South Jersey Glory Days August 2025

ABOUT THE COVER SOUTH JERSEY

There were so many outstanding student-athletes in the Class of 2025, and dozens of them would have been a great pick for the cover our our now annual “Senior Stars” digital edition. We went with Eastern Regional star Logan Dawson because of the impact he had in three different sports during his time as a Viking, and the leadership he showed while wearing all three uniforms. He’s currently playing professional baseball in Florida after getting drafted by his favorite team, the Philadelphia Phillies, and he had a fanstastic high school baseball career, hitting nearly .300, including better than .360 as a junior when he led the Vikings to an appearance in the Group 4 state championship game. But he was just as valuable in football, leading Eastern back to the state playoffs just two years after the team went 1-8, and in basketball he played a reserve role but still helped lift the Vikings to more than 20 wins. In short, this kid is a born ballplayer, and winner. We hope you enjoy the rest of our Senior Stars, selected from teams we’ve covered in the past year. I’m sure there are plenty we missed, and if so, follow us on social media and let us know!

GLORY DAYS

General contact information: Publisher Dave O’Sullivan: Email: sullyglorydays@gmail.com On X @GDsullysays @sjglorydays on Instagram

Contributors:

Mark Trible, Senior Football Writer (@MTrible on X)

Brian Tortella, Correspondent (@tortreports on X)

Ben Hale, Social Media & Web Development

VOLUME 12, ISSUE 6/ AUGUST 2025 (ISSUE NO. 176) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

HEADLINES

PRESENTED BY BUNTING FAMILY PHARMACY

OFF TO A GOOD START

Former Holy Spirit High football and baseball star Trevor Cohen, who went on to have an excellent baseball career at Rutgers University, is off to a solid start in his professional debut after being drafted by the San Francisco Giants earlier this summer. Cohen has been assigned to the San Jose Giants, the single-A affilliate of the big club, and was hitting .279 with a .407 on-base percentage through his first 11 professional games. He played 163 games at Rutgers and hit .338 with 223 hits, 131 runs scored and 100 RBIs.

ENDLESS SUMMER

Fall is coming soon, and so is the college soccer season, but it’s always Summer-time at Monmouth University. Former Ocean City star striker Summer Reimet has been named the Coastal Athletic Association Preseason Player of the Year, according to monmouthhawks.com. Reimet, who scored more than 60 goals as a senior in high school, racked up 14 tallies and five assists for Monmouth last fall, and she’s nearing the university’s Top 20 all-time in goals and points, as she has 23 career goals and 56 points. The 5-foot-

10 senior was the conference’s Attacking Player of the Year in 2024 and was first-team all-conference. Reimet holds the all-time scoring record at Ocean City with 131 goals and was a three-time first-team All-State selection by nj.com.

READY TO BATTLE

The high school football season kicks off at the annual Battle at the Beach at the end of August, but this year there’s a bit of a twist, as the Fri-

day and Saturday slates will be played at Rowan University. The opening night Thursday schedule at Ocean City’s Carey Stadium features three of the top schools in the nation, including QB Jalen Parker (pictured) and Winslow taking on national powerhouse IMG Academy of Florida. Defending state champion Glassboro is also on the schedule, as are top South Jersey teams like Washington Township, Rancocas Valley, Holy Spirit, Millville and Haddonfield.

Remembering one of the best

Dan Russoman dedicated his life to telling the stories of Hammonton athletes of all ages. Cancer took him from us way too soon.

By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer

On X @GDsullysays

Rarely do I get personal in my writing. It’s never been about me, nor should it be. It’s about these high school kids I cover and trying to bring some positivity into their lives through what I do on a daily basis. But this one is personal.

I didn’t know what I would say when I sat down at the keyboard to write about Dan Russoman, and, to be honest, I don’t really have a plan as I write this. I’m kind of just letting the emotions come out and see what my fingers come up with on the keyboard, and hopefully it will be enough of a tribute to Dan that his family knows how much he mattered.

Dan was the Sports Editor and News Director for the Hammonton Gazette and had been for more than 25 years. He lost his second battle with cancer in July, dying much too young, at the age of 56, and leaving behind a wife and three daughters.

It’s sad on so many levels, and I’m sure — like a lot of people who knew him — there’s a range of emotions going on these days. There’s sadness, there is anger that cancer seems to keep taking the good ones away from us. There’s the hopelessness that there wasn’t anything we could do to help Dan at the end.

I didn’t know Dan well — but, in a sense, I guess I did. I have known him for several years now, and by that I mean I would see him around at Hammonton or St. Joseph Academy games and we’d talk, about players, coaches, games, rankings, all the sports related stuff. It became something you looked forward to when covering a Hammonton or St. Joe game, some-

Photos provided by Russoman family

Dan Russoman was a beloved Hammonton sports reporter who worked for the Hammonton Gazette for a quarter century. He passed away in July at age 56 after a battle with cancer.

thing reassuring. Dan will probably be there, it will be fun to catch up with him.

You see, there’s kind of a brotherhood (and sisterhood) among high school sports reporters, photographers and videographers. There’s a mutual respect, because we know what it’s like to be in the other person’s shoes. And

in Dan’s case, most of us could really relate because we cut our teeth at small weekly newspapers before moving on to other things.

When you’re in this kind of business, you typically don’t have a big friend group. The job demands a lot of nights and weekends, odd hours, all kinds of travel all over South Jersey, and some-

times the entire state. The people you see at games — the writers, the photographers, the videographers — they kind of become your de-facto friends. You might shoot one of them a text

See DAN, Page 7

DAN, From Page 6

looking for a coach’s phone number because you want to talk about a senior who’s been having a good season. You ask about their families sometimes when you see them, get updates on kids and spouses. You like and repost their social media content to try to boost interest in what they are doing. Some may think we are all in competition, but it’s not really like that. This is a great group of people who will do whatever they can to help you out.

Guys like Mike McGarry, Patrick Mulranen and Guy Gargan of the Press of Atlantic City, Roderick Boyd, Chris Baker and Kevin Emmons of D2 Athletics, Kevin Minnick and Bill Evans of nj.com, Tom McGurk of The Courier-Post and Josh Friedman, who I worked with at The Daily Journal in Vineland before he had a great career with The Courier-Post and now has moved on to a different industry. Photographers like Scott Faytok and Dave Hernandez of nj.com, Matt Strabuk of the Press of A.C., stringers like Joe Warner, Kristian Gonyea and even some younger talent like Lucas Gurrier and Collin Conway. And Dan Russoman was right there with all those guys as somebody you could always rely on to help you out.

I know exactly what Dan’s wife and daughters are going through right now. I watched the same thing unfold two years ago with one of my older sisters, Eileen Watson, who was just 58 years old when she died after a year-long battle with cancer. When I heard that Dan was back in intensive care in early July after a really tough battle throughout April, May and June, I knew the time was coming. I reached out to him, said what I could, but what is there to say, really? Everyone has to deal with their own mortality on their own terms, and all we can do as people they care about is just try to simply be there for them.

I remember the last time I saw my sister alive, a few days before she passed. I stayed behind in the hospital room for a few minutes by myself, just holding her hand. I knew before I left that room that I would never see her again. It’s a weird feeling, with time si-

multaneously standing still and racing forward. You can’t do anything to stop it, all you can do is just be there.

One of the last things she said to me was, “life goes on, I guess.” There was a resignation in that statement. She was leaving behind her three boys and husband, and just had to hope that they would find a way to get by without her. There was nothing left she could do to stop the inevitable. The cancer ate away at her, and at that point it was a matter of days, not weeks, until she passed.

It’s incredibly sad that people like my sister and Dan Russoman are no longer here to enjoy the little things in life; the summer BBQs, a crisp morning in the fall, the smell of fresh-cut grass, the birds chirping in the morning, the silence after the first snowfall of the season, a hug from someone you care about on a tough day.

But, in time, the sadness will turn to remembrance, and we’ll be thankful that people like Dan Russoman crossed our path on our own life’s journey.

So many of these high school athletes don’t even know how good they have it these days, with as many people who are making a living now in the high school sports media business. When I was in high school, back in the 1980s in Ocean County, the best you

could hope for in terms of coverage was maybe Kevin Williams of WOBM would mention your team in the morning highlights on the radio before you left for school. Forget getting in the Asbury Park Press, that was reserved for star players on great teams. I spent twoyears-plus on the varsity baseball team at Lacey Township High, was a team captain my senior year, and got my picture on the Ocean County Observer one time — and they didn’t even get my name right! I guess whoever took the picture didn’t have a roster with first names, so the paper just made one up, calling me “Chuck” O’Sullivan.

My family got a giggle out of that, but really, that was it in terms of notoriety I got as a high school athlete. It’s so different today with all these people writing stories, taking photos and doing video highlights. It’s a great time to be a high school athlete, and I hope they appreciate people like Dan Russoman and all the hours he spent crafting stories that would allow the public a glimpse into the lives of the Hammonton and St. Joe players and coaches; and become a keepsake for the athlete and their family. Like all of us in this business, Dan’s was a labor of love. He loved covering these athletes, getting to know them, celebrating their achievements.

There’s talk of a potential scholarship in Dan’s name, and even if they named a street in Hammonton after him it probably wouldn’t be enough for all that he did for that town through a quarter century of grinding, staying up late, getting papers out to press every week for years and years. He’s impacted so many lives. He’d surely be embarrassed with this essay and say something like, “geez, Sully, you’re really laying it on pretty thick there.” I can almost hear him saying that right now. But he deserves the accolades. Like I said, I didn’t know him well. But then again, I did.

As Dan was going through his battle this spring he talked extensively on social media of the pain he was in and all the challenges he had to go through on a daily basis. But he said what made it all worth it was that light coming through the hospital window in the morning. That little reminder that he still had some time left. He still had some fight in him.

And maybe in the end that will be Dan Russoman’s legacy — don’t ever stop fighting to live, and live well, because each day is a gift. Dan’s days have come to an end, far too soon for anybody who knew him. But our days going forward will be better for having known him.

IMAGES

South Jersey Glory Days photos/Sully

VIC’S SUBS COVER STORY Dedicated to his craft

Eastern’s Regional’s

Logan Dawson worked hard his entire high school career with an eye on becoming a professional athlete

By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer

On X @GDsullysays

Logan Dawson scored just 101 points during his high school basketball career. He had one blocked shot and made a handful of 3-pointers.

But he loved every second of his prep hoops career.

Why?

Why would somebody who barely even played before his senior year love being in the gym on cold winter nights?

Because he was a star in two other sports, and so good in baseball, in fact, that he got drafted this summer by his beloved Philadelphia Phillies and currently is in Clearwater, Fla., at the Phillies’ training site getting his feet wet in his professional baseball career after he passed up a chance to play at Boston College to sign a professional contract.

Dawson — son of former quarterback Dave Dawson — was a quarterback himself who helped get Eastern Regional back to respectability during his three-year varsity career. He threw for more than 2,300 yards and 24 touchdowns and led the Vikings from 1-8 as a sophomore to 5-5 and a state playoff berth as a senior.

Dawson is the prototypical All-American Boy — handsome, well spoken, 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, the quarterback of the football team, the star shortstop

South Jersey Glory Days photo/Sully

Logan Dawson had an outstanding athletic career at Eastern Regional, playing football, basketball and baseball for the Vikings.

and pitcher on the baseball team. He showed toughness, dedication, talent and leadership throughout his career in multiple sports. In short, he was a coach’s dream.

“Logan was a key part of our success the last four years. We enjoyed a tremendous amount of success due in large part to his commitment to the baseball field,” said Eastern baseball coach Rob Christ, who has churned out his share of professional players during

his distinguished career that includes more than 500 wins. “He was a critical arm for us and I know he’s not going to pitch at the next level, but (him pitching) was a huge part of our success and the reason we were so competitive both within the conference and within the state. He loves baseball, and it really seems like this year he took a huge leap in terms of his leadership. Logan often did things that were selfless and were important to the team, and that spoke

to his character.”

Dawson said he was just doing what he’s been doing his entire life. He comes from a wildly successful sports family, as his father was a college athlete, mom was a cheerleader; his sister plays field hockey at the University of Indiana and he has six aunts who

, From Page 18

all played major Division I field hockey — including three at the University of North Carolina, two at Iowa and one at Michigan. Ever since Logan was in kindergarten he’s been trying to beat kids at whatever sport they happened to be playing on the school playground.

“I loved (the high school experience). Eastern is a great school to represent and there were a lot of good coaches I played for. I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything. I wouldn’t want to be representing any other school,” Dawson, now 19 years old, said by phone from Florida recently. “It flew by. I just love competing, it didn’t really matter what environment. The football field is obviously where you have the most adrenaline but I loved competing in all different environments. Being able to play physical sports all year was awesome. I was always competitive, from a young age on the school playground in first or second grade. I was always competing with people. My family is a big sports family. My dad was a quarterback and I have six aunts who all played Division I field hockey. So, coming from that background, I guess I was destined (to be an athlete). My path was different than some people, but it was just what I was born into and what I enjoyed.”

Dawson said he never once thought about specializing just in baseball, even when he knew after his junior year there would be a chance of him getting drafted in 2025. The football team needed him, so that’s where he was come September of last year. That’s just how he’s built.

“I did everything for a reason. I got a lot of time off from baseball and I was able to throw a football instead of a baseball, so that was better for my arm and allowed me to work on different athletic movements in different sports. I think playing those other sports helped me become a better baseball player,

South Jersey Glory Days photo/Sully

Mainly an infielder during his Eastern career, Dawson could also be counted on to pitch, as he led the team in innings this past spring while posting a 2.43 ERA.

and I didn’t want to switch up that routine my senior year,” he said. “People would always say, ‘oh, you’re a big-time (baseball and football) player, why do you waste your time with basketball?’ My answer is just because it’s what I like to do. I don’t care what my role is, I just want to see Eastern succeed. My freshman, sophomore and junior years I was more of a practice player than a game player, but that’s just

what I wanted to do — help my team get better. I wanted to help support my buddies and be a leader even if I wasn’t the main guy. It’s just the competitive nature in me.”

, Page 13

See DAWSON

DAWSON

, From Page 11

“Logan wasn’t someone who was a smack talker. He was just going out there and trying to perfect his craft. At Eastern we talk about being warriors on the field and gentlemen off the field. But even as we’re trying to be ferocious on the field, we do so by respecting our opponents and respecting the game as a whole. The way we approach the game, Logan embodied all those components,” Christ said. “What I love about Logan is you can talk about his athleticism, he was a threesport athlete, which is rare these days and even more rare at a large school. But my favorite thing about him is on the basketball team he was the sixth or seventh man but toward the end of the season he was leading the team in rebounds. You’re not going to make a lot of headlines with rebounds, but it speaks to his work ethic. You don’t see too many shortstops leading their (basketball) team in rebounds.”

Dawson had a senior year that he won’t soon forget. He led the football team back to the state playoffs, and in basketball the Vikings won 21 games and made it to the sectional semifinals before a tough loss against Cherry Hill East. In baseball, he led the defending South Jersey Group 4 champions back to the sectional title game, where the Vikings fell in a heartbreaker by one run to eventual state champion and rival Cherokee.

“I enjoyed myself my whole senior year, through all the sports. I realized that I’m not going to get these opportunities to play with my buddies for the rest of my life, so I wanted to embrace it,” Dawson said. “The baseball team was something special because those guys are some of my best friends. It was tough the way the season ended, but it was an awesome experience. Taking off the jersey for the last time is tough, but you just have to move on. I did it two times before, taking off my football and basketball jersey for the last time. I had a pretty damn good thing at Eastern, but I know there are good things ahead if I just keep my head up and keep working.”

“We had probably more scouts this

year than I’ve ever had in all my years of coaching — and I’ve had some very talented players — but they were really hot on Logan,” Christ said. “That helps out the whole team because they know they needed to approach every game with a certain level of professionalism. His presence really had a tremendous effect on the chemistry and atmosphere of this team.”

Dawson credited Christ with having a major impact on his high school athletic career.

“Coach Christ was a huge part of my development. I came in as a freshman who had a lot of baseball skill, and mentally I just needed to learn the game better and coach Christ was there for me. He helped me grow as a person. It was so awesome to be a part of his team and also impacting other teammates’ lives. I feel like I was a big part of my teammates this year, helping everyone see what was possible if you put the work in — you can get a college commitment, you can get drafted, if you really put the work in, and it was awesome to see those guys grow,” Dawson said. “I think (my leadership) comes from just playing three sports and being a leader in all of them. I learned how to be a leader in different environments, and that was huge, to be able to understand and work with

different types of teammates and personalities.”

Dawson said it was a very difficult decision when it came down to signing with the Phillies and passing up a scholarship opportunity at Boston College. But he has a dream of one day playing in Citizens Bank Park in South Philly, and he wanted to get right to work — in typical Logan Dawson fashion.

“I don’t even know if I’d be able to put words into that. (Playing for the Phillies) would be an awesome experience. There’s a lot of work I have do to, and a lot of work that I’m willing to do to get there. Hopefully we’ll make it happen sooner rather than later. It’s crazy, growing up a die-hard Phillies fan and them being the team that takes me — it’s a surreal feeling,” he said.

“Being a young guy, I’m still focusing on developing. I have to put some weight on and some other things, preparing my swing, preparing my arm. But I’m so excited for this to be my life and I’m going to put all my effort into it. People might think there is pressure, but I think it’s a privilege. I was asked by somebody the other day, ‘everything’s on the line for you now, how nervous are you?’ I’m not nervous, I’m excited to be able to play baseball. I love baseball so much, I don’t even think of it as a job. It’s a blessing to be

able to do this.

“I dedicate my whole life to my craft and every single thing I do is dedicated to getting better at baseball, and in high school I was dedicated to getting better at football and basketball, too. I knew I put the work in and I was hoping (to get drafted),” he continued. “I hold myself very professionally and I enjoy being looked at that way, to be known as a professional baseball player. I like to think about who I’m representing and the people I’m doing it for; the people back home who have always supported me and been there. It’s awesome to have that fan base and all the sports people have always been supporting me. It’s awesome to represent (Eastern) at the next level.”

Christ said the only advice he gave Logan about the decision was to follow his heart.

“It’s almost like falling in love. How do you quantify that? You just have to follow your heart,” Christ said. “It’s something I believe as a baseball coach, a mentor, is that you follow your heart and if you’re fully committed to that then you’re always going to be happy. That’s what I wish for Logan, ultimately, is just to follow his heart and be happy.”

DAWSON

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

Woodstown’s dynamic duo

Talia Battavio and Megan Donelson both broke the school’s all-time scoring record during their remarkable basketball careers

By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer

On X @GDsullysays

In one winter, Woodstown High girls basketball graduate Tori Smick went from first all the way to third on the program’s all-time scoring list. The 2013 graduate was passed by a pair of seniors in the span of just a few weeks near the end of the 20242025 season, and those two players — Talia Battavio and Megan Donelson — won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

Two of the best players in all of South Jersey, regardless of school size, both plan to continue their careers at the college level and they finished their careers within 32 points of each other. Battavio officially is now the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,620 points, while Donelson sits in second place with 1,588 points.

Wolverines coach Matthew Smart couldn’t have asked for a better situation to walk into for his first season at the helm. With Battavio and Donelson dominating on both ends of the court, Woodstown went 19-7, won the Tri-County Diamond Division title, made it to the league tournament semifinals and advanced to the South Jersey Group 1 semis before a tough 46-44 loss on the road at Haddon Township. Battavio and Donelson each scored more than 400 points as seniors and each hit at least 50 three-pointers.

Neither scored more than 300 points during their freshman seasons, showing just how dominant they’ve been the past three years.

“It was a blessing, especially being a first-year coach coming into a program like that, having two talented basketball players — but also two impressive young ladies. It was awesome. They were very helpful to me. We were able to sit down and talk about things and kind of merge some things that they liked with some things I liked. Having them both on the court at the same time was like having two other coaches,” Smart said. “Their vision on the court was so incredible all year long. They always found each other to make a pass for a wide-open shot. Sometimes

South Jersey Glory Days photo/Sully Point guard Talia Battavio finished her career as Woodstown High’s all-time leading scorer, racking up more than 1,600 points.

I was shocked when one would make a pass and the other one would just appear and hit a big three. The elementary school kids always talk about Talia and Megan and how they want to be like them when they end up playing in high school.”

“My dad (Jamie) would say I was always dribbling a basketball, so I’ve loved the game for as long as I can remember. I was about 12 when I started taking it seriously. I stopped doing gymnastics and I said, ‘alright, I want to focus on this more,’” Battavio said. “I don’t know that I had any expectations (coming into high school), but my confidence was up there. I wasn’t expecting to start but I knew that was one of my goals, along with scoring 1,000 points. I

didn’t even think about (becoming the school’s alltime scoring leader) but each year I felt a lot more confident. Having a new coach every year was hard, adjusting to their coaching style. But I saw myself becoming more of a leader and playing different styles.”

During their careers, Donelson and Battavio — both outstanding guards who could shoot, score by driving to the basket and get to the free-throw line with regularity — helped Woodstown win 20 games

DUO, From Page 14

three times, including the sectional championship when they were sophomores. As seniors, they were both outstanding. Battavio had just three games this past season when she didn’t score in double digits, and she had 20-plus points six times. The only teams to shut her down were Cinnaminson, Audubon and Overbrook.

Donelson was just as effective, as she scored in double digits in all but two games, hit five 3-pointers in a game twice and had three double-doubles. As a pair, they combined for 833 points and 101 threes.

“They dictated the pace and they liked pushing the ball and attacking the basket, hitting big threes. They are both very versatile players. Talia did

See DUO, Page 17

South Jersey Glory Days photo/Sully Guard Megan Donelson helped lead Woodstown to 19 wins and a Tri-County Conference

Diamond Division title by averaging more than 15 points per game last season.

DUO, From Page 16

a great job handling the ball, especially under pressure, and Megan always had the challenge of guarding the other team’s best player. She took on that responsibility with pride,” Smart said. “Their games kind of complimented each other. One would draw two defenders and kick it out to the other. They had kind of a telepathic communication. They were playing under their third coach in four years and it was a tough challenge for them, so their high school careers were not easy, by any means, but they never complained. They were always looking for the next challenge. I’m so thankful to have had them for at least one year.”

“Senior year was really fun. It was a heartbreaking end, but now I’m on to the next chapter,” Battavio said. “It was a good four years. It was nice playing with Megan, knowing there were two good scorers out there and that if you stopped one, the other one was going to score. Being in the same friend group outside of basketball helped a lot (with our chemistry on the court). We’re close on and off the court. We both love to run the fast break and we always knew where the other one was going to be. I like that up-tempo style.”

Smart said what separated this duo from a lot of high school basketball players is the lengths each was willing to go to in order to get better. When the high school practices ended, they were just getting started.

“Megan, after every single practice, would go and lift. Talia would go to other training sessions and do rehab work; all sorts of things,” he said. “They were a nice example for the juniors and sophomores to see. It’s a rarity in Group 1 to have one player like that and to have two who are going on to play college basketball, it really was a blessing.”

“Telling myself that I’m one of the best on the court and knowing how much work I put into this sport helps me be confident to shoot the shots that I take,” said Battavio, who’s continuing her career at Goldey Beacom. “I practice every day, even after my high school practices. I would stay after and get shots up. There’s a lot that goes into

South Jersey Glory Days photo/Sully Battavio knocked down 50 three-pointers as a senior, shot 80 percent from the foul line and averaged more than 16 points per game. During her career, she scored 1,620 points, good for an average of 15 points per game.

it that people don’t see.”

What helped a first-year coach a lot, Smart said, was the support he got from the Battavio and Donelson families, as well as the rest of the team. Woodstown may be a small community, but it shows out for its sports teams.

“Their families are ultra-supportive, but not in an overbearing way. You can tell they care about their daughters, they are always in the stands,” Smart said. “That’s one thing that’s awesome about the Woodstown community, almost every single game we have a big crowd come out and support us. It didn’t matter if it was the playoffs or just a regular-season game. Our fans, our community is so special; they care about every girl on the team. I was blessed to come into this small community, it’s very different than anything I was used to. Having been an assistant coach at another school we always scouted Woodstown and their

gym was always packed.”

“The playoff games were always so much fun. There were so many people watching, so there was pressure, but I liked that,” Battavio added. “The bus rides, practices with my friends, just talking together, working out together. My sophomore year we won the South Jersey championship game and a lot of my friends were on that team. I still talk to them today. That was such a cool feeling, there were so many people there.”

Smart said he doesn’t know exactly what he’ll do without his two best players next season, but for right now he’s content with celebrating two of the best Woodstown High has ever seen.

“I’ll probably never see it again. It’s something special to come into a program that had two juniors who already had 1,000 points. They never talked about getting the record, but each wanted the other to get it. Talia broke it

first, and then in our first playoff game Megan broke it. What was cool about that is the previous record holder, Tori Smick, came to that game and supported the girls and talked to them afterward. It was just a surreal moment to see the three all-time leading scorers in Woodstown basketball history talking to each other,” Smart said. “Basketball is bigger than just your four years at Woodstown, it’s something you can do for the rest of your life. We’ve had so many previous players come back and talk to the girls, and I’m hoping Megan and Talia and all the other seniors will come back and support our program when they can. I can’t say it enough — as good as they are as basketball players, they are both phenomenal human beings and I’m excited to see what they will do in their college careers, and in life.”

Class of 2025 Senior Stars BRETT CHIESA

HENRY RADBILL

CHEROKEE BASEBALL

Sometimes, by the time a player becomes a senior, he’s simply too good to be playing high school baseball. That was certainly the case with Radbill, a Rutgers University commit who completely dominated the competition this year. Radbill went 9-0 as a starter and allowed just seven earned runs in 53 innings, posting a 0.91 ERA. He allowed just 28 hits the entire season and walked only 20 batters while striking out 97. A nearly 5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio earned him first-team All-State honors.

Radbill was part of an outstanding pitching staff that also featured Brett Gable and Cooper Burti, and he closed out the state championship victory over Westfield in dominating fashion, not allowing a hit in nearly two innings of work.

CHEROKEE BASEBALL

If you’re looking for a guy to anchor an infield, look no further than Brett Chiesa. A three-year starter, Chiesa was part of an outstanding infield and was one of the most solid third basemen in South Jersey. As a middle-of-the-order hitter, Chiesa produced all season for the state-championship-winning Chiefs. He hit .337 with 34 hits, 22 RBIs, six doubles, two home runs, 27 runs scored, 11 walks and eight stolen bases.

For his career, in three seasons, Chiesa hit better than .300, finishing with 81 hits, 55 RBIs, six home runs, 27 walks, 14 doubles and 52 runs scored.

With Chiesa leading the way, the Chiefs had their best season ever in 2025, winning 28 games and capturing their second state championship, the first since 1985.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

AVERIE HARDING

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP BASKETBALL

If you’re looking for a player who can completely turn around a basketball program, look no further than Averie Harding. Harding helped turn Egg Harbor Township into a contender in the Cape-Atlantic League and South Jersey Group 4, as she led the Eagles to a 21-7 mark as a senior this past winter. During her four seasons, the Eagles notched 72 victories, and in each season she led her squad into the CAL Tournament and state playoffs. A very good ball handler for a post player, Harding was just as good a passer as she was a scorer. She led the team in scoring and rebounding as a senior, finishing her career with an even 1,300 points while adding 679 rebounds, 80 assists and 130 steals. She played in 102 games, averaging nearly 13 points per game during her career.

AVA KRAYBILL

EHT BASKETBALL, SOCCER, FLAG FOOTBALL

You’d have to break both Ava Kraybill’s legs, and probably both arms, too, to get her out of a soccer, basketball or flag football game.

One of the toughest athletes South Jersey has produced, pretty much ever, Kraybill’s grit and determination were an inspiration to the Eagles teams she helped lead. She wasn’t the leading scorer on any of the teams she played for, but she brought a good amount of offense in all three sports to go along with her relentless defense. Kraybill was a defensive midfielder in soccer and a receiver in flag football, but on the basketball court is where she really shined. She complimented Averie Harding well and was the team’s second-leading scorer as a senior. She finished with 872 points while adding more than 400 rebounds and more than 200 assists. She also made 79 threes and had 282 steals.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars JULIAN TURNEY

RORY FRIEL

ST. AUGUSTINE PREP BASKETBALL

When the St. Augustine Prep basketball team needed a big bucket, the Hermits turned to Friel. The 6-foot-5 swingman could play like a point guard or a center, whatever the team needed in a particular game. The Hermits finished in fifth place in the always tough Cape-Atlantic League American Conference race, but that was largely because Friel missed about two weeks in the middle of the season with an injury. He came back strong, however, leading the Hermits to a surprising run in the league tournament that ended with another Hermits title.

He scored 21 points in a win over Holy Spirit to put his team in the championship game, then scored 19 in a win over Wildwood Catholic in the title game. For his career, Friel finished just seven points shy of 1,000 and hit 130 three-pointers.

ST. AUGUSTINE PREP FOOTBALL

The St. Augustine Prep football team was always going to go as far as senior running back Julian Turney took the Hermits. And that turned out to be pretty far, as Prep made it to the Non-Public A state semifinals before falling to Don Bosco Prep, one of the best teams in the nation.

A Naval Academy recruit, Turney, a 6-foot, 200-pound bruiser, got better as the season wore on. In two of his final three games, he rushed 31 times for 192 yards and 31 times for 134 yards in wins over Millville and Delbarton, two of the best teams in the state. Turney racked up nearly 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior, giving him 3,342 yards and 43 touchdowns on a staggering 567 carries. He was a third-team All-State selection as a senior.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

NAOMI NNEWIHE

OCEAN CITY SOCCER, BASKETBALL

Not only is Nnewihe skilled at multiple sports, she’s also one of the best teammates Ocean City High has produced in a long while. She made a name for herself on the soccer field, and she could easily have skipped her senior year of basketball to train for her upcoming collegiate soccer career, but Naomi knew the Red Raiders needed her, especially with fellow senior Madelyn Adamson on the shelf with a torn ACL. Nnewihe picked up the slack, leading the Raiders with more than 300 points and 200 rebounds in 28 games. She helped lead Ocean City to 14 wins, a second-place finish in the Cape-Atlantic League National Conference race and a berth in the sectional quarterfinals. In soccer, she led OC to a conference title, 20 wins, a CAL championship and a berth in the sectional title game. She scored 86 career goals.

RIMA TAKLA

MOORESTOWN BASKETBALL

Nobody embodied the energy and determination of the Moorestown girls basketball team more than their senior point guard. It seemed as though she never got tired, and was a constant source of positivity for her teammates. With Takla leading the way, the Quakers had another outstanding season, racking up 23 wins and making it to the South Jersey Group 3 title game before falling to eventual state champion and Olympic Conference rival Cherry Hill West. She scored a career-high 297 points as a senior, finishing with 785. She also was an outstanding rebounder for her size and position, as she collected 303 boards during her career. Takla had 160 assists and 145 steals in her career, showing how well-rounded she was as a basketball player.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

KILEY KOZLOWSKI

HAMMONTONN FIELD HOCKEY, BASKETBALL, TRACK

Whether Kiley Kozlowski ever ends up in the Hammonton High sports hall of fame is yet to be determined, but she’ll certainly get some consideration after the career she put together in blue-and-white. Kozlowski was an outstanding midfielder for the Hammonton field hockey team, which won back-to-back CAL Tournament titles her junior and senior years and made it to the sectional semifinals both years. She scored 28 goals and added 15 assists during her field hockey career, and in basketball she scored nearly 800 points and finished with 348 rebounds and 156 steals. Kozlowski also was a finalist for the “Old Grad” award, given out to the best athlete in Atlantic County, and was a scholar athlete.

KOLE BAGNELL

HAMMONTON BASEBALL

If you’re going to be a competitive high school baseball team in South Jersey, you better have a damn good shortstop.

The past four years, Hammonton has had the luxury of having Kole Bagnell playing up the middle, and it’s no coincidence that the Blue Devils have been one of the top teams in the Cape-Atlantic League during his career.

The Devils made the Diamond Classic, CAL Tournament and state playoffs this season, and a big reason why was Bagnell’s offensive output. He batted .432, leading the team in hits (32), runs scored (27), RBIs (18) and stolen bases (25) while also adding 14 walks and a .500 slugging percentage.

For his career, Bagnell racked up 114 hits, 97 runs, 56 RBIs, 13 doubles, 69 walks, 41 stolen bases and batted .370.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

HUDSON RUE

pitman BASKETBALL, baseball

Pitman may be one of the smallest schools in the state, but the Panthers have been cranking out some outstanding athletes the last couple of years.

Chief among them was “Huddy” as he’s affectionately known as to teammates and coaches. Rue wasn’t the flashiest player, more of a grinder, and nothing speaks to that more than the fact that he had more career rebounds than points. He also had half as many assists as points in basketball, showcasing his ability to get teamamtes involved.

On the baseball diamond, Rue could do it all. He pitched, played shortstop and was an outstanding hitter, batting .366 for his career with 107 hits and 76 RBIs. As a senior, Rue hit .443 with 35 hits, 29 runs scored, 18 RBIs, nine doubles and 20 stolen bases. He also was one of the Panthers’ best pitchers, finishing his career with a 1.96 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 150 innings.

AIDAN STRANAHAN

PITMAN BASKETBALL, BASEBALL

If you weren’t paying close attention, you probably didn’t realize just how good a career Stranahan had with the Panthers.

In just one season of varsity basketball, the Panthers’ power forward averaged nearly 10 points per game and put up four double-doubles, including a 19-point, 10-rebound performance in a wild 108-90 win over Clayton. And, like Rue, the 6-foot-2, 180-pounder could do just about anything Pitman needed on the baseball diamond. As a hitter, he racked up 29 hits and 22 RBIs as a senior, capping his career with a .339 average that included 56 hits, 43 RBIs, 30 runs scored, 12 doubles and 19 walks. Stranahan was just as good as a pitcher, posting a 0.13 ERA in 53-plus career innings, striking out 64 while allowing just a single earned run in two seasons.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

FRANK CAIRONE

DELSEA REGIONAL baseball

It would be hard to tell if the Delsea Regional High baseball team was winning by 10 runs or losing by 12 if you looked at Frank Cairone. The tall senior lefty was all business throughout his career as a Crusader, and became one of the top pitchers in the state and a Major League Baseball draft pick with a dominant senior season. Cairone allowed just three earned runs all season, and didn’t allow a run until the end of April. In all, he allowed just 19 hits in 44 innings, mixing a mid-90s fastball with a knee-buckling slider. Shawnee was the only team to score more than one run against him, in the sectional quarterfinals, and he recorded double-digit strikeouts in 7-of-9 outings, despite not pitching a ton of innings. For his career, Cairone struck out 238 batters in 141 innings and had a 1.78 ERA.

SABRINA LITTLE

HOLY SPIRIT BASKETBALL, SOCCER

You wouldn’t expect Holy Spirit’s all-time leading scorer in girls basketball history to stand about 5-foot-2, but while Sabrina Little might live up to her surname in stature, she easily surpased it in the way she played.

The dynamo guard came up big time after time for the Spartans, leading her team to 20 wins as a senior with more than 500 points, including 47 three-pointers made in 30 games. Little was a constant scoring threat from anywhere on the floor, often getting buckets on offensive rebounds as well as from the foul line. The Egg Harbor Township native increased her scoring average in each of her four seasons, finishing with 1,532 points to go along with 209 rebounds, 167 assists, 197 steals, and even seven blocked shots! She’ll be a sure-fire Holy Spirit hall-of-fame inductee down the road.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars SOFIA SPATOCCO

JACOB CAGNA

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP BASEBALL

This kid was born to hit. There’s no two ways about it. Cagna burst onto the scene as a freshman with 32 hits, 20 runs scored, 31 RBIs, seven doubles, four home runs, 12 walks, 10 stolen bases and a .368 average. Most seniors would kill for numbers like that. But Cagna didn’t stop there. He just kept hitting, and hitting, and hitting. He racked up 29 hits as a sophomore, 33 as a junior, then a career-high 38 as a senior. An All-State selection as a senior, Cagna’s career numbers were off the charts. He finished with 132 hits, 105 RBIs, 94 runs scored, an impressive 32 doubles, eight triples, 15 home runs, 48 walks. As a senior, he batted an even .500, raising his career average to .393. It will be a while before EHT sees another hitter with this kind of pedigree.

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP SOFTBALL

Egg Harbor Township softball coach Kristi Troster couldn’t have asked for a better middle-of-the-order bat the last four years. Spatocco, an outfielder, started as a freshman four years ago, and rightly so. She hit .362 that year with 25 hits, 25 RBIs, four doubles, four home runs and a .623 slugging percentage. The scary part? She continued to get better. Spatocco hit .429 with 25 runs scored and 33 RBIs as a sophomore, leading the Eagles to a 23-2 record and a berth in the sectional championship game.

Then, as a senior, when everyone knew what she could do, all Spatocco did was hit a career-best .446 with six homers and 30 RBIs. Spatocca also dabbled as a volleyball player, finishing her career with more than 100 kills as an outside hitter.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars KARLIE MERTZ

ERIN CALLAHAN

KINGSWAY REGIONAL FIELD HOCKEY

Callahan was the kind of player throughout her career that coaches dream about. She was tough, skilled, relentless on defense and always humble. The total package, and it’s no surprise that the Dragons took home three state championships during her four-year career. She mostly played a defensive role throughout her career, but as a senior began to step up more as an offensive presence, as she notched eight goals and added a team-high 15 assists. With Callahan leading the way, Kingsway posted six shutouts last fall, including two in the state playoffs. And, if it weren’t for the University of Maryland commit, the Dragons might not have a state title last fall. She scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over Montclair.

KINGSWAY REGIONAL FIELD HOCKEY

Some may look at Kingsway’s seven losses this past fall and think that the field hockey program is on a downward slide. If the Dragons keep cranking out players like Mertz, they’ll keep competing for, and winning, state championships. Mertz was the most dynamic scorer the Dragons had, leading the team with 55 points (20 goals, 15 assists) and propelling Kingsway to another Group 4 state championship with a 2-1 win over Montclair. Mertz scored multiple goals seven times as a senior, and in the playoffs all she did was score nine goals and add six assists in five games. For her career, Mertz racked up 71 goals, including 22 as a sophomore and 18 more as a junior, and added 31 assists. She also helped lead Kingsway to three straight state championships. And, as a four-year starter, she helped lead the Dragons to 74 victories.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

JACKSON SMALLETS

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC baseball

The fact that Smallets had just 19 innings of work as a sophomore and junior, combined, shows you just how good Gloucester Catholic’s pitching staff is every year. The Rams are the envy of most of South Jersey with the kind of arms they can run out there every season, and this spring was no different as Smallets finally got his chance to shine.

And shine he did.

The lanky right-hander dominated the competition, allowing just 12 earned runs in nearly 70 innings of work, pitching to the tune of a 1.21 ERA while striking out 66 batters. He led the Rams to another Non-Public B state championship, as he was the winning pitcher in the sectional semis and state title games. For his career, Smallets finished with a 1.49 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 89 innings of work.

JACK MUSTARO

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC BASKETBALL, BASEBALL

If you need a player to come up big in a certain situation, Jack Mustaro is your man. The Westville native was an absolute beast on the basketball court, as he scored nearly 700 points as a senior while hitting 77 three-pointers in 28 games. He finished his career as the school’s all-time leading scorer with more than 1,800 points and he also had 399 rebounds, 145 steals and hit 265 threes.

On the baseball diamond, Mustaro, the younger brother of Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester standout R.J. Mustaro, was just as good. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound first baseman and pitcher hit .457 with 27 RBIs and led Gloucester Catholic to another state championship. He hit .387 for his career, and as a pitcher he owned a 0.47 ERA in 44 innings over two full seasons.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

KHAJUAN

“PEAKY” ROSEBOROUGH

ATLANTIC CITY FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL

He may have one of the coolest names in all of South Jersey high school sports, but Peaky was one heck of a ball player, too, in multiple sports. As quarterback of the Vikings’ football team, he helped lead a rebirth of Atlantic City football the past couple of years. Atlantic City went 8-4 this past fall and made it to the sectional championship game before falling to Washington Township. Roseborough threw for more than 2,100 yards and 24 touchdowns, and he also rushed for 800-plus yards and seven scores. And in basketball, he was a 1,000-point scorer while also hitting 75 three-pointers during his career and adding 182 rebounds and 142 assists.

ANASTASIA BOWMAN

WILDWOOD CATHOLIC BASKETBALL

There’s a reason the Wildwood Catholic girls basketball program is consistently one of the best in South Jersey. The Crusaders play the game hard, from the stars down to the last player on the bench.

Nobody exemplified that style more than Bowman, a powerful forward who could impose her will on just about any opponent. The Crusaders went 23-6 this past winter and made it to the sectional semifinals with Bowman leading the way. She scored more than 200 points and added more than 200 rebounds to go along with 62 assists, 21 blocked shots and 49 steals. During her four-year career, Bowman combined for nearly 1,000 points and rebounds and was one of the best post defenders in the Cape-Atlantic League.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

JUDAH HIDALGO

PAUL VI BASKETBALL

When you have the last name Hidalgo and live in South Jersey, chances are you’re pretty good at basketball. Just like older sister Hannah, now a star at Notre Dame, Judah had an outstanding high school career and became one of the most dynamic scorers in the region. Hidalgo averaged better than 13 points per game for a Paul VI team that went 26-4, won the Camden County Tournament and went to the semifinals of the state playoffs before being knocked off by a red-hot Camden Catholic team.

Hidalgo was a threat from the outside, as he sank 64 three-pointers this season, but could also drive to the basket, hit the mid-range jumper and get to the free-throw line. For his career, the guard scored more than 1,100 points, hit 165 threes and sank more than 200 free throws.

TYLER WILTSEY

AUDUBON SOCCER, BASEBALL

You could put Wiltsey pretty much anywhere on the field and he’d probably make the all-South Jersey team. He’s that good of an athlete, and that good of a baseball player. Wiltsey led the Green Wave to a 20-win season playing both shortstop and center field, making outstanding plays no matter what kind of glove was on his left hand. He was also one of South Jersey’s best hitters, batting .457 as a senior and .430 during his four-year career. Wiltsey rapped out 29 hits as a freshman, and kept putting up big numbers throughout his career. The All-State selection finished with 138 hits, 147 runs scored, 103 RBIs, 38 doubles, nine home runs, 71 walks and 80 stolen bases. Oh, and just for good measure, he racked up 59 goals and 19 assists during his four-year soccer career.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars JOEY ERACE

OLUMIDE OKEBIORUN

ST. AUGUSTINE PREP BASKETBALL

His name may be tough to pronounce, but it was easy to see why “Mide” was a favorite among teammates and Hermits fans. The senior forward wasn’t a flashy scorer, but he did the kind of dirty work that Hermits fans appreciate, crashing the boards to keep possessions alive, getting after loose balls, hitting clutch free throws. Okebiorun was a true team leader, he’s one of the smartest kids in a school of nearly 1,000 college prep boys, and the kind of personality that other players gravitate toward. On the court he was no slouch, too, as he scored in double figures in eight games, recorded a double-double in a win over Egg Harbor Township, and helped lead the Hermits to an inspiring run to another league title. He finished his career with nearly 400 points and 139 rebounds.

ST. AUGUSTINE PREP BASEBALL

Hermits coach Mike Ney pulled Erace from the lineup in the final inning of Prep’s win over Mainland in the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament title game because Erace’s Achilles tendon was acting up. Even then, it was difficult to convince Erace that he needed some rest. You couldn’t get this kid off the field during his career at St. Augustine Prep, and why would you want to, with the way he played?

The Rutgers University commit was one of the top defensive shortstops in South Jersey, and just as impressive with the bat. He hit .395 as a senior, rapping out a career-high 34 hits to go with a career-best 36 runs scored. He also had 14 RBIs, seven doubles and 15 stolen bases. For his career, Erace racked up 88 hits, 92 runs scored, 36 RBIs, 20 doubles, six triples, three home runs and 43 steals, and he hit .353.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

HANNAH

WEISMER

KINGSWAY SOFTBALL, VOLLEYBALL

Need a hit in a big situation?

Hannah Weismer is the player for you!

An absolute stud on the softball field, Weismer spent the last four years hitting missles all over softball diamonds throughout South Jersey, and beyond. She hit .518 as a senior, when everybody already knew what she could do. The stats are just absurd and almost not believeable, unless you saw her play.

Then you know the numbers are legit.

Check this out: she had 41 hits, 40 RBIs, five home runs and 24 runs scored ... as a freshman!

Fast-forward four years and Weismer graduated from Kingsway with 156 career hits, 141 RBIs, 124 runs scored, 37 home runs, 38 doubles, a .466 average and a .940 slugging percentage. She also led the Dragons to 88 wins and two sectional titles during her career.

MASON FORTE

HOLY SPIRIT FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL

Sometimes, the difference between winning and losing a high school football game comes down to which team can make more extra points.

Holy Spirit didn’t have to worry about that the last couple years, as Mason Forte was one of the best kickers in South Jersey. This past season, he made seven field goals and was nearly automatic on extra points, successful on 34 of his 35 attempts. His right foot was the difference in Spirit’s 15-13 win over Ocean City last fall, as he booted three field goals, including a season-long 41-yarder. For his career, Forte made 16 of his 23 field goal attempts and was very successful on extra points, booting 137 of his 150 attempts through the uprights.

He also was a leader on the Spartans’ basketball team that won 18 games and made it to the Cape-Atlantic League semifinals.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

ALEX CLARK

ST. AUGUSTINE PREP SOCCER

How do you know when you’re a good soccer player? When you average nearly a goal per game when every other team knows their job No. 1 is to stop you. Clark had a knack for finding the back of the net, whether it was on set pieces, on a give-and-go from a teammate, or just cleaning up the mess inside the box.

His scoring prowess took a little time to develop, however, as he didn’t score a single goal and had just one assist as a freshman. But he increased his numbers every year, scoring 10 goals as a sophomore, 17 as a junior and 18 this past fall. He finished with 45 goals and 17 assists, leading St. Augustine Prep to 20 wins last fall, including a berth in the state semifinals. With Clark leading the way, the Hermits won the CAL title with wins over EHT and Hammonton.

MACKENZIE BORBI

SHAWNEE SOCCER, LACROSSE

The Shawnee girls soccer team had one of the greatest seasons in state history this past fall, as the Renegades went 25-0 and won the Group 3 state championship. They posted 19 shutouts, including six straight to close out the state playoffs, and Paul VI was the only team to score more than one goal against Shawnee.

A big reason for that success was senior goalie Mackenzie Borbi, one of the best keepers in the state. She averaged 4.5 saves per game as a senior, and in that 3-2 win over Paul VI she made a season-high 14 saves. Borbi made more than 300 saves during a career that saw her play in 69 games. In lacrosse, she was just the opposite, an outstanding scorer who racked up 60 goals as a senior and finished her career with 194 goals and 69 assists.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

ABBY DAVIDSON

SHAWNEE FIELD HOCKEY

If you happen to be on a field hockey field with Abby Davidson, here’s some good advice: don’t get anywhere near her when she has a free swing. She might take out your kneecap. Davidson runs like a gazelle and has the power of a mountain lion when she delivers her shots, and more often than not those shots go ringing into the back of the cage. She scored a career-high 46 goals this past fall, doubling her total from her junior season, and was by far the leading scorer the Renegades had. No other player had more than 12 goals. She scored in nearly every game, leading Shawnee to 17 wins and a berth in the sectional title game, and eight times she scored three or more goals in a game. Davidson was also tremendous at lacrosse, finishing her career with 223 goals, including 70 as a senior.

TARYN DOLKA

OCEAN CITY FIELD HOCKEY

Playing goalie in field hockey is one of the toughest positions in sports. You have to wear a ton of equipment that limits your mobility, and it seems like more often than not there’s a crazy scrum in front of the cage where you have to locate the ball and somehow try to kick it out of harms way while sticks are swinging all around you. But Dolka did it better than most in South Jersey during a career that saw her become perhaps the premier keeper of her class. She had 183 saves as a senior in 21 games, an average of nearly nine per game, and only three times all season did she give up more than four goals in a game. For her career, Dolka finished with an impressive 515 saves, increasing her numbers each season, from 76 as a freshman to 127 as a sophomore and 129 as a junior. She also led her team to consecutive CAL finals appearances.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars BRENNA FITZPATRICK

AMIR REASON-DALLAS

TIMBER CREEK FOOTBALL, WRESTLING

He may have the coolest name in South Jersey high school sports, but Reason-Dallas was much more than just cool. He was dominant. He started out his career as a freshman nose guard but eventually evolved into a hard-hitting middle linebacker and running back who dished out as many hits as he took. He had 599 rushing yards as a senior and finished his career with nearly 1,000 yards, and that was his secondary position. As a linebacker, Reason-Dallas made some kids think about quitting football altogether. As a senior, Reason-Dallas racked up an almost unbelievable 159 tackles, including 92 of the solo variety, and he had 22 tackles-for-loss. He finished with 311 tackles, and also was an outstanding wrestler, placing at the state tournament in the 190-pound weight class.

SHAWNEE FIELD HOCKEY

The goalie is the last line of defense in field hockey, and if your team doesn’t have a good one, it’s going to be a long season. Shawnee had a couple of long seasons recently, however, precisely because the Renegades have had such a good goalie. They’ve played deep into the postseason and have been competing for sectional titles because of how good Fitzpatrick was in front of the cage. She didn’t become a starter until her junior year, but she was fantastic during the final two campaigns of her high school career. She notched 91 saves as a junior and led Shawnee to a berth in the South Jersey Group 3 championship game, where the Renegades lost, 2-1, to Clearview. As a senior, she posted a career-high 123 saves and led her team back to the sectional championship, where her team lost to Clearview in overtime.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

BRODY DEITER

RANCOCAS VALLEY FOOTBALL

If you watched the Rancocas Valley High football team warm up last season, Brody Deiter didn’t really stand out as a guy you had to worry about. He’s 6-foot-3 but only 175 pounds, looked a tad skinny in those football pads. But anyone who underestimated him definitely paid the price, as he put together one of the best wide receiving seasons in the state in 2024. Deiter caught 76 passes for more than 1,300 yards and an incredible 18 touchdowns in just 12 games, helping to lead the Red Devils to a 9-3 record that included a trip to the South Jersey Group 5 championship game. He had more than 100 yards in eight of RV’s 12 games, including 254 yards in a loss to Camden and 171 in the sectional title game. Deiter finished his outstanding career with 155 catches for 2,500-plus yards.

ALAINA LOMONACO

CLEARVIEW REGIONAL FIELD HOCKEY

In order to win a state championship in field hockey, your team has to have a star player. For the Pioneers, that star was forward Alaina Lomonaco, who seemingly rose to the occasion anytime Clearview needed her to. She scored a team-high 35 goals and added 16 assists, notching a goal or an assist in 17 of Clearview’s 23 games last season. The Pioneers went 5-0 in the state playoffs and won the Group 3 state championship in large part because of Lomonaco’s heroics. She scored 13 goals in the playoffs, including two in a thrilling 3-2 win over Shawnee in the sectional title game, and two more in a 3-0 win over Northern Highlands in the state title game. During her career she scored 61 goals and added 31 assists while leading Clearview to three sectional and two state championships.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

ISABELLA

MOORE

CAMDEN CATHOLIC FIELD HOCKEY

There’s a reason Camden Catholic has one of the best field hockey teams in the country and annually competes for state championships. The Irish have a plethora of outstanding athletes who also bring a level of toughness not often matched by their opponents. Moore led the way this past fall as the Irish won another sectional championship and made it to the state title game, where they lost 3-1 to Oak Knoll.

The state’s Player of the Year scored 19 goals and added 16 assists against one of the toughest schedules any team in the state played. The Irish played 22 games, and nine of them were against nationally ranked opponents.

Moore helped Camden Catholic win four sectional titles and two state championships during her career, and she finished her career with 43 goals and 48 assists.

JAKE KARP

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP SOCCER, BASKETBALL

Some kids are just great athletes and would be successful no matter what sport they play. Jake Karp definitely fits into this category. It seemed as though he could run all day, and that’s a good trait to have when you play soccer and basketball. He was one of the leading scorers on the soccer team last fall, tallying seven goals and five assists, both career highs, but it was on the basketball court where he really shined.

A dynamic duo with super sophomore talent Jalen Bell, Karp helped lead EHT into both the Cape-Atlantic League and state tournaments, averaging more than 14 points per game while adding 160 assists and 47 steals in 26 games. For his career, Karp scored more than 500 points, made 58 three-pointers, had more than 150 rebounds and nearly 300 assists.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars BEN McGONIGLE

AVA VALENTE

KINGSWAY BASKETBALL, FLAG FOOTBALL

One of the best abilities a high school athlete can have is dependability. And Kingsway’s Ava Valente had that in spades, in both the sports she played. During her basketball career, the Dragons could always count on Valente to play solid defense and contribute on the offensive end as well. She played in 105 games during her varsity career, scoring more than 600 points and adding more than 100 rebounds and 100 assists. Valente could be counted on to handle the ball in pressure situations and also run the offense through all kinds of different sets. In flag football, which will be an official NJSIAA varsity sport next spring, Valente was one of the best quarterbacks in South Jersey. She completed more than 300 passes in two seasons for nearly 2,700 yards and added 78 touchdowns while throwing just 17 interceptions.

OCEAN CITY BASKETBALL

Sometimes, people describe shorter basketball players as “scrappy” but that moniker doesn’t do justice to McGonigle’s game on the court. Is he scrappy? Hell yes, and plays some outstanding defense on players bigger, stronger, taller and faster than he is.

But Ben McGonigle isn’t just scrappy, he’s a very good basketball player, too. Ocean City won a South Jersey Group 3 championship this past winter and was three points away from playing for a state title, and a big reason for that was the inspired play of their diminutive leader, who stands about 5-foot-8.

McGonigle led the Red Raiders in scoring with 13.3 points per game, scoring more than twice as many points as he did the first two years of his varsity career. He scored in double digits in 24 of 29 games, including 19 straight at one point.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars MOE KESHEN

CHASE HUGGARD

EASTERN BASKETBALL, LACROSSE

Chase Huggard can do a lot for you, no matter what sport he’s playing.

As a basketball player, Huggard was athletic enough to play any position on the floor and he helped lead the Vikings to 21 wins this past season, including a state playoff run that saw Eastern make it to the sectional semifinals before falling to Cherry Hill East. Huggard scored nearly 500 points in his career while adding 256 rebounds, 367 assists and 131 steals in 93 career games.

In lacrosse, the St. John’s University commit scored 51 goals and added 45 assists as a senior despite missing some time due to injury, and made second-team All-State.

As a junior, Huggard led Eastern to its first sectional championship in lacrosse, and he finished his career with 175 goals and 152 assists.

PAUL VI FOOTBALL

Paul VI had an outstanding football season last fall, going 8-3 and winning the West Jersey Football League’s Continental Division title. The Eagles went 9-2 in 2023 and 7-3 in 2022 and 2021. That’s a four-year mark of 31-11, and it’s no coincidence that Moe Keshen has been a big part of that success.

A fast and physical linebacker, Keshen has been the heart of the Eagles’ defense for a couple of years now, and he posted career highs in pretty much every defensive statistical category there is as a senior.

He doubled his tackles from his junior year, going from 55 to 110, and as a senior he had an eye-popping 24 TFLs (tackles for loss), including five sacks. He had double-digit tackles in all but two games as a senior, leading PVI to the sectional quarterfinals.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

JAMAL

WALLACE

MILLVILLE FOOTBALL

Lotzeir Brooks got a lot of attention on the Millville High football field, and rightfully so. He graduated early after a career as one of the best wide receivers in state history, and now is at the University of Alabama. He was a key figure in the Thunderbolts’ high-powered offense. But part of the reason QB Robbie O’Connor was able to get the ball to Brooks so often is because the Bolts had a heck of a running game.

Wallace spearheaded Millville’s ground attack, rushing for more than 1,000 yards on only 153 carries while scoring 17 touchdowns. The bulldozing running back would wear down defenses with his tough running style, opening things up for everyone else. He finished his career with more than 1,200 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns, and had a career-high 156 yards in a playoff win.

LOTZEIR BROOKS

MILLVILLE FOOTBALL

They don’t come much better than Lotzeir Brooks. One of the best football players in state history, Brooks was lightning in a bottle from the very first time he stepped onto a varsity football field at the Battle at the Beach a few years ago.

He went on to have a record-setting career and now is enrolled at the University of Alabama, where he’ll be vying for playing time as a freshman in the fall.

Brooks had 223 catches during his career for 4,615 yards and 67 touchdowns, breaking the state record for scores by a wide receiver. As a senior, he had seven 100-yard games and two games where he posted 200 yards or more. So how did the ultra-speedy wideout cap his high school career? Oh, you know, something simple, just being named the 2024 state Player of the Year.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

MARCUS UPTON

WINSLOW FOOTBALL

How does a football team go 14-0 and win a state championship? Having a dude like Marcus Upton in the middle of your defense is a pretty good start. At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Upton was an absolute menace at linebacker. He finished the year with 62 tackles, but probably would have had double that number if teams didn’t spend the entire season running away from him. Despite opposing offenses trying to avoid him, Upton proved there’s only so many places to hide on a football field. He had a sack, a forced fumble and three interceptions, and finished his career with more than 150 tackles. He also was a big help on offense as a tight end, catching 26 passes for nearly 500 yards and six touchdowns while leading the Eagles to a state championship.

AIDEN KITTS

RANCOCAS VALLEY FOOTBALL

Three years ago, Rancocas Valley went just 6-4, so seeing the Red Devils post a 9-3 season in 2024 might have been a surprise to some South Jersey football fans. It probably wasn’t a big surprise to those who wear red-and-white on Friday nights, though. The team went 8-3 in 2023 and last year finished the season winning five of its last six games and earning a berth in the South Jersey Group 5 championship game.

A big reason for the success was a defensive front that was anchored by Kitts, a hard-nosed linebacker who looks like he snacks on galvanized nails before practice. Kitts finished his senior season with 88 tackles, registering double-digit stops in four games and at least seven tackles in every single game. He finished his two-year varsity career with 151 tackles and three interceptions.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars MAHKI BRUNSON

KENNY SMITH

GLASSBORO FOOTBALL

What can you say about Kenny Smith that hasn’t already been said? The kid was one of the best running backs this state has ever seen, whether it was in Hammonton blue or Glassboro maroon-and-gold, he was unstoppable all four years of his career. Smith rushed for 1,670 yards and 21 touchdowns as a sophomore at Hammonton, then put up 1,473 yards and 16 scores as a junior before transferring to Glassboro. His senior year was his best yet, as Smith racked up 1,809 yards on just 141 carries while scoring 23 touchdowns. He did all that while missing the first three games of the season because of the transfer rule. In all, Smith, who also was an outstanding basketball player while at Hammonton, rushed for more than 5,000 yards and 63 TDs during his career, and led Glassboro to a 13-0 mark and a state championship.

CAMDEN FOOTBALL

The Camden High Panthers had one of the most dynamic offenses in South Jersey last fall, and a big reason why was quarterback Mahki Brunson. The senior had a terrific season, throwing for nearly 1,900 yards and 22 TDs while also rushing for nearly 600 yards. Brunson played only two varsity seasons, taking over the job as a junior after Deante Ruffin transferred to Winslow, but he was outstanding in those two years, helping the Panthers go 19-6 and win a sectional title.

What made Brunson such a special quarterback was not only his elusiveness and ability to make something out of broken plays, but also his ability to spread the ball around. He found nine different receivers last season, and five of them had more than 100 receiving yards. He finished his career with more than 3,000 passing yards.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

EAMON McDERMOTT

BISHOP EUSTACE BASEBALL

Bishop Eustace posted a team ERA of 2.48 this past spring and the Crusaders made it all the way to the South Jersey Non-Public B sectional championship game in large part because of that great pitching. McDermott spearheaded that effort as the ace of the staff, bringing a low-90s fastball and devastating slider to the mix. He pitched a team-high, and career-high, 48 innings as a senior, allowing just 21 hits and 16 earned runs the entire year. He struck out 97 batters and posted an ERA of 2.32, both career-best numbers.

McDermott pitched just eight innings his freshman year and had 30 strikeouts combined his first two seasons, but came on as a senior, helping his team beat the likes of Mainland, RV, Moorestown, Seneca and St. Rose.

MICHAEL MORITZ

CAMDEN CATHOLIC FOOTBALL

The Camden Catholic High football team had a resurgence in 2024 that sparked an incredible year for nearly every Irish sports team, and quarterback Michael Moritz was a key catalyst of all that. He wasn’t the flashiest quarterback around, but he played with the kind of passion and toughness that has come to define Irish athletics.

With Moritz at the helm, the Irish won the West Jersey Football League’s Patriot division and won nine straight games to start the season before eventually finishing 9-2 after a playoff loss to Pope John and a Thanksgiving rivalry loss to PVI. Moritz passed for more than 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns, finishing his career with more than 2,300 passing yards, 790 rushing yards and 41 total touchdowns. He passed for more than 100 yards six times as a senior, including a 232-yards performance against Overbrook.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

ZAIR GREEN

OVERBROOK BASKETBALL

Overbrook has quietly been quite the juggernaut in the Tri-County Conference since the covid-shortened 2020-2021 season. The Rams have won at least 20 games and have made it to at least the second round of the state playoffs in each of the last four years, showing their consistency and ability to win in pressure situations. Green was the second-leading scorer on the team last year as the Rams went 25-4 and made it to the quarterfinals of the sectional tournament before falling to Cinnaminson. Green averaged 17 points per game as a senior, by far a career high, and also added career highs in rebounds, assists, 3-pointers, steals and free-throws made. He finished his outstanding career with nearly 800 points, more than 200 rebounds and nearly 300 assists while also hitting 72 three-pointers.

RAINELLE BLOCKER

CLAYTON BASKETBALL

Clayton lost 4-of-6 games in the middle of last season and may have been written off by some, but the Clippers surged toward the end of the season and ended up making it all the way to the South Jersey Group 1 semifinals before falling to a very talented Wildwood team. The Clippers may not have even made the playoffs if they didn’t have Blocker on the roster. She certainly lived up to her last name as a defensive presence, blocking 31 shots as a senior and finishing her career with 114 rejections. But Blocker was a lot more than just somebody in the middle who could play defense. She scored at least 300 points in three of her four varsity seasons, finishing her career with an impressive 1,465 points. She also had nearly 1,000 rebounds, 250-plus made free throws, 180 assists and nearly 400 steals in 91 career games.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

ALEXA HENRY

LENAPE BASKETBALL

El-Anita Joe-Samuel gets a lot of headlines for the Lenape High girls basketball team, and rightfully so. She scored nearly 500 points as a sophomore this past winter. But you don’t get to be an annual sectional title contender by being a one-player show. Henry was the heart and soul of the Indians last year as the team’s point guard and emotional leader on the floor. When things were going bad (which they rarely were) she could be counted on to lift the team up and step up to take the big shots when necessary. She averaged more than 11 points per game as a senior, chipped in 100 rebounds in 30 games and also hit 45 three-pointers and had 43 steals. She could do it all on the court and finished her career with nearly 1,400 points and more than 100 rebounds and assists.

KIYANNA BLACKS-STEWART

PAUL VI BASKETBALL

If you were trying to build the ideal high school power forward, you’d start by making her 6-foot-1 and strong, and give her the ability to drive to the basket, work post moves, step out and hit a jumper, get to the foul line and be able to play tough defense on anybody an opposing team could throw at her.

Meet Kiyanna Blacks-Stewart, who was all that and more for an Eagles team that went 27-1 last winter, its only loss coming against Morris Catholic in the state championship game. She scored more than 300 points as a senior and added more than 200 rebounds, but it was her defense that really stood out. With her on the inside, PVI held nearly half its opponents to 40 points or less last season.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars JAMAR WARTHEN

AZANAH CAMPBELL

PAUL VI BASKETBALL

The Paul VI Eagles were the best team in South Jersey throughout the 2024-2025 season. The team had talent at every position, and a lot of its bench players probably would be starting at their home schools. Even on a team this talented, Azanah Campbell stood out. If not for having such great teammates, she probably could have averaged 25 points per game. As it was, she averaged nearly 12 points per game and was one of the leaders on the team in just about every offensive category, plus she was an outstanding defender and durable, having played in all 28 of the Eagles’ games. She was the guiding force for a team that went 27-1, not losing until the state championship game. For her career, Campbell scored 923 points in 106 games and added more than 400 rebounds plus more than 100 assists and steals.

SENECA FOOTBALL

Seneca is a newer school by South Jersey measures and is in kind of a rural setting, so Golden Eagles athletes have to work even harder to get some recognition. Warthen was no stranger to hard work during his career in Tabernacle and helped put Seneca on the map. As a senior, he had nearly 300 yards rushing and more than 750 receiving while scoring nine touchdowns. He helped lead the Golden Eagles to an 8-4 record that included wins over Haddonfield, Moorestown, Gloucester and Willingboro, and two state playoff wins before Seneca lost to Mainland in the sectional championship game. Warthen rushed for more than 600 yards in his career and had 1,400 receiving yards, and on defense had had 259 tackles and six interceptions in three seasons. He returned two of those picks for touchdowns.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars JAXON MILLER

CLIFFORD DIRKES

OCEAN CITY FOOTBALL, WRESTLING

Clifford Dirkes is a big man, and he’s only just graduated high school. A man among boys the past couple of years, Dirkes was an outstanding offensive lineman in football and an agile big man as a heavyweight on the wrestling mat. On the football field, Dirkes helped pave the way for an always tough Ocean City running attack that racked up more than 1,700 yards in 11 games last fall. He was also solid in pass protection, allowing Walker Bailey to throw for nearly 1,000 yards. Facing one of the tougher schedules in South Jersey, Ocean City still won six games and made it to the second round of the state playoffs. Dirkes’ senior leadership carried over into a wrestling season that saw the Red Raiders win 16 matches and make it to the sectional semifinals. As an individual, Dirkes placed at states and finished his senior season with 36 wins.

HAMMONTON SOCCER, BASEBALL

The Cape-Atlantic League boys soccer scene used to be ruled by the likes of St. Augustine Prep, Ocean City and Egg Harbor Township. It still is, to a certain degree, but Hammonton has joined the fray as one of the top teams each year, thanks in large part to the outstanding career Miller had. Hammonton won 13 games last fall, finishing second in the CAL American Conference to St. Augustine Prep, and Miller led the way with a team-high 14 goals, tying with fellow senior Matthew Smith. Miller, a physical and talented forward, also finished with a team-high 13 assists. He scored 24 goals and added 19 assists in his career and led the Blue Devils to the CAL championship game three times. As a baseball player, he batted .349 for his career with 68 hits and 50 RBIs while adding 25 walks and 36 stolen bases.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

JAMAR DIXON

DELSEA REGIONAL WRESTLING

There are a lot better ways to spend a winter evening then getting twisted into a pretzel by a guy like Jamar Dixon. One of the top wrestlers that South Jersey has seen the last four years, Dixon created all kinds of problems for opponents because of his long arms and strength in the 150-pound weight class. He was one of the key wrestlers on a Delsea Regional team that went 21-2 and won the state championship. As an individual, he had his best season as a senior, making it all the way to the 150-pound state championship match before falling to Delbarton’s Jayden James. Dixon is a four-time state medalist, having finished fifth at 132 pounds as a freshman and seventh as a sophomore and junior, at 144 and 150, respectively. He’s in the top 10 all-time for Delsea wrestling wins.

OLIVIA SCIULLI

KINGSWAY SOFTBALL

One of the smallest players in South Jersey had one of the biggest impacts throughout her career as an outfielder at Kingsway Regional. The Dragons went 24-3 this past spring, won the South Jersey Group 4 championship and were one win away from playing from an overall state title. Sciulli got things started all year, and her entire career, for that matter, at the top of the Dragons’ lineup.

She hit a blistering .463 as a senior, more than 100 points higher than her previous best batting average, and racked up 44 hits, 17 RBIs, 35 runs scored, 11 extra-base hits and 13 stolen bases. The little lefty boasted a career batting average of .373, finishing her brilliant four-year run with 119 hits, 117 runs scored, 52 RBIs, 13 doubles, 13 triples, four homers, 52 walks and 40 stolen bases.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

DAN RUSSO

DELSEA REGIONAL FOOTBALL

Dan Russo is the kind of kid who looks like he could pick up a sedan if there was a puppy caught underneath. And to think, he started out his high school football career as a quarterback at Vineland High! Russo transferred to Delsea Regional halfway through his high school career and eventually developed into a 6-foot-1, 220-pound wrecking ball that made life miserable for opposing defenders when he had the ball in his hands. He rushed for nearly 1,700 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior and led the Crusaders to a state championship victory, then followed that up with nearly 1,000 rushing yards and 13 TDs as a senior. His numbers showed just how complete a player he was. On defense, he finished with nearly 250 tackles, and he rushed for nearly 4,300 yards and passed for nearly 1,900.

ADDISON PETTI

CHERRY HILL WEST FIELD HOCKEY, BASKETBALL, LACROSSE

Addison Petti was perfectly suited for the sports she played at Cherry Hill West High. Tall and rangy, she was an integral part of the Lions capturing their first state championship in the history of the girls basketball program, and she was an outstanding contributor in the other sports she played as well.

In field hockey, she finished her career with 27 goals and 24 assists, and on the lacrosse field Petti was a scoring machine. She racked up 143 goals in her career, but perhaps even more impressive were her 203 assists.

In basketball, she wasn’t a huge scorer, averaging a little more than five points per game, but she played solid defense and finished her career with nearly 250 rebounds and 62 blocked shots.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars ARABA ABANYIE

EVAN TAYLOR

OCEAN CITY BASEBALL

When Evan Taylor hits a baseball, it stays hit. One of the premier hitters in the Cape-Atlantic League the past four years, and one of the best the league has ever seen, Taylor made a habit of crushing pitches and helping the Red Raiders win baseball games. During his four-year career, the Raiders won 18 or more games twice, and they won at least 13 games each season and always made the state playoffs, including a run to the sectional title game when Taylor was a freshman. Taylor hit .265 as a rookie, but then his career really took off, as he hit .514 as a sophomore, .353 as a junior and .357 as a senior. He finished with 104 hits, batting .374 for his career, and the University of Alabama commit racked up 89 runs scored and 101 RBIs. He also had 21 homers, 72 walks and 24 stolen bases.

EASTERN REGIONAL SOCCER, BASKETBALL

When you look at teams that are successful at the high school level, more often than not you find they have multiple players like Abanyie. Kids who are tough, show up every day and just go about their business. Abanyie was a huge reason why Eastern was one of the top girls soccer programs in the state the last four years, as she racked up 151 saves in 23 games as a senior, leading the Vikings to a sectional championship and a berth in the Group 4 state title game. She finished her career with 266 saves, including 14 in a sectional championship win over Central Regional and another nine in a 1-0 loss to Westfield in the state title game. She also was a three-year varsity player in basketball, scoring more than 500 points and adding more than 300 rebounds, more than 100 assists and nearly 150 steals.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars BRYCE BELINFANTI

AVA SZTENDEROWICZ

CINNAMINSON SOCCER, BASKETBALL, LACROSSE

Her last name is hard to spell, but if you watched her play even once it was easy to see why Ava was so valuable to her teams at Cinnaminson.

She was tough, smart and had a knack for scoring, no matter what sport she played. In the fall, as a midfielder on the soccer team, she scored five goals and had an assist during her senior season, but it was during the basketball and lacrosse seasons when she really shined. She helped make the Pirates’ basketball team one of the best in South Jersey Group 2, finishing as a 1,000-point scorer who also hit more than 100 three-pointers in her career. She showed her prowess on defense, too, registering 71 steals.

In lacrosse, Sztenderowicz scored 50 goals as a senior, finishing her outstanding career with 138 tallies.

WOODSTOWN FOOTBALL

When you play at a small school like Woodstown High, you have to do a little bit of everything to help your team win if you’re one of the school’s best athletes.

Belinfanti, a 5-foot-8, 160-pound spark plug, was all over the place on defense, was a return man for the Wolverines and even got involved in the receiving game. But carrying the ball out of the backfield as a running back was where Belinfanti really shined.

As a senior, he rushed 213 times in 12 games, racking up 1,334 yards and 12 touchdowns while leading the Wolverines to a 10-2 record. And that wasn’t even his best season!

As a junior, Belinfanti rushed for 1,700+ yards and 21 scores. For his career, he amassed nearly 3,500 yards and 37 touchdowns on an impressive 511 carries.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

RILEY POWELL

WILDWOOD CATHOLIC BASKETBALL

It’s rare that a player can make such a big impact on a team in just one season of varsity basketball. Powell, who’s sister is a star at Middle Township High, transferred from Middle and became a huge part of Wildwood Catholic Academy’s success this past winter. With Powell leading the way, the Crusaders made a run all the way to the Cape-Atlantic League championship game before falling to St. Augustine, and the team finished with 20 wins.

Despite having very limited varsity experience coming into his senior season, Powell scored more than 300 points, averaging more than 17 points per game while also adding more than 200 rebounds in his 19 games played. Powell also went to the free-throw line 134 times, sinking 98 of those tries, and there were only two games when he didn’t score in double figures.

ELIJAH CRISPIN

PITMAN BASKETBALL

When your last name is Crispin and you attend Pitman High, you’re expected to be a great basketball player.

Following in the footsteps of his father and uncle, both of whom were 2,000-point scorers, Crispin had a tremendous career as a Panther. He scored an astounding 783 points as a senior to eclipse the 2,000 points plateau, finishing his career with 2,097 points.

Crispin scored 28 points per game as a senior, leading his team to 21 victories and a spot in the sectional semifinals. The 5-foot-11 guard finished his career with almost cartoonish numbers, as he could score in about 75 different ways, it seemed. Check this out: he hit 271 threes, nearly 450 regular two-point shots, and added 466 rebounds, 555 assists and 216 steals.

Oh, and he also had 23 goals as a soccer player!

Class of 2025 Senior Stars ALIVIA MAUZ

JESSA PIETERS

KINGSWAY REGIONAL SOFTBALL

There’s one thing a championship softball contender has to have, and that’s a standout pitcher. You’re not going to win much of anything with mediocre pitching inside the circle, and when that player can also double as a big-time offensive threat, well, that’s just icing on the cake. Pieters helped make the Dragons one of the top softball teams in the state the past couple of years because of her pitching and what she could do in the batter’s box. As a pitcher, Pieters hurled more than 100 innings in three of her four varsity seasons, finishing her career with a 2.06 ERA and more than 300 strikeouts against one of the tougher schedules in all of South Jersey. She also got the job done as a hitter, batting better than .300 for her career and finishing with 57 hits, 54 RBIs and six home runs.

WILLIAMSTOWN BASKETBALL

One of the hardest things to do on a basketball court is score a lot of points when every other team knows you’re the premier scorer on your team and in order to win they have to shut you down.

Mauz faced such defensive scrutiny throughout most of her career, but it was even more intense her senior year as a rebuilding Braves team leaned on her to get it to the state playoffs.

Mauz responded with the best season of her career, averaging nearly 23 points per game while leading the Braves on a late-season run that got them to the second round of states after a rough stretch in January that saw the team lose 7 of 10 games.

Mauz, a guard with an array of moves who could score from anywhere on the court, finished her career with nearly 2,000 points while adding 400 rebounds and nearly as many assists.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

ETHAN SHOCK

MAINLAND REGIONAL FOOTBALL

When Ethan Shock was a freshman he was a skinny kid and coach Chuck Smith said he did’t know what to expect of him during his prep football career.

Well, Shock lived up to his moniker, as he blossomed into a 6-foot-3, 205-pound Swiss Army knife on the Mustangs’s offensive line. He could pass protect and get out and run people over if that’s what the play called for.

“He was arguably our most important offensive lineman. At center you have to make the line calls, you have to snap the ball all the time, and we really didn’t have any issues with snaps the past couple of seasons,” Smith said. “He’s been a big part of the success we’ve had the last few years.”

With Shock leading the offensive line, Mainland won a state championship and played for another in his three varsity seasons.

GRIFFIN

CLARKE

HADDONFIELD BASEBALL

During the 2025 Diamond Classic, Haddonfield baseball coach Justin Singleton said the if he had nine Griffin Clarkes on his roster he could beat anybody in South Jersey.

Clarke took over the catching position during his freshman season and never relinquished it, becoming a rock behind the plate for a Bulldawgs team that really came of age this spring, posting 24 wins and making it to the sectional semifinals before losing to Governor Livingston, the No. 1 team in the state.

Clarke hit just .120 in 50 at-bats as a sophomore, but worked hard on his hitting and it eventually caught up to his stellar defense, as he hit .345 as a junior and .387 as a senior.

He finished his career with 54 hits, including 12 doubles, and added 34 walks and 21 RBIs. He had multiple hits in a game 12 times as a senior.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars JASUAN SOLOMON

MASON KELLEHER

CHEROKEE BASEBALL

The emergence of Mason Kelleher as an outstanding catcher and offensive force coinciding with Cherokee’s rise to power is anything but a coincidence. He worked his tail off to get his opportunity, and it didn’t go well when he finally got the chance to start as a junior. He hit just .220 and drove in only six runs. But he put in a ton of work prior to his senior year, and all that effort paid off in a big way, as Kelleher was a driving force behind a Cherokee team that went 28-3 and won the state championship in Group 4. He hit a whopping .391, nearly tripling the number of hits he had as a junior, and drove in 31 runs while scoring 20 and hitting six home runs. Just as important was his role as a catcher, bringing along a pitching staff that turned into one of the best in the state with a team ERA of 1.48.

WOODBURY FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL

It’s probably much better to be a teammate of Jasuan Solomon rather than an opponent, considering the types of things he did against guys who weren’t wearing blue-and-gold.

As a punishing 6-foot-2 linebacker, Solomon racked up more than 300 tackles in his football career, including 37 sacks, five forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries. He also chipped in as a senior on the other side of the ball, piling up more than 400 yards of total offense as a runner and receiver.

On the basketball court, Solomon brought that same toughness and helped a young Herd squad develop and identity as one of the scrappiest teams in South Jersey. He scored more than 1,000 points during his career, and, even more impressive, had more than 1,200 rebounds. He also had 200 steals as an outstanding defender at multiple positions.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

CAM MILLER

WINSLOW FOOTBALL

Millville High star receiver Lotzeir Brooks scored the most touchdowns in state history as a wide receiver and now is set to begin his college career at the University of Alabama. He only had three games his senior year when he had less than 50 receiving yards. Two of those came against Winslow, when Cam Miller was the guy charged with defending him.

Miller himself was a highly sought-after recruit as a receiver, first commiting to the University of Wisconsin before flipping to the University of Kentucky, where he’s set to begin his freshman year. All he did in high school was lead Winslow to a perfect 14-0 season and a state championship, racking up more than 700 receiving yards and 14 TDs along the way. He was first-team All-State and finished his career as Winslow’s leading receiver.

MORGAN CHAMBERS

PAUL VI SOFTBALL

Having a solid catcher is the key to success for any high school softball program, and when you have one who can hit that’s a huge bonus. Chambers wasn’t just a decent hitting catcher during her career as an Eagle, she was outstanding and a big-time middle-of-the-order bat for PVI. She burst onto the scene as a freshman, hitting .361 with 22 hits, 23 runs scored and a respectable 11 RBIs for a rookie. She showed a little bit of pop, too, with four doubles and a home run. Her power numbers increased exponentially as her career went on, though, as she finished with 30 doubles and 18 home runs in four seasons. Chambers’ sophomore and junior years were nothing short of tremendous, as she racked up 79 hits, 73 RBIs and 54 runs scored in those two years. She finished with 124 career hits, 100 RBIs, 94 runs scored and a .405 average.

Class of 2025 Senior Stars

KATIE DICK

rancocas valley softball

When you hit nearly .500 on any level of softball, even if it’s in the pigtail leagues, that’s pretty good. When you do it at a Group 4 high school in South Jersey for four years, that’s pretty damn impressive. Katie Dick was one of the best hitters in the state the past three years as she racked up nearly 100 hits in 200 at-bats, hitting .475 for her career. Those numbers are even more impressive when you realize she had just 23 at-bats as a sophomore, so most of that damage was done in the past two seasons. The Red Devils’ catcher was the heart and soul of a team that went 19-7 and made it all the way to the South Jersey Group 4 championship game before the Devils ran into Kingsway. For her career, Dick finished with 69 RBIs, 15 doubles and a .635 slugging percentage.

LANEY THORP

kingsway softball

There aren’t many second basemen in South Jersey softball who are cranking out 15 home runs during their prep careers. Thorp was another cog in a loaded Dragons lineup, as she had a tremendous senior season, leading Kingsway to another sectional championship and getting her team within one win of playing for a state title. Thorp cranked out a career-high nine home runs in her final season and added 31 RBIs and 27 runs scored. Only five times all season did she go hitless, and 11 times she had multiple hits. She was also a solid defender up the middle as part of a middle infield tandem with star junior shortstop Reese Whitzell. Thorp finished with some serious career numbers, as she hit .368 with 89 hits, 64 RBIs and 58 runs. She added 15 doubles, five triples and 15 homers, and walked 30 times.