June
21, 2007
Male
Athlete of the Season:
Dylan Cacciola, Westwood Baseball
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Dylan
Cacciola |
Cacciola has been dominant on the hill throughout his high school career. But going into his senior season, he was out to show that he was not only one of the county’s best pitchers, but one of the best in New Jersey.
He did just that by blowing away whomever he faced. The southpaw used his full repertoire, including a blazing fastball and deceiving change up, to devastating effects without a blip. He finished the season undefeated at 12-0 with 141 strikeouts in just 80 innings. He also walked only 22 batters on the season and had a WHIP (walks +hits/per inning pitched) less than 1, which is a staggering number for a high school pitcher.
On the mound he was simply unhittable, but he has also showed over the years that he can hit for both power and average.
Runner-Up:
Rob Segedin, Northern Valley/Old Tappan
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Rob
Segedin |
Segedin torched Bergen County pitching throughout his four years on the varsity level. Even with pitchers trying to pitch around him in his senior season, he still managed to do major damage with limited opportunities.
On the year, he hit .520 with four homers, 33 RBI’s, 38 runs scored and 20 steals. He finished his fantastic scholastic career with a state record of 187 hits, along with 15 homers, 121 RBI’s and a career batting average of .496. He will attend national power Tulane University next year.
Honorable
Mention:
Jesse
Santo, Passaic Valley Baseball
Tom LaStella, St. Joseph’s (Mont.) Baseball
Adam Derner, River Dell Baseball
Sharif Webb, Don Bosco Track
Matt Connors, Hasbrouck Heights Baseball
Kevin McNerney, St. Peter’s Prep Volleyball
Damian Seguen, North Bergen Baseball
Jaren Matthews, Don Bosco Baseball
Jon Bashan, Fair Lawn Volleyball
Keith Gresham, Don Bosco Lacrosse
Paul Park, Wayne Valley Golf
Nick Ramagli, Emerson Baseball
Luke Granger, Northern Highlands Tennis
Female
Athlete of the Season:
Deanna Giordano, Clifton Softball
 |
Deanna
Giordano |
Giordano has always been a talent in the field, but she felt she was best in the circle as a pitcher. Unfortunately for her, she was stuck behind Clifton's four-time All-Passaic standout Brianne Moore. But Giordano showed so much improvement that she split time with Moore last year before finally getting the full-time gig this season. Patience is a virtue and Giordano showed that her patience and hard work paid off in the end.
With this being her final high school season and her final chance to make waves in the state tournament, Giordano saved the best for last on both counts. In her final three state tournament games, she beat three teams ranked in the top 10 in New Jersey, including the state’s top-ranked team, Toms River East, in the Group 4 final. All three victories were shutouts, including a 2-0, 10-inning victory in the State final to help Clifton win its first state title since 1998.
Over that three-game stretch, she allowed 15 hits, walked three, and had 22 strikeouts in 24 scoreless innings. For the season, she led all North Jersey hurlers with 29 wins, 17 by way of shutout. Her ERA was a paltry 0.62 and the Ramapo-bound senior was no slouch at the plate either. Hitting in the middle of the lineup, she batted .342 and finished second on the team with 30 RBI’s.
Runner-Up:
Brittany Schillizzi, Paramus Softball
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Brittany
Schillizzi |
Schillizzi has been a stalwart both offensively and defensively as a four-year starter for the Spartans. The senior shortstop showed tremendous range and one of the state’s strongest arms. There was virtually no play that Schillizzi could not make and just her presence made opposing teams adjust their offensive strategies.
At the plate, Schillizzi improved steadily each year culminating with her best offensive year to date. She broke a school record by hitting .548 this season. While that is an eye-popping stat, she was even more focused at the plate when there were runners in scoring position.
In those situations, Schillizzi hit a state-best .821 and always seemed to come up with the big hit at the right moment. She will take her talents to Seton Hall next year where she will battle immediately for a starting spot.
Honorable
Mention:
Marina
Alex, Wayne Hills Golf
Cristina Esposito, Saddle Brook Softball
Paige Kezemis, IHA Softball
Kesley Ramsey, Ramapo Track
Lyndsay Buehler, Pascack Valley Softball
Jillian Amo, Ridgewood Lacrosse
Cory Roesing, Secaucus Softball
Caitlyn Clark, Ramapo Lacrosse
Kerrie Mascarelli, Pascack Hills Softball
Brittany Baiunco, Ramapo Softball
Chelsea Ott, Pompton Lakes Softball
Amanda Bartels, Saddle Brook Softball
Bry Bonavita, River Dell Track
Boys’
Team of the Season:
Passaic Valley Baseball
Despite some talented players coming through the program in recent seasons, Passaic Valley had toiled in mediocrity. After missing the state tournament last year, the Hornets set out to make school history and come home with at least one championship.
They bettered that mark by finishing unbeaten in league play on the way to a title and the Passaic County championship, their first since 1999. It started with an outstanding defense and an aggressive offensive approach at the plate and on the bases. That began with its leader, shortstop Jesse Santo. He committed just seven errors on the season and showed off his ability to hit the ball to all fields. Santo set all kinds of school records with a .535 batting average and 53 hits, 27 of those for extra-bases. He also scored 46 runs, drove in 32 and had 22 stolen bases.
The Hornets also possessed one of the state’s deepest pitching staffs. They did not have a true number one ace, but four solid pitchers who could beat anyone on any day. Dan Alcala finished undefeated and got the ‘W’ in the Passaic County final. Craig Anderson was named the Passaic County Tournament MVP with a semifinal win and a three-run homer in the title game. Southpaw Chris Stacy and crafty Tom Coyle stabled the rotation and were equally as capable on the hill.
They fell
short of a state title by falling to Northern Valley/Old Tappan in the
North 1, Group 3 semifinals, but that did not diminish the best season in
school history. The Hornets had a 20-game winning streak in the midst of a
28-3 season. Only two of those losses came against New Jersey opponents.
Runner-Up:
Don Bosco Prep Baseball
 |
Steve
Proscia |
Don Bosco headed into every game with a bulls’ eyes on its back, but that target became even bigger when head coach Leon Matthews was let go midway through a fantastic start to the season. Facing torn feelings and tons of adversity, the Ironmen rallied to pull it all together and come one-run away from doing the unthinkable.
They held a lead for most of the game before eventually falling, 9-8, in the Parochial A North semifinals to the nation’s top-ranked team, Seton Hall Prep. They had already dealt with so much adversity throughout the season that bouncing back over the next three days to win the county title so no big deal.
Backed by one of the most potent lineups in recent memory and one of the state’s top pitchers, the Ironmen were only slightly tested in their final two games of the season en route to a Bergen County title.
Junior Steve Proscia was named the county tournament’s MVP with three homers and eight RBI’s in tournament play. He also set the record for career homeruns in tournament play with six. The rest of the infield -- comprised of Brandon Boykin, Matt Marrotta, and Anthony Gomez -- all did solid jobs offensively and defensively.
That was
all to set the stage for Jaren Matthews. The senior moved to the outfield,
but he was not affected at the plate by the position change or the firing
of his father. He batted .500 on the year with five homers, 33 RBI’s,
38 runs scored, and 30 stolen bases. He will have to come to a decision shortly
between going to Rutgers or accepting an offer from the Red Sox after being
drafted in the 17th round last week.
On the mound, Don Bosco was led by all-county right-hander Mike Dennhardt.
The junior mystified batters with a variety of pitches on his way to a 9-0
record, including picking up the win in the Bergen County title game. He closed
with 71 strikeouts on the season with a 1.13 ERA.
Honorable
Mention:
Tenafly
Tennis
St. Peter’s Prep Volleyball
Hoboken Baseball
Indian Hills Baseball
Bayonne Volleyball
Hasbrouck Heights Baseball
Fair Lawn Tennis
Northern Valley/Old Tappan Baseball
Ramapo Lacrosse
St. Joseph’s (Mont.) Baseball
Emerson Baseball
Palisades Park Tennis
Fair Lawn Volleyball
Girls’
Team of the Season:
Clifton Softball
 |
Clifton
celebrating its Group 4 state championship. |
Without the benefit of Brianne Moore and several other players departed due to graduation, it was a question mark on how the Mustangs would come together on the field. The answer was a convincing one and the motivation to be the best drove them all season long.
This was especially true for pitcher and cleanup batter Deanna Giordano, but she was not the only player who had a chip on her shoulder all year. Kim Lope reeked havoc on opposing teams from the leadoff spot. She not only possessed blazing speed and baserunning savvy, but also showed a little pop in her bat. The senior slugged three homeruns and scored 33, to go along with her .336 batting average and stellar play in centerfield.
The difference from Clifton being a good team and a great team showed throughout the state tournament. A different player seemed to step to the forefront with each game and provide a big hit or a huge defensive play. Whether it was Amanda Caparso or Sam Lichtfield at the plate or Jill Leonard’s arm behind it, the Mustangs always found a way to be in the right place at the right time.
After losing to rival West Milford in the Passaic County final, the Mustangs refocused and put on a display in the state tournament. They outscored their five opponents by a whopping margin of 32-2 on the way to their first Group 4 state championship in nine years.
Runner-Up:
Ramapo Softball
 |
Ramapo's
Brittany Baiunco (left) and Maggie Scarpelli. |
After finishing as Group 3 state champs and the state’s number-one ranked team a year ago, it appeared as if this season was going to have the same ending after winning the Bergen County title with standouts like Brittany Baiunco and Samantha Depken leading the way. But an injury to Baiunco’s throwing shoulder shelved her from pitching the rest of the season and put the Green Raiders into crisis mode.
Instead of packing it in, they responded by picking each other up to make another run at the title. With a supremely talented lineup, there was little to worry about. Experienced players like Jess Brennan, Kaitlin Taranto and Amanda Joachim mixed with emerging players such as Mallory Brown, Maggie Scarpelli, and Lindsey Ianna to come up with timely hits throughout the season, especially in the states. Behind those clutch hits and the pitching of sophomore Julie Shaw in the circle, the Green Raiders navigated their way through a tough North 1, Group 3 bracket and retained their section title.
Shaw threw a no-hitter in the Group 3 semifinals before falling one game short of a perfect ending to another great season. Wall Township, whom Ramapo beat to win the Group 3 title last year, got the best of the Raiders this year with a 4-1 win. Despite the loss of its best player late in the season, Ramapo still finished as one of the state’s top teams with a 29-4 record.
Honorable
Mention:
Pascack
Hills Softball
Pompton Lakes Softball
IHA Softball
Ridgewood Lacrosse
Pascack Valley Softball
Indian Hills Softball
Paramus Softball
Saddle Brook Softball
Ridgewood Golf
West Milford Softball
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