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ABOUT THE COVER
The last time the Mainland Regional girls basketball team won a sectional title, none of the current players were even born yet. And the last time the Mustangs captured an overall state championship, most of today’s players’ parents were probably in high school. It was an incredible season for Mainland, as everything came together, they exorcized the demon that is rival Ocean City to win the first sectional title since 1999, and then won two more games to achieve history. The Stangs won the Group 3 state championship for the first time ever, and made it to the Tournament of Champions before falling to powerful Manchester. In this digital edition, we take a look at the Mustangs’ road to a state title. — Dave O’Sullivan, Staff Writer
GLORY DAYS MAGAZINE General contact: 609-788-4294/advertising@acglorydays.com Dave O’Sullivan, Publisher: sully@acglorydays.com On Twitter: @GDsullysays Giuseppe Ungaro, Managing Editor: gungaro@acglorydays.com On Twitter: @GDgisepu Amy D’Adamo, Graphic Design: advertising@acglorydays.com Bill Lynskey, Director of Advertising: bill@acglorydays.com STORY IDEAS/ADVERTISING: Have a story you’d like to see told in Glory Days Magazine? Want to get your business noticed with a marketing campaign in our digital or quarterly print platforms? Call us anytime at 609-788-4294. Volume: 6 Issue: 19 Overall Issue Number: 126. Cover Photography: Dave O’Sullivan. 2019 Glory Days Magazine. All rights reserved.
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MAKING HEADLINES Sully takes a closer look at the athletes, coaches and teams who are generating news and highlights in the Cape-Atlantic League and throughout South Jersey.
u Earning a spot on the podium: St. Augustine Prep’s Mike Misita
capped off an impressive sophomore season by placing eighth at the NJSIAA State Championships at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. Misita dominated in winning the Region 8 tournament and entered states as the No. 9 seed at 182 pounds. He won his first two bouts before running into eventual state champion Chris Foca of Bergen Catholic, but bounced back in wrestlebacks, beating David Szuba of Brick Memorial before falling to Kittatinny’s Zach Mafaro in the 7/8 match. u On to nationals: Former St. Joseph-Hammonton three-sport star C.J. LaFragola has earned his way to the NCAA wrestling national championships for the third straight year. The Little Egg Harbor native sports a 24-9 record and garnered the No. 27 seed at 184 pounds. He’ll be taking on Northern Iowa’s Drew Foster, the No. 6 seed, on Thursday morning in the Round of 32.
glory days digital Want the best high school sports coverage every day of the week? Visit glorydaysonline.com for game coverage, features and more! You can also like us at facebook.com/acglorydays, and follow Sully on Twitter @GDsullysays. Get the best. Every day.
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ICE HOCKEY
Eagles fought back to win playoff title EHT wins second crown in past four seasons By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer gg Harbor Township ice hockey coach Fred Feliciano let his team know that it let a golden opportunity slip away in a loss to Kingsway in the opening round of the South Jersey High School Hockey League’s Tier 1-B playoffs in mid-February. The loss meant that the Eagles were just one more setback away from seeing their season come to an end. The players responded as the secondseeded Eagles took down No. 4 Williamstown, then beat top-seeded Shawnee in the semifinals, setting up a finals rematch with Kingsway, which had sent Shawnee into the losers bracket to face EHT. The Eagles scored a 3-1 win over Kingsway, meaning the teams would play a winner-takes-all game, which EHT won, 4-1, to claim just their second Tier 1-B championship. Their only other title came in 2016, when this year’s seniors were freshmen. “We ended up having to come back in the next round and play Williamstown, and we pretty much dominated that game. We controlled the game the
Season REVIEW EHT
E
Overall record: 10-11-1 Division: 6-2-1 Playoffs: The Eagles lost in the opening round of the doubleelimination South Jersey High School Hockey League Tier 1-B playoffs, but then won four straight games to win their second title in the last four years.
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Jayson Humphrey and EHT fought off elimination four times to win their South Jersey High School Hockey League playoff tournament. whole way, then we advanced to play Shawnee, which has really been our toughest competition this year,” Feliciano said about how his team responded following that playoff-opening loss against Kingsway. “Obviously, with Kingsway beating us the first time we had to beat them twice. We won the first
game, 3-1, and were on to the championship game. It was one of those games where the kids came out and played a solid game, end-to-end, and we kind of shut them down. We held them to 12 or 13 shots for the entire game, so we really came out and played well.” Kingsway threw a little bit of a
curveball at EHT during the Dragons’ opening-round playoff win, as it inserted Michael Lieze in goal, a goalie the Eagles hadn’t seen during the regular season. “They had a goalie in there that we had never seen before, and I believe he kind of stole them game for them in the first playoff game. But we figured him out and learned from that first game, and in the championship game we were able to put the puck by him
See Eagles, page 9
March 18, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 9 Eagles, from page 6 and were able to keep the pressure on them,” Feliciano said. “From the beginning of the (championship) game, we controlled the play the whole time. Once we played Williamstown and Shawnee, going in against Kingsway, we knew we could beat them. We felt like we out-played them the first time. We knew the game plan we needed to go in with, and the kids executed it. Until the last two minutes of the game we had only given up eight shots. The kids really played well.” Egg Harbor Township went 6-10-1 during the regular season, but played well inside the division, posting a 6-21 record, two games better than Shawnee. The Eagles did go 0-8 against the more established teams in Tier 1-A, but continued to get better against the tougher competition as the season wore on. “It didn’t surprise me because of the way we played in our division all year, it was just a matter of the kids focusing and sticking to the game plan, and not getting frustrated. Once we got past that, we got our groove back. For us, the second half of the season when we played all those Tier 1-A teams was tough because those teams were a lot better than the teams in our division, so it just took us a little bit to get our game back. Once we did, we were right back on track,” Feliciano said. “We learned a lot that second half of the year, and even against those tougher teams — earlier in the year we would give up eight or 10 goals, but toward the end we were only giving up three or four goals against them. We were still losing, but we were much more competitive against them.” Winning the title this year should give the Eagles a lot of confidence, particularly because there are so many underclassmen on the roster. The only seniors graduating are forward Josh DeClement, defenseman Dillon Carmen, and Nick Pullano, while leading scorers Dylan Faulhaber (12 points), Zachary Feliciano (10 points), William Bahnak (9 points) and Ryan Robertson (9 points) all return, as does Blaze Tommi, who also registered nine points. “The young guys were a big part of us getting to the championship. I
think it was just a confidence boost all around, for all the kids. They all played for each other. The few seniors we had were four-year guys and they all wanted to play for each other. The young guys were a big part of that, they know they are the future of the EHT hockey club, so it was a good experience for everybody,” Feliciano said. “This is good for the next group of young kids coming in, knowing they are coming into a team that just came off a championship season and that we’re a good, young group. Right after the championship we had a skate around and invited eighth-graders, and we had eight eighth-graders show up, just to come skate with the team. That’s something we’ve never experienced before, and it shows we’ve piqued their interest.” One of the big question marks heading into next season will be who is going to step up and fill some voids on defense, and Feliciano said he and his coaching staff will get to work on that in the offseason, but for right now the Eagles are enjoying this championship and hope it’s a sign of things to come. They recently were invited to compete in the New Jersey-Delaware Flyers Cup for the first time in team history. “Two of the seniors we’re losing are our big defensemen, so we have to look to replace them somehow because that’s where we’re thin. It something we know we have to address, and we will. Fortunately, some of the guys we have are two-way players who can play both offense and defense, so we’ll focus on that a little more and developing some new kids,” Feliciano said. “It was a really good season. We knew we could win the championship if we played our game. I’m excited for this young group of kids. For me, it’s even more exciting because I’ve been around them since they were in middle school. After that first playoff loss, they knew they let one get away. They knew they had to cut down on their mistakes, and they did that. They showed they wanted it for each other and they showed it was a group effort. They showed it was about the group and not any one individual, and that’s what meant the most at the end of the day.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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VIC’S SUBS COVER STORY Mainland celebrates winning the Group 3 state championship, the first overall state title in program history. The Mustangs were making just their second appearance in the championship game, and their first since 1989. Glory Days Magazine photo/ Dave O’Sullivan
STORYBOOK SEASON
Mainland wins it all in Group 3 hoops for the first time in school history
By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer hen Kylee Watson came into Mainland Regional High School in the fall of 2016, expectations for the girls basketball program skyrocketed. Even though she was just a freshman, Watson had scored more than 1,000 points in two years of middle school basketball at Belhaven, and had already received a scholarship offer from Louisville before even playing one game of high school basketball. She was going to be the one to lead the Mustangs to their first state championship in school history. But in varsity sports, nothing is given to you, and when the state playoffs roll around every team is play-
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ing harder than they ever have before in the hopes of hoisting that trophy. During her first two years of high school, Watson and the Mustangs were thwarted by arch rival Ocean City, which beat the Mustangs two straight years in the South Jersey Group 3 championship game despite Mainland having the edge during regular-season games. Last year was particularly heartbreaking, as Mainland came into the sectional final with a perfect 28-0 record. But Watson got in foul trouble early in the second half, and the Red Raiders were able to pull out a victory in overtime. That Mainland team had four senior starters, so the Stangs had a very different look this year. Current seniors Claudia Mairone and Taylor Dalzell would have to become starters after spending the bulk of their careers as reserve players, and junior Madi Hafetz was asked to do more this year as well. Mainland also had a couple of impact freshmen coming in with point guard Camryn Dirkes and forward Katelyn Boggs, younger sister of Gabby Boggs, one of the four senior starters a year ago. Head coach Scott Betson spent the entire year preaching “process.” He wanted his players to think about doing today what would make them better tomorrow, and not worry about what might happen next week, or the week after. That’s always been his
philosophy — if you work hard every day and prepare, everything else will take care of itself. With Watson now a junior and much more comfortable in her role as a go-to scorer and rebounder, and team leader, and with the emergence of Mairone as a very reliable three-point shooter and Dirkes’ ability to run the offense and also be a secondary scoring option, Mainland dominated throughout the regular season, going 12-0 in the Cape-Atlantic League National Conference and entering the CAL Tournament as the No. 1 seed and odds-on favorite to win it. But then, in the opening round, Watson got hurt during a blowout win over Vineland, and the Stangs fell to Middle Township in the semis. Mainland knew it wouldn’t have Watson back until the second round of the playoffs at the earliest, so her teammates would have to step up and get through the first round without her. They did just that, taking down Camden Tech, and Watson was able to return the following round to help Mainland get past a scrappy Absegami team. The top-seeded Mustangs then dominated Winslow, 49-31, in the sectional semifinals before getting some revenge on Ocean City, taking down the Red Raiders
See Season, page 11
March 18, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 11 Season, from page 10 41-27 to win their first South Jersey title since 1999. Up next was an even bigger challenge — to win the program’s first overall state title in school history. With Watson leading the way, Mairone and Hafetz continuing to hit huge shots, Dalzell playing tremendous defense and Betson getting contributions from his bench, Mainland beat Westampton Tech in the Group 3 semifinals, then grinded out a 42-35 victory over Chatham in the state championship game. The incredible run finally came to an end in the opening round of the Tournament of Champions with a loss to Manchester. “This means a lot. Not a lot of people thought we would be here today, and this group of girls, I’m so proud of how far we’ve come since the beginning,” Watson said after the state championship win over Chatham. “We knew we needed to finish out the game until the buzzer rang, but it was great, when it ended everyone stormed the court. It was a really good experience for the school and everyone on the team.” “It’s really exciting, and it’s even more exciting to be with these girls and do it because we’re all super close, and we’ve been playing together since we were young,” added Lauren Toner, a reserve guard and one of four seniors on Mainland’s roster. “We’ve been pushing to make each other better, so it’s a great feeling to finally accomplish something you’ve been
“It’s hard to put this into words, I love these girls so much. They are like family, we’ve been playing together since we were 7 or 8 years old.”
Kylee Watson, Mainland junior
hoping for.” There were so many little sub-plots to this Mainland team. Most of them have been playing basketball together since they were little kids, which made team chemistry flow naturally. There were two seniors — Toner and Jillian Gatley — who had to accept roles as reserve players, never knowing how many minutes they would get each game, if any. But they never complained about their lack of playing time, and during the playoffs each came up big in certain games to help the Mustangs avoid elimination. And the emergence of Dirkes can’t be understated. She was the one type of player, Betson said, that Mainland needed to make everything else work. “Everyone asks about the biggest difference between last year and this year, and you can’t have that conversation without talking about Camryn. Just how effective she is off the dribble. We have kids who can shoot, and Kylee is obviously a threat around the paint, but the other piece we had to have to win a
game like this is a kid who can put it on the floor and get to the rim. She’s been doing that all year, as a freshman. I thought the biggest difference between us from the beginning to the end of the year was the evolution of the two freshman, Cam and Katelyn Boggs, who gave us great minutes tonight, too,” Betson said after the win over Chatham. “I don’t even know how to process this yet. It’s what everybody is spending all their time trying to do, everyone is trying to get to this point. I’m just really happy for our kids, they work really hard all the time, and they are such a likeable group. I know I say it all the time, but because it’s true I have to keep repeating it. Above all else, I’m just really excited for this group.” “We have a ton of chemistry, we know how each other plays and what shots we want to get and how to really move the ball. I think just playing together for so long, it’s easy when the other girls on the team can make plays, too,” Watson added. “It’s hard to put this into words, I love these girls so much. They are like family, we’ve been playing together since we were 7 or 8 years old, and just to be here today — nobody thought that with losing four starters from last year, it was a completely different team. But the chemistry, and my love for them, it’s awesome.” The run through the state playoffs was a wild ride of emotions, particularly for this senior class. They kept saying, after every win, that they just didn’t want to
See Season, page 13
March 18, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 13 Season, from page 11 lose because they didn’t want this season to end. The playoffs certainly had that fairytale feel, and each player was trying desperately to hold onto it, just for one more day. “It still hasn’t hit me, but the bus ride home is going to be so much fun. Everyone played amazing today and I’m so proud of this whole team and how far we’ve come. They were double-teaming Kylee, so we had to work around that, but Claudia was hitting shots, Madi was hitting shots, Lauren came in and played great defense — everyone did what they were meant to do. I love my team,” Dalzell said after winning the state title. “I think it’s going to hit me in the locker room. Last night there were so many emotions, I was excited, then I was like, ‘wait, I don’t know, maybe I’m sad.’ But then I was happy. I just wanted today to happen, and the way it played out was amazing.” Mairone said none of the players were thinking about all the bumps and bruises that come along with the grind of what is now a 31-game season. Hoisting that state championship trophy high overhead makes any sacrifice worth it, she said. “To finally do this, to come here with these girls and win, is amazing. It’s indescribable. You always dream of doing this, and to finally do this is so amazing. The celebration was so great, we were so pumped, and we’re just so excited to do this, especially together,” Mairone said. “We have such a special group here. Our bond is unbreakable, and I think that’s why we were able to win this game — we were playing for each other, for the school, for the community, and it’s just amazing. Everything is worth it, from when we started playing in third grade, all the hard work we’ve put in until now, it’s worth it to get this.” The wild ride that this season was for Mainland, the highs, the lows, the ups, the downs, all the post-game treatment in the training room, the bus rides up to Toms River for the state championship and the TOC, all the support this team was getting from parents, classmates and fans on social media — it was all captured in one moment following the
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Freshman point guard Camryn Dirkes gets a hug from junior forward Kylee Watson after Mainland won the state championship for the first time in program history earlier this month. loss to Manchester in the TOC. Dalzell and Mairone, arguably the heart and soul of this team, were the last two players out of the locker room. They faced the media with tear-stained cheeks and tried to put into words what it all meant to them. “The loss, it is what it is, they are a great team, but I’m just so sad that it’s over. We’re going to miss it a lot. (It hit me) right when I walked off the court. I lost it,” Mairone said. “Just being with all the girls, we love each other and it’s great that we could accomplish so much. We’re just sad that it’s over.” “It’s not even the game, it’s just leaving our team, that’s the most important thing. The game was secondary,” Dalzell added. “I love everyone (on this team). I wanted to hold it together for handshakes, and I walked through the (locker room) door and was like, ‘that’s it.’” Added Gatley, “it’s so great, especially senior year. We’ve been playing together with these girls for so long. At the beginning of this season, ‘Tournament of Champions’ wasn’t even in our vocabulary. Making it here is crazy and I wouldn’t want anything else. It’s great for (the younger players), too. I hope they can get back here. It’s a mo-
tivation for them to keep working hard. It’s very special. Not many people are able to say they’ve won a state championship, so we’ll be able to look back on this and share these memories.” Betson didn’t have any trouble finding words once the season finally came to an end, with a 28-4 mark and sectional and state titles. He could talk about this group of players all day long. “This is a once-in-a-career type of year. When people ask about this season, it’s about the kids. They are just a really special group, as kids and as basketball players, and that’s why they were able to accomplish what they were able to. I love them and I’m going to really miss our seniors,” he said. “These are great kids, and that’s what we’re going for. We want the program to be a program and not just about the kids who are here from year to year. We want this to be a sustainable thing. We’re fortunate to have great kids in our community, and that’s what allows that stability. “This is what everybody in the state is trying to do, they’re trying to get to games like this. It’s hard to even process right now because the games have been coming so rat-a-tat-tat the past couple of weeks. Hopefully, in the next
couple of days, I’ll have some time to sit back and process it all,” he continued. “I’m so glad for these kids, to be able to send them out with a positive experience, because they obviously love basketball, it’s a big part of who they are. The community has been so supportive of us all year long. People grab me in ACME and wish me good luck, things like that. It is a community effort. These kids get to me and they are really good basketball players, and that doesn’t happen by accident.” Dalzell, who also had an outstanding soccer career and came painfully close to winning a sectional title on several occasions during her career, in both sports, prior to this winter, said she understands that this season, this championship, is something these girls will be able to share forever. “It’s amazing. I think we defied everyone’s expectations of us, and it makes it that much greater when you’re doing it with everyone you love,” she said. “Hopefully we all get together and celebrate it again (years from now) because it will be worth it. It’s been great.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullsays
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BASKETBALL
Stangs’ playoff runs cap off exciting season Doubleheaders and sellouts made for mini-March Madness in Linwood this year By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer n the United Kingdom in 2013, tickets for the return of Monty Python’s Flying Circus sold out in 43.5 seconds. That’s kind of what it was like trying to get a ticket for a Mainland Regional basketball playoff game this year. Both the girls and boys hoops teams were high seeds in their respective South Jersey Group 3 tournaments, the girls at No. 1 and the boys at No. 3, which meant the girls would have home-court advantage throughout while the boys could have a couple of home games if they kept winning and advancing. As it turned out, the Ocean City boys — the No. 2 seed in the section — were upset by 10th-seeded Seneca in the second round, giving Mainland a home game in the semifinals. So, for an entire week in early March, Mainland was the place to be for high school basketball fans as the teams held three straight double-headers, alternating starting times. It was basketball on Red Bull as every other day fans jammed themselves into the gymnasium to the tune of three straight double-header sellouts. And each team made it to their respective sectional championship game, as the Mainland girls took down
I
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
The success of the Mainland boys and girls basketball teams, and their continuous home games during the state playoffs, gave student fans plenty to cheer about in March. Camden Tech, Absegami and Winslow before beating Ocean City in the South Jersey Group 3 title game that the Mustangs hosted. The boys blew out Camden Tech in the opening round, then scored exciting wins over Toms River East and Seneca before finally having to travel, to top-seeded Moorestown. The Quakers ended Mainland’s run with a 61-43 victory, but the Mainland girls continued to roll, beating Westampton Tech in the Group 3 semifinals before capturing the first state cham-
pionship in program history with a win over Chatham in the Group 3 championship game at Toms River’s RWJBarnabas Arena. Their run finally came to a halt in the opening round of the Tournament of Champions with a loss to Manchester. “It was a great ride. We had a 12-game winning
See Stangs, page 15
March 18, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 15 Stangs, from page 14 streak and almost won our conference. Great experiences, great bonds were made this year — it will be a season to remember,” senior Angelo Barron said after the loss to Moorestown. “It’s been awesome. We had three doubleheaders, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, for boys and girls. I’ll remember the friendships I made with the coaches and players — these coaches, I’ll probably be friends with the rest of my life. “It was a great season, nobody expected it. It was emotional (in the locker room),” said Tommy Zanaras, another senior. “Me and Angelo, we’ve been here since our freshman year and Joe (Massari) transferred in his sophomore year, and us three really bonded. These guys are my best friends and I’ll talk to them through college and after. I’m just grateful to have met them.” “I feel like for us seniors, it was a long ride but we had a lot of fun together. We have two of the most underrated seniors in South Jersey and they get no credit for what they do. Angelo, I feel like, is one of the best centers in the league. I don’t care if anybody else has a D-I offer or is going to Kentucky, this kid has been incredible,” said Massari, who transferred back home to Mainland as a sophomore after spending his freshman year at St. Augustine Prep, and who was a big part of Mainland’s success the past three seasons, in both basketball and football. “It’s going to be a year to remember. I wish I could talk (to the media) tomorrow because I’d be a lot happier. It’s tough right now, but these guys are going to be my best friends forever. My football guys came out to support me. It’s a great atmosphere. I always had the thought that all my friends were (at Mainland) and once the week at Prep was over I’d end up meeting up with these guys. I’ve been playing basketball with Angelo and Tommy since I’ve been in third grade. They knew what I was capable of doing and I knew what they were capable of doing, and we just mixed it together and put out something great on the floor.” Dan Williams, head boys basketball coach at Mainland, said he kept telling his players to soak up every minute of the state playoff run because not many teams have a chance to play in front
of a standing-room-only crowd every night and have an entire community captivated with a high school team. “To have that upset on the other side and have that third home doubleheader was pretty wild. It was great. These guys spent the last week or two in school as minor celebrities. Everyone wanted to talk to them about what’s next? What’s going on? What does this team look like? Who does Moorestown have? It’s been great, and it’s awesome that they had that experience, because that’s what it’s all about in the end,” he said. “On any team, how many guys are going to the next level, or the next level after that? So you want to look back when you’re 25, 30 — or my age — and say, ‘what an awesome experience.’ And, hopefully, they think that way about this experience.” “It’s been pretty insane. It’s been great. We’re all like family. It just goes to show you never want it to end. Especially since it’s (the seniors’) last year now, we really don’t want it to end,” said Taylor Dalzell, a senior on the girls team. “You can’t really put it into words. My favorite part about it is that our team got really close, but we also got close with a lot of other teams (at Mainland), too. I feel like we’ve gotten more connected throughout all of Mainland.” Added girls head coach Scott Betson during a recent radio interview at 97.3 ESPN FM, “This is a pretty special group. You can tell the connection they have with each other, not only with the way they play, but the way they interact with each other. You talk about embracing roles, but it’s also a special group for me. I’ve been coaching at Mainland for a little bit and got to know them when they were in middle school, and watching them here at the radio station, it’s like watching my own kids. It’s been a pretty cool experience. There’s a great energy in the building right now, everybody is supporting us, and it’s been made even better by the boys team going on a heck of a run in their playoffs. It’s just a lot of positivity and support, and it’s made easier by how likeable these kids are. Everybody love them as students, and that adds to it.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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MAINLAND STATE CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP
Watson's impact The entire 2018-2019 season, there was no secret that 6-foot-4 junior forward Kylee Watson was Mainland’s best player, and most valuable in terms of Xs and Os because of the huge matchup problem she created for so many opponents, and her ability to pass out of trouble when teams crashed down on her in the paint and find open shooters at the 3-point line. But Mainland’s historic playoff run nearly went off the rails before it began, as Watson was injured in the opening round of the CapeAtlantic League Tournament, and missed nearly two weeks. Her teammates were going to have to win at least one state playoff game before she could return, and they did that, beating Camden Tech 45-21 in the opening round of South Jersey Group 3. Watson then returned and the Mustangs won three straight to capture their first sectional title since 1999. Watson, despite drawing double and triple teams throughout the state playoffs, scored 22 points in a semifinal win over Winslow, then added 15 points as Mainland took down rival Ocean City, 41-27, in the championship game. Watson was a huge force during this year’s playoff run, and showed, even in a blowout loss to Manchester in the Tournament of Champions, why she is the No. 30 prospect in the country in the class of 2020, according to ESPN.com. “Kylee is going to play the same level of intensity no matter what the score is or who the opponent is,” coach Scott Betson said.
solid seniors Whenever a team puts together a 28-4, state championship season, it’s difficult to pinpoint one main factor as to why that team was so successful. In the case of this year’s Mainland girls hoops team, a huge factor was seniors (pictured below, from left) Claudia Mairone, Taylor Dalzell, Lauren Toner and Jillian Gatley. Mairone and Dalzell played their roles perfectly throughout the playoff run, as Mairone continued to nail big 3-pointers, particularly early in games, to jumpstart the offense. Dalzell was her usual self, playing tremendous defense and grabbing critical rebounds, including 11 in the state championship game. Toner and Gatley both came off the bench, and some nights barely got any playing time, but their positive attitude rubbed off on the entire Mustangs roster.
Glory Days Magazine photos/Dave O’Sullivan
Along for the ride u Freshman point guard Camryn Dirkes, left, had plenty of support from her teammates through her rookie campaign, but also got a big boost from older sister Emily, an accomplished track and cross country runner and a senior at Mainland. Emily was on hand for every Mustangs game as the team’s scorekeeper.
Long time coming u Mainland won its first state championship in program history when it beat Chatham. The Stangs’ only other appearance in the title game was in 1989.
Monkey off his back u Scott Betson and the Stangs had lost to legendary Ocean City coach Paul Baruffi and the Red Raiders in two straight sectional finals, but Mainland got some payback, winning SJG3 for the first time in 20 years.
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SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: CONNOR KRAUS, ST. AUGUSTINE PREP WRESTLING
Max effort defined Kraus’ career St. Augustine Prep 152-pounder got the most out of his time on the mat By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer n no other sport is the joy of victory and the agony of defeat on such broad display as it is in wrestling, particularly at the NJSIAA Championships at Boardwalk Hall every March. Some wrestlers grind their entire careers just to get there once, and seeing your season — and many times your career — come to an end with a loss in front of 10,000 fans in Atlantic City can be quite overwhelming for any high school wrestler. St. Augustine Prep senior Connor Kraus, a Mays Landing resident, busted his tail for his entire career and made three trips to Atlantic City, but didn’t have much success in the first two. This year, as a senior, he finished second in Region 8 and came into states as the No. 15 seed at 152 pounds. He ran into Southern Regional’s Nick O’Connell — the eventual state champion who beat Kraus in the Region 8 final — in the second round of states and was knocked into the wrestlebacks. There, he scored a pair of victories and was one win away from a spot on the podium. But his career came to a heartbreaking end with a 7-6 loss to Paulsboro’s George Worthy in the blood round. In a heartbeat, it all became real that Kraus would never again wrestle a high school match. Then again, he knows this end is just the beginning, as there will be new goals to set his sights on in the future. “I feel like I didn’t accomplish my main goal, which was to place at states, but I’m not going to sit and dread on it,” he said recently. “I put everything into my matches at states. I’m not too down on it because I know I put my all into all my matches, so I’m proud of my career and what I accomplished because I worked really hard for all that.” Kraus — whose older brother, Calisto, was a wrestler at Oakcrest — chose to spend his high school career at St. Augustine Prep, and the past four years has been one of the key guys who has helped build the Hermits into a Cape-Atlantic League and South Jersey powerhouse.
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Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
St. Augustine Prep senior 152-pounder Connor Kraus won a district title this year, finished second at regions and won three matches at states before his career came to an end. “I was around the school and the mini program and I really liked the coach, Joe Melchiore, at the time,” Kraus said. “Then coach (Billy) Ward got the spot and I was real close with him, and they have a great wrestling team. It was the best, a straight brotherhood — like it is in the whole school. The bond is incredible between all of us, it was definitely a great experience.” After finishing fourth at regions as a freshman (the year before a new rule was implemented allowing fourth-place finishers to advance to states), Kraus battled his way to Boardwalk Hall as a sophomore, but was quickly dispatched, going 0-2. “That was a real wake-up call and I knew I had to be ready for that the next year. Everyone there is a good wrestler and they’re all trying to win at that point, because the main goal is to keep winning,” he said. “Nobody wants to lose at that tournament, and when you’re wrestling all these kids who really don’t want to lose, it’s different. I was tired of just getting there, I wanted to actually do something and not just be a person who just made it there.”
He had a little bit more success as a junior, but coming up short of his goal each time only made him hungrier to make a legitimate run at placing at states his senior year. That was his singular focus throughout this past winter. “It was a real learning experience for me, getting used to the crowd, but my senior year I went in and didn’t even feel any pressure at all. It just felt like it was a normal place to be at that point,” Kraus said. “My drive was a lot different this year. I had a real drive to win and a different attitude on the mat, to just score points and dominate every match I wrestled. I just had a completely different mentality this year overall and I feel like that helped me.” With so much invested, coming up one win short of a podium spot was tough to handle, he said. “It took me a while to actually realize that my career was over, the emotions were running pretty crazy,” Kraus said. “I didn’t even realize that would be the last match I would ever wrestle in my high school
See Kraus, page 19
March 18, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 19 Kraus, from page 18 career. So, it was pretty emotional that I didn’t actually complete the goal that I set for myself.” As the months and years continue to pile up, though, Kraus will have a better understanding of how much he was able to accomplish as a member of the Hermits, and there certainly are plenty of highlights he’ll be able to look back upon. Most notably, his thrilling 5-3 win over top-seeded Nick Bennett of Delsea — who finished second in the state last year — in the Region 8 semifinals. “That was crazy, everybody in the whole building was on their feet screaming, and I actually heard it for
once. I’d never heard anything on the mat until that match. It was pretty crazy. I expected it, but not in that crazy fashion, I guess,” he said. “I just think back to the district and region tournaments when you’re in those really close matches and you’re all just cheering for each other, and you’re all winning big matches. That’s really cool, and those are moments you won’t ever forget,” he continued. “It’s insane (at states), and I’m happy I had the opportunity to be there and see that. Like everyone says after they graduate, it’s the craziest experience of their life and they’ll never forget it.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
career higlights u Posted a career record of 126-25 u Three-time district champion u Three-time Region 8 runner-up u Three-time state qualifer u In this year’s Region 8 tournament, took down No. 1 seed Nick Bennett of Delsea in the semifinals u Finished one win away from placing in the top 8 at this year’s NJSIAA championships at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Kraus finished up his career with an outstanding season, as he posted a 35-11 mark.
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WRESTLING
Sherman, Weed make names for themselves during freshman year From staff reports Mike Misita, a sophomore 182-pounder from St. Augustine Prep, was the only Cape-Atlantic League wrestler to place at the NJSIAA State Championships at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall earlier this month when he took eighth in his weight class, but that may not be the case in Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan the coming years as a pair of freshmen made great strides this year and Absegami freshman 160-pounder Ray Weed racked up 35 wins dur- could be in line for a podium spot as soon as next winter. Ray Weed of Absegami, a 160-pounder, and Holy Spirit 138-pounder ing his rookie campaign and made it to the state championships in K.J. Sherman both made tremendous impacts this year during the postAtlantic City, where he went 1-2. season, and earned their first trips to Boardwalk Hall. Weed went 1-2 at Atlantic City while Sherman was 0-2, but simply making it that far as a rookie is quite an accomplishment, and each wrestler racked up more than 30 wins this year. Sherman knocked off a pair of juniors during the first two rounds of the Region 8 tournament, then decisioned Hammonton junior Ryan Figueroa 7-1 in the semis before falling to Southern’s Robert Woodcock, 10-4, in the championship bout. Weed was equally impressive at regions, taking down Southern’s Haven Tatarek, a senior, in the quarterfinals before upsetting Prep’s Sal Manera, 7-5, in the semis. He eventually fell in the title bout in overtime to Clayton-Glassboro junior Jacob Rodriguez.
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
K.J. Sherman, a freshman 138-pounder from Holy Spirit, went 0-2 during his first run at states, but still finished his rookie campaign with a sparkling 32-11 record.
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KING PIN/GLORY DAYS BOWLING CHALLENGE
Late surge not enough for ACIT girls hoops From staff reports Atlantic County Institute of Technology girls basketball players Cea’anai Jackson, Jakyra Williams, Kayla Sykes and Nyasia Grant are used to playing in big games, so athletic competition comes naturally to them and they were confident they could hang with the Glory Days Magazine bowling team at the recent King Pin/Glory Days Bowling Challenge, held at King Pin Bowling & Entertainment Center in Egg Harbor Township. But Glory Days Publisher Dave “Sully” O’Sullivan and Director of Advertising Bill Lynskey know how to handle themselves in pressure situations, too, which is why they came into this latest challenge sporting a 17-3 career record in the Challenge. The RedHawks got off to a slow start and that allowed Sully to take command in the first game of a two-game series. Sully rolled a 132, besting Lyn-
ACIT girls basketball players, from left, Cea’anai Jackson, Jakyra Williams, Kayla Sykes and Nyasia Grant competed against the Glory Days Magazine staff in the recent King Pin/Glory Days Bowling Challenge. skey’s 124 and Jakyra’s 104. “For whatever reason I got off to a pretty hot start, which isn’t always the
case for me,” Sully said. “We were confident heading into Game 2, but you can never count out an athlete like
Sykes, the leading scorer in ACIT girls basketball history.” True to form, Sykes came on strong, rolling a 109 in Game 2 while also filling in for Jackson, who had to leave early for, of course, a basketball practice. Overall, however, one of Sully’s best days ever was simply too much, as he topped the field with a two-game score of 281, followed by Lynskey in second place with a 244. Sykes led the way for ACIT, rolling a two-game score of 200, while Grand finished really strong to pull a 196. The ACIT girls combined to finish with four strikes, but Sully was on fire in the second game, racking up four strikes of his own. “It’s always fun competing against the high school athletes, and the ACIT girls have already demanded a rematch!” Sully said.
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BASKETBALL
Female officials earning greater opportunities Women starting to get the chance to work high school boys games and high-profile tournaments By Giuseppe Ungaro Staff Writer his seems to be the year of the female basketball official. Marcelyn Williams made history earlier this month when she became the first female official to work a boys state final game. Per nj.com, Williams was the lead official in New Providence’s Group I state championship win over Burlington City. This past season, Carolyn Jackson, a former standout at Cumberland Regional, was the first female official to work the Battle by the Bay in Atlantic City in the tournament’s 30-year history. There is no question both are great achievements, but if you were wondering what took so long, there is some good news. More women seemed to work boys varsity games this season in southern New Jersey, and even during girls games female officials are seen more and more. Although Williams, Jackson, and selective few seem to be the exception, there is hope the tide is turning. “I think women should give it a try. Bottom line, if you can run, move up and down the court, and get in the right position, you can make the same call as a male official,” said Jackson, 54, who has been officiating for 10 years. “You do have to have tough skin, but any game you walk in on, depending on the coach and the atmosphere, you still have to have tough skin to take the abuse or whatever you want to call it. So I don’t think there should be any difference. Just like men can do women’s games, there shouldn’t be any difference for a woman doing a man’s game.” Jackson’s Battle of the Bay experience featured Atlantic City and St. Augustine, led by legendary coaches Gene Allen and Paul Rodio. Not only are both coaches among the best in South Jersey, but both can be a little more than excitable on the sidelines.
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Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Amanda Feldman is a former basketball standout at Pinelands Regional High School in Ocean County and is one of a growing number of female basketball officials in South Jersey. Allen not only approved of Jackson’s performance, but thinks it’s time to see other female officials working the boys games. “We need to come out of the Stone Age. I don’t think that it matters one bit. All I want is for someone to officiate the game fairly, and gender never crossed my mind,” said Allen. “When I saw her, I knew she earned the respect of her colleagues to get a game like that. I thought she did an excellent job.” Jackson and Williams are not the only ones who can do an excellent job. For more women to work boys games, they need to be given an opportunity.
Female officials also have to be willing to not just work girls games. Denise Crudup, 28, is not only able to work boys games, she is also willing. The former Howell standout is so passionate about officiating she gave up playing basketball and football, two sports she loves, because she is not willing to risk injury to miss any time as an official. Crudup not only did three regularseason basketball games, she also was found on the gridiron during the fall.
See Officials, page 24
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Page 24 w Glory Days Magazine w March 18, 2019 Officials, from page 22 “I wasn’t surprised that my assigners gave me boys games because I do football games. My assigner knows I can handle a boys game whether it’s football, basketball or any other sport,” Crudup said. “I can handle it. I think (my assigner) has faith in me and trusts that I will call a great game.” Crudup, who would love to climb the ranks into the professional level in either sport, believes more women should make the move to do both boys and girls games, But also knows the assigners have to do their part. “I think it will come with time. It depends on the officials. Some of the women may be in intimidated,” Crudup said. “I think it is both. You don’t want to send a female into any situation you think something could go wrong, or potentially go wrong.” The coaches, players and fans will eventually get more accustomed to seeing women work boys games the more it happens. Female officials may get an odd look here and there now, but eventually it will not be a big deal.
Janielle Bailey works a game featuring the ACIT and Conrad (Del.) girls teams during the Kiss Cancer Goodbye Tournament at ACIT in February. Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Amanda Feldman, 29, a former star at Pinelands and former roommate of Crudup at Wilmington University (Del.), says she gets treated fairly when working junior varsity games, and hopes to make the jump to varsity. “From what I’ve seen, the boys players are very respectful,” Feldman said. “They don’t give me at-
titude very often. They might not like a call, but they play through it. The coaches, I think, are tough on any official. I’ve personally never felt I was being attacked because I was a woman in a high school game. She added, “(Coaches) hold me to the same standard. They want me to make the right calls, just like my fellow male officials.”
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Braves hope winter workouts pay dividends Absegami athletes have been using offseason time wisely to prepare for spring season By RAY LEWIS Student Correspondent bsegami High School is located in Galloway Township. Galloway is in the northeast region of the country, which has a reputation of being home to some of the most unstable and unpredictable weather conditions few find any joy in dealing with. In other words, the weather here is lousy (mostly in the winter and early spring — the summer is quite pleasant). Many could even describe South Jersey’s winter as unsatisfactory, inadequate, or even unacceptable by some standards of living. Luckily for many Absegami students, the atmospheric conditions that are being referenced take up much of the offseason that student-athletes use to prepare themselves for spring sports. If it is difficult to fully understand the impact weather might have on a player’s offseason, look at what thousands of South Jersey residents have had to endure so far. There already have been two snowfalls, daily instances of subfreezing temperatures, Winter Storm Harper (a coincidence given that Major League Baseball free agent Bryce Harper just signed with the Phillies) and even a “polar vortex” that has given South Jersey residents record-low temperatures, along with a reason to delay school by two hours. To many different teams and players
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Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Senior Gabe Gilger and the rest of the Absegami baseball players have been working hard all winter with the aim of impressing new head coach Mike DeCicco. around the area, that could be quite the setback to having a successful offseason for sports such as baseball, softball, lacrosse, track, tennis, golf and crew. To teams and players at Absegami, however, what is considered a setback to others is viewed as an almost nonexistent occurrence to them. For five spring teams, head coaches, assistant coaches and a multitude of players, this winter season was treated as something more than an annoying climate. It was viewed as something that is greater than a simple opportunity for growth. This winter season is a vital period in time that can be the prelude to one of the most sensational and unforgettable seasons of their high school career. One of those sports, baseball, is
headed by a first-year head coach and a dominant cast of returning seniors from 2018. If it seems like an odd combination, that’s because it is. In the world of high school sports, it is not often that these two elements of a sports program are paired up. For new head coach Mike DeCicco, however, it seems as if this combination will yield nothing but positive results. The team has been preparing for this season for the past three years, rather than just this past offseason. “I’m truthfully looking at the first few days to just continue what we’ve built the last three years” DeCicco said before the spring season kicked off on March 1. “I don’t really expect any hiccups.” One of the players who is looking to
validate that statement is Shane Nanek, a second basemen entering his senior year of baseball. Nanek, someone who has been somewhat of a comeback story during his high-school career, is a player who has worked his way up over the past few years. Starting out on the freshman team, Nanek has overcome a substandard season, a devastating injury and many moments when the choice presented to him was heavy — accept that his future baseball career was just not meant to be, or try to defy the odds by working as much as a high school student athlete can to turn his childhood dreams into a reality. Judging by what the Widener University commit is currently doing this offseason, it is clear what path he chose. “I am training at the Baseball Performance Center pretty much every single day and I am lifting every single day with my brother at Tilton Fitness,” he said. These personal workouts carried out by Nanek, along with the team workouts attended by Rudy Kreutzer, Billy Wheatley and others, are certainly helping to guarantee that the Braves have put in the time to prepare for the 2019 season. The Absegami softball team is in direct contrast to the baseball program, as it has an established head coach and some blossoming young talent. The man in charge of the program, coach Patrick Esemplare (or “E”, as many around the school call him), is not new to the aspect of head coaching. In fact, Esemplare is preparing himself for his 23rd season coaching softball.
See Braves, page 27
March 18, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 27 Braves, from page 26 During those 23 years, Esemplare has seen it all. He has seen great seasons, disappointing seasons, and just about every other kind of season in between. What he and many others around the game have certainly realized, however, is that whether a year can be labeled “successful” is not dependent on the talent of the players or the competence of the coach alone. For a season to be considered successful, everyone involved in the making of it — from the freshman to the seniors — must prepare themselves, no matter how laborious that preparation may be. “The offseason for softball is difficult because if they don’t throw constantly, there’s a lot of sore arms in March and April,” said Esemplare, “and hitting is something that if you want to be good at it, you have to do it year-round.” Fortunately for many girls on the team, the Braves coaches are putting in place all the necessary components of a successful offseason to ensure that both the arms and bats are ready by offering both winter hitting and throwing sessions for anyone who is interested.
Two players who undoubtedly took advantage of the sessions are seniors Rhiannon Ginnetti and Emily Martin, who are both embarking on their fourth years of high school softball. “The (workouts) are helping by just getting everyone in shape and conditioning them,” said Ginnetti. “Because throughout the fall and summer, not everyone really practiced, so it’s kind of getting them used to practicing again.” While baseball and softball are certainly using every dry day to perfect their hitting and throwing techniques, the boys lacrosse program at Absegami is doing something else to get ready — something that will certainly help when the Braves open up the 2019 season at Delran. “Absegami is in a winter league currently with other teams in our league,” midfielder Brody Nanek said a few weeks ago, just before the preseason began. This winter league, played at the Euro Sports Center in Egg Harbor City, helps lacrosse players perfect their
See Braves, page 29
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BOYS SWIMMING
Tougher road, same result 4th straight state title has Mainland looking like a dynasty By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer n Jan. 11, something happened that this year’s group of Mainland Regional swimmers had never experienced. The Mustangs (gasp!) lost a dual meet, as host St. Augustine Prep took down Mainland, 89-81. It was the first setback anyone on this year’s Mainland team had experienced their entire high school careers, and it snapped a 51-meet winning streak by the Mustangs. In the three previous years, Mainland had gone 15-0 and won the state championship each time — seemingly effortlessly. Then, four days later, Egg Harbor Township came into Mainland’s pool and whipped the Mustangs, 96-74. Suddenly, Stangs swimmers knew what a losing streak felt like. But Mainland coach Brian Booth knew that in the grand scheme of things, a couple losses might actually turn out to be a good thing for his squad. All of a sudden they realized that winning another state title wasn’t going to be a walk in
Season REVIEW MAINLAND
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Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Senior Erik Truong helped lead Mainland to another state championship this year, the fourth of his career, and with Truong in the lineup the Mustangs went 57-2 the past four seasons. the park. It was time to get refocused. “We took it as a positive. We sat down after the EHT meet and said, look, we had two really tough ones in a row and this is what is going to make us a better team. The last three years, we haven’t really been challenged too much in a lot of meets, so it was good to get a couple under our belt where we had to fight the whole way through,” he said. “We always thought (winning another state title) was a possibility.
We knew EHT was going to be a real challenge this year, they just matched up really well with us. I went out and watched Prep swim EHT before we swam (Prep) and they surprised us with just how fast they were. But, looking at our group in states, we were confident we could be pretty successful. We work hard the majority of the season, and when you give them a little bit of rest, it’s exciting to see them swim really fast.”
Overall record: 12-2 Cape-Atlantic League: 7-2 Playoffs: The Mustangs saw their 51-meet win streak come to an end with a loss to St. Augustine Prep on Jan. 11, but they rebounded in February, winning four straight meets to capture their fourth straight sectional and state titles. Getting refocused may be an understatement for what the Mustangs did following those two losses. After the loss to EHT, Mainland went out and thumped Middle Township, 137-30, then dominated Ocean City — a team it would see again in the South Jersey Public B championship — 107-63. The Mustangs then had two weeks to prepare for the state playoffs, and once the
See Mainland, page 30
March 18, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 29 Braves, from page 27 skills in game-like situations, while also helping the players “come together” by battling it out with their friends and teammates. And while it may have a positive effect on how the Braves play once the regular season kicks off, it may have an even bigger impact on the long-term development of the boys team — which also happens to be exactly what the girls lacrosse team is focusing on this offseason. “Last year was a really big building year for us,” said girls lacrosse coach Anna Gordon, a former Mainland star who is entering her second season. “And we focused a lot on stick skills and fitness and getting the experience level of the team up so that they can come in prepared this season. We can work on more developmental stuff and strategy of the game.” Among the various leaders for the Braves this year are seniors Liz Picardi and Gianna Rando. They are entering their fourth and second years, respectively, of high school lacrosse and have a feeling that the team’s offseason might just be the reason why
“Last year was a really big building year for us. And we focused a lot on stick skills and fitness and getting the experience level of the team up so that they can come in prepared this season.”
Anna Gordon, Absegami girls lacrosse coach
they succeed this year. “I feel like most people are prepared because some are doing winter sports, and some are working out after school, so I have a good feeling about it,” said Rando. “I think (the offseason) has been a really good success and I’m excited for the season.” While only time will tell how much of an impact this successful offseason will have on the actual play of the Braves, there is no doubt the girls will be working hard and having fun to ensure this lacrosse season will be one to remember. Achieving a balance of striving for the best while also remembering to have some enjoyment in the offseason can be a recipe for success no matter what sport you play. Robert McConville and Dan Ingrum, the boys and girls track coach-
es, are entering their second and third year, respectively, as the head coaches of their teams. And while spring track really doesn’t kick into high gear until May, McConville is understandably pleased that many of his runners have used this winter as a preparation period. “Every year we have people participating in winter track. It is an awesome training ground for spring track. It gets the students in shape and gets them acclimated to whatever events they decide to participate in and allows them to have the opportunity to have a break-in period prior to our regular season,” McConville said. This winter track season was not strictly an all-work environment, however. Athletes such as Keishaun Joga, Dylan Petillo and Cassidy Verderber were also taking some time to live in the moment occasionally, and truly
enjoy the time they spend together with their teammates at “The Bubble” at Toms River North, and with their coaches on the bus. While everyone on the track team hopes that this type of joy continues into the spring season, there is a question on all the Braves athletes’ minds. Will it all pay off? This question about the reward of all the hard work that has been put in this offseason can be answered in three words: it already has. The hard work has already paid off because what will be remembered is not the record the teams achieve this spring, but rather how that record was achieved. From all of the days at the gym, the outdoor throwing sessions, events at “The Bubble” to the development of a culture, there have been memories that will forever be more lasting than any record-book could ever show. Those memories — the same ones that will encompass much of the recollection of the high school career — are the reason why this offseason has been more than just an opportunity for growth, but in time will become cherished memories.
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“The feeling when you win is always a great feeling. I’m proud to see how happy they are that they’ve accomplished something as a team.” Brian Booth Mainland coach
Mainland, from page 28 postseason started they were firing on all cylinders. They took down Moorestown and Ocean City by identical 98-72 scores to win the South Jersey title, then crushed Manasquan 119-51 in the group semifinals before taking down Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 98-72, in the state championship meet. Mainland got all kinds of great performances aside from junior Destin Lasco, a University of California commit and the nj.com and Press of Atlantic City Boys Swimmer of the Year. Guys like Liam and Cole Garbutt,
Erik Truong and Andrew Middlesworth led the way, and even outside lane swimmers like seniors Michael Carroll and Jack Scott contributed key points along the way. “Liam and Cole did an awesome job this year for us and it was nice to see them step up as leaders for our team, to really kick in and help out. We’re not the team we were the last few years, with having such super superstars in every race. It was more of a whole team effort this year, we counted on everyone in every lane instead
See Mainland, page 31
March 18, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 31 Mainland, from page 30 of just saying, ‘OK, we’re just going to beat you with our top kids and you’re not going to be able to touch us,’” Booth said. “I would never have said we’re going to do this year after year. We were in a nice upward cycle of having some really good, quality kids coming into the program. But now that we’re not that super stud team anymore, it’s nice to see the younger kids stepping up to try to get better to keep everything going.” Truong could be considered one of the team’s MVPs, as he is strong and versatile, and Booth knew he could count on him for a certain number of points in every meet. But even Booth was a little surprised at how well Truong performed during his senior season. “We would joke with him for a while that he was so consistent with all of his times that we would say, ‘OK, we know we have this and we have this.’ What was really nice this year is he really started dropping a lot of time. His hard work is really paying off for all the practice and everything else he does,’ Booth said. “I was really proud to see how fast he got this year. He ended up breaking his own school record in the
breaststroke and finished third in the state, which is a great accomplishment.” Another bonus to winning another state title this year is that Booth’s son, Skylar, was one of the seniors and now will graduate with four championship rings. “That was something really special. I was really excited when he was coming in as a freshman because we had a good team and they were all just really good kids, and I wanted him to be a part of something great with those kids,” coach Booth said. “It was great to see him grow through these four years, to become a leader on this team, and hopefully somebody will be able to say they want their son to be like Skylar. It was something I’ll never forget, to be able to do this with my son.” So, does winning championships year after year ever get old? Hardly, coach Booth said. “It was a little more work that we had to put in, knowing we needed to get faster and do a little bit more. The feeling when you win is always a great feeling,” he said. “I’m proud to see how happy they are that they’ve accomplished something as a team.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Junior Destin Lasco is one of the top high school swimmers in the country, and has been named the Press of Atlantic City’s Boys Swimmer of the year, as well as the state Swimmer of the Year by nj.com.
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
The Mainland Regional boys swimming team won its fourth straight South Jerse Public B championship this season, then went on to win its fourth state championship in a row. During the past four years, the Mustangs have posted a 57-2 record.
snapshots GROUP 3 GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP/MAINLAND 42, CHATHAM 35
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