As a kid growing up in Bayonne, Connie Gallagher never thought that his height – or lack thereof – would be a deterrent from doing what he loved to do, which was playing sports.
“I didn’t think,” Gallagher said. “I just played.”
So after Gallagher enrolled in Bayonne High School and joined the soccer team, his 5-foot-7 frame didn’t stop him from wanting to become a goalkeeper, albeit an unconventional one.
“I stunk in the field,” Gallagher said. “I couldn’t play in the field. The team needed a goalie, so I was there. I could jump a little, but because I was little, I had to prove myself there. I had this inner drive. As short as I was, other teams would see me on the field and laugh. That made me even more determined.”
As it turned out, Gallagher became one of the best goalies in the school’s history. He also was a standout baseball player for the Bees and continued his athletic prowess to St. Peter’s College, where he played both sports.
And later on, Gallagher eventually became the head soccer coach at his alma mater, taking the Bayonne soccer program to new heights and four county championships.
Gallagher is one of three men from Bayonne who will receive one of the highest accolades they can receive in the field of athletics.
The big event
On Thursday, March 26, Gallagher, Paul Conway and Alex Stencel will gain induction into the Hudson County Sports Hall of Fame, joining 16 other worthy recipients at the 19th annual induction dinner held at the Casino-in-the-Park in Jersey City.
The dinner is set to begin at 7 p.m., after a cocktail hour beginning at 6 p.m.
Life as Coach Gallagher
While Gallagher was a fine athlete at Bayonne (1969-73), eventually earning All-County in soccer and baseball, leading both teams to HCIAA championships, as well as college, his fondest memories are as a soccer coach.
He started his coaching career at St. Peter’s Prep (1978-1982) and guided the Marauders to the HCIAA championship in 1978. From there, Gallagher went to coach at his alma mater for two stints (1983 through 1988 and then 1993 through 2000). During that time, Gallagher’s teams won 144 games and captured four HCIAA championships. All totaled, Gallagher won 198 games in 19 years as a head coach.
“I guess my memories are more as a coach because they’re more recent,” Gallagher said. “I was lucky enough to have good kids who always were willing to work together. Don’t get me wrong, I loved playing. You couldn’t get me off the field. But I think of this more as a coach. It’s a very humbling thing to be recognized like this. It makes me feel like I don’t deserve it. I just feel I was at the right place at the right time.”
Conway
Conway also has to feel a little like Gallagher in being in that timely right place.
While Conway was a two-sport athlete at St. Peter’s Prep in the 1950s and later played baseball at St. Peter’s College, his claim to fame was in the field of coaching, where he became one of the youngest coaches to ever win an NJSIAA state championship and later became one of the most successful tennis coaches in Hudson County history.
After graduating from SPC, Conway entered the field of education and became an assistant basketball coach at St. Michael’s in Union City. Within three years, Conway became the head coach. And at age 25, he guided St. Michael’s to the 1965 NJSIAA Parochial B state championship, the lone state basketball championship in the school’s rich and storied tradition.
“We were the lowest seed in the tournament and we came back to win,” said Conway, who has called Bayonne home for more than 40 years. “Those kids were unbelievable. They overachieved and never wanted to give up, never wanted to lose.”
When Conway’s daughter, Megan, was attending Holy Family Academy and playing tennis there, the coach of her team resigned and there was talk that the sport could have been disbanded. So Conway stepped forward to coach the team.
“I thought it was going to be for one year,” Conway said. “I really just wanted to see my daughter play.”
He remained at HFA for 18 memorable seasons.
As tennis coach at HFA, Conway guided the Falcons to an amazing 261 wins against just 46 losses in those 18 years. During one stretch, the Falcons won an amazing 74 consecutive matches against HCIAA foes (1991 through 1995). During that time, HFA won seven HCIAA titles and five county tournament crowns.
“I enjoyed coaching,” said Conway, who retired from coaching in 1995. “The girls were always willing to work hard and stay after practice to get better. Coaching those girls in tennis was very rewarding. To be able to be in this Hall of Fame with all the great people before me is quite a thrill.”
Stencel
When Stencel was contacted and told he was being inducted into the Hall of Fame, he thought it was some kind of a joke or a mistake.
“Are you sure you have the right guy?” Stencel said from his home in California.
But there was no doubt, considering that Stencel is one of the most versatile athletes in Bayonne High School history.
Stencel was a standout two-sport athlete at Bayonne High School (1967-71), participating in football and track for the Bees. He was a defensive end, tight end and punter and earned All-Hudson County and All-Group IV honors his senior year.
Stencel played varsity football for three years at Arizona State.
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After graduating from Bayonne, Stencel went to Arizona State (1971-76), where he concentrated on football and played for the legendary coach Frank Kush.
“Frank Kush treated everyone the same way,” Stencel said. “Rotten.”
Stencel played varsity football for three years at Arizona State as a strong safety and was part of the 1975 Sun Devil team that went undefeated (12-0) and earned the mythical No. 1 ranking in the nation from The Sporting News. During his tenure at ASU, Stencel was part of three Sun Devil teams that won Fiesta Bowl titles.
He was also able to fully recover from a horrible motorcycle accident that nearly claimed his life.
Stencel had a tryout with the Denver Broncos after graduation from Arizona State, but left the tryout after suffering an injury and never returned.
“Once I got hurt playing football, the fun was gone,” he said. “It was just another step in my life.”
After graduating from Arizona State, Stencel worked in the insurance industry for a while, but then moved to California and got a job working in the film industry as a wet maintenance technician, working for studios like MGM and Disney.
Alex and his wife, Karen, used to compete in marathons together, with Alex completing 11 different marathons, including Las Vegas, San Diego and Washington, D.C.
It’s been over a decade since Stencel has visited Hudson County and his native Bayonne, but he’ll be back for the induction dinner next Thursday.
“I am really looking forward to it,” Stencel said. “I can’t tell you the last time I was in New Jersey. I have a lot of great memories of Bayonne, lot of great friends.”
Gallagher feels the same way _ and he’s never left his hometown, still teaching in a middle school.
“I’m very prejudiced about Bayonne,” Gallagher said. “It’s always been a special place and it’s an honor for me to represent Bayonne. It’s a special place and always will be.”
Tickets for the 19th Annual Hudson County Sports Hall of Fame dinner are priced at $60 and can be purchased by calling the Hudson County Parks Department office at (201) 915-1386. Some of the other inductees include six-time world boxing champion Emile Griffith and former major league baseball pitcher Jeff Bittiger.