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About The Cover
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rish and Geoff Byrne didn’t know until after their second daughter was born that little Chloe had Down Syndrome. Trish said she and her husband had to “learn on the fly” about Down Syndrome and how it affected kids, and there were struggles the family had to go through during the times when Chloe was younger. But once she entered Middle Township High School four years ago, nothing has been able to stop young Chloe, as she has blazed a trail of self confidence and achievement through the halls of the school. In true Chloe fashion, she has taken the opportunity to be a mainstream student at the school and run with it, and these days she’s one of the most recognizable students donning the black-andorange. Flip on over to page 10 of this digital issue to read more about one of the Panthers’ brightest stars. Dave O’Sullivan, Publisher
GLORY DAYS General Contact Information Phone: 856-336-2600 Email: sully@acglorydays.com Publisher Dave O’Sullivan Email: sully@acglorydays.com @GDsullysays on Twitter Contributors Amy D’Adamo, graphic design Mark Trible, special football writer Larry Henry Jr., contributing writer Volume 8, Issue 6. (Issue No. 155) 2021 Glory Days Magazine LLC, all rights reserved.
Story Idea? Email sully@acglorydays.com or direct message Sully on Twitter, @GDSullysays
Feb. 26, 2021 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 5
headlines u PRESENTED BY BUNTING FAMILY PHARMACY u u Welcome to the club
Late February saw two Cape-Atlantic League boys basketball players eclipse the 1,000-point barrier in their careers. The first to do it was Noel Gonzalez of Pleasantville, and Matt Delaney, a senior forward at St. Augustine Prep, recently scored his 1,000th point.
u COVID shutdown
Most South Jersey basketball teams have been getting their games in, but the pandemic has put some teams on the shelf, including both Atlantic City programs, which will not return to action this season.
u Last of the unbeatens:
There is only one remaining undefeated team in the Cape-Atlantic League, and that’s the Middle Township girls. Brynn Bock (pictured) and the Panthers have run the table so far, going 5-0 at home and 3-0 on the road for a sparkling 8-0 record. There are plenty of teams nipping at their heels, though, as Wildwood Catholic, Holy Spirit, Absegami, Vineland and Our Lady
of Mercy Academy all just have one loss each, and Mainland is at 6-2. On the boys side, St. Augustine Prep and St. Joseph Academy are both 10-1 (having beaten each other) while EHT is sporting a 9-1 record.
u New baseball league:
The South Jersey South Shore Baseball League,
a new league geared toward 16-to-25-yearolds (but without an age restriction) has been launched and is scheduled to being play with 10 teams on May 24. The season will have 24 games plus playoffs, and also is a nonprofit that will provide community service. For more information, check out southjerseyssbl.com.
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GIRLS BASKETBALL
Consistency has defined Steve DiPatri’s 500-win career By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer hen Steve DiPatri got hired as girls basketball coach at the now-defunct Sacred Heart High School in Vineland at age 27, he had no visions of becoming a legendary South Jersey coach. He just loved basketball and wanted to coach a team. Well, like country singer Kenny Chesney’s advice in one of his hit songs — don’t blink. Since then, 24 years have gone by, DiPatri now spearheads the Wildwood Catholic girls program, and with a 6320 win over Lower Cape May on Feb. 8, DiPatri is now a proud member of the 500-win club. That’s a number few coaches can be successful enough over
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the span of more than two decades to reach during their careers, and DiPatri still has a lot of coaching left in him. That win total is a testament to how consistently good his teams have been since the mid 1990s. “I’ve been very fortunate. I took over two programs that were struggling, and we were able to build programs where kids wanted to come and play, and be a part of it. Our consistency has been something we thrive on. We thrive on doing things the right way and making other teams have to beat us. We never want to beat ourselves. That — looking back on all these years — is something I would say has been paramount to our success. The culture of work that we’ve built and having a growth mind set so that kids can learn and grow. To see the
kids want to come back and be a part of your program, like Caitlin (McMullan) coming back and coaching, or Kennedy Johnson calling me from Turkey wanting our playbook because she’s playing professionally over there and they needed some things. Things like that, that’s the fun part of it and that makes all the time you spend worthwhile,” DiPatri said after that win over Lower. “You blink your eye and it just kind of happens. I was a 27-year-old, wet-behind-the-ears kid when I got my first job. I was just thinking I’m going to live my life — whether it’s in coaching, professionally or with my family — one day at a time and look to be the best version of myself every day. I never would have thought I would coach as long as I have, but then again,
I never really thought about how long I would coach. I enjoy it, and continue to do so.” There are plenty of big wins and championships to remember throughout DiPatri’s career, and each night on the ride home from Wildwood to Vineland he gets a chance to flip through a mental viewfinder and call up some of those memories. But inevitably it’s not the final scores that flash in front of his eyes, or the trophies being raised, but rather the people surrounding him. “All the people, all the great relationships, all the great games kind of come flooding back and you remember all that stuff. Coaching is about relation-
See DiPatri, page 9
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Feb. 26, 2021 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 9 DiPatri, from page 6 ships, and building those relationships with the kids, with parents, with other coaches, referees, administrators — I’ve met so many great people over the years. It’s all gone so fast, 16 years at Sacred Heart and now this is my eighth season at Wildwood Catholic. You blink your eye and 24 years go by. My daughter is 18 years old now and she was born right when I was getting win No. 100,” he said. “Katie Caruso was a 1,000-point scorer for Wildwood Catholic and she’s one of our assistants, and Caitlin McMullan played for me. These are relationships we have because of sports. Sometimes we think so much about wins and losses and we forget that we’re dealing with people, and kids. I got a text before the game from Gabby Turco, a player from last year, talking about the passion we have and the culture we have. When you’re kids are repeating those messages you taught, moments like tonight just bring you back to those things. All the hard work and effort, and all those great relationships with kids.”
This year’s Wildwood Catholic squad is the epitome of what DiPatri’s teams have looked like throughout his career. One star player in senior Marianna Papazoglou, a University of Pennsylvania recruit, along with a bunch of players who grind every day to make this team one of the best in the Cape-Atlantic League. Players such as Alyia GrayRivera, an undersized point guard, or Kimmy Casiello — perhaps the most underrated guard in the whole league; or senior Lauren McCallion, who just goes about her business snatching rebounds for second-chance points. “She does all the little things we need and she’s a great compliment to Marianna,” DiPatri said of Casiello, a junior. “She’s a great shooter who has a mid-range game, which is virtually nonexistent in today’s high school game, and that makes her a threat. You need consistency of players like her — kids who will buy into their role and buy into your system. Kimmy earned a starting job in the beginning of her freshman year and she just keeps getting better. “To be successful as a team, every-
body has to have a role and everybody has to fulfill their role to the utmost in order to be successful. We talk every day about being the best version of yourself, and that’s the same with the shots we take or the defensive possessions we have. Be the best version of yourself no matter what. Our kids buy in, and that’s part of the climate and culture that we spend so much time working on and developing,” he added. “You have to have kids who are playing for the ‘we’ and not for the ‘me’ and if they are going to be the best version of themselves, they have to accept that team-first mentality. Is it human nature to want to grab the spotlight and score? Sure it is. Every kid is competitive. But, ultimately, when you can get kids to buy into the ‘we’ is bigger than ‘me’ — that’s when you’re going to achieve success. Fortunately, we have kids who have grown into that and accepted their roles. We feel strongly that when all of our kids score we can play with and beat anybody on our schedule.” There won’t be any championships to play for this season, as the coronavirus pandemic has eliminated both the
Cape-Atlantic League Tournament and the state playoffs, but DiPatri said he loves seeing how much this team has developed unfolding before his eyes. This year will mark the culmination of the careers of a couple of four-year starters and the maturation of one of DiPatri’s youngest teams ever from four years ago. “This group of seniors all started as freshman. We had one returning starter when these kids were freshmen and that was the youngest team I’ve ever coaching. They went 15-11 and that was the worst season we’ve had,” he said. “They’ve all grown up together and gotten better each year. They went from 15-11 to 23-6 as sophomores then 25-5 as juniors. They’ve gotten so much better at the nuances of the game, like setting screens or boxing out — all those little things it takes to be successful. They are showing the younger kids how to be successful, and that’s what it’s all about, being a program and doing all the little things it takes to win.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
Kimmy Casiello and Wildwood Catholic have been one of the most consistent and good girls basketball programs in South Jersey the past couple of years, going 23-6 two years ago, 25-5 during the 2019-2020 season, and the Crusaders are 5-1 so far this year. Glory Days photo/Sully
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VIC’S SUBS COVER STORY
‘It’s Chloe’s world’ Cheerleader’s positive attitude has been an inspiration at Middle Township High School By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer he high school experience. It’s something that collectively we all share. For some, it’s a time of great joy, of accomplishment, of getting a jump on what will become a lifetime of successes. For others it can be filled with great sadness or heartbreak. The teen years are typically turbulent for most, but by and large we all get through them, and they can even be great inspiration for novelists and songwriters. Trish Byrne had no idea what the high school experience would be like for her youngest daughter, Chloe, when Chloe entered Middle Township High a few years ago. Chloe isn’t like other kids — she was born with Down Syndrome, which can cause a wide range of developmental issues. But Chloe, a member of the Panthers’ cheerleading and dance squads, has never seen herself as different. She has a zest for life that can brighten anyone’s darkest day and with her unwaveringly positive attitude, she has become one of the superstars in the hallways of her high school. “She had a lot of energy as a kid. We did some dance classes when she was younger and she was always running. We also did Upper Township Challenger sports, where they did soccer and baseball. She’s always been super active. She also does beauty pageants,” said Trish, who, along with her husband, Geoff, graduated from Middle Township High. “We did not know until she was born that she had Down Syndrome and we didn’t know much about it. We kind of learned as we went. At first, in the baby stage, it’s not much different, but once they get a little bit older the milestones don’t come as quickly. She learns a little bit more slowly, but she’s certainly capable of learning; she just learns a little bit differently.” At first, when Chloe was a baby, she wasn’t much different than any other baby. The differences became
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Glory Days photo/Sully
Chloe Byrne, an 18-year-old cheerleader at Middle Township High, was born with Down Syndrome but that hasn’t stopped her from becoming one of the most successful and popular kids at her school. more apparent as she began to enter school, and there were some struggles socially as a young child. That’s what had Trish worried about sending her daughter off to high school. Would other kids accept her? Would they mock her and ostracize her? Would all the confidence Chloe had built up until then through sports and beauty pageants be wiped away by a couple of mean-spirited teenagers? Those kinds of thoughts weighed heavily on she and Geoff, Trish said. But the Byrnes’ experience at Middle Township has been anything but stressful. In fact, it’s been the
complete opposite. Chloe, now 18 years old, is thriving in an environment that not only accepts her, but embraces her talents and infectious attitude. “When she was very young, people didn’t really know the difference, but once she and her peers got a little bit older it was always a struggle with the social life. The social end is where the struggles came for us, and for her, which is why it’s so nice that in high school she belongs to so many clubs and is very
See Chloe, page 11
Feb. 26, 2021 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 11 Chloe, from page 10 widely accepted. Chloe has always been larger than life. We like to say ‘this is Chloe’s world and she just lets us live in it.’ She’s super gregarious, happy, very confident and very loving, and she rarely has a bad day. She’s a great teacher in terms of teaching us how we should look at the world. She’s always happy,” said Trish, whose oldest daughter, Madeline, is 19 and away at college. “I have been over the moon happy with her experience at Middle Township High School. I was super nervous for her to go to high school, but it has exceeded my expectations. She’s well accepted and I feel like the faculty is very supportive. The fact that she’s been able to do dance and cheer — two things she really loves — has been really great for her. We haven’t gotten a chance to see her cheer at a game this year, but the three previous years she’s been on the cheerleading squad we would get to go watch her, and it was cool to see her getting that high school experience. I really wasn’t sure when she was growing up what
“I don’t know that there are words we can say (to the other students). It has really meant a lot that there have been kids who have really embraced her and are willing to be patient and accepting. I would say to the kids who aren’t sure to just give her a chance. She takes a little extra time but she’s a great kid and can be a great friend.” Trish Byrne Mom of 18-year-old Middle Township High cheerleader Chloe Byrne
(high school) was going to look like for her. You have a vision in your mind of how your children’s school years are going to go, but high school has definitely exceeded my expectations.” “Her and my son did their first communion and a lot of stuff through the church together, she’s been in my class. Chloe is wonderful. I love that she’s been involved in so much in terms of the cheerleading and the dance squad. She’s just one of those kids who is so fun to be around and is so willing to give her time to try to help people.
She’s really a joy to be around,” said John Leahy, the Middle Township girls basketball coach who also happens to be Chloe’s favorite teacher, as he teaches a life skills class that Chloe is a part of. “Our kids can certainly learn a lot from being around Chloe and just having that enthusiasm for life and an energy to be involved and have fun. I know we weren’t able to do it this year, but my girls are always involved in the (Upper Township) Challenger Program and we always have basketball clinics at the school for some of the special
needs students. I think it’s a great way for our kids (on the basketball team) to be grateful for what they have — and who they have — in their lives. I can honestly tell you that myself, and really everybody in the Middle Township community, has been impacted by Chloe, and it’s wonderful to be around her and share time with her.” Leahy said there’s no better place for somebody like Chloe to go to high school. There is a very diverse student population at Middle with many different races and family backgrounds. And there is a lot of school spirit since so many of the athletes play multiple sports and also are involved in other school functions and community service projects. “At Middle Township we have kids of all different backgrounds and all different learning levels, but we are so inclusive,” Leahy said. “There is not one kid in that building who isn’t welcomed to a sports team, or a club, or an activity. I think that’s great. You can go up and down our programs and you’re
See Chloe, page 13
Feb. 26, 2021 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 13 Chloe, from page 11 going to find a diverse group of kids who are all in different situations, but they are all wonderful kids who want to get to know each other and make an impact on our school community. Chloe has certainly been a huge part of that and I think everybody at Middle has welcomed her with open arms. The kids love her.” “I love to have energy because it makes me happy and makes me be loud and feel free,” Chloe said. “I have lots of favorite moments (at Middle). I get a lot of support at the school, I have amazing teachers and amazing friends. I love dance and my Everyday Life teacher, Mr. Leahy. He’s always there for me and he always tell me, ‘you can do this’ and ‘try your best.’ My favorite music has to be Taylor Swift because I went to her concert two times and have her merchandise. My mom surprised me to see her concert.” Chloe loves doing her thing as part of the cheer squad for the boys and girls basketball teams and she’s been out there for the past couple of years, learning all the moves and cheers along with her teammates. Trish said Chloe’s teammates, and all the students at Middle, probably have no idea how much
it means to the Byrne family simply to include Chloe in their daily activities. “I don’t know that there are words we can say (to the other students). It has really meant a lot that there have been kids who have really embraced her and are willing to be patient and accepting,” Trish said. “I would say to the kids who aren’t sure to just give her a chance. She takes a little extra time but she’s a great kid and can be a great friend.” Chloe, like many kids her age, has a lot of hopes, dreams and plans for life beyond high school. She hopes to someday become a teacher, like Mr. Leahy, so she can help kids learn. But she’s a bit torn, because she also wants to move to California to become a YouTube star. (No word yet on whether Geoff and Trish have considered a move to Los Angeles). “My dream is to go to California. I want to be a YouTuber,” Chloe said. “My dream is to be a YouTuber and other YouTubers are in California, so that’s where I want to be. I’d also like to start a food truck to serve different diets. I also want to be a teacher because I think teachers are great because they help students achieve their goals. I want to teach high schoolers so they can go to college and achieve their goals someday.”
Those are some lofty goals, but Trish has no doubt her ambitious daughter can achieve anything she sets her mind to. For now, the family will focus on finishing out the 2020-2021 school year and enjoy getting another chance to see Chloe perform, as parents have recently been allowed to start attending high school basketball games again. “She’s our little ray of sunshine. She tries her hardest and just wants to be like everybody else. She wants to be treated just like everyone else,” Trish said. “I just think about how far she has come from that first day putting her on a school bus when she was 3 years old, and she cried, and all I could think was, ‘holy smokes, how is this going to go?’ I think about how far she has come and how hard she has worked, and the great support she has had. It’s going to be bittersweet (leaving Middle Township High). We’ve been fortunate to have a good experience.” How does Chloe hope she’s remembered in the halls of her high school once she has moved on? She has a simple answer to that question. “I want to be a person who thinks about positive stuff. Believe in yourself, always trust in yourself.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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FOOTBALL Mike Forest plays around with a Cedar Creek player prior to the sectional championship game in 2016. Last month Forest, a former wide receivers coach at Cedar Creek, was named the new head coach at his alma mater, Oakcrest High School. Glory Days file photo/Sully
Forest ready to build at Oakcrest Former player wants a foundation built upon relationships By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer or 10 years, Mike Forest served as wide receivers coach under Tim Watson at Cedar Creek, and not once during that time did Forest ever harbor dreams of one day becoming a head coach. In fact, he said he never would have those ambitions — unless the job came open at his alma mater. Last month, Forest — who helped develop some outstanding receivers during his time at Cedar Creek, such as Amir Mitchell, Bo Melton, Malachi Melton and Jojo Bermudez — was hired to be the next head coach at Oakcrest High School after Eric Anderson announced his decision to step down after five seasons. The Falcons went 15-32 during
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“My coaching philosophy is easy and it’s mentorship-relationship-first coach. I believe you have to build relationships first before anything else can be done. That’s the way I operate within my mentor programs and things I do in the community, and that’s the way to do it. I’m a relationship-first guy and that’s what we’re going to do.” Mike Forest New Oakcrest football coach Anderson’s tenure. “I didn’t know this opportunity would present itself. I was comfortable where I was at Cedar Creek under coach Tim Watson, and being led by him was great. I never really wanted to be a head coach, but I told myself if the opportunity presented itself the only place I would be the head coach for would be
Oakcrest. When that opportunity presented itself, I definitely put my hat in the ring, and here we are now,” said Forest, who played wide receiver at Oakcrest and graduated in 1999. “It was kind of crazy. It was hard for me to let it set in because as I found out I was the head coach I had to deal with all the stuff that comes with that (right away). It wasn’t like I got a call and they said, ‘hey, you’re the guy, talk to you tomorrow.’ It was like, ‘hey, you’re the guy and this is what we need to do.’ It’s still a little surreal. I don’t think it’s really going to hit me until I’m around the guys and we’re really getting stuff done. Right now it’s just virtual stuff so the connection is not really there. Until we can connect and I can see them, maybe get into the weight room soon and start doing some kind of workouts, then it might be like, wow, this is really happening.” Forest said it hasn’t been easy to get started with his vision for the program because of the pandemic. In a normal year he’d be jumping right in with watching the guys during their offseason workouts, breaking down film with players, etc. These days everything
See Forest, page 17
Feb. 26, 2021 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 17 Forest, from page 14 has to be done virtually. “Right now I’m just trying to let the guys know about me as much as possible. I have them in a group chat and I’m just trying to stay connected with them, give them a feel for who I am and what I’m about,” Forest said. “I get together with the coaching staff (virtually) every morning and check with them throughout the day, we’ll send the guys different game plans we might have been talking about and we’ll quiz them on it, things like that, just to keep their minds as close to football as possible. We’ll get on and have a (Zoom) meeting here and there. I’ve met with the upcoming seniors, juniors, all the classes, and we talked about last season and the future. It’s basically just trying to figure out a way to stay connected. My No. 1 goal right now is to start building these relationships so they know who I am. “The biggest challenge right now is not being able to connect with the guys as much as I want to,” added Forest,
who is a counselor at Atlantic-Cape Community College. “I believe leading a team is something I’m capable of doing. I’m comfortable in my leadership skills. The things we have to deal with right now — (in a normal year) we’ll already be in the weight room and I’d be seeing them working out. So that’s the hardest part, just having to sit here and wait because of this pandemic.” One of the biggest challenges Forest faces as he begins his career is getting Oakcrest kids to stay at Oakcrest. The school is centrally located in Atlantic County and that lends itself to top players choosing other schools, such as intra-district rivals Absegami and Cedar Creek or parochial powers like St. Joseph Academy, St. Augustine Prep and Holy Spirit. “That’s the hardest part, but I’m so ready for that challenge,” he said. “I’m a community guy. A lot of these guys I coached when they were younger because I’m still involved with the youth leagues. I know their parents and I think a lot of these parents will feel comfortable having their kid come back home. That’s the goal — Oakcrest
has basically become Mays Landing High School now. We have to do our best to keep the guys home and it starts with putting a product on the field that the community will be proud of, and just make Oakcrest the place where people are excited to come, and not just come here because they didn’t get into Cedar Creek or St. Joseph or Holy Spirit. We don’t want to be the second or third choice.” Forest said he believes the Mays Landing kids will want to stay home and play for Oakcrest once they see what he’s all about. He believes his life experience of growing up in Mays Landing, right across the street from the high school, will go a long way in getting the players to trust him and his staff. “My coaching philosophy is easy and it’s mentorship-relationship-first coach. I believe you have to build relationships first before anything else can be done. That’s the way I operate within my mentor programs and things I do in the community, and that’s the way to do it. I’m a relationship-first guy and that’s what we’re going to do. We have
to get a strong relationship going in the school, with us as a coaching staff and within the whole team, and we’ll move forward from that point. Once the guys trust me and understand that I’m fully in this and want the best for them, everything will start coming together,” Forest said. “I’m very excited. When coach Watson stepped down (at Cedar Creek) my thoughts changed, and when this opportunity presented itself, I thought, ‘I can do this, I’m ready.’ Being from Oakcrest and growing up where these kids grew up and letting them know I’ve been in their shoes — a lot of people say, ‘hey, I know what you’re going through,’ but when I say it they know I mean it 100 percent. I’ve walked the same hallways, practiced on the same fields, played on the same game field. I grew up right across the street in Oakcrest Estates, like a lot of these guys have, so I can really relate to these guys.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
Forest will be taking over a program that has been strong in the past but has struggled the past two seasons, going a combined 3-14. Glory Days file photo/Sully
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SENIOR SPOTLIGHT A’JOHNNIE REMBERT
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Rembert set tone for Spartans Senior linebacker led Spirit to No. 1 spot in South Jersey By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer oly Spirit High School senior AiJohnnie Rembert has a keen interest in perhaps becoming an electrician after he graduates in June. It would be a fitting career choice for the Spartans linebacker who spent the past two years lighting up opposing running backs and receivers while leading his team to a state championship and South Jersey title in successive seasons. “He’s very charismatic. He wrestles, too, so he’s one of the kids who gets our guys pumped up and he brings the energy, which gets our practices going,” said Holy Spirit head coach A.J. Russo. “AiJohnnie plays hard on every play and he’s very athletic. He’s hard to block on the edge and he gives teams fits. He has great athletic ability. In practice, our first offense is trying to block him off the edge and he gives our offense fits. He’s athletic, he has a high motor, and when his motor is going he’s very difficult to block. We always talk about doing your job and he’s not worried about what anybody else has to do, he’s focused on what he has to do and that gives him the ability to understand what is coming at him, and he’s making the plays.” Rembert, who transferred into Holy Spirit from Oakcrest as a sophomore, isn’t that big at 5-foot11, 190 pounds, but just like the rest of the Spartans’ defensive unit, he brought every ounce of hustle and determination to Ed Byrnes Stadium every day, and was the centerpiece for perhaps the best defense in the state this year. The Spartans went 8-0 en route to being named the No. 1 team in South Jersey and No. 2 team in the state, and only one team, Pleasantville, was able to score more than a touchdown against them. In the COVID-19 version of the postseason, Holy Spirit shut out a previously unbeaten Winslow team, 34-0, then limited Lenape to just one score in a 21-7 win
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Glory Days photo/Sully
Holy Spirit senior A’Johnnie Rembert was one of the top linebackers in South Jersey this past fall and helped lead the Spartans to a perfect 8-0 record and the No. 1 ranking in the region. in the defacto South Jersey championship game. “I knew I had to come in here and be determined to do something. I took a chance and came to the open house. My junior year I was determined to get on the field, and that year was decent. But this year, I practiced the whole offseason and I think I got better,” said Rembert, one of Holy Spirit’s leading tacklers. “I was more focused on my agility and getting sideline-to-sideline. Last year I could do that, but this year I knew they were going to switch me around because that’s what was going to be best for the team. So, me making plays from left defensive end side all the way to the right side is what I focused on. It was mostly on my own, and mostly mental because I get inside my head sometimes.”
In 2019, Holy Spirit capped off a thrilling season with a 38-0 win over St. Joseph of Hammonton in the Non-Public Group 2 state championship game, and that served as notice to the rest of South Jersey that the Spartans were here to play some defense. They shut down Jada Byers, one of the most talented running backs in South Jersey history, and shut out a team that had scored 20 or more points in seven of its 10 games leading up to the championship. That type of shut-down defense continued into this season, as Spirit beat St. Joe again in the season opener, 18-6. Then the Spartans shut out Cedar Creek
See Rembert, page 21
Feb. 26, 2021 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 19 Rembert, from page 20 and allowed only seven points to Vineland. After a 42-20 win over Pleasantville on Oct. 23, Spirit allowed just 14 points in its final four games, including two shutouts. “We definitely come to play every single Friday. We practice all week really hard. We lost some great defensive players (from last year) but we had a lot of kids step up. One thing I can say about this defense is they are driven. I don’t know what they are driven by, but they are driven to hold that No. 1-defense-in-South-Jersey title. I’m driven, too,” Rembert said after the playoff win over Winslow. “Me, personally, I just tell myself I can do anything I want to do. People try to hold me to certain limits, but I exceed those every time, and I like my odds every time. It feels good to earn having my name out there. My goal every week
“He’s hard to block on the edge and he gives teams fits. He has great athletic ability. In practice, our first offense is trying to block him off the edge and he gives our offense fits. He’s athletic, he has a high motor, and when his motor is going he’s very difficult to block.”
A.J. Russo, Holy Spirit coach
is to make sure our defense is ready to play on Friday night.” Rembert isn’t the rah-rah type of guy, instead, he likes to wear down an opponent with consistency and brute force. But over the past two years he’s become one of the top leaders for the Spartans. “haven’t really been vocal in any sport throughout my life, but this year I really talked to the guys both on and off the field,” he said. “I tell them every down we have to stay focused and confident.”
At the moment, Rembert said he isn’t sure where his future will take him. He said he’d love to continue his football career at the collegiate level, if there is a college out there willing to take a chance on him. If not, he may get an early start on a career as an electrician. “There will be an opportunity for him to play at the next level, and I’m not trying to speak for him but he wants to be an electrician,” Russo said. “He’s very interested in getting out of high school and getting his feet wet in terms of trying to become an electri-
cian. He’s very goal-oriented as far as that is concerned.” “I’m a blue-collar type of guy,” Rembert said, “I like to use my hands and that helps me on the football field. Right now, I’m just counting my days and seeing what I want to do.” No matter what happens, Rembert said he’ll carry with him the life lessons he learned from Russo and the rest of the Spartans’ coaching staff. “I’m going to miss this, for sure,” he said. “One thing I can say about this football program is they don’t only make you into a football player, they make you into a gentleman. I know whenever we do something wrong that’s not on the football field or inside the weight room, we have to run for it. And I don’t like running, so I make sure I don’t do any bad things. Everything you do has consequences.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
Page 20 w Glory Days Magazine w Feb. 26, 2021
Minutemen eager to take next step Washington Twp. has the talent to become playoff contender By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer ashington Township High School is one of the largest in South Jersey with more than 2,200 students. Even the campus is huge, as the building itself is more than a quarter mile long. The facilities are top notch, including the 2,500-seat Investors Bank Performing Arts Center where stars such as George Carlin, David Copperfield, Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers and Jessica Simpson have all performed. There’s no reason why the Minutemen shouldn’t be a top-notch high school football program, says thirdyear head coach Mike Schatzman. He knows Township can be a powerhouse, because it’s happened in the past. The team won sectional titles in 1987, 1992 and 1995. But recently the Minutemen have fallen on hard times, struggling to win a game or two each year. Schatzman believes he and the staff he has in place — coupled with a newfound dedication among the players — can help turn things around. It seems as though the rebound is already beginning, as Township posted a .500 record in a coronavirus-shortened 2020 season and is beginning to place kids into NCAA programs. Schatzman has a lot of confidence that Washington Township can rekindle its glory days of the 80s and 90s, and the former Minutemen player is intent on doing what it takes to get this program to the next level. Township went 2-2 this past fall, beating Shawnee and Eastern while taking Kingsway into overtime. But in 2019 the Minutemen squandered a 3-2 start, dropping their final five games to finish at 3-7. Schatzman said it has been
state of the program
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Glory Days photo/Sully
Washington Township will return one of the top running backs in the area next season in the form of 2022 graduate Jo’Nathan Silver. the lack of consistency that has hurt his team, and that’s a big focus this offseason — doing all the little things it takes now to build a consistently good team in the fall. “It’s tough to say with this year and the COVID, but I think we would have been a playoff team and could have been a pretty high seed in South Jersey Group 5 had we had a full season. Year three, compared to Year One, there’s a big difference, and not just for me, but for the whole staff. There’s more consistency and the kids are hearing the same voices, and in years past we just
haven’t had that because there was so much turnover. We had three coaches in three years at one point, so it was hard for the kids to get comfortable in any kind of system,” Schatzman said. “I think from 2018 to 2020 has been a big difference, just looking back and watching film to see how far we’ve come and how much better the kids have gotten. A lot of credit has to go to my staff and the kids for that, they’ve put in the work and been committed to it. The biggest thing for me is, when I got hired we had about 75 kids in the program and this past year we had 135,
so that goes to show how kids are more excited to be a part of the program and how much they enjoy it. the coaches make it a great atmosphere.” Schatzman’s mantra since he took over three years ago has been “leave the program better than you found it.” It’s a challenge to each incoming freshman class to outwork the previous one. That’s how the foundation for success will be laid in this program, brick by brick.
See Minutemen, page 23
Feb. 26, 2021 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 21 Minutemen, from page 22 “We’ve had coach Schatzman since our freshman year, and on our first day of practice (four years ago) he said, ‘I want you guys to leave this program better than you found it.’ I think we did that,” said quarterback Liam Friel, a senior who will graduate in a few months. “I think Washington Township can compete for a championship very soon. There’s a lot of talent here, and I think we’re on the verge of something great very soon. I think it’s just going to come down to holding everyone accountable, making sure everyone is doing their job. It’s not just about what you do when it’s football season, it’s about all the things you do in the offseason when nobody is there watching. that’s what you have to do to be a championship, playoff football team. I think this team has a good group coming back and I think they can do big things.” Fellow senior Jaden Allen, a defensive end and tight end who originally committed to Utah State before switching to Fordham, agrees with his teammate. “I love every second of this. I love being under those Friday night lights. We’ve taken our lumps throughout the years, but this year we had something special going on,” Allen said. “The leadership on this team and getting everybody bought in has been great. This year, the team we have is so different than in past years. Everybody bought in and we wanted to win, bad. I think about this program every day. I set a goal for myself freshman year that I wanted to leave this program better than when I found it.” Schatzman grew up around really good Washington Township football teams, and he wants to bring that spirit back to the sidelines every Friday night. “Our town is made up of a blue-collar type of toughness and I think that’s what made us so successful in the 1970s, 80s, 90s and 2000s — we had a string of 35 or 40 years of really good football. My vision has been to bring that back. I want other teams to respect coming to our place and know they are going to get a game. I think that’s what any coach wants — you don’t want teams to circle you on their sched-
ule as W’s; you want people to say, ‘oh, boy, we have Washington Township on our schedule and that’s going to be a battle,’” he said. “In the three years I’ve been the head coach we’ve had a signature win in all three. My first year we beat Hammonton in a really good game, and the following year they were playing in the sectional final and they’re always a really good program. Last year, we beat Eastern who has always been a tough opponent, we played Vineland to a 14-13 loss where we went for two at the end — so we were starting to learn how to win, and the kids wanted to win. And this year we beat Shawnee and followed that up by losing to Kingsway in double overtime. There have been some signature wins that I don’t think a lot of people anticipated. We’ve been competitive and I think that has to do with the mindset of where we want to go. “The next step is consistency, staying on track and continuing to get the kids to believe,” Schatzman continued. “The biggest thing for me is our feeder program and keeping kids who play in our youth organization home. We’ve had a history of losing kids to private schools, which has hurt us. We’re centrally located to St. Joseph Academy, Paul VI, St. Augustine Prep and Gloucester Catholic. that makes things difficult, but my goal is to make kids want to play for us. that’s my speech when I talk to the youth kids and coaches. I played in that organization, so I’ve been around it my whole life. I want kids to want to come here and believe in what we’re doing, and we’ve been doing that. I understand (the private schools), they are trying to make their teams better, but my job is to make our own kids want to come here and be a part of our program and our school, and all the things we have to offer. There are a lot of good things here, not just football but academically and socially as well.” Schatzman already is itching to get to the 2021 preseason, and for good reason. Township has a bunch of solid athletes returning and perhaps an all-South Jersey caliber running back in current junior Jo’Nathan Silver, a 5-foot-10, 180-pounder with speed and power. “I have a genuine love for Washington Township High School and that
Glory Days photo/Sully
Look for Quamir Land, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound junior wide receiver, to play a big role in Washington Township’s offense in 2021. made becoming the head coach easier. And the staff is like me, a lot of them are past players or teach in the building or live in the town. But you learn something new every day and the coaches who have been around for 40 years can tell you that. I’ve met with guys like Clyde Folsom and Tim Gushue; I try to pick something every day that can help make us better,” Schatzman said. “We’re excited. We have a really good group of seniors next year who have been with us since freshman year and have had some success. Jo’Nathan Silver is going to be a real-deal type of running back. He had seven touchdowns for us this year in just four games, so he’ll be a really good player for us and will have some interest from Division I schools. And we have a really big sophomore class that is wellrounded as far as linemen and skill guys. It’s probably the most complete group we’ve had in one class, and we had a really good freshman group this year, so we’re looking forward to the group we have coming in next year.” Allen, Schatzman said, epitomizes what he wants this Township football program to be about — guys who grind for four years, put the work in and not
only get rewarded with some wins on Friday nights, but the opportunity to continue playing at the collegiate level. “The relationships and the bonds you create, (high school football) truly is a brotherhood. You’re around the coaches every day and we look at them as father figures. Being able to have people like that in your corner is an awesome feeling,” Allen said. “Township is a great school and I’ve created some relationships in this town that will last a lifetime. Everything about it, it’s a great school, and the football program — say what you want, we’ve taken our lumps, but we have something special going on. This school has it all, a great weight room, two turf fields, great equipment. We’re going to be a great program soon.” “Guys like Jaden and some others put a lot of work in and were part of the rebuild,” said Schatzman, a 2008 graduate of the school. “They went through some difficult times and stayed loyal. That’s the goal for the next class — continue to build and do little things that make us better.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
Page 22 w Glory Days Magazine w Feb. 26, 2021
ON CAMPUS
A LOOK AT COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Morton named Woman of the Year Former Mainland catcher honored for her influence at Rutgers-Newark By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer elieve it or not, National Girls & Women In Sports Day has been around since 1987, when President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation designating Feb. 4, 1987 as National Women In Sports Days. It’s goal is to acknowledge the achievements of female athletes while honoring the progress women have made — as well as highlighting the continuing struggle women in sports face when it comes to equality. On this year’s observance of the occasion, former Mainland Regional High softball player and current catcher at Rutgers University-Newark, Sam Morton, got an email saying she was selected to represent her school as the National Girls & Women In Sports Day award winner. The award was presented by the New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. Needless to say, she was quite shocked to hear the news. “I got an email that day, Feb. 3, and I was reading the email and I had no idea (I had won that award). In the email they just said they were going to mail the award, and I was thinking, ‘what award?’” said Morton, a 2017 Mainland graduate who has one more season of college softball before graduating and moving on to law school. “My reaction immediately was I was completely thrilled to represent my school like that and represent all women and girls in sports — it’s unbelievable. To
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Photos by Larry Levanti/Rutgers-Newark
Former Mainland Regional High standout Sam Morton said she was shocked to learn she won a prestigious National Girls & Women In Sports Day award earlier this month. be recognized for my own accomplishments, obviously, but the main goal of this thing is to encourage girls to get out and play whatever sport interests them or join whatever club interests them, just get out there and do it.” Morton said that when she was in high school most of her energy was focused on simply getting a chance to play at the next level. Now, as a 21-year-old college senior, she has a
greater sense of what her accomplishments mean to not only her teammates and the school she represents, but also to young girls who look up to college athletes like her. According to a news release from Rutgers-Newark, as a junior (in 2020) Morton’s season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic but in the four games they were able to play, she drove in a pair of RBIs and had a per-
fect fielding percentage. Before her shortened junior season, Morton led all Scarlet Raiders with a .354 batting average and 20 RBIs in her sophomore campaign. In that season where she started all 40 games, Morton recorded two home runs which tied for the team lead.
See Morton, page 25
Feb. 26, 2021 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 23 Morton, from page 24 “Sam is an ideal representation of leadership and has left her mark on our program,” her head coach, Caitlyn Seamster, said in that press release. “We are so proud of all of her accomplishments, not only on the diamond but also in the classroom and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.” “I think when I was in high school I was really concerned about how far I could take my career. I wanted to play in college and that was my biggest goal when I was playing in high school. Then, when I got to college, I was like, ‘this is it (for my softball career), I have to make the best of it.’ The change there was once I got to college it wasn’t all about just getting here, or all about stats and winning and all that stuff, it’s really about something so much bigger,” Morton said. “When I was in high school I always did camps, like field hockey and softball, and I loved coaching younger girls. I remember meeting girls who were a little nervous about participating and what they would look like if they really went all out. I always felt like I was a role model in the sense that I’ve never been afraid to just be obnoxiously competitive and very outspoken, and just be myself. I think a lot of times girls feel like they shouldn’t go all out, they shouldn’t go catch that ball and be dramatic about it.” Morton said receiving the award will, she hopes,
“When I was in high school I always did camps, like field hockey and softball, and I loved coaching younger girls. I remember meeting girls who were a little nervous about participating and what they would look like if they really went all out. I always felt like I was a role model in the sense that I’ve never been afraid to just be obnoxiously competitive and very outspoken, and just be myself.”
Sam Morton, Rutgers-Newark senior catcher
inspire some younger softball players to continue their careers, and as she moves on in her career past college Morton said she hopes she can continue to be an advocate for girls and women in sports. “It’s a great award to have and I think it build confidence (in women and girls). A lot of people have reached out to me and said they showed (the news) to their girls and they hope they’ll be encouraged to play, and that’s really what it’s about,” she said. Morton also said it’s great that these kinds of awards are now getting so much attention throughout the country. “It’s long overdue. Title IX came out in the 70s and
that was such a great accomplishment and we saw all the success that came from that, but we need to keep working until we finally get equality,” Morton said. “I know that after my college career I’ll be going on to law school — which is my true passion, and I can advocate that way — but there are a lot of people who want to make sports their career and that’s amazing. They should be able to live off that, they shouldn’t have to have another job. If they are going to go and pursue that, they should have the same opportunities that men have.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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