Hackettstown High School Sports Hall of Fame
Its nice to see the high school will actually be starting a true athletics hall of fame. I see they are taking submissions for the introductory class. Off the top of my head some names that come to mind:
Chot Morrison(obviously)
Art Dimicelli
Sass Applegate
Glenn Snyder
Christina Fowler
Doug Blake
Who else can people think of?
hackypacky 
BobL 
Greg GFrank Mincevich, all American football player at south Carolina. Bert Francks, Ed Wehmeyer; in this initial induction there are going to be ALOT of worthy candidates !! It's going to take several inductions.
wcguy Marianne and Roger Pratschler
They have been bringing fencing championships to Hackettstown HS for decades
Many,many students have gone to college on fencing scholarships thanks to their coaching!
Ziggy 
Justsayin2 
hktownie All HHS teams and coaches should be recognized along with their key achievers in this Hall of Fame. Our teams and individual players have excelled in Football, Baseball, Fencing, Basketball, Wrestling, Soccer, Golf and even some of the newer sports additions. We have a lot to be proud of and new successes to look forward to.
Jono this sounds like a nice idea, and I'm not against honoring bunches of students.
but this does raise a question about priorities for me. is this the first hhs "hall of fame"? i'll admit I don't know and so my point may be off, but ... is there a hall of fame for people who achieved something great in their lives because of the education they received at hhs, or who achieved something remarkable academically while in hhs? you know, more like an academic hall of fame?
sports are nice, but, when its gets top billing I question the priorities of the school. there was a study done in other countries whose education is "ranked higher" than the u.s. many pointed to our valuing sports over education as a top reason for our not rating higher.
Metsman I've heard the names for years but never really knew why. Just in case anyone else is interested in some history or has more info to add-
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/09/chot_morrison_to_be_inducted_p.html
http://www.cochranfuneral.com/obitarchive/ddetail3dcc.html
http://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/index.cgi?key_school=2efc7e46&exact=1&query_type=key_school
Metsman,
Providing clarification. Every sport should be recognized because every sport over time has individuals and teams who brought success to HHS. Unfortunately some teams even if they were dominant and or had players who excelled do not get the recognition they deserve or are quickly forgotten. This should not be the case now. The HHS Hall of Fame should be as big as necessary.
Hope this helps
Our teams and individual players have excelled in Football, Baseball, Fencing, Basketball, Wrestling, Soccer, Golf and even some of the newer sports additions. We have a lot to be proud of and new successes to look forward to.
Jono
There isn't a school on the planet that can't make the same statement. EVERY school has a lot to be proud of. EVERY school has teams and individual players that have excelled in Football, Baseball, Fencing, Basketball, Wrestling, Soccer, Golf and other sports. What makes HHS different?
To be inducted into any HOF is a special honor, not just because you played, or your school had a team in a sport. Based on your thought process, I can't wait to go to Canton when Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith gets inducted in the HOF :)
NO, every participant SHOULD NOT get a trophy
Clyde Potts I never said every player should get a trophy. What I said was each sport and those that excelled in it ( for not everyone does) should be recognized for their achievements.
Perhaps we should identify what criteria should be used to determine who is recognized in the HHS Hall of Fame.
What criteria do you suggest?
Jono,
You look at the players who hold records. You look at what post season awards those players won during the time they played. You look at their career numbers. You look at any outstanding seasons because some great players do get hurt and have to hang em up early. You don’t want it watered down.
This is what you said:
All HHS teams and coaches should be recognized along with their key achievers in this Hall of Fame. Our teams and individual players have excelled in Football, Baseball, Fencing, Basketball, Wrestling, Soccer, Golf and even some of the newer sports additions. We have a lot to be proud of and new successes to look forward to.
I guess the use of the word ALL and the line "Our teams and individual players have excelled", led me to believe that you thought everyone should get in. My mistake if I misunderstood you, but I can only go by what you typed.
As for my criteria: All-time leader (Stats). Made it to the pros. There are other things also, just giving 2.
As for getting into the HOF without having an individual named, but as a team the state championship soccer team from 2-3 years back should go in. Because you can't go any higher than a state champ.
Hockey kene I would like to see that study from other countries that ranks their education higher than ours. We value sports over education ?? That is ludicrous sir. HHS and all other schools do recognize academic achievement by students with Honor Rolls, High Honors and National Honorary Society etc. And besides, athletics is a part of the education in high schools. It teaches each student self discipline, dedication , commitment, the value of hard work with preparation and daily practices, cooperation, teamwork, the value of good sportsmanship, have the experience of different authoritative figures and coaches, time management, leadership skills, experience in handling pressure situations, social benefits, concentration development. etc. And a very important fact is that student athletes have high daily school attendance during the season. And lets realize that students with a high GPA can be offered Academic Scholarships from their high school and colleges. A student athlete with an average GPA can be offered an Athletic Scholarship to a college in order to further her/his education. HHS values education to the highest level. Athletics and other extracurricular activities are an important part of the Total Education for the student who participates. And I agree with Metsman !!!
LittleRascal Brandon Zaleski was a great basketball player that went on to set a bunch of records at Moravian. He was inducted into their Hall of Fame last fall.
FarmerJake Lou Crisafouli baseball
Mike Gunderstorf football
Chris O'connor baseball/football
Brian Dixon baseball/football
Mike Rossi basketball
Mike Morgan basketball
tigertimes 
tigerfan99 If you're nominating people try to list something about them. I know Jon Lucas played in the minors and being an All-State player is rare for any school. He's definitely deserving to be in the HOF.
great stuff here, please be sure to go to the school district's website to fill out the nominee form and information so that the ballots can be cast!
alwaysaTigerfan I'm with ken e,
Let me know when we have an opportunity to honor those from HHS for their community involvement, and other non sports related achievements.
TU Baseball- Rick Sheldon, he pitched a perfect game in 1968! Back then you did not see that too often at the high school level.
dsl1121 Dsl1121, I'm guessing you are referring to the turf field at the Morrison Field Complex which is utilized by HHS football, field hockey, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls track and field, the band, boys and girls lacrosse, gym classes, TSA football and cheering, centenary college, on occasion, and other community events. What repairs are needed?
RU This upcoming baseball season is the 10th anniversary, and the 30th anniversary, of the last two HHS teams to win the North 2 Group 2 State Section Championship - the 2007 and 1987 teams. Both TEAMS should go into the HHS HOF!
TU why do you bother posting on this thread then? Everything doesn't have to be about community service. Nothing wrong with celebrating past athletes. It's a part of our American culture.
Isn't honor society and honor roll for those purposes? And there's a county hall of fame dedicated to community service. This is an athletic hall of fame so why make it anything else . This sounds like someone that supports the everyone gets a trophy for showing up.
JJ 
scottso LittleRascal,
There's nothing wrong with that. If they're a championship debate club, they should be honored as well.
btownguy It's an athletic hall of fame, the form and information is posted on the sports section of the district web page. Getting this forum back on track.......
I've got Jon Lucas, and the 2007 and 1987 teams, that's my recent baseball knowledge. Who else, from all sports?????
JJ I happen to agree that everyone who participates should NOT get a trophy.
This thread is clearly about an HHS Sports Hall of Fame, which is a fantastic idea. Hackettstown has produced many outstanding athletes.
But just to be clear.
You said -
"And there's a county hall of fame dedicated to community service."
As if you are saying- the county level exists already so why do we need more at the HHS level?
The county hall of fame is for outstanding achievement in a number of areas including sports/athletics- (list is pasted below)
http://wcccfoundation.org/foundation.asp?CategoryName=Hall%20of%20Fame
So following your argument above, if recognition at the county level is sufficient- why would we need any kind of HHS Hall of Fame?
But since HHS is creating one, why not make it more inclusive? Positive recognition is so empowering.. more is better!
Among the wc fields of eligibility are:
Public Service: Community volunteers, elected officials, individuals at non-profit organizations, etc.
Business: Leaders in the business community who have made a positive impact on the Warren County economy, or Warren County individuals who have made an impact on the regional, state or federal economy.
Education: Teachers, administrators, staff, PTA and other community representatives who have made an impact on our students lives will be considered for induction. All levels of education are eligible, from special education to elementary to high school, and collegiate.
Sports: Noted individuals, coaches, athletes, broadcasters, and sports administrators of any level.
Arts & Entertainment: People involved in music, theater, dance, radio, television, fine art, etc., from amateur levels to professional endeavors.
Military: All active or veteran military personnel who have served the country proudly and courageously will be considered for induction.
Health and Medical: Individuals who exemplify outstanding performance in the health and medical industry; could include physicians, nurses, first aid responders, and other related fields.
Aren't baseball state championships doled out by NJSIAA at the Group level? Why would you induct whole teams who apparently lost in the Group semifinals or finals if all they won was a Sectional championship? If you're just starting a Hall of Fame, you shouldn't set the bar so low, IMO...
ianimal ianimal, there are 21 teams in our section. That's a great accomplishment to be the best of 21 teams. A sectional championship happens once in awhile. A state championship for any school is a rarity. By your reasoning we shouldn't include players who broke school records. They'd have to break state records according to your reasoning.
hktownie and company, it's an athletic HOF. If you don't like that then I don't know what to tell you. Go start a new thread.
Actually I'd like to add the 1968 baseball team as well. '68, '87 and '07 are the only 3 Section Champions for baseball in HHS history (please correct me if that's wrong). That is a high-bar and HOF material! Who else goes on the list - from all sports?????
I'm pretty sure a Chot Morrison football team finished #1 in New Jersey - 1950's I think. That makes them the number 1 overall Team in HHS history and HOF! Anyone have any details on this?
Question for ianimal Are winning Conference Championships great Achievements?
Winning a North Jersey Sectional State Championship is a great achievement because like Metsman said it does not happen very often. Public schools do not recruit like parochial and private schools. So for a public school team to win a sectional state championship is great achievement.
But as you say the bar should not be set so low. Winning any Championship is great! But in my opinion there must be some type of criteria and standards set by a HOF committee for individuals to be inducted otherwise there will be Hundreds of Inductees. How do you have a Ceremony for hundreds of inductees? Or do they not hold a Ceremony and just name all these athletes into the HOF?
Public schools don't compete against parochial schools in the playoffs, so that's not part of the equation. I suppose a conference championship can be considered a great achievement, if that's the best your school has ever done. Hell, if you are a yearly doormat in a given sport, maybe you should induct a team that finishes 8-8 and ties for third into your HOF. I guess it really needs that context on a school-by-school basis.
Imagine if Phillipsburg inducted every wrestling team that won a Sectional championship. There would be 36 teams inducted over the last 38 years. Even if they were to only induct the 21 teams that won a State Championship at the Group level, you're still talking 300 people, minus overlap for the kids who won multiple times. It's not practical.
When establishing a Hall of Fame, I think you need to start by determining how exclusive of a club you want it to be. If you don't have enough individual accolades to fill the minimum quota that you're looking for, then you can look at inducting whole teams to get the membership numbers up.
let's not get carried away here. I'm not suggesting nominating 100's of teams or 100s of players. I definitely get what Hall Of Fame means. Exclusive club for the very best. Since HHS only has 3 baseball Section Championships in their entire history, that is the where the bar is set. I'll leave it at that and move on!
You don't put the players of those teams in the HOF, you just recognize those teams. Lets not be absurd. If you go in as a player it's because you are outstanding.
Agreed Metsman, I'm only suggesting the 3 teams, not the 30+ players on those teams! Regarding players - five years from now it may be your son being nominated - HR record with another season ahead! (the form says must have graduated five years past)
I'm sure he'll get considered one day.
I found this guy... Wayne Hansler. He was a pitcher for Hackettstown in the 50's. He was an All-State player and was offered a contract from the Cleveland Indians.
Has anyone heard from Andy Loigu ? This is his kind of thread. He has been noticeably absent from Hackettstown Life for a while. Hope he is Ok !
Mariann Oh my gosh Mariann, I was thinking the exact same thing today. Was going to ask about him but couldn't remember his last name. The world isn't that small after all. Thanks!
auntiel Hello all,
Here are two links to make nominations for Sports and Military Service recognition at the high school. Please submit your nominations for those you hold in high regard to be honored and recognized for their athletic feats and sacrifices made for their country.
H'twn Sports Hall of Fame
http://hackettstown.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=8623
H'twn Military Wall of Honor
http://hackettstown.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=21&ViewID=047E6BE3-6D87-4130-8424-D8E4E9ED6C2A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=9080&PageID=1
Here's your chance to make a difference instead of noise on this thread.
Have a great day!
crazyjane this was brought up at last night's BOE meeting. They are looking to announce the first class at the April meeting so get your nominations in. Nominations must be made through the link crazyjane just shared.
Jim L before anyone else is recognized in an hhs 'hall of fame' of any kind, I hope there is something that recognizes Vice Admiral John D. Bulkeley, USN (Retired), (1911-1996) who graduated from Hackettstown High School Class of 1928.
What about our recent paraolympian who was just recently in the rio 2016 olympics?
She is also a war hero
I'm honestly disappointed that the school/town hasn't found a way to honor her already. To me she far surpasses all the hall of gamers mentioned above
There is a big plaque of acknowledgment for Vice Admiral Bulkeley in the main office at the HS.
As for the HOF the by laws of the committee and criteria for nominations are up on the district website for the public if anyone cares to review it. Voting for the inaugural HOF class ends March 17th. Looking forward to this being a positive part of the community.
First of all this HOF is honoring what students did WHILE attending the HS or what coaches did WHILE coaching for the HS. If someone moves on to be General Patton and lead us to victory in some war, that is not an accomplishment they made while in school.
Metsman,
Article 9 of the by laws; suggested criteria for nomination, includes; -- college accomplishments, - Olympic or professional accomplishments or honors.
Also; no nomination will be considered without documentation (newspaper articles, trophies, medals, certificates). Be sure to include proof these individuals have already been well recognized before they are recognized, again.
If that's the case then Cole Kimball should be nominated. He's the only Hackettstown baseball player to make the major leagues.
Doug Blake, Jon Lucas, Cole Kimball definitely some baseball names. Not too well versed on the older days, but recently we've had some record-breakers who could deserve consideration when they become eligible.
It was mentioned already, but Jake Hall set single-season HR record this past year (10). The kid who held the record before, Adam Young, broke the record at the time (9) and has the all-time hits record at the school and hit .500 as a freshman.
Matt Reynolds I believe may have set a career wins record as a pitcher, but I don't know if that was ever confirmed. He had a fantastic career as well and was on the All Group 2 team with Young and some other first team lists.
Oh, also Art Dimiceli. They named the field after the guy and he held the batting AVG record for a while before Mike Rothman broke it (.526). Rothman's OPS or slugging percentage that year is also up there I believe. That's all the recent stuff that I'm aware of for baseball.
moreinfo Jake Hall's OPS was over 1.500 in 2016. That's got to be up there with the best. There's some controversy over whether 9 HR was the old record. The coaches told us it was 8. When Jake hit his 9th last year the team signed it and it was labeled by the coaches as the record. Some little kids ran off with his 10th.
GC No, it sounds like it bothers *you* to admit that you're promoting your son's achievements. Do you not believe he can stand on his own without anyone knowing his father is behind his Hall of Fame effort?
OMG get a life. 2 other people mentioned him that I saw. I don't need to promote anything.
I didn't promote him on this thread. I responded after other people did. So yes, you may get a life...
The 1987 baseball team was 22-7 and won the regional title (one more win after the sectional title). We lost to Ridge who was number 4 in the state in the final in Princeton. In 1986 the team was 21-6 and lost the sectional title. Therefore over 2 years the record was 43-13 and 6-2 in the state playoffs. 1987 team is guaranteed to be in the Hall of Fame. I would argue the 86 team also belongs. Both teams obviously won their divisions and placed multiple players on first team in all local papers. I saw a comment above regarding Reynolds possibly having the record for pitching victories. If he had more than 28 then he does. I was 5-3, 11-2 and 12-2 over three years. I think those are record number of wins per season. In fact I was 6-2 in the state playoffs over two years. I pitched in every state playoff game, some in relief. My shoulder still hurts.
coconnor As of right now, the name Jake Hall does not even belong in the same thread with then names Doug Blake (2 time state wrestling champion, drafted in baseball, sectional champions in football, played 4 years football at Princeton )), Frank Mincevich (all American football South Carolina ), Sass Applegate, Chot Morrison, Bert Francks & Mike Butler (both drafted.and played minor league baseball), Ed Wehmeyer, Rick Sheldon, Cole Kimball and others! While Jake had a good junior year, that hardly means hall of fame! I don't think that homerun record is even accurate, HHS baseball goes way back, and Im not sure even if accurate records were maintained over the years.
Bruce I agree the older players should be the focus at the moment, but please don’t marginalize the season my son had. A good season is what Anthony Carida and John Franco had last year batting .300 or so and each hitting a homerun and being good pitchers going on to make all conference. What Jake did is in the upper stratosphere. .455avg 10HR (2nd in the state) 37RBI (top 5 in the state) in 69 at bats! He made 1st team All Group 2, 1st team All Conference, 1st team All Herald, 1st team All Lehigh Valley. That’s not a good season, it’s a phenomenal season.
While riding his bike to the high school for work, Sass Applegate came across a 500lb hungry black bear. The bear attacked him and Sass snapped the bears neck with his hands. He had the bear rug hanging up for years in his living room. No one messed with Sass.
I nominate Sass for the HHS HOF under wrestling but will need the bear rug as documentation.
Metsman,
100% sure old record was definitely 9. Jon Lucas had 8 before Young broke it with 9 and Jake with 10....that of course, is the modern record, if any player from the older days had more, they would have to make that known.
Did Dimiceli Field have a temporary snow fence in left and left center the before the mid 1990's? Any HR record comparisons for players from different decades wouldn't be valid. A player can hit a baseball over a fence (a great accomplishment) and walk around the bases. A player can hit the ball the same distance on a field with no fence and be fortunate to leg out a triple.
Realist1 COConner - That's an Awesome HHS career!!!!28-7 pitching, for the alltime HHS record. Folks - C OConner goes into the Hall!!!!!
Baseball question,
Definitely agree there. The year Rothman hit .526 he had a bunch of bombs that could have easily been HRs but ended up doubles or triples. I believe he still had 5 HR anyway.
But players who played without the fence were at a disadvantage. That's why Lucas' was impressive when the record was at 8...of course, you could still hit your homers on the road at places that do have fences too...like you said, extremely hard to compare. Hits record or batting average records could be more impressive I guess
Completely off topic and I apologize in advance..just a question not an accusation for you Metsman, it's obvious that you're very proud of your son, I'd be too, however you never mention your daughter and her achievements......
positive No reason for that post Positive. This is a thread for HHS Sports Hall of Fame. Not a thread to bring up people's private lives.
It was a simple question and I'm sure Metsman can speak for himself without the likes of you.
If you were so "Positive" you wouldn't post something private on a public forum that could actually hurt a child more! Think about it :(
My son is the athlete of the family. Each of my 3 kids has their own talents. My 4 month old rolled over a dozen times today on her own. Would you like to see the play by play of that? That might have broken some kind of record...
Ed Wehmeyer was a four year starting pitcher for HHS. He had a 32 -- 8 record.
Freshman year 9-1 Sophomore 5-2 Junior 8-1 Senior 10-4. No Hitter Freshman year vs Hunterdon Central. No Hitter Junior and Senior Years vs Belvidere. Only one batter reached base in both Belvidere games. Junior year the leadoff hitter in first inning got on from a throwing error. Senior year he hit their #4 hitter with an inside fastball HBP in the 6th inning. His Freshman year in 1969 Coach Dimiceli labeled the team "Hogans Heroes" as they won the DRC regular season championship with a team of mostly sophomores, a freshman and a few seniors. His Junior year the team won the North Jersey State Championship and lost at Princeton University vs Gloucester City 4-3. His 4 year pitching record to me is special. A note...Bert Franks a Senior pitched the playoff games for State Championship vs Gloucester City. He pitched a Perfect Game in the Semi Finals vs North Arlington. Great pitching with great defense behind him. Bert had that one good season his senior year. Bert had a 8-6 pitching record Senior year
Not necessarily realist..how would I even know that Metsman has a daughter? You need to address the TMI with him not me.
Sorry Metsman didn't mean to hit a nerve about asking a simple question about your other child.
Positive I know you aren't seriously asking me anything, you're just trying to stir things up. If you had a question about one of my other children that was legit then you could have PMed me.
Please ignore Metsman and his son and get this back on topic! His son had a very good junior year, didn't play his sophomore year. Hardly Hall of Fame worthy, at this point in time. metsman is the only one calling him phenomenal. Give the kid a chance to have a career first! As Bill Parcells used to say when questioned about a good young football player "don't put him in Canton yet!"
Bruce,
Please find a post where I even said he should be inducted. Tigerfan99 and moreinfo brought up his homerun record and eventual consideration. I was just talking stats.
Moreinfo you bring up the lack of fence, but these guys also used metal bats with ridiculous exit velocities. That contributes to the ball carrying further.
http://highschoolsports.pennlive.com/news/article/-961779701423058634/five-years-in-did-the-bbcor-bat-standard-make-high-school-baseball-a-safer-more-balanced-game/
So yeah Bruce this makes what Jake did in 2016 pretty special. He wasn’t using the BESR bats that guys like Young, Rothman, and Lucas were using. Please educate yourself. Lucas didn’t even go pro as a hitter. He was a pitcher.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=lucas-000jon
Metsman,
The older players could also argue that they didn't even get to use metal bats. It's tough to argue a record at a school that only had a fence for a certain amount of years and had players use three different kind of bats in the school's history lol.
Level of competition is also volatile at the high school level. I believe 4 of your sons home runs came against Sussex Tech. That being said, you have to play who's on your schedule.
I still feel any player who sets any kind of record at the school in any sport should at least be considered. Or honored in some way. Breaking a record is a special thing for anyone.
In 1987 we had hand me down bats for the entire team. No one had money to buy their own $200 bat. No fence and most of the bats had dents. Could only imagine what they used in the earlier years. Wood probably. As for today's players any statistic obtained vs warren tech or Sussex tech should be void. Scheduling those teams is a joke
Educate myself? ?? MY recollection of HHS baseball goes back to the 60's, and I played there in the 70's, and one of my sons played there in the 2010 timeframe. I also coached various levels of youth baseball in town, from the 8 year old level to babe ruth level for about 15 years or so.
Did you ever see Rick Sheldon, Bert Francks, Ed Wehmeyer or Mike Butler pitch? Ever see Doug or Art Blake play? I did, along with many other greats not mentioned in this thread.
Please nominate more athletes and do less perseverating on the very few names that are listed on this thread.
There are only 39 names on this thread
Coconnor, there are hundreds of HS teams in NJ. Do you really think Sussex Tech is the only bad one? They still managed to beat 7 other teams last year. I'm sure there was a bad team on your schedule in the 80's.
It was such an exciting game. The elementary n middle school students were let out early inorder to attend the game. Lots of fans and community support that day. The girls on the team were amazing and several went off to college playing soccer.
"In 2010, the girls' soccer team ended the season with a 19-6 record and winning the North II Group II state sectional championship. The championship game was won with 28.6 seconds remaining by a goal scored by Shanon Browne, a senior on the team and was the school's first NJAC Freedom Division championship. For their accomplishment the New Jersey Herald recognized the team as their 2010 Girls' Soccer Team of the Year."
HHS had some great fencers including epee fencer Eric Gurnowski who won at the;
Junior Olympics, Summer Nationals and Junior Nationals before fencing at the Ohio State.
I am surprised no one has mentioned Brittny Boyd. 4 year varsity letter winner in soccer and an amazing track athlete while at HHS. Went on to become TCNJ's most decorated female athlete at the time as a 20x all-American, at least once in soccer and 19 or more in track!
bac The BBCOR argument is certainly valid. No more cheapies with the BBCOR.
The argument for those of us that used the Easton Black Magic or insert the metal or composite bat of your decade is the outfielders used to play 320 feet away for the middle of the line up hitters when there was not a fence. There were many balls with HR distance, but not enough speed to leg them out. I believe the NJSIAA was mandated fences for varsity fields since some time in the 90's.
Mark Painter and Bill Dovas of the 1999 Boys' Soccer team. One of the best teams HHS has seen.
CR37 Moreinfo,
http://www.wagnerathletics.com/roster.aspx?path=&rp_id=2088
This Bio says Jon Lucas hit 7 HR his senior year. I don't see any mention of All State. Coach Poyer and Feci both said Adam Young hit 8 in 2011. When Jake hit his 9th and rounded the bases, Poyer turned around and told me that was the record breaker when he hit it against North Warren. He sent 2 of the boys to the JV field to recover the ball. I would hope the coaches could remember something that happened 5 years earlier.
Metsman,
I was not around for Lucas' so it's possible I was mistaken there. There's no question Young hit 9, as I have a banquet sheet with stats from the 2011 season.
Doesn't matter though since Jake hit 10. I'm glad he didn't end up on 9 because then that could have been awkward lol
http://www.nj.com/hssports/blog/baseball/index.ssf/2011/06/west_jersey_baseball_season_in_review_2011.html
Actually here's the article that includes all the tidbits from the 2011 team's season.
If you have the stat sheet then I'll take your word for it. That's a bit embarrassing that coaches could forget what a single season homerun record was. They even took the ball and marked it up as the record. LOL....
He got that 10th in the last at bat of the season.
Some little kids grabbed it and vanished before I could get that ball. It probably got chewed up by a dog. LOL
Yeah, well I was also under the impression that Lucas had hit 8 home runs lol. They should make the records more prominent within the school and community.
There's a ton of great stuff in this thread about people I've never heard of, yet accomplished great things. I guess that's why they're starting the Hall of Fame.
I can assure you that Lucas was first team all state in 2006 and either first or second team in 2005. Back then, the Star Ledger would put out a separate sports section dedicated to all of the all stars - first, second, third team all state, all of the "all area" teams, and all of the individual all conference teams. The first page of that sports section had individual pictures and articles of each of the first team all state selections. Jon's picture and article are most definitely on the 2006 edition. Andy back me up here please!!!!!
One would think All State recognitions would be listed on his college profile over All Area... That's a bit strange to be left off if he did in fact get honored with such.
Some not mentioned:
Bob Candler (greatest RB in school history)
Steve Stanowicz (Dr) (Rutgers captain, WWII field doctor, HHS athletic doctor, humanitarian)
Albert Mincevich (Moose) (in the words of Chot Morrison - "the best player I ever coached, regardless of position)
Jeff Saunders (team captain, Sass Applegate said "the toughest, hardest hitter I ever coached)
Art "Boogie" Best (another RB that rates with Candler and Blake)
Ed Tynan (outstanding single wing center, terrific punter, kicker)
fire251 The 1971 HHS baseball team led by pitchers Bert Franks, Ed Wehmeyer and catcher Mike Abromitis. Came in #2 in the State Group I to #1 Gloucester Catholic. Lost like 2-1.
On Wednesday April 26th at 7PM in the high school cafe the BOE will be announcing the Inaugural class of 2017. Family and friends are invited to attend. Hope to see you there!
Magpie In addition to Doug Blake, some who were outstanding in more than one sport at HHS...Christina Fowler (3RD highest girls basketball scorer in Warren County history, record holder when she graduated) Andy Blake, Brian Dixon, Mike Morgan, Becky Snover, Doug Heath, Noreen Grachem, Brandon Zaleski(also soccer and track).
Corey Sargeant (goalkeeper on 2001 Group 3 state champ soccer team)
Zach Ulm arguably the best player on two sectional champs in same year, wrestling and baseball in 2007.
Can't make the list too long for initial class...
Andy Loigu I think if looking at contributions beyond hhs you have to look at these guys
Cole Kimble MLB
Sass Applegate All America Scranton
Frank Mincevich South carolina all american I believe
Mike Gunderdorf all american at wilkes
Doug Blake went to camp with Jets I believe
Christina Fowler major contributor at Rutgers
tigercub Yes, Doug Blake went to camp with the Jets -- in baseball he was drafted by the Dodgers, but passed it up.
What about the 1976 HHS Girls Track Team - State Champions -
Penny Fales, Mary Ann Wojcicki to name a few
cloudyday All will get their day in the sun in due time ... the state champion basketball team I was on got into the Lakewood Hall of Fame ... but it took a few years. I think the obvious ones for the first class are the folks who have had a stadium/field named after them.
The soccer community would certainly come out to honor Gary Thomas (two state champions and many winning teams, conference and H/W champions.)
Wonderng if anyone knows the cost of this and the upcoming celebration and where the money is coming from? A bunch of people just lost their positions this week as a result of budget cuts, but the district can afford to have a party for athletes from the past?
Concernedparent 
Htown I doubt the taxpayers will have to foot the bill for this thing ... trophies/plaques can be donated by local organizations and sports boosters, and just look at how Warren County Community College handles the annual Warren County Hall of Fame --- it's a fundraiser -- it actually MAKES MONEY for WCCC.
You've just got to be creative, folks!
Those that will be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame are as follows:
Charles "Chot" Morrison - Entrance as a Coach - 1929-1965
Alfred "Sass" Applegate - Entrance as an Athlete and Coach - classof 44
Arthur "Art" Dimiceli - Entrance as an Athlete and Coach - class of 49
Doug Blake - Entrance as an Athlete - class of 68
Bill Smith -Entrance as Athlete - class of 29
Joe Stanowicz - Entrance as an Athlete - class of 40
Jacob C. Hart (Jay Hart)- Entrance as an Athlete - class of 33
Frank Mincevich - Entrance as an Athlete - class of 50
Bob Candler - Entrance as an Athlete - class of 47
Gary Thomas - Entrance as a Coach 1974-2014
Dave Palmer Entrance as a Coach - class of 63
These individuals will be recognized at the HHS home football game on October 27th at half time. On October 28th they will be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Anyone wishing to attend the induction can do so by filling out an application and mailing in their $55 for a banquet at the Panther Valley Country Club. The deadline for the application has been extended. The applications can be picked up at the HHS office or by going onto the HHS website to the athletic tab and clicking onto the Hall of Fame. At this site you can also see the accomplishments that each of these individuals has done.
What about the years prior to 1929? That history (and players) forgotten about or just not worthy enough to make the books. There was a time and a good team "before" Chot Morrison.
Auntiel -
If you have an idea for a nomination, please send it in to the Athletic Department! I doubt the early years were purposely excluded but there is very little information about that time available. The earliest yearbooks only go back to about 1920.
I don't know too much about older HHS athletes since I only graduated in 2015 but out of the recent crop I think Joey Renne deserves a mention for wrestling. I believe he has the most wins of any Hackettstown wrestler but I'm not sure whether he actually did break Vernon's record or not. I would as well consider Jake Hall for baseball. I played with both of these guys and they were excellent.
Johnny B I would come up to that game on Friday just to see Minni honored. What a great coach!! Unfortunately (sort of) I need to be in P'burg that night. I hopes someone posts pictures from either event!
JJB Johnny B - unless there was a different Chris Russo, my name should be NOWHERE near these other names, unless being captain of the 1-9 1999 football team carries some sort of importance I’m unaware of. If that’s the case, add Matt Hynson for consideration as well.
One thing for baseball, from 2012 and on is the fact that players are using BBCOR bats. Power numbers have gone down nationwide since they have been used. So when you see players like Jake Hall hit 16 homeruns in 2 seasons, you may never see that again. One can only imagine how many he’d have had if he were going to school here his Freshman year and were able to play his Sophomore year. But in 2 seasons he averaged .465 and close to a .600 on base percentage, 16HR, 69RBI, 58 hits, and holds the single season HR record (10). He’s the only position player to play in the Senior All Star game, which has been around for over 40 years. When his 5 year waiting period is up, there should be serious consideration.
Auntiel, I have no knowledge of the HOF-worthiness of the H.H.S. 1914 baseball team, but I guess they had something to celebrate when they got together for a 50th-anniversary reunion. Here is an undated clip I found of the luncheon with Chot Morrison. My grandfather is on the right.
I came across the scores of the 1925 and 1926 Football games. HHS completed the season (1925) without a defeat and without allowing an opponent to score a point. I think that's pretty cool. I have a picture of the team. The coach was Albert Chillson. Assistant Coach- Morrel Vehslage. Captain- Kenneth Hart. 1926 was pretty impressive too.
re home runs ... their is an opposing point to the bbcor bats ... the fence ... in my sons' times, I saw long fly outs when the opposing left fielder would stand in what was the equivalent of the parking lot (what would now be a home run), and many hits that rolled to close to the house that ended up as triples, because there was no fence. that made more of a difference than the bats.
Nobody took the 1967 triple crown away from Yaz because he played in Fenway Park.
The 61 homers Maris hit in 1961 were not taken away because he was a lefty slugger pulling the ball toward a short porch at Yankee Stadium.
Numbers are numbers, when all is said and done. The lack of symmetry with the fences at ballparks is part of the oddball charm of baseball. When Denny McClain purposely gave Mickey Mantle a cookie down the middle, and gave him a wink as he rounded the bases, nobody held it against The Mick for hitting it out. It's still in the books ...
Ken e come back to us in 20 or 30 years when the record still stands and tell us how good the pre-fence players were...
UserFriendly Wait - are you all saying that they haven't yet named the field after Metsman's son Jake Hall? This is an outrage. What are they waiting for?
Reggie Voter You guys are funny... Having a record that will stand the test of time is more than enough.
I would like your crystal ball Metsman to see into the future, so I can buy the winning lottery tickets next week ;)
Btw! There are other sports at The High School besides baseball and I know one student who just recently also broke a school record. Plus he is a 2 sport athlete ;)
On another note: I wish nothing, but success for your son. He is truly a wonderful young man.
Enough about that HR record. It has to have an asterisk as 50 years of players played there with no fence in left field - and the majority of batters being right handed. Yes I agree with Andy, it's the record and can't be taken away. And think all of the players over the years with wooden bats and no fence. Do you really think it compares fairly with history?
baseball! For all you HHS sports enthusiasts. This is a wonderful link to follow inorder to see all the bright happenenings at the High School plus all the accomplishments students are making in Sports, Academics, etc.
https://mobile.twitter.com/hhstigers?lang=en
Jacqui - thanks for the link!
"a record that will stand the test of time" - is there a web page that has all the various academic and sports records? when and how did jake learn of the previous record? in my experience, someone nearing a record is sometimes told that they need 1 more and then they'll break the record, anecdotally, and sometimes not at all. other than the wrestling team's 100+ winners, I haven't noticed other public postings.
njlawyer It was set in 2011 by Adam Young. That was the last year they used those potent metal bats. Several guys on that team had multiple home runs.
Ken e obviously Coach Poyer told him. It'll very hard for anyone to surpass 10. The last 2 seasons they played around 22 games. That's almost a homer every other game. So unless you're getting far in the county and state tournaments that's about how many games each team every year will play.
I'm pretty darn impressed by things like Jake's batting average, runs batted in, on base percentage and outfield defense ... not a one-dimensional guy by any stretch. A young version of Mickey Mantle, Al Kaline, Mike Trout, Nick Markakis (ha ha thought I'd throw an old Oriole favorite in there :-)
Seriously Andy? Mickey Mantle, Mike Trout? The kid is a decent ball player but he wasn’t even the best all around player at Hackettstown HS last year or the year before. How many of those home runs came against D1 level pitchers?
Trout was a Jersey high school kid once (not that long ago) ... what, are you rooting against Jake for some kind of personal reason? ... I was making the point that there's a lot more to Jake than just his homers... and he's got a chance to do big things if he keeps working at it ... he's still growing and maturing.
Regarding Hall of Fame --- Alex Carida is now a back-to-back regional champ and Outstanding Wrestler award winner .. not too many guys do that! Wish him well at Atlantic City :-D
Mel Hall, clearly you don’t watch the games because the coaches handed Jake the Art Dimeceli award 2 years in a row which goes to the best all-around hitter.
He hit .455 10HR 37 RBI in 2016 & .475 6HR 32 RBI in 2017 while getting pitched around a lot. Last year 2 of his homeruns were against Newton’s ace and 1 against North Warren’s ace. Both kids are playing college ball. So if you’re going to go on the attack, have your facts in order.
He's still got 4 years before he's eligible. He's 2 doubles away from tying the CCM doubles record. The record is 21. He's 3rd all time at the moment. That's pretty good for a school that has produced over 50 professional players.
Right now he's tied at 19 with Larry Best who was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 42nd round in 2001. Ahead of him at 20 is Gary Murdoch who was drafted by the Astros in the 12th round in 1986. The leader at 21 is Steve Schmitz who set the record in 1994. He was not drafted.
Off the top of my head, the best player who ever came from a community college was Albert Pujols. So don't let anybody ever tell you that playing for a community college does not prove anything?
For a brief part of my life I was the Athletic Director at Warren County Community College. We had plans for a baseball field behind the college that sort of looked like Camden Yards ... a good shot to right would have hit the library. Too bad the politicians pulled the plug on sports in 1997 ... WCCC would have had a really good baseball program, so many good players from Warren have played at other community colleges since then ... ah, what could have been.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQT3OvGcLm4
This is one of his homeruns this season. The hitting coach estimated it to be a 450 foot shot.
http://www.insidewarren.com/hackettstowns-hall-earns-player-of-week-at-ccm/
Got this in ... hope it is just the beginning of big things for a local athlete who has put a lot of work into his chosen sport.
Good article but Lackawanna wasn't eliminated. They played FDU on the 30th. Might want to delete that sentence.
Can we get this thread back on track, or retire it? The title of the thread is not Jake Hall at county college! Obviously only one person, other than the bragging father, has any interest
its not being a hater. this thread is about Hackettstown HS Hall of Fame. Perhaps we can keep it to players who are actually eligible to be selected. Which Jake is not.
Also just a side note, that video work is awful. Next time don't try to stick your phone's camera through the fence hole and stand back, we might actually get to see the hit
Where exactly would you have liked me to post it? Not going to start a new thread for it. He is an alumni and there's nothing wrong with talking about it. How many times does ESPN write articles about players projected to be HOFers... If you have to come on and be negative then that makes a person a hater.
What are you talking about you can clearly see the swing and ball being hit. Where I was standing you weren't going to see where the ball went. I posted it on youtube for scouts to look at. They're looking at mechanics and approach at the plate not where the ball lands.
'Where exactly would you have liked me to post it? "
How about on your own Facebook page where your friends and family can see it.. aka the people who might actually give a sh*t about your son's performance. but its beyond lame to post it on the HOF thread. you completely hijacked this thread to only talk about your son.
It's people like you that hijack all these threads with your negativity. If you don't care then don't reply.
LOL you actually need people like me to comment on this so you can keep posting. I think its what 3 posts in a row and then the website stops letting you post until someone else replies.
But I'm done, i'll leave this thread never to return. Have fun posting about your son. Hopefully you can get Andy to make comment you help you keep posting. We'd hate for this thread to die off
I only posted because he's close to breaking another school record. Sorry if that hurts your feelings. Go find your safe space...
Start a real MLB hall of fame thread, because certainly they must be getting his plaque ready up there in Cooperstown. Has he decided which hat he's going to wear?
He just told me he won Male Freshman Athlete of the Year at CCM. I'll take that for now. ;o)
Wow, male freshman athlete of the year at a community college - > next step, MLB! Metsman, it's great that you're so proud of your son, but as others have said, go to Facebook or start a new thread. Many of us on here are more interested in the ongoing comments about the HHS Athletic Hall of Fame, and not so interested in community college baseball results.
There are a ton of D1 and D2 level athletes playing JUCO baseball. So if that was some kind of dig at him, you sound foolish.
Let’s hear the ongoing discussion. You must have something great to add other than criticism. Let’s hear it.
Hey, I was a community college athlete ... not as easy as some of you would think ... you come up against some really good competition and a lot of raw talent.
Christina Fowler for Hall of Fame ...
Mike Palko played for Rutgers in the NIT at Madison Square Garden and in the NCAA Final Four at the Philadelphia Spectrum ... we may never see another Hackettstown basketball player play in one or both of those tournaments ever again!
Somebody check me on this ... I believe Palko's team is the last Tiger hoops team to win a sectional championship ... ever.
Freshman sit a lot of times at 4 year schools. So some top talent go the JUCO route to get more playing time.
I think Fowler, Palko, Gundersdorf, Dixon, Dan Favara(coach), Andy Blake and Chris oconner Mike Rossi for the next class.
squuezebox Andy,
The 1971-72 basketball team did not win a sectional title. The record was 22-3 which is the school record.
How about 70-71, when Palko would have been a junior. I remember hearing that was the team, but I've never seen any clippings, etc....
Sometimes kids need a wake up call with doing school work or learn to be a little more responsible with the books. He will get that in order and get out of ccm
Penguin 70-71 team did have a stellar run to the sectional final but lost by 1 to Mtn. Lakes coached by the legend George Wilson. They had a 1 point lead and the ball with 7 seconds to go and coughed it up at half court.
A victory would have pitted them against E. Rutherford HS coached by Dick Vitale and led by schoolboy legend Les Cason.
As fate would have it, Palko would be recruited to Rutgers by Vitale and would be joined by Cason who transferred to Rutgers from Long Beach State........sort of a full circle thing....
Mike was able to win the starting position over Les in 1974-75, the year Rutgers made its first ever NCAA tournament.
Thanks. I remember that Princeton had a real good player, who was about 6-10, named Andy Rimol who was from Mountain Lakes. Saw him play in 1974 in a win by the Tigers (Princeton) over Villanova ... Nova was a top team in those days, too, anytime anybody beat Nova always was a big deal. Can't remember Nova ever having a weak team. Anyhow, Mountain Lakes did make its mark in those days, in NJ hoops.
Htown:
This is still Hackettstown, ya know where diversity and progression go to die. Unfortunately Hackettstown has never really supported female sports as much as male sports.
I can think of several female athletes/coaches that would be great candidates.
Fowler
Pratschler(coach)
Palmer
Snover
Dimaio(coach)
I believe there was a Tillou that was a dominate pitcher in softball
Yes Squeezebox Tillou was a phounemal pitcher.
Azra Buljko awesome soccer player n went on to play at Felician college for 4 years.
Hutton sisters. Katie and Lyndsey. 2 other amazing soccer players.
Those are the ones on top of my head right now, but I know there are many more.
Prior to 1970, it does not look like there were any female interscholastic sports in H-town, and not much in Jersey altogether. Starting next year, I'm sure the women will start receiving their due.
Britny Boyd may have been one of the best female athletes in the area. 4 year varsity soccer & track. Went on to play at Trenton State, becoming a multiple time all-american. Definitely worthy of HHS hall of fame.
Agree about Britny, Kelby Scheifler also was a marvelous three-sport player. The girls soccer program was amazing in those days, with a big resurgence about 10 years later, including an exciting sectional title.
Patty Trimnell led the Hackettstown girls cross country team capture the North 2 Group 2 girls cross country sectional in 1987.
TMRT Penny Fales was outstanding runner for HHS. She was a State 440 Champ. She was ranked nationally. There were many good female track athletes in the mid-70's.
mulemom Sport,
Football and baseball. He was a great running back for the tigers during their 81-82 seasons.
A nice, well written tribute to a former Hackettstown Lady Tiger soccer player. http://www.insidewarren.com/mvp-lindsay-hutton-excelled-at-grove-city-college/
HHS Fan Ok so Andy writes an article about this former Hackettstown athlete and its praised. He writes about my son and him and I are accused of hijacking the thread. LMAO.... Only in Hackettstown....
Yeah, I also want to know what girl's soccer posts are doing on the Jake Hall thread. Where are the moderators?
The difference is Andy is capable of talking about other athletes. You on the other hand are not.
Oh so is that how it works… So if he wins national player of the week next year I guess I have to mention other athletes too so the participation sports parents don’t get mad… The kid just attended a pre-draft workout for a major league team. I bet people like you NJLawyer don’t even live in Hackettstown....
why dont we just focus on discussing past coaches and athletes that are eligible for the HHS Hall of Fame?
Idk if Metsman kid is eligible. Sounds like he is representing HHS athletics formidably on JC level. Hope it transfers to the next phase for him, whatever that may be.
So back to the thread topic....any other suggestions?
How about Anthony Rossi? Ed Wehmeyer?
Mike Cullinane? Gary Poyer as a coach?
Becky Snover? Paul Creeger?
tigerdyno Ed Wehmeyer by far. Not only a star athlete but has given back by far supporting the current day athletes at every game. A true tiger. Go tigers is is motto!
Jd Poyer if he hasn't already will be the all-time winningest baseball coach. He's still pretty young and could amass an impressive win total if he sticks around.
TJS Watching Poyer for well over a decade now, I'm really impressed with how he handles his teams ... you see how good a coach really is when talented players graduate and he has to rebuild. He's a class act and teaches the game mighty thoroughly.
My name is Penny Fales and I was an athlete at HHS in the late 70's. I want to thank you for considering me for the Athletic Hall of Fame. I loved being an athlete at HHS and being on the Track and field team. As far as I know, I was the first New Jersey State champion male or female in track that Hackettstown High School ever had in '76 and '77. I then went on and earned a full scholarship to Penn State University and became an all American in track and cross country. I know today I still hold the 440 yard record in New Jersey. I will never forget my experiences at HHS and my valuable relationships with my teammates and coaches.
Penny Fales Kramer For all the hard core historians … this week, Alexa Westley of Warren Hills is going for her second straight Meet of Champions title in the 3,200 run … Alexa … go for it! http://www.nj.com/hssports/blog/girlstrackandfield/index.ssf/2013/06/new_jersey_track_outdoor_meet_of_champions-a_look_back_at_every_girls_champion_1.html
Oh don't post about current athletes Andy. The old timers might get mad. Good luck to her though.
Who were the skilled position players on the 1980, 81 and 82 teams? Three straight state playoffs and 1 state championship. They must have had some real good defensive players as well.
DannyZuko C'mon. Get over yourself, Metsman. People aren't objecting to current athletes being discussed here. They (including me) are objecting to this thread becoming "look at my kid, he's amazing....more amazing than any other athlete that ever participated in athletics at HHS." Start a new thread about your son. I get it. You're proud of him. A lot of us who had kids who were standout athletes in HS are proud of our kids. But we're not hijacking posts about sports every chance we get. That's our objection.
summerrain1 Why are Warren Hills Athletes being mentioned on a Hackettstown High School HOF post?
Brian Dixon, class of 1986, scored 146 points for H-town football, more than HOF charter members Bob Candler, Jay Hart and Doug Blake … Doug, of course, has been honored for awesome achievement in three sports.
With 14 undefeated and untied football teams (12 of them before 1966) and 12 conference champions (11 of them after 1966) … there are plenty more football players to consider for this Hall of Fame … have at it.
Correction to what was just posted above … Jay Hart scored 155 points in 1930, second highest single season mark according to the stats I have in front of me. Dixon's 146 in 1986 is third on the list. ...
Somebody asked about sports before 1929. The Tigers had an undefeated football team in 1925 and a once-beaten team in 26 under coach Albert Chilson. However, I don't have names of any players …
Here's what I have about fencer Sara Forsythe, who went on to be a fencer at Temple … First team All-State chosen by The Star Ledger, second in state competition and district champion. NJSIAA scholar athlete.
summerrain1 your post is ridiculous. If you can't mention on here that a former HHS athlete won National Player of the Week or finished 2nd in doubles all-time at CCM or that he got invited to a pro workout, then that just sounds like hate to me. If you have school pride, then you should be happy to see kids succeed at the next level. I know HS coaches like to see their athletes succeed in college. Obviously some people like to hear about it, because Andy thought it was worthy to write an article about.
metsman, it's the number of posts that put people off. your son is an excellent player, but do we need to continue to hear about it at every chance you get????? My son played at HHS, and was quite accomplished. but i don't post 100's of times about him!
yankeesman Yankeesman give me a break…. The kid was making a run at a college record. That isn’t worth posting about? Or getting National attention? And then Andy and I had a discussion. If you’re put off by that then there’s something wrong with you. Perhaps the Brainwashing thread is more your speed….
I am more put off you being a Mets fan. Jake talk is fine, just get rid of the Mets reference. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Mets.
The schedule gives the Mets a break this week … two games with the O's … onto other sports, Mark Bahnuk was THE MAN in cross country and track in 1999 and 2000 .. I used to joke on the football broadcasts that Mark should have been on the football team for those plays when it was third down and a mile to go :-D
Mark is still in the area and knows lots of local people. He really did "run away" from the rest of the competition in all the big meets. Those runners don't do it for the crowds and glory, they do it for the love of running and you can't be THAT GOOD unless you spend lots of hours all by yourself on the country roadsides.
metsman, your comment implies you only made a few points about his latest news in fact you've made 100s of posts about him and it just gets a bit boorish at some point, which is long past. good luck to him, its not his fault that helicopter dad is obsessed.
Yankeesman I did not make hundreds of posts about him this spring. If you don't care about what he did this Spring that's fine. Who cares what you think. I think you're just bashing for the sake of bashing.
You don't have to worry, there's nothing left to post about. The season ended a month ago. Try not to go into an epileptic fit over it...
now we are mocking having an epileptic fit? hats off to you, not only for making little Jakey seem like the next HR Derby winner. but for also mocking those with neurological disorders.
batting 1.000 as they say, right?
Glad to see Gary Thomas make the HOF, great coach and funny guy. It wasn’t too long ago that he became the winningest coach in Warren County, correct Andy?
Off the top of my head, I believe Gary Thomas is the all-time leader in Warren County soccer wins but in the back of my mind I remember that Jack Sweet at North Warren had a ton of wins and championships back in his day.
I'll have to research this.
The numbers, thanks to Google … Thomas 354 wins. Sweet (RIP) had 243 over a 20-year coaching career in which his Patriots' teams won three sectional titles and made the state final twice.
Thanks for fact checking! When I played under coach Thomas we made it past the first game of states, but lost the second game at home after a blown offsides call in which we would have had a breakaway
Unfortunately, cold hard numbers don't take blown calls, injuries, lousy field conditions, and bad breaks into account. As a journalist trying to do justice to all the sports, I always found Gary to be a straight shooter with his comments and a classy guy. He had zero tolerance for unnecessarily rough play and poor sportsmanship.
He deserves all the accolades we can give him.
I'll be watching over the years to see if Jake Hall gets as many major league base hits, runs batted in, stolen bases and outfield assists as Alex Ochoa. Also will wait to see if he's on a 25-man World Series roster and gets a World Series at bat.
I'll always remember watching Alex play at Norfolk (Mets Triple A team at the time). When he threw a runner out at the plate, the scoreboard showed a cannon and then ….
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCHOA … guns him down!
I'm not putting any Mike Trout expectations on Jake LOL … not everyone can be a big league All Star … Cole Kimball could tell him a lot about the journey to the bigs and the work and patience it takes to get there.
Hope to see good things happening for Jake in a few years "in the show" :-D
Becky Snover
Mike Morgan
Chris OConnor
Brian Dixon
Burt Franks
Christina Fowler
Penny Fales
Bill Burke
Weymeyer
All announced last night at board meeting
The girls will get their due if I have anything to say about it. I've seen many impressive athletes at HHS, starting with Christina Fowler. However, allow me to say something about Desire Almind, of North Warren, who broke Christina's WC scoring record and totaled well over 2,000 points for her career. Desi was not the kind of person you would think someone who scored so many points would be. Totally unselfish, never wanted to talk about herself after scoring her 35 and leading the Patriots to another win. She always wanted to get her teammates involved in the scoring, her coach had to plead with her to shoot more … 'Desi, if you don't shoot, we won't win" ...Desi was an incredible jumper and she shot the ball at the peak of her jump, nobody could block it … and she was quick with it and dead-on accurate. She also rebounded, blocked shots, made steals, shut down the other team's top scorer, did it all. She fouled out in the state final, NW had to play overtime without her. They woulda been state champs. Whatever, she was the best high school girls basketball player I've ever seen and I've seen games in all parts of the state.
In all due respect to Desi She could not shine Christina Fowlers Sneakers!! Not even CLOSE!! Go Tigers !!! Take a Break Andy
I once saw Christina Fowler wrestle and de-claw a 400lb black bear at Stephens State Park.
i don't know desire at all, but, thanks for the name dropping andy, after a google search (2nd nationally in rebounds per game, ncaa tournament appearances, bucknell hall of fame, patriot league 25th anniversary team, played professionally), i think she's got an impressive bio.
I saw a few of Desi's Bucknell games … the Bison had a guard-oriented offense (a girl from Mendham, Molly Creamer, who was Steph Curry before there was a Steph Curry), and Desi never complained. Her job was to crash the boards … the way they played may have been the blueprint for the way the Warriors play these days.
By the way, after scoring a crazy points total at Bucknell, Molly went to the New York Liberty of the WNBA in the first round of the draft, but she wasn't athletic enough to play in the top level of the pros … Desi played professionally for many years in Europe … . Big world out there. Lots of good players. By the way, if anyone is judging Desi based on her numbers against Hackettstown, she got taken out early in those games … NW was blowing them out … Htown girls hoops nosedived for a few years after Christina (a wonderful human being in addition to her sports achievements) graduated. By the way, Tennessee was recruiting Desi her senior year at NW … Michelle Marciniak came to visit and NW coach Sandy Toronzi introduced me to Marciniak (there's a google for ya)...
Art Dimiceli passed away on August 15th. He was 88.
https://www.cochranfuneral.com/obit/obit_detail.php?id=3101
Congrats to the new members! So we’ll deserved!
Once again I noticed that no fencers have been mentioned or considered yet HHS has had many who have been individual state champs and who have gone on to Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Temple
The fencing squads have also been coached by two incredible coaches for many,many years, Marianne and Roger Pratschler ......
Ziggy, might be because someone has to nominate a person and then there is a great deal of paper work involved to prove the accomplishments. I know when I nominated my dad I had to submit the stuff for proof of what I had claimed he did. I was involved with the fencing program for 9 years and know that you are correct on champs from that sport. I'm sure the time will come.
Posted about Sara Forsythe on June 4 (seems like ages ago) would love to get in touch with the family again … real good people :-D
Sara’s parents are still in town. Yes she was one of Hackettstown’s best —all around great person and great fencer!
Magpie I’m sorry I didn’t realize that the public could nominate —my mistake—I will look into this for next year. Congrats to your dad and and you ! What a great accomplishment and memento of his years at HHS
Jake Hall broke a 34 year old record at County College of Morris with his 14th homerun. He now owns two school records with 10 homeruns in 2016 for Hackettstown High School.
Calico696 wow! 7 games to go and has the record. Great Job! mets: will the playoff games be considered in the HR total?
Yes they count. The record was previously set by Mike Maksudian in 1985 who played 3 years in the Major Leagues before a blown rotator cuff ended his career.
Weedwacker “Knock, knock.”
“Who’s there?”
“Cooperstown.”
“Cooperstown HOF?”
“No, Cooperstown IHOP.”
Stymie 
Theresa Campagna Yes It is a serious question. Great then he is a well rounded young man & will have a plan B! If baseball does pan out. Best of luck to him.
You never know on this site. Some like to poke fun like Stymie did.
He’s getting a lot of interest now that he broke the record, from D1 and D2 schools.
His FICO score is fine. Anyone else want more info.... LMAO.... He’s the best position player Hackettstown has ever seen. If he used The old metal bats he would have put up insane numbers
Jake's career seems to have ended at Siena college. It's tough to be as good as he was at Hackettstown, and the next level is REALLY tough. And that's still 5 levels below professional ball.
Jimmy C 
Frank I don't mean to poke the bear. I think he should be in the Hackettstown Sports Hall of Fame someday.
Any idea if they are having another class enter into the Hall this year? Last one was 2020 right?
Jake is playing for Felician University this year. He's not done. This is his last year of college ball.
He had two great years at CCM after HHS. He is the single season homerun champ there with 18. He hit .397 18 HR 61 RBI in 2019 which got him a 2nd team All American Award. The Cincinatti Reds were watching him. Then he hurt his shoulder and had surgery that summer.
2020 and 2021 he was dealing with coming back from surgery, a cancelled 2020 season, and a shortened 2021 season due to covid. Plus he hated playing at Siena. One of his CCM teammates who is also a tremendous player is up there this year and he hates it as well.
We'll see how this season goes. He's more refreshed playing in NJ and Felician is a much better program to play for. I wouldn't recommend Siena to anyone. Jake should have taken one of his other offers than have gone there. Most important thing is he got a degree and baseball helped pay for that.
Does Felician use a bigger ball than Siena?
K’d 40% of at bats.
Congratulations on his degree.
Most important.
What part of covid seasons and recovering from shoulder issues didn't you understand? And he hated it there. I guess it's ok when a major league player can't hack it in NY and goes and becomes a great player somewhere else, but you have a problem when its an amateur player. And newsflash... The MAAC conference isn't any better pitching wise than where he is now.
He just went 5 for 12 against a nationally ranked team 2 weeks ago and hit a bomb.
Metsman,
Your son is a nice player but more to hall of fame than HR's. Was he a captain? Should've been in my mind if he's the best player on the team. Did he lead his team to a conference title? County title? State title? Was he named player of the year? What other things did he do besides hit home runs? What other accolades individually or team did he accomplish to warrant a look at Hall Of Fame? Nice try Metsman and glad to see you are still the same. I can think of at least 10 other kids who deserve it over your son.
See now you’re trying to lump team accomplishments to an individual players accomplishments. That’s ridiculous. That’s not how it works. What does being a captain have to do with anything? LOL… The captains in 2017 would tell you right off the bat that Jake was better than them. He led on the field. He didn’t need a title. He was clearly one of the best players in the state in 2016 and 2017. He was second in the state in homers in 2016. He won the Art Dimicelli award two years in a row, which is the most outstanding offensive player award in Hackettstown. He made the Senior All-Star team for Northwest NJ in 2017. He batted over .450 in 2016 & 2017. He was an All-Group selection 2 years in a row. That’s nice if you can think of 10 other kids. I’d say if you have a HOF and leave out the guy with the most homeruns in a season, it’s not much of a HOF. I’d say a 2 year career of .465 16HR and 69 RBI with an OPS through the roof in 40 plus games is more than just a nice career. Most guys don’t do that in 4 years. Then he had another HOF type career at CCM. Hit .390 22HR and 101RBI in 2 seasons. Was All Region both years and All American in 2019. Finished as the single season homerun king and top 3 all time in HR, RBI, and doubles at CCM. If you can find me a Hackettstown hitter with those accomplishments and college accomplishments, then let me know. Unfortunately the last 3 years injuries are taking their toll on him. Got bad news today that his hand is fractured when he got hit by a pitch last Friday. He was starting to tear it up. Was batting .311 through 13 games for Felician.
He wasn't one of the best players in the state. Not even close. He was a great player for Hackettstown, but make no mistake his career is over. He got a college degree, you should be proud of that. But constantly pumping him up to be something he'll never be isn't a good look for a parent. I hope he's more in line with reality than you are.
He didn't get drafted because he was just a kid that was bigger than the other kids in Nowhere, NJ. Without athleticism or speed it doesn't translate to the next level, even when that level is Siena college. All those kids were the best players on their team in non elite programs.
Jimmy C
1. I don't think you fully understand what it takes to make the Senior All Star game in NJ. You have to be a top player in the state. Major league scouts come to that event, that's how big it is. Some of the players get drafted. Thanks for showing you don't know what you're talking about.
2. The only thing I pumped up was his accomplishments in Hackettstown and then at CCM. If it bothers you he had Major league scouts looking at him too, I can't help you with that. They don't look at players because they are tall in Nowhere NJ.
3. His exit velocity is 103mph off his bat and his top throwing velocity is 92mph. You don't need to be a gazelle to play pro ball. He had a shot at getting drafted in 2019. The Reds came to a lot of his CCM games. He was talking to their head NJ scout a lot. He was on the MLB Draft Tracker list. For whatever reason it didn't work out that year. That's the way it goes. Who knows what would have happened if Covid never uprooted all of our lives. He was looking to have a comeback year but now he broke his hand and will miss 4 weeks. Yea I'm glad he got his degree. It allows him to push playing to the limit now. If he can't play beyond college, he will move on.
So yes he belongs in the Hackettstown HOF eventually and eventually the CCM HOF that just had it's inaugural year 2 years ago I believe.
He does belong in the Hackettstown HS Hall of Fame. If you think speed and athleticism aren't looked at by scouts, especially in regards to kids at tiny programs where they face no competition, then it's really you that doesn't know what they are talking about. Or, more likely than that, just don't want to face reality. It's not covid's fault that he didn't make it to the majors, he's just not talented enough. Not what this thread is about, but you keep pushing the issue. He had a .658 OPS at Siena, for gods sake. His career is absolutely over. He did some impressive things at the HS level and at CCM. But he's done. Hopefully he learned things along the way that will help him in whatever he chooses to do, but it's not going to be pro ball. I wish him luck and hope that he can cope with the end of his baseball days better than you are coping.
Jimmy C this is what one of the Felician coaches said about Jake in an article:
"Hall is also a Felician MBA candidate and will use a one-season career extension granted by the NCAA for the 2020 season stemming from the COVID-19 public health crisis. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound outfielder is a 2021 graduate of Siena College. Hall, who spent the past two summers with the Essex County Cubs of the Atlantic Baseball Confederation Collegiate League, batted a combined .390 with 30 doubles and 22 home runs during two seasons at the County College of Morris. "A big guy with good speed, Jake can be a true five-tool player," Javins said. "He can make a lot of noise in the middle of a lineup."
There goes your argument that he has no athleticism. I think a college coach has more credibility than you. He was batting .311 2HR 11RBI through 13 games. Who knows what kind of numbers he could have put up if he didn't get nailed in the hand by a pitcher. You may be right, that unlucky plunk on the hand may have ended his career. I could see him going into coaching as a next step.
Your Siena argument is silly. The team is garbage and the coaching is terrible. He needed a change of scenery. There's literally another good player from NJ on that team this year that won the silver slugger award in ACBL summer league last summer who is batting .213 right now. Him and Jake talk and he tells Jake how much he hates it there. That kid was on the 2019 CCM squad and was almost drafted as well. In fact he was offered to be taken in the later rounds. So where you play can have a huge impact and it doesn't help when you have to deal with a pandemic as well.
“A big guy with GOOD (not great) speed....”
“CAN BE (not is) a 5 tool player....”
You touted Siena as a great program.
Now not so much.
You use the excuse of COVID.
Did everyone else get an exemption from that?
Why can’t you just let it go as a great kid that had a very good HS and College career?
You are embarrassing yourself.
And hopefully not your fine son.
A coach is always going to say good things about his player. What's he supposed to say, the kid is a plodder that can only move base to base? Your son put up fantastic stats in HS. You say it wasn't the competition, you say he has good athleticism and speed, you basically say he's a combo of Ruth and Henderson - why didn't he get drafted? I mean I know it has to be some kind of conspiracy from you.
And blaming Siena is beyond dumb. It wasn't the coaches fault that Jake couldn't hit. It wasn't covid's fault. It wasn't him getting hit in the hand, though that is unfortunate. He was overmatched at Siena. It happens. He was great at Hackettstown, that's more than almost all people get. You should be proud.
Jimmy C what are you kidding me... LOL... He moves just fine... He played center field some games this year.
Siena is not a good program period. Tony Rossi is 80 years old and doesn't even run his practices. The assistants do. The assistants all quit on him this winter. The only coach he has now is a guy who he hired that just graduated college. You call that a good program? Take a look at Felician's coaching staff... Those are real coaches. Jake didn't do well at Siena because the game in mostly mental. If you hate where you are and you have guys telling you to take curveballs until you have 2 strikes, guess what, you're not going to do well.
Not worth my time to go back and disprove your “faulty memory”.
The louder you tout, the weaker your argument becomes.
Not a good look for you.
Ok, OK- induct him into the Hackettstown HOF.
Then listen Springsteen’s “Glory Days” on an endless loop.
There were players at Siena when Jake Hall played that put up good numbers. He was the worst offensive starter they had. It's odd that the coaches and covid and the unfair cloud formations only affected one player. Siena may not be a great program, that's not a great point to make when that's the only place that would offer your son a spot.
And you still haven't explained the conspiracy theory behind him not being drafted by anyone. I can't wait for that one.
Jake, if you're out there, congratulations on the Hackettstown Hall of Fame when you make it there. It will be well deserved. Hopefully you can deal with the fact that that's all it was better than others around you have.
Stymie,
Find for me where I said Siena was a great program. I'll wait...
Jimmy C,
A lot of those players lived up there and were comfortable. Had nothing to do with talent. None of them had great numbers. What are you just dismissing the fact that he is batting .311 this year... Sometimes a change of scenery helps. The talent level in D2 is good as well. It's not like he was playing for Vanderbilt and couldn't cut it... Geez... But then again Vanderbilt and other big schools played full seasons unlike these ridiculous northeast teams.
I never said he should have been drafted, but at least he had serious looks from scouts. IDK where you fools think I'm saying he should have been. Taking things out of context. What else is new on HL.
Pat O'Hare played at CCM and Siena with Jake. His OPS was 1.135 compared to Jake's .658. I never dismissed the fact that he was hitting .311 this year. I never dismissed the great numbers he put up at HHS and CCM. He was fantastic at both places. That's reality. However, you clearly dismiss his numbers at Siena, you didn't mention him for two years after daily updates on him in a thread about a hall of fame that he isn't eligible for yet.
Maybe I'd be the same way if I had a high school star athlete son, I can't say that I wouldn't be. I don't know. But I do know I hope I wouldn't act like this.
Pat O'Hare played with Jake at CCM in 2019 too. He wasn't better. I know the guy and watched him play. He led the MAAC in hitting in the short 2020 season, then took a huge dip in 2021. He hated playing up there as well. He only hit .266 in 2021.
If ‘all of a sudden’, it wasn’t as great as you touted, then why did he go there?
Hmmm..
Only option?
For (according to you) the second coming of Lou Gehrig?
“Glory Days- well they’ll pass you by...”
“Glory days, in the wink of a young girl’s eye...”
“Glory days...”
“Glory days....”
—RINSE—REPEAT
https://www.njcaa.org/sports/bsb/2018-19/div2/teams/countycollegeofmorris?view=lineup
Here's the team stats from CCM in 2019. Pat was hurt a couple weeks but you can also see a Vincent DiNicola on there as well. He and Jake were the best players that year. Vinny was offered a late round MLB pick in 2019 but he turned it down. Now he's up at Siena and struggling. He just had a great summer last year. You going to say he's outmatched as well? Or is it more than that... Baseball is a mostly mental game. It's a toxic culture at Siena and maybe some guys can deal with it and others can't. If you live up there and commute to school, it's a much easier situation to deal with. Guys like Jake, Vinny, and Pat were 3 hours from home and didn't see anyone for weeks at a time.
Nah, he wasn't better. Didn't adapt to Div I college ball like Jake did. And even in the 2021 season there were 4 players with an OPS over 1.000. 17 players with an OPS over .658. So, to your point, there were players that managed to overcome the terrible coaching and not be god awful there.
The next level exposes a lot of players from non elite HS's. There's no shame in it. But there is truth in it.
Stymie we visited and thought it was great at the time. First impressions aren't always what becomes reality.
Jimmy C CCM is not high school ball. He faced guys who transferred to D1 and D2 schools and he dominated. He hit over .600 against Mercer in 2019 and they are nationally ranked all the time and get guys drafted and send them off to D1 and D2 schools. You don't know what you're talking about. Who are these 4 players at Siena with an OPS over 1.000 in 2021? The guy who had the best season last year, Evan St. Claire hit like .050 in 2020 against the southern teams they played that year. They never got into the MAAC schedule because the season was cancelled. The MAAC pitchers mostly throw upper 80's fastballs. You have some that hit the 90's and a rare one that throw 93 or more. Jake is facing the same kind of pitchers this year. Hate to break it to you. HS has nothing to do with anything. Jake played tournament baseball and top level pitching since middle school.
Why don't you post the statistics for Siena when Jake was there? I think I know why, and you and everyone else here does as well.
There was a player at Newton years ago named Josh Noviskey. He was an absolute star in HS and was drafted by an MLB team. He never made it out of single A. It's tough for a player from places like Newton and Hackettstown to make it to the next level - it's very rare. They aren't playing top competition and aren't playing year round ball. They have to be superior athletes to do it, not just be big and mash against pitchers that aren't good.
It's not the coaches fault that Jake couldn't cut it in Div I ball. It's not his fault, either. It's just a big jump that not everyone can make. If it was easy a lot more players would be able to do it. I'm really not bashing Jake, he was an absolute baseball standout in Warren County, NJ. That's fact. He struggled greatly at the next level. Also fact.
I'm not sure why you're denying reality, but I guess in today's world that's not out of the norm. You can just claim something to be true with no actual proof and you'll get some group of people to agree. Sad days, indeed.
"They aren't playing top competition and aren't playing year round ball. They have to be superior athletes to do it, not just be big and mash against pitchers that aren't good."
Wrong... I can't speak for Josh but Jake played all year round in high school and played high level competition. I'm talking to someone who doesn't have a clue.
"Guys like Jake, Vinny, and Pat were 3 hours from home and didn't see anyone for weeks at a time."
^ must have been terrible.
OnTheEdge Coach Rossi at Siena-53rd year coaching at Siena.
FIFTY THIRD!
And it’s his fault??
HaHaHaHa....
I mean it's pretty clear who the person that doesn't have a clue in this thread is, metsman. If you think you're playing against top competition at Hackettstown I don't know what to tell you other than you're wrong. If you're saying his struggles at Siena had nothing to do with better competition then you may honestly be an idiot. A .311 average at Felician isn't that impressive, at least when you quote his stats at HHS and CCM they're impressive. He had 3 walks and struck out too much. His struggles at Siena had nothing to do with the coaching, as other players had success. He was their worst starting offensive player. If that did have to do with him being away from home then how would he have had success anywhere else?
He was a great high school player. He'll make the HHS hall of fame. Hell, he even may get a plaque at Bea McNally's. But that's it. It's over. Maybe a stint with the Sussex Miners, but being that far from Warren County might prove to be too much, plus I don't know who the coach is.
If you call a guy that for over 25 years at least hasn't run his own practices and sits in his office while the assistants run things, a good coach then god bless you... A guy that doesn't communicate with his players... A guy that made Jake feel uneasy all the time and caused him to press at the plate. Funny how that all went away when he played summer ball last year and now this year in the Spring. He hit a homer off a nationally ranked team two weeks ago at Diamond Nation that hasn't landed yet...
Baseball was his thing. He was never going to go anywhere with football. Baseball paid a lot of his tuition for him in college. Once he was in high school he was playing baseball year round. He played summer and fall tournament leagues and then at the dome in Diamond Nation during the winter.
Jon Lucas was a better hitter than Jake Hall and he was better known for his pitching. Atleast he hit a couple HRs in D1 ball.
Jon Lucas didn't hit with BBCOR bats. I'm sure he was a great player though.
Look, Jake not performing at Siena had nothing to do with the skill level up there. There were guys on some of the teams throwing HS fastballs. You don't go from being a JUCO All American to not hitting at all. It was a toxic place for him to play and it affected his performance. Period. He started off the 2022 season at Felician well until he broke his hand. They started off playing tough teams. 2 of the teams were nationally ranked and would have beaten any MAAC conference team. He led the team in hitting at the time he got hurt. If he's done after this year, so be it. Baseball served it's purpose and got him a degree. I know he'll move on and maybe he'll help some kids be better players.
Jon Lucas used those old bats where you could hit it off the end of the bat and still hit a homerun 400 feet. He played in a different era.
Part of me is curious: when a parent says "Baseball (or basketball, or hockey, or gymnastics, or...) paid for most of his/her college: how much was spent in private coaches, club teams with all of the added expenses (food, lodging, transportation, etc), equipment, and more.
If a kid loves playing HS sports, that's great! If they get to/want to continue playing in college, that's great too. But I'd like for parents of younger kids to have a more balanced view of how much they're spending for their student to get that scholarship before they jump in with all of the expense needed to achieve a "scholarship".
Summerrain1 very true. It's not necessarily all about getting a return. Instead of taking vacations those years we took a bunch of mini trips to watch baseball. In Jake's case he got over $80k of his education paid for by scholarships. I didn't keep track of what I spent from 7th to 12th grade on club teams, but it was probably under $30k total.
He would've gotten a better return on that $80k with a degree from Siena than Fellatian...
John Shick My dad mike Palko got inducted into the sports hall of fame . They have a dinner next Saturday at panther valley for all the inductees
Mike The last football coach to lead the Tigers to a state championship will be inducted. Ron Griffith. It was way back in 1981!!
Phil Richard Theusen – Class of 1953 John “Jack” Cory – Class of 1957 Wayne Hansler – Class of 1957 Larry Makarevich – Class of 1957 Arthur “Butch” Stevens – Class of 1957 Charles Best – Class of 1958
Mike Palko – Class of 1972 Marianne Wojcicki – Class of 1977 Ron Griffth – Coach 1980 - 1989 Pam Willson – Coach 1982 - Present The 1929 HHS Football Team
The 1929 HHS Girls Basketball Team The 1930 HHS Football Team 1932 HHS Football Team
1937 HHS Football Team
1938 HHS Football Team
1939 HHS Football Team
1953 HHS Baseball Team
1957 HHS Baseball Team 1954-1959 HHS Football Teams
Did the football team ever play home games anywhere other than alumni field or the current stadium?
As mentioned in previous email, the baseball team of 1968 coached by Art Dimicelli when Rick Sheldon pitched a perfect game. That 1968 team won their conference (along with Doug Blake and many unsung athletes). Rick was also captain with me in basketball when we had a turn around season winning our basketball conference. You pitch a perfect game and not inducted into Hackettstown High School Athletic Hall of Fame? Our teammates in 1967/1968 (and we played as a team along with Blake) excelled because of the superb town of Hackettstown midget/peewee league organization and community coaches and parents!
Respectfully submitted, Jack Hurley ‘68
Jack Hurley 
Not sure if this got posted. I was talking with some classmates, and I think about how in the 60's there was not much opportunity for girls in sports. Back in the day you were either a cheerleader, twirler or played basketball. In our class of '68, Beth Cummins Archibald was one of those special athletes in her category. Here is how she explains that year of competition (our fall year was 1967, graduated '68).
"I think you are right ’67 was our year. Well that is when we won the coveted State of NJ first place in our category of large cheering squads. We beat some of the toughest city teams! That is when JoAnn Staugaard Jones and I were recruited to the NCA (National Cheerleading Association) That was such an honor. It was our professional league much like the professional football leagues."
Respectfully submitted, Jack Hurley ‘68
The HHS Athletic Hall of Fame Committee is pleased to announce the HHS Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Ed Palmer, Contributor ~ Class of 1961 Fred Brown, Athlete ~ Class of 1961 Paul O’Hea, Athlete ~ Class of 1962 Earl Rush, Athlete ~ Class of 1962 Jim Noonan, Athlete ~ Class of 1965 Art Blake, Athlete ~ Class of 1967 Ray Kietrys, Athlete ~ Class of 1967 Art Ozyjowski, Athlete ~ Class of 1967 Jack Hurley, Athlete ~ Class of 1968 Mike Dooner, Athlete ~ Class of 1969 Arthur Piancone, Athlete/Coach ~ Class of 1969 Maris Grinvalds, Athlete ~ Class of 1969 Marty O’Hora, Coach ~ 1968 – 1986 Mike Cullinane, Athlete ~ Class of 1988 Ron Sosnowski, Athlete ~ Class of 1969 Roger Pratschler, Coach ~ 1983 – 2022 Marianne Pratschler, Coach ~ 1983 – Present Jack Palmer, Athlete ~ Class of 1992 Sarah Palmer Billings, Athlete ~ Class of 1994
1942 HHS Football Team
1961 HHS Football Team
1943 HHS Football Team
1962 HHS Football Team
1946 HHS Football Team
1964 HHS Football Team
1960 HHS Football Team
1967 HHS Football Team
A celebration honoring these inductees will be held on Saturday, October 21, 2023
It looks like that’s 18 individuals, and there’s only one female coach and one female athlete?
4of4
We have a picture of the 1915-1916 HHS Women's Basketball team in the Historical Society Museum. As "Jack Hurley" mentions, many schools didn't yet have the sports opportunities for women that they do now. Women's sports was expanding in the very late 60's, but more into the early 70's, at least in many of the schools I went to. They even have women's wrestling teams in some schools, with some quite talented grapplers, from what I've seen. Women's Track & Field, and Cross Country running are big right now, and Women's Weightlifting and Powerlifting are blowing up too!
Phil D. Yes, women’s sports exploded in the 70s and 80s, thank you Billie Jean King.
I was upon the school system then.
There were many amazing female coaches and athletes in the 70s into 80s.
This is a severely unbalanced representation.
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