case are on our side, after consulting with Mayor Nick Sacco and school and township officials and considering our options fully we have decided not to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court and to let the matter end here.
“It is unfortunate to see the hard work our players put in and their incredible play on the field that led to the state championship be denigrated, but our community will always remember the 2011 Bruins as champions regardless of what has occurred and the team will always hold a special place in our hearts.”
The Board of Education’s battle to reclaim its high school football team’s 2011 state title was reportedly headed to the U.S. Supreme Court as of Monday.
“A petition to the United States Supreme Court will be filed,” said Patrick Jennings, a Hackensack lawyer representing the North Bergen Board of Education. “And we expect to prevail.”
The state Supreme Court on Monday denied the Board of Education’s petition to hear its case on restoring the high school football team’s 2011 state title.
A magic moment overturned
The petition had challenged a recent ruling that rejected an appeal to reinstate the state title that was stripped because the school illegally recruited two players.
Informed of the U.S. Supreme Court appeal earlier in the week, The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association stood by its decision.
“NJSIAA believes the New Jersey Supreme Court’s order speaks for itself,” NJSIAA spokesperson Michael Cherenson said. “If North Bergen decides to continue to pursue this matter, we will continue to defend our position.”
The series of events began in December 2011 when North Bergen upset Montclair 14-13 on a last-second touchdown to win the NJSIAA North 1, Group 4 title.
Just two months later, the NJSIAA stripped North Bergen of its title after it was revealed that two players had been illegally recruited to play for the Bruins and were moved into a two-family home owned by long-time head coach Vince Ascolese, who died in December 2014.
The school appealed the state’s first-ever decision to relinquish a title in January of 2014, but the request was denied by a state appellate panel in April of this year.
Less than three weeks later, North Bergen filed an appeal to the state supreme court.