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NJAC Boys' Basketball Review:Berntsen Drives Chatham to the TopBy Mark Kitchin – Staff Writer

March 30, 2012 I Vo lume- I I I Issue-3

After battling Mount Olive defendersall game, Chatham’s JonathanBerntsen fully expected to be swampedin the waning moments of the MorrisCounty Tournament final. Instead hefound a clear path to the net and an

uncontested shot to give the Cougarstheir second Morris CountyTournament title in five years.

Berntsen scored 25 points, including the layup with fiveseconds left in regulation, to lift Chatham to a 77-75 triumph overChatham in the MCT final.

Joe Timmes added 13points and Colin Brownhad 10 points for thefourth-seeded Cougarsin the title game held atCounty College ofMorris. Sophomore center

Zach Heeman scored 23points and JustinPalanchi added 16 forsixth-seeded MountOlive. It was theMarauders’ secondappearance in an MCT final and their first since 1989. Palanchiput in a layup with 11.6 seconds left forcing the Cougars to take atimeout. The inbounds went to Berntsen at about the Mount Olivefoul line. The senior guard, who had missed most of January witha torn meniscus, dribbled through two Mount Olive defenders,got past midcourt and watched the floor open up for him.“I thought they would be in man (to man) but maybe they were

in zone,’’ Berntsen said. “The game was tied. There were 11seconds left. I felt it could be the greatest moment of my life or it

could be the worstmoment of my life. Iwent the length of thecourt and it turned outto be awesome.’’Overall, Chatham

(24-6) worked hard totake care of the ball andnot let Mount Olivepush the tempo harderthan the Cougars couldhandle. They adjustedto their full-courtpressure by using thewidth and length of theCCM floor, stretchingthe Marauders full-court pressures andworking the ball upmethodically.

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Chatham's Jonathan Berntsen

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“In the first half it was really ugly,’’ Chatham coach Todd Ervinsaid. “In the second half, we got used to it and we settled downand we made good decisions. … If you turn the ball over, it doeslead to open threes. That was the main thing. Don’t turn the ballover.’’The MCT All-Tournament team included Berntsen and Joe

Timmes of Chatham, Heeman and Palanchi of Mount Olive,Julian Aiken of Randolph and Niko Kotoulas of Morris Knolls. Chatham defeated West Morris, Madison, Randolph and Mount

Olive to capture the MCT title. Their performance also givesthem ASM Team of the Year honors although there were plenty ofworthy candidates this year. Two teams went deep into the state tournament and played in

sectional finals. Mendham, as always, saved its best efforts forlast. After losing to Mount Olive in MCT quarterfinal action theMinutemen regrouped and defeated Morristown, Irvington andRahway (on the road) before falling to another outstandingPlainfield team (that would lose to St. Anthony’s in theTournament of Champions final) in the North 2, Group III titlegame. Drew Jacobs and Nick Maguire were among the team’sstandouts.Mountain Lakes (20-7) had its best state effort in 20 years when

it ran through the North 1, Group II bracket before falling toPascack Hills. The Lakers had wins against Hawthorne and RiverDell and a decisive triumph against Lodi. Ethan Lubowitz led thecharge for Mountain Lakes. In the run the Lakers helped coachJohn ByDook achieve his 400th varsity victory.Mount Olive, Morris Knolls, Randolph and Morristown-Beard

also had eventful seasons. The Marauders energized areabasketball by playing the Grinnell System, a fast-paced, full-courtstyle that yielded several 100-point games and drew a lot ofattention for Kevin Moore’s squad. The Golden Eagles continuedtheir success from last year with the help of Kotoulas and pointguard Esaun Mobley. They achieved strong county and state runswith their performances. Julian Aiken finished as the leadingscorer in the state and helped Randolph rebound from four winslast year to 19 wins this year. The Crimson went unbeaten in theLiberty Division and enjoyed stellar performances from HarrisonRosemond, Brian Bartner and Chris Jenkins. Whippany Park,Madison and Morristown also put together solid seasons and havemuch to look forward to in the future.

Co-Players of the Year Randolph’s Julian Aiken and Chatham’s Jonathan Berntsen

were both special players for their very successful teams. Bothwere leaders, both helped their programs to successful finishesand helped their squads both on and off the court. Aiken was the leading scorer in the state. He scored 711 points,

averaging 26.4 points a contest. He shot 49 percent from the floorand also hit 264 free throws. In 27 games he also had 135rebounds and 95 assists.

Aiken was fearless indriving to the basketand when he wasfouled he knockeddown his free throwswhich made him anefficient scorer. Despitehis offensive skills, hewas an unselfish playerand also an activedefender. His offensiveprowess helped theRams to a 19-9 record,a 15-win jump fromlast year.Berntsen showed

plenty of courage. Heplayed in pain andrehabbing from a tornmeniscus that kept himoff the court all January

in order to finish his senior season with a Morris CountyTournament title. On the floor, he was an unquestioned leader, asolid ballhandler, fine perimeter shooter and solid passer.When he was able to resume playing after a month of rehabbing

from his injury, Berntsen didn’t miss a beat and had stellar gamesin the Morris County Tournament and came up big in the final,scoring the winning basket to give Chatham its second title infive years.

Coach of the YearKevin Moore didn’t just turn the Mount Olive program around,

he turned it upside down. Introducing a new system thatemphasized full-court defense, 3-point shooting and an offensivescheme that demands a shot every 12 or 13 seconds is a radicalchange for most teams in the area. Moore and his players made itwork.The Marauders averaged more than 80 points a game and

created a buzz in gyms all across Morris and Sussex Countybecause of their fast-paced brand of basketball. Moore, whocoached the last varsity basketball teams at Bayley-Ellard andmanned the helm at County College of Morris the past six

seasons, helped Mount Olive to a 20-6 record and the school’sfirst trip to the MCT Final since 1989.

All-ASM Boys Basketball TeamJonathan Berntsen – Chatham - SeniorJulian Aiken – Randolph - SeniorNiko Kotoulas – Morris Knolls - SeniorDrew Jacobs – Mendham - SeniorEthan Lubowitz – Mountain Lakes - SeniorChris Jenkins – Morristown-Beard - JuniorZach Frick – Sparta - JuniorJaQuan Bryant – Pope John - Senior

About the TeamBerntsen and Aiken are highlighted above. Niko Kotoulas had

an exceptional year. The senior forward averaged 18 points, 12rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block per game. His final game was a30-point, 17-rebound contest against Hackensack. Drew Jacobsprovided a constant source of offense for the Minutemen. Heaveraged 22 points and six assists a game and knocked down 723-pointers overall. Ethan Lubowitz provided much of the Lakers’scoring but also averaged 12 rebounds and three assists a game.He had numerous double-doubles and also had 78 steals and 43blocks. Chris Jenkins’s value can’t be told in statistics alone. TheCrimson junior averaged 17 points and seven rebounds but alsofocused more on the defensive end. Zach Frick was the consensusPlayer of the Year in Sussex. The Sparta guard averaged 16.7points per game and knocked down 35 threes for the 22-6 team.JaQuan Bryant also had a strong year. He averaged 19 points andfive rebounds for the Lions. Pope John finished with a 21-7record and won the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex tournament.

Photos by :Rober t Ha r r i s

www. rober tha r r i s . smugmug.com

Pau l Swensonwww.photosbyswens.zenfol io.com

Randolph's Julian Aiken

4 / ASMNorthern Review Vo lume- I I Issue-3 3 /30 / 12

After a third straight Morris County championship and a near-perfect season, Pequannock lost the bulk of its lineup tograduation. But the Panthers remain the clear team to beat in thecounty, and the NJAC, this coming season.

With one of the best pitchers in New Jersey, Dana Nielsen, backon the hill, Pequannock won’t be allowing a lot of runs. Whatmay surprise opponents, though, is the Panthers’ strength at theplate and in the field.

Besides Nielsen, only two other starters return. Outfielder AllyThomas will anchor the lineup; the Lafayette College recruitpossesses both a powerful bat and a slick glove. Dana Torchia isalso back at shortstop for the Panthers, giving them somevaluable experience at a crucial position.

While the remainderof the lineup will benew starters, coachMaryann Goodwinsays there is little ifany talent drop-off.“In almost everyposition, I have aplayer who was avarsity player lastyear,” she says. “Someof them waited severalyears for their turn.”Goodwin points tosuch players as thirdbaseman AlyssaSenatore and firstbaseman Bridget Carrwho will step into thelineup.

Of course, finding a successor for a Morris County Player ofthe Year is no easy task, and that is what Pequannock must do atcatcher. “Replacing Kayla Lombardo is a big piece of thepuzzle,” Goodwin admits. She says her two candidates for thejob have been working extra hard knowing that they will have tofill big shoes (Lombardo is now playing for Fordham University).

“I have really got to work on building confidence,” Goodwinsays, “making them believe they’re as good as the team lastyear.” Having a pitcher like Nielsen will clearly help in thatregard. Already committed to Bucknell College, Nielsen had a0.37 ERA last year and struck out nearly 250 batters.

The Panthers also have several quality pitchers in reserve, ledby senior GinaMartucci, who willalso play softball incollege. That depthgives Goodwin theconfidence to schedulemultiple games in asingle day for herteam. She has aquadruple-headerplanned for her squadon April 21st, first withtwo games at home inthe Blue & Goldtournament, then twomore games at theClifton Classic (wherethe Panthers are set toplay Sparta and PopeJohn).

That challengingday, plus other early-season tests, willstrengthen the Panthersas they seek a fourth

consecutive Morris County championship, and then try tocomplete some unfinished business in the state tournament.Pequannock was unbeaten heading into last year’s Group II statefinal, but was upset by Robbinsville, 2-1.

Goodwin says despite all the turnover in the starting lineup, thegoals remain the same, and a return to the state final game issquarely in the Panthers’ sights.

Subbing for SamWhile Pequannock will have a hard time replacing Kayla

Lombardo, the NJAC team with the toughest shoes to fill isSparta. Pitcher Sam Greiner, who led the Spartans to their first-ever state title, is gone to the University of South Florida.

Greiner had a 17-1 record last year with a 0.36 ERA. She wasalso the team leader in RBI and runs scored, and had her team’sbiggest hit of the season, a dramatic game-tying homer in thebottom of the seventh inning in the state Group III semifinalagainst Chatham.

Besides Greiner, Sparta also lost Mary Kociencki, who hit ahome run in the ninth inning to win that game against Chathamand had the key hit in the sectional final as well. OutfielderCasey Cresbaugh, second baseman Courtney Noone and severalothers also graduated.

That was a special class, and Greiner was an exceedinglyspecial player. But Sparta has a lot of talent coming up from itsstrong youth program and will be heard from again.

Cougars coming to playChatham played Pequannock

three times last season,including the Morris Countytournament final. The Cougarshad the Panthers on the ropes inone game, but ended updropping all three contests.

Those games accounted forhalf of Chatham’s defeats in a21-6 season that saw it claim theNorth 2, Group III sectionaltitle. The Cougars cameexcruciatingly close to reachingthe state final in that dramatic,extra-innings loss to Sparta.

With ace pitcher AmandaFazio back, Chatham should beready to battle the Panthers bothin the NJAC IndependenceDivision and the MCT againthis year. Other key returneesfor the Cougars include firstbaseman Kelly Winans, an all-county player, outfielder CaraDelsandro and shortstopKendall Davies. All are seniors,and surely motivated to add totheir legacy before graduating.

Teams to watchWhippany Park won its

second consecutive sectionaltitle last season, reaching theGroup I state final before fallingto New Egypt. The Wildcatswill bring back nearly all of thatteam and should be strong againin 2012. The Cats will clearlymiss Casey Reggiani, who

pitched in the state tournament games and was the team’s tophitter. But junior Jenn Sanislo shared the mound duties last year,and threw quite well, including a perfect game against MountainLakes. Coach Todd Callaghan is confident that Sanislo is readyto take on the role of the ace. Outfielder Courtney Simon andshortstop Hannah Mucerino are among the other key returners forWhippany Park.

One local team that gave Pequannock some trouble last seasonwas Hanover Park. While the Panthers won many of their gamesby lopsided scores, the Hornets fell by only 3-0 in both of theirmatchups. Sam Snyder handled much of the pitching forHanover Park last year and will be just a sophomore this season.Also back for the Hornets will be outfielder Christina LoConteand infielder Nicole Hand.

The Caitlin O’Connor era is over at Morris Knolls. TheGolden Eagles won a state title in 2010 and a sectional title lastyear behind the talented pitcher. And though she is now pitchingat Bloomsburg University, don’t count out her former team.Knolls is always strong, and will have six starters back from lastseason, including second baseman Kiki Baldassarri, shortstopTori Clarke and outfielder Elaine Hua.

Morris Catholic recovered from a tough start last season tomake a second-half surge that resulted in a surprising sectionaltitle. Some key players, especially pitcher/outfielder Jeane Drury,are gone, but the Crusaders had several talented freshmen lastyear who should form the core of the team moving forward.

NJAC Softball Preview: PanthersRemain the Team to BeatBy Paul Mencher – ASM Northern Review Managing Editor

Pequannock Pitcher Dana Nielsen

Photos by : Ed Leona rdwww.edleonardphoto.smugmug.com

Pequannock Outfielder Ally Thomas

The competition on the diamond was brutallast season in the Northwest Jersey AthleticConference. And though some of the bignames have moved on, expect little change in2012 as baseball season gets underway.

National DivisionHow good—and balanced—is this division? Last year,

Randolph won the division title while Roxbury took the MorrisCounty tournament. Then in the state tournament, Morris Knolls

won a sectional title and Delbarton came within a single out ofwinning a sectional crown as well.

All of those teams should be strong again this year, but thecompetition will get even rougher with the emergence of oneteam and the resurgence of a traditional power.

Last year, Morris Knolls just missed out on sharing theNational Division title but put everything together in the post-season to win the North 1, Group IV sectional crown. A numberof key players are back for the Golden Eagles, includingoutfielder Cody Greenhagen, a three-year starter. Catcher StevoRosen and shortstop Evan Steidl are two other key seniors. “Wehave a pretty nice core coming back,” says coach AdamBonfiglio.

On the mound, Knolls lost its top two pitchers but brings backGary Basile, who should take over as the staff ace. Bonfigliosays he will fill in the rotation with pitchers from last year’s

strong junior varsity squad.

Bonfiglio expects to contend for thedivision title, but he knows thecompetition will be brutal. “Ourconference is just unbelievable,” he says.“It’s real tough on the pitching, you’replaying somebody good every day. In thelong run it makes you better.”

While he says the traditional powerswill be strong, Bonfiglio thinks upstartMendham might be the team to beat.While the Minutemen went just 13-14last year, they made a run to the sectionalfinal in North 2, Group III. And coachBrad Wetzel brings back nearly his entirestarting lineup in 2012.

First baseman Nick Maguire,outfielder/pitcher Casey Meyers andpitcher Dan Dessel are among the keyreturners for Mendham. Many days, Wetzel will be able to put anearly all-senior team on the field. “We have a great group ofhigh-character players with varsity experience,” he says. “Theywant to be part of a winner.”

Morristown has traditionally been a winner every year on thebaseball diamond, but 2011 was a rough one. A veryinexperienced Colonials squad went 9-16 and missed the statetournament, while the program endured the loss of legendarycoach Harry Shatel during the season. Current coach Josh Urydidn’t make excuses for his squad, and a year’s experience shouldbe of great benefit.

Harry Shatel’s legacy also lives on at Delbarton, where his sonBruce now coaches. The Green Wave made a well-publicized runto the sectional final last year only to be stunned by Pope Johnísdramatic rally in the bottom of the seventh inning. Ace pitcherNick Donatiello headed to Princeton, but Delbarton has a numberof key players back, including outfielders Jon Ramirez andDennis Bencsko, first baseman Jeff Anderson, third basemanKevin Kennedy and catcher Andrew Christie.

Randolph suffered some key losses from last year’s divisionchampionship squad, but coach Ryan Casey likes the mix ofseniors, juniors and sophomores he has on this year’s team.Senior pitcher/first baseman Connor McMahon will be a keyplayer for the Rams. Fellow senior Kevin Mancuso will alsopitch and play the outfield. Top juniors include second basemanAndrew Conklin, catcher Thomas Asbaty and pitcher/infielderJake Scherzer.

Graduation took a huge toll at Roxbury, as the Morris County

champs lost the bulk of their starting lineup.Senior second baseman Tommy Alliegro,senior pitcher Jim Sudo and junioroutfielder Matt Marzocca are the mainreturning players. Coach Greg Trotter says,“We will have to pitch and play greatdefense to remain competitive. I expectthat we will improve a great deal as theseason progresses.”

Parsippany Hills has the potential tocompete, with pitching the key questionmark for the Vikings. But it’s not as thoughPar Hills doesn’t have plenty of candidatesto take the mound. Coach Ray Santanasays he has at least seven pitchers on hisvarsity roster, led by Kyle Annese, BrianZelasny, Jimmy Grawehr and promisingsophomore Brandon Katzenberger. TheVikings expect to score runs, with shortstop

Mike Comerford, catcher C.J. Joyce and first baseman StevenFichter leading the way. “If we can be consistent on the mound,we’ll be very competitive all season,” Santana says.

West Morris is another solid team featuring a couple ofstrong pitchers in Tom Natale-Drown and Michael Feula.

NJAC Baseball Preview: FierceCompetition on the DiamondBy Paul Mencher – ASM Northern Review Managing Editor

www.asmnorth.com ASMNorthern Review / 5

Randolph’s Andrew Conklin

Roxbury celebrating last year's Morris Countybaseball tournament championship

Randolph’s Connor McMahon

S e eBaseball

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6 / ASMNorthern Review Vo lume- I I Issue-3 3 /30 / 12

A lot of pieces have to come together to turn a group of lacrosseplayers into a successful team.

Developing cohesion on each unit, getting those units to worktogether and just sorting out who goes where and how that player'sskills can best be utilized is a daunting task.

Every year Delbarton coach Chuck Ruebling seems to find away to get the Green Wave playing at their best. Every year heknows that opposing teams in Morris County are doing the exactsame thing with the purpose of beating Delbarton in mind.

Another season brings another challenge.“We have to go to work every day and get better,’’ Ruebling

said. “I think a lot of our mistakes are by inexperience. We justhave to stop making the same mistakes. Having good scrimmagesand exposing our weaknesses are good things and it’s going toshow us what we need to work on.’’

The defending Morris County champs will once again have tofight off the challenges posed within the county by MountainLakes and Chatham. Delbarton also expects to be a threat tocapture the overall state title where defending championBridgewater-Raritan, Summit and St. Augustine Prep loom.

The challenge for Ruebling and his Delbarton staff is to mold acombination of battle tested veterans and talented newcomers tobe among the best—if not the best.

Will Reynolds and Kohl Geibel are among the standoutdefensemen returning while Brendan Huston leads a group ofchallengers looking for work. Last year’s keeper John Schisler isalso back and much improved after starting nearly all of hissophomore season.

Delbarton’s midfield is potentially explosive. Cole Riccardi andJohn Shaffer will play a huge role in bolstering the Green Waveon offense. Shaffer, the school’s football quarterback, is a Duke-bound athlete who scored some big goals last year. Riccardi wasanother key cog in the midfield and is headed for Notre Dame.

Jamie White, who is coming off an outstanding football season,should make a big impact. Matt Killian and Dylan Conflaw aresome of the other guys that opponents will have to confront.

“Jamie is really fast. He’s tough and he has varsity savvy,’’Ruebling said. “Riccardi is a football captain. We’ve got somehockey guys who bring some championship moxie with them.’’

Delbarton also has a good tandem at faceoff with Jack Clark andAustin Williams. Attack is the only position with limitedexperience but part of the fun of pre-season is getting everyoneout on the field and seeing who emerges as a playmaker or a

finisher.

“We’re playing alot of guys,’’Ruebling said. “Ithink we’re veryathletic but a littlebit on the youngside. We might payfor playing theyounger players,but hopefully it isgoing to paydividends in May.’’

Circle thecalendar for April21st though. That’swhen MountainLakes andDelbarton willhave their regularseason meeting,which is often apreview of thecounty final.

Mountain Lakeshas some key

leaders in very important spots and will no doubt continue itstradition of top notch lacrosse. Attackman Jon Broome scoredsome pivotal goals last year and Rob Orazietti can be creative onthe attack and has a sneaky shot. Eric Dircks is also a playmakerand midfielder Dylan Muti is a hustler on both ends of the field.Tyler Batesko anchors the Lakers defense and Mike Sanzone’sface-off skills and two-way play will give his team a boost.

Chatham barelymissed advancing tothe MCT title game lastyear. The Cougars hadsome quality gamesincluding a memorablefive-overtime tusslewith Summit in theGroup II state final thatpeople still talk about.Expect more of thesame this year. NotreDame bound ThomasStephan, a 3-sportathlete who was part ofcounty champion teamsin soccer andbasketball, anchors theCougars defense,which also returnsCorey Fritts in goal.Starters Matt Proto andCorey Heideran returnto an impressivemidfield whichincludes Owen Hewesand Kyle Howard-Johnson and David

Gill, a sophomore who is newly pledged to Duke. Sam Carson andScott Kepler are among the returnees on attack that should make adifference.

Morristown continues to improve and will build on themomentum it gained by earning its inaugural appearance in theMorris County Tournament semifinals last year. Stephen DeLargyis an athletic feeder with a great shot. Conor Dolan and BrianBegley are serious offensive threats in the midfield. Long stickmidfielder Andres Rodriguezand defender Matt Drake aresuperb one-on-one defendersand opportunistic when a ballis on the ground.

Madison will be a little thinthis year but should not beignored. Billy Battaglia andMichael Clemente are capableof filling the nets. TheScarpella brothers Collin andChristian have very goodlacrosse skills. Kinnelon had ayouth movement last year andit should benefit this seasonfrom the experience the Coltsgained. Attackman KobiFrankel has stellar stick skills.Greg Budd leads an aggressivemidfield and junior SeanRobbins sets the tone for theColts stingy defense.

West Morris and Mendhamare looking to build on lastyear’s .500-level seasons. TheWolfpack has some emergingplayers. Nobody out-scrapsmidfielder Kevin Reidingerwho doesn’t mind winningfaceoffs and taking them to thecage. Jason Mackewicz andJoe DeBiasse also lend theirexperience to the midfield.

Chris Carfaroand NickHamilton arecharged withhelping keeperNick McKabashut downopposingoffenses.

TheMinutemen canbuild aroundsome talentedindividual, led bySyracuse-boundgoalkeeper TylerAvallone. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound athlete isone of the state’s top goalies and can use his size to intimidateopposing attackers. Defenseman Stephen Graziano is known forhis toughness and one-on-one skills. Midfield is young andpromising. Sophomore Will Robinson and junior Tim Lewis arebeing heavily recruited and VMI-bound Scott Smullen is talentedon the draw and skillful on the dodge. Attack is inexperiencedexcept for savvy junior Pete McNerney. The always thrillingPooley Trophy game between the sister schools is scheduled forthe night of May 3 at West Morris.

Dylan Johnson and Dylan Pickard lead a solid core of seniorsfor Jefferson. The Falcons will miss up-and-coming LSM SteveDallicardillo who tore an ACL during wrestling season. They willchallenge Vernon and Sparta in the Rizk Division. Anothercompetitor will be Montville. Attackman Brian McCormack (35goals, 15 assists), four-year starting midfielder Raf Correa andgoalkeeper Ben Laub power the Mustangs’ machine.

Mount Olive is a favorite in the Klank Division with anupgraded schedule and a strong mix of athletes returning. TheMarauders are confident in their athletic defense anchored byAustin Niblett and experienced keeper Brandyn Merkle (6.4 goalsallowed). Nick Verrone (82 ground balls, 33 forced turnovers)

Delbarton Goal ie John Schis ler

C o n t i n u e d o n n e x t p a g e

Boys' Lacrosse Preview: DelbartonLooks to Piece Together a WinnerBy Mark Kitchin – Staff Writer

Chatham’s Matt Proto

Madison’s Michael Clemente

helps put in transition anoffense that includesmidfielder TylerMcEvoy (30 goals, 22assists) and attackmanConnor Buoye (45 goals,7 assists).

Morris Hills continuesto improve. Eric Turner(24 goals), AnthonyVergara and Steve Romehope to vault the ScarletKnights over the .500mark. MidfielderBrendan Riefberg anddefender Jason Nortonwill play big roles inRoxbury’s resurgence.Morris Knolls is alsolooking toward a banneryear. Senior attackmanDmitri Paleocostas (20 goals, 17 assists) andsenior goalkeeper Tim Zangara (196 saves)should keep the Golden Eagles soaring.

The decisions of senior attackman KevinFaber and senior midfield Eric Smith will go along way to determining Randolph’s offensivesuccess this year. The Rams have an interestingmix of experience and youth. Senior MattGaudioso, junior Robert Parker and sophomoreJohn Castro man a defense that will go a longway in helping Randolph rebound this season.Morristown-Beard will also field a capablesquad.

Shane Lilienthal anchors the midfield and willbe an important leader for Pequannock whichwill fight to defend its Pooley Divisionchampionship. The Golden Panthers seek to beoffensive minded with Ryan Van Bachoven andTyler Macejka among those buzzing the nets.Boonton will rally around the skills of attackman

Trevor Krupinski (36 goals, 17 assists),midfielder Matt Cohen (71 ground balls, 70percent on faceoffs) and goalie Mark Matarazzo(193 saves).

Brian Evans is the new coach of the co-opteam at Park Regional. Seniors Nick Falcone,Nick Fano and goalie A.J. Dean will provideleadership for the squad that includes bothHanover Park and Whippany Park lacrosseplayers. Morris Catholic and first year coachLuke Miller has some talent to rally around.Mike Purcell and John Dunn will carry theCrusaders offensively. Defenders Tyler Doyleand Jack Clendenny will work hard to keep theball out of the net.

Kinnelon’s Greg Budd

Photos by :Pau l Swensonwww.photosbyswens.zenfolio.com

Photos by :Ed Leonard

www.edleonardphoto.smugmug.com

T racy K l imek

Shortstop Matt Marino and first baseman Charles Savite also return for the Wolfpack.Coach Dan Wydner says last year was disappointing but expects a better 2012. “If ourseniors lead this team in the right direction on a daily basis we should be in the mix,”Wydner says.

American DivisionLook for a shakeup in this division as graduation took a significant toll on the top two teams

from last season. Pope John reached the state final and finished among New Jersey’s top ten in2011, but the Lions will have to cope with the loss of several stars, including three who endedup in the Big East (Alex DeBellis at UConn, Matt Ackerman and Brandon Mayers at Rutgers).

The Lions still have a talented roster, led by senior shortstop Matt Tietz and senior outfielderRyan McNally. McNally, who has signed to play at Fordham, hit the home run that cappedPope John’s remarkable comeback against Delbarton in the North Non-Public A sectional final.

The other leading squad in this division last season was Montville, which actually won theleague title by a half-game over Pope John. But the Mustangs will be even harder-hit bygraduation. Montville’s entire starting lineup was composed of seniors, including star thirdbaseman Ryan Karl, Jordan Gajdos and John Marchionda.

One team that hopes to surge forward in the league standings this year is Sparta, although theSpartans are also filling in a lot of holes in their lineup as well. Jason Postorino will anchorthe pitching staff, while Devon Livingston returns at catcher. Pete Forman and Thomas Ruddyalso return. Despite the inexperience, coach Sam Slobodzian says he is excited about his team,calling them a “promising, dedicated and very hard-working group.”

The story is similar at High Point, which was the only other team in this division to reach thestate tournament last year. Several starters are gone, including a couple now playing incollege. Among the key returners are Brett Fundell and Ryan Conklin, who will be counted onto anchor the pitching rotation and the lineup.

Other DivisionsHanover Park won the Independence Division last year, and the Hornets hope to battle for

that crown again. Senior centerfielder Vin Aulisi, senior catcher Rick Facas, junior shortstopJim Sivolella and senior third baseman Rick Borgo are key returning players. Rick LaSalvialeads a group of eight pitchers that coach Dave Minsavage says have been looking strong thisspring.

Elsewhere in theIndependence, traditionallystrong Pequannock is rebuildingafter graduating seven players.Senior Tim O’Connor andjuniors Nick LaPorta andAnthony Scilleri will lead thepitching staff. Coach Bill Aratawill also depend on senior thirdbaseman Jake Dericks andjunior outfielders Tommy Zaherand Tommy Hansen.

Last year Kinnelon was thesurprise winner of the LibertyDivision, and some of thoseColts will be back to defendtheir title. Kinnelon has anumber of experiencedseniors, including pitcherRyan Price, catcher ChrisVillante, shortstop JohnMamary and pitcher/outfielderBen Van Put. Junior R.J.Gianetti should contribute onthe mound as well.

The Colts will be challengedby Morristown-Beard, whichhas two college-bound players on its roster. First baseman Zach Gray was an all-countyplayer last year and has been the team’s top hitter for three years; he will be playing nextyear at Lehigh. Senior shortstop Jackson Kramer is headed for Lafayette. Outfielders JohnOlcese and Ryan Casey also return; coach John Sheppard says defense will be the key tohis team’s success.

Despite being one of the area’s smallest schools, Butler can always be counted on to have asolid team. The Bulldogs have one of northwest New Jersey’s best players in senior shortstopJames Spadaccini, who hit 548 with nine homers last year and struck out just twice all season.

The Freedom Division looks to be wide open as last year’s top teams deal with a heavygraduation hit. Hackettstown has won the division three years in a row, but coach Gary Poyerlost 13 of the 14 players on his roster last season. “Pitcher Ryan Tatarka is back, and Poyerwill rely on what he calls a ìpromising new group with speed and defensive prowess”.î

Hopatcong also lost many of its top players from a squad that enjoyed a 14-7 season,although third baseman Hunter Guard and shortstop Ryan Fischer are among the keyreturners. Lenape Valley was the only other team in the division to reach the 500 mark lastyear; the Patriots have a number of players back and will likely contend for the league crownthis season.

Morr istown-Beard’s Zach Gray

Photos by : Pau l Swenson www.photosbyswens.zenfolio.com

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