Sunday,
June 21, 2015
By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer
What is the No. 1 reason that North Jersey high school athletes work so hard at their respective sports? It's for the chance to be one of Barton's best, of course. North Jersey's most highly anticipated postseason awards spectacular continues with Barton's Best: Coaches of the Year/Miscellaneous Awards
Boys’ Sports Coach of the Year:
Marty Rivard
Bergenfield Basketball
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The Master: Marty Rivard |
When talking about the great basketball coaches ever in Bergen County, none of them have won more than the legendary Marty Rivard. Starting at Cresskill in 1973 and now at Bergenfield, Rivard has taken all types of teams to great heights. Going into his 42nd year, there was only accomplishment missing on his illustrious resume and that was winning a state championship.
While Bergenfield was having a solid season, nobody outside of the town’s borders and likely outside of their own locker room thought the Bears had a chance to become Group 3 state champs.
It looked like that pipe dream would die early in the North 1, Group 3 quarterfinals against Tenafly. The Bears could only watch as Tenafly completely wiped away a 19-point deficit to take the lead with 3:16 to play. During timeouts, Rivard preached for his players to stay calm and keep doing what they have been doing all season. Bergenfield eventually pulled out a one-point win. As crazy as that ending was, it was the first of four state tournament games decided in overtime or by two points or less.
Rivard saw a similar situation play out in front of a raucous, sell-out crowd at home against Teaneck in the North 1, Group 3 section final. Bergenfield held a 16-point lead going into the fourth quarter only to see the Highwaywomen roar all the way back to make it a one-possession game in the final minute. Once again, Rivard kept his team calm enough to get one final stop to give the Bears a 71-69 win and a section title.
In the Group 3 semifinals against Colonia and in the state final against Ewing, the Bears faced sizeable deficits in the fourth quarter. Rivard never lost faith in his kids and because of that they were going to battle until the final buzzer as much for him as for anything else.
After using a 16-0 fourth quarter run to beat Colonia, the Nears pulled away in overtime for an 80-72 win over Ewing to give Rivard his first state title in 42 years of coaching and Bergenfield’s first state title since 1945.
It was a whirlwind ride that will go down as one of the most exciting runs to a state title that has ever been seen in New Jersey high school basketball.
Runner-Up:
Chris Sommerhalter
Emerson Baseball
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Chris Sommerhalter won a state title in his first season as Emerson coach. |
Filling the shoes of one of the all-time wins leaders in Bergen County is never an easy task. When Sommerhalter took the helm from the recently retired legend Bob Carcich, he knew that he was taking over a storied program. More importantly, he was taking over with a group of players who felt they were destined for greatness.
The Cavos split their first six games of the season, but Sommerhalter knew his team was ready to turn the corner. He saw the work ethic, he saw the frustration on their faces and his focus was on keeping his team confident until the results of their efforts turned positive.
After consecutive wins over a solid Group 3 Demarest squad and one over a defending section champion (Ridgefield), the collective light bulb clicked on. They knew they were capable of peaking at the right time.
It was exactly what Sommerhalter was preparing his team for and it played out perfectly. The Cavos won state tournament games in a variety of ways from simply mashing the ball to pulling out wins in their last at-bat and finished off their season in style.
With a classic mix of good pitching, solid defense, and timely hitting, Emerson beat Middlesex 3-1 to win the program’s first Group 1 state title since 2001.
Honorable Mention:
Vito Campanile, Westwood Football
Mike Doto, Cresskill Basketball
Jerry Maietta, North Bergen Wrestling
Mike Rusek, Harrison Soccer
Craig Nielsen, Pascack Valley Football
Joe Gambardella, Ridgefield Baseball
Evam Baumgarten, Ramapo Soccer
Steve Klass, Paramus Wrestling
D.J. Nimphius, River Dell Football
Girls’ Sports Coach of the Year:
Charlie Collis
Westwood Basketball
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Westwood's girls hoops team was 1-22 in 2011. This year, Charlie Collis led the Cardinals to the Group 2 final. |
To say taking over the Westwood girls’ basketball program in 2012 was a reclamation project was quite the understatement. The team has won just five games in the previous three seasons, including a 1-22 campaign in 2011. Charlie Collis saw it as the ultimate challenge not just to get the program back to respectability, but for them to become champions.
Creating a year-round program that would produce a stronger team on and off the court was the first area where Collis had to concentrate his efforts. Just how quickly that would work and how his players bought in was amazing and when his team took the floor at Westwood High School to warm up 30 minutes before the North 1, Group 2 final against Ramsey, it hit both Collis and his players at the same time. They had finally made it.
With the stands completely filled and the entire student body cheering them on well before the game even started, the Cardinals had finally been legitimized. Regardless of the outcome, they were champions and Collis had done his job. But this team had come too far and worked too hard for the season to end without any hardware to show for it.
By pulling away from Ramsey late, the Cardinals won their first section title in 27 years and they were not done yet. After pulling an upset over Newark Tech in the Group 2 semifinals, they gave eventual Tournament of Champions winner and No. 19 nationally Manasquan everything it could handle for three quarters before eventually falling in the Group 2 state final.
For Collis to have his team make such major strides and with the Cardinals’ top two scorers and rebounders returning next year, Westwood is officially back and not going away anytime soon.
Runner-Up:
Anthony Larezza
IHA Softball
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Anthony Larezza was all wet again after yet another state title. |
While always a tireless worker as a head coach, Anthony Larezza is well aware that he has been blessed with both talented players and has generally had senior-dominated teams. Going into this season, things were drastically different at IHA.
Without a single senior on its roster and with the two pitchers not having a single inning of varsity experience, opposing teams were licking their chops thinking this is finally the year to get some long-awaited payback on the Blue Eagles.
Larezza continued to schedule ambitiously and consistently test his young squad to become tougher and more seasoned so that when the state tournament arrived, they were ready for any and every possible situation both at the plate and in the field.
It worked to perfection as the Blue Eagles used lights-out pitching and rock solid defense to get through the state tournament. With pitchers Katie Kudlacik and Olivia Sprofera leading the way, the Blue Eagles allowed just seven hits and committed only one error in four state tournament games.
IHA had four straight shutouts, but it was not until some confident play at the plate brought home a state title. Reagan Jones dropped down a bunt to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning in the Non-Public A state final before coming home on a two-out single by Ally Dudek to beat Notre Dame for the program’s 10th state title. With the most inexperienced of all the state championship teams Larezza has coached, this one may just be the most rewarding.
Honorable Mention:
Chris Caserta, Ramsey Softball
John Sterling, Secaucus Softball
Becky Fantry, Ramsey Field Hockey
Mike Menzella, Northern Highlands Lacrosse
Beth Powell, Northern Valley/Demarest Volleyball
Chris Broking, Northern Highlands Softball
Karen McMahon, Saddle River Day Lacrosse
Miscellaneous Awards
Best Fan: Ed Bates |
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This guy is unbelievable. He can get a ride to and from any softball game in the state. Not to mention he’s by far the loudest person at any game he attends plus knows every single player and parent. Bringing a stuffed dolphin to every game is just icing on the cake. Gonna be hard to top Eddie for this award for years to come.
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Best Dressed Male Coach |
Ed Rendzio -- Wood-Ridge Basketball |
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Rendzio scrapped his vaunted run-and-gun style of play to a certain degree, but hopefully he never scraps his snazzy suits on the sidelines. The guy is tailored from head to toe and doesn’t wear socks with dress shoes. It can’t get better than that. But it can get worse
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Worst Dressed Male Coach |
Chris Gaskin -- Ridgefield Park Basketball |
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With this I have to give a bit of a disclaimer. Gaskin’s get-ups have gotten markedly better in the past year. But occasionally he slips up with a horrible sweater and/or tie and Northjerseysports.com is right when he does. Plus, he’s the only guy I’m confident giving this award to without getting upset.
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Best Dressed Girls Coach |
Shenee Clarke -- Teaneck Basketball |
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Clarke and her former high school teammate (Ridgefield Park head coach Nicole Pucciarelli, better known to me as Pucci), are going back and forth with this award like the Celtics and the Lakers did with NBA titles in the 80’s. Clarke is always dressed to the nines and you never see the same outfit twice.
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Favorite Person Ever... |
Benny Turano -- Ridgefield Baseball |
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You’ve gotta be a special fella to not only be the funniest dugout yapper in North Jersey but also a local phenomenon. When people start making signs for you in the outfield and are screaming your name from the stands during a section final, you’re in the big time. Benny is by far my favorite local meathead and I don’t see that changing any time soon. Just don’t leave us for another website and we’ll be good.
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Worst Person Ever... |
John Way |
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Way is just flat out smelly…I mean literally, the guy smells like hot garbage (inside joke). Ok, so he may not actually smell like garbage, but he does look like Freddie Flintstone and looks like he belongs in a Stevie B music video with his part guido/part horrible hair style. I mean who gels their hair when they are hanging out at home with their kids.
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Best Brunch Spot Outside of North Jersey:
Mrs. Wilkes’ Boarding House, Savannah, Georgia
If you ever waited on a line for anything for 90 minutes, a natural reaction is to pull your hair out or want to scream at the top of your lungs. I was feeling just that until I ate here. I can’t tell you how much it was worth the wait. The best homestyle cooking I’ve ever had and it’s not even close. Honestly, probably the best meal I’ve ever had…and all for $20.
Best Official:
Next…
Worst Official |
Nick Brown |
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We go through great pains on this website not to talk about officiating. We believe that players decide games, occasional bad calls are part of those games and it is on the players to overcome, not whine. But it is when an official decides to make a bad call outside the playing field/court/pitch, etc., that we have to speak up.
Without warning and without justification, Brown decided to take issue with the flash being used to cover a basketball game in a gym in which we have shot 1,000s of pictures over the years without incident or issue. Instead of having a conversation, Brown decided to go for a confrontation while the game was going on. Maybe Brown is comfortable being a part of the show, but we are not so we packed up and left.
When told that the matter would be brought up at the higher levels of the Bergen County Coaches Association, Brown replied with some type of deluded boast. "You tell 'em Nick Brown!" Your wish is granted: You are the worst official in North Jersey.
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Best Co-Host on a podcast: |
Auggie |
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Auggie is just the best. He’s the best possible mix of being incredibly prepared while also sounding like he has better things to do than talk to two schleps like Cory and I about softball. On a lighter note Aug, Butler isn’t in North Jersey and we don’t cover them. Just a heads-up.
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Worst Co-Host on a Podcast:
Joey ‘Prom Queen’
Joe Sutera is the worst, there I said it. He’s missed podcasts for a fashion show and to chaperone a prom. Here’s a newsflash Sutera, we brought you on for your vast insight and knowledge on the Bergen County baseball landscape. Instead you whined, complained and somehow lost his own child in the middle of a podcast. We kid because love Joe…except in this case, you stink.
Best NorthJerseySports.com Personality:
Sir Richie Ballgame
In case you forgot, I’ve been knighted by the Queen of England for my efforts a few years ago. That distinction doesn’t come by accident. I’ll just keep doing what I’ve been doing for my entire career as a writer, bringing the hard-hitting stories to the viewing public and having some fun along the way. I hope you keep reading my articles and I’ll do my best to keep them as informative as possible.
Runner-Up:
Cory K. Doviak (for the 11th straight year)
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