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Glory Days Magazine
may 7, 2014
Glory Days Magazine staff
Dave O’Sullivan
Publisher
Phone: 609-788-4294
Email: [email protected]
On Twitter: @GDsullysays
Giuseppe Ungaro
Managing Editor
Phone: 609-788-4294
Email: [email protected]
On Twitter: @GDgisepu
Barbie Carney
Director of Advertising
Phone: 609-788-4294
Email:
[email protected]
Graphic design: Amy D’Adamo; Contributing writer:
John Leon; Columnist: Kate Ranta; Cover photo: Ben Hale,
Benjamin Hale Photography
A wild idea that just might work
Responding to a question that Holy Spirit baseball coach Steve Normane (pictured above) posed
on Twitter, Glory Days Magazine publisher Dave
O’Sullivan got to thinking about how an Atlantic
County Tournament could be created. Flip to page
23 of this issue to read the unconventional idea Sully
came up with that might just make a county tournament not only feasible, but incredibly exciting.
have a story idea?
At Glory Days Magazine we love doing stories on quality, inspiring people
who are making a difference for their team, school and community. We
also aim to highlight student-athletes who are doing good things on the
field, in the classroom and with community service. If you have a story
idea, please email [email protected] at any time!
2014 Glory Days Magazine LLC. All rights reserved
may 7, 2014
Glory Days Magazine
page 3
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Glory Days Magazine
may 7, 2014
s ta n d o u t p e r f o r m a n ces
Early-season cold weather doesn’t stop some
area athletes from hot start to spring season
By GIUSEPPE UNGARO
Managing Editor
The temperature at the beginning of the spring
season may have been cold, but several local
athletes got off to a hot start.
Whether it was on the diamond, the track or the
golf course, local athletes are once again shining
in their respective sports.
The following are some of the highlights from
the first half of the spring season:
Kenny Merlock, Oakcrest baseball, April
5: The Falcons had an early-season tilt with sister school Cedar Creek. Merlock helped the Falcons to a 6-4 win with two hits, including a triple
and three runs. It was the Falcons’ first win of
the season.
Sal Avellino, Egg Harbor Township lacrosse, April 7: The Eagles started the season off strong, and so did Avellino. The Eagles’
standout scored five times and added an assist as
EHT topped Lower Cape May Regional 12-2.
Cheyenne Meyer, Cedar Creek softball,
April 8: Meyer, a junior, became the first player
in school history to reach 100 career hits. Meyer,
who drove in three runs, tripled twice and doubled twice in a 6-0 win over Cape May Tech. She
also struck out 16 in the win.
Mike Di Ianni, Holy Spirit baseball, April
8: What’s better than beating a rival? Throwing
a no-hitter against that rival. That’s what Di Ianni
did for Holy Spirit in its 2-0 win over Mainland.
The senior right-hander struck out seven in the
pitchers’ duel.
Matt Ardente and Pat Scheck, Absegami
baseball, April 8: The duo led the Braves to
an eight-inning, 1-0 win over Egg Harbor Township. Ardente pitched all eight innings, striking
out 10. Scheck ended the game with a walk-off
home run in the home half of the eighth inning.
Miranda Cincotti, Egg Harbor Township
softball, April 9: The Eagles held off Middle
Township in a 7-6 victory. Egg Harbor Township
needed all three runs Cincotti knocked in with a
home run in the fifth inning.
John Newman, Cedar Creek baseball,
April 11: Cedar Creek and Buena Regional
needed extra innings to decide this game. Newman tilted the game in the Pirates’ favor with a
four-hit performance. Newman doubled, singed
three times and drove in three runs in the Pirates’
6-5 win.
Abby Roberts, Mainland softball, April 11:
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Absegami junior Matt Ardente pitched a gem against Egg Harbor Township early in
the season, striking out 10 batters in eight innings as the Braves squeezed out a 1-0
victory. Teammate Pat Scheck drilled a game-winning home run in the bottom of the
eighth.
The Mainland pitcher had a standout all-around
game. Roberts pitched a complete-game shutout
for the Mustangs, striking out five in a 1-0 win.
Roberts also added two hits.
Sean Mooney, Ocean City baseball, April
11: The Red Raiders’ pitcher stifled the Atlantic
City bats in a 5-0 win. Mooney whiffed a dozen
batters and allowed just three hits for the com-
plete-game shutout victory.
Ishmael Muhammad and Alex Arrington,
Oakcrest track and field, April 12: Muhammad, one of the state’s top runners, and Arrington won the intermediate hurdles relay with
a school-record time of 1:53.98 at the Bridgeton
Relays.
See Standout, page 6
may 7, 2014
Glory Days Magazine
page 5
Cheerleader spotlight
Erin McCabe
School: Mainland Regional
Grade: Senior
Age: 18
Hometown: Northfield
Parents: James and Ronda McCabe
Number of years cheerleading: 4
years (high school) 7 years (Northfield
Cardinals recreation team and competitive cheer)
High school achievements: I have
participated in varsity football cheerleading since freshman year. I also have been a member of the Mainland varsity dance team for 4 years. This year, I was named captain
for cheerleading and dance team. During the spring season, I manage the Mainland varsity baseball team.
Community service: During my four years in high school, I was the
junior coach for the Northfield Cardinals, a recreation cheer program
for students in second through eighth grades. I have also volunteered
at Easter Seals adult training program, a day program for adults with
developmental disabilities.
College choice: In the fall I will be attending Florida Gulf Coast Uni-
versity, in Fort Meyers, Fla.
What I like most about cheerleading: The thing I like most about
cheerleading is getting the crowd involved and creating great memories with great people.
The person I admire most is: My sister. She is a hard-working person who just graduated from Monmouth University. She graduated
with a degree in English/Elementary Education as well as certificates
in special education and information technology. I aspire to be as
hard-working and caring as she while I’m in college and also through
life.
My most memorable sports moment is: Senior night. This is when
all the seniors get to walk across the football field to meet with their
parents. This is a game that you look forward to from your freshman
year.
Why my school is the best: I think Mainland is the best because we
support each other. During my sophomore year, we won the Under
Armour undeniable challenge. This was very exciting for all of the
students and faculty. Our school is comprised of students from three
neighboring towns, “We are three towns, one family.”
My favorite sports team is: Green Bay Packers
My favorite music is: Hip-hop and pop.
Quote I live by: “Imagine with all your mind, believe with all your
heart, achieve with all your might.” author unknown
Meet the assistant coach
Wendi Dorofee
School: Atlantic Christian School
Current sport/level: Varsity softball
Hometown: Mantua
My high school/Year graduated:
Clearview Regional, 2000
My college/Year graduated: Rosemont
College, 2004, Florence Design
Academy, 2008
Coaching experience: Pitching instructor since 2010, GSK Denmark, Europe
2010-2011, instructor at Home Run Tour
Czech Republic, Jersey Shore Diamond Crush 16U 2012-2013, Jersey
Shore Diamond Crush 18U Showcase 2013-present, Atlantic Christian
School varsity assistant/pitching coach.
Athletic experience: JV/varsity at Clearview, ASA travel softball, 4year starter, 3-year captain at Rosemont College, Padule Softball Club
in Sesto Fiorentino, Italy, two years playing in Denmark, European Cup
in Bulgaria and currently playing on a fastpitch team in South Philly
when I have the time.
What I like about coaching: I love softball. I love teaching the game.
I love seeing the players develop both as amazing players and as people. My favorite part is when I see someone have great success, like
pitching a perfect game or going 3-for-4 with two doubles or making a
diving catch.
My coaching philosophy: Focus on fundamentals. I believe in keeping a positive attitude and staying in the moment. I want my players to
have fun and build a love for the game, which encourages them to work
harder and improve fundamentals. Teaching teamwork and sportsmanship is also essential to developing a team. I will give 100 percent to my
team and expect 100 percent in return.
Coaching highlight of career: Highlights are tough because I have so
many proud moments. In my first year of coaching, I coached a 12-andunder team in Denmark, mixed with boys and girls who did not speak
much English, to an undefeated season. As a pitching instructor, my most
recent highlight was Jaclyn Gehring (Cape May Tech) pitching a perfect
game, the first in her school’s history.
Coach I most admire: Former coach of UCLA, Sue Enquist. I admire
her passion and knowledge of the game. She pushes her players to
be the best they possibly can with high expectations. I actually had the
honor of pitching in front of her for a movie audition. Oh, I was so nervous!
Favorite sports team(s): USSSA Pride and Philadelphia Phillies
If I could play for a professional sports team, I would love to play
for: USSSA Pride, alongside Cat Osterman and Keilani Ricketts.
Page 6
Standout, from page 4
Samantha Errera, Cedar Creek
softball, April 12: The Pirates
standout had quite a day at the plate.
Errera was 4-for-4 with a solo home
run and an RBI in Cedar Creek’s 84 win over Timber Creek.
Chris Sieg, Atlantic County
Institute of Technology baseball, April 14: Sieg did it all for
ACIT in a 10-9 win over Southern
Regional. The versatile Sieg singled
three times, crossed the plate twice,
stole two bases and knocked in a
run. He also registered five outs on
the hill to earn the save.
Barbara Gedeon, Absegami
track and field, April 19: The
Braves’ thrower won the discus
title at the Woodbury relays. Gedeon threw a personal-best 117 feet,
9 inches. The winning throw was
more than 12 feet better than her
previous best.
Monny Strickland, Egg Harbor Township baseball, April
Glory Days Magazine
22: Egg Harbor Township, which
recently earned a berth in the prestigious Diamond Classic tournament,
topped Buena Regional with the
help of Strickland’s bat. Strickland
blasted a three-run homer in the
fifth inning to give the Eagles some
breathing room.
Kate Korte, Tori Szrom, and
Miranda Cincotti, Egg Harbor
Township softball, April 23:
Egg Harbor Township came from
behind to up-end Hammonton behind the bats of this trio. Cincotti
blasted a grand slam, Korte hit a
two-run home run and doubled, and
Szrom added a two-run home run
and tripled in the 13-6 win.
Shannon Hartman, Mainland
softball, April 23: The Mustangs
needed just five innings to top Oakcrest, 17-7. Hartman doubled and
singled three times while plating
five teammates in the victory.
Tyler Thompson, Oakcrest
baseball, April 28: Thompson
made sure the Falcons opened the
may 7, 2014
annual Al Hedelt Tournament with
a win. He pitched a complete game,
allowing five hits and striking out
eight in a 6-0 win over St. Joseph.
Thompson also singled and doubled
in the win.
Maddie Taggart, Atlantic City
softball, April 28: The Vikings
ace pitched a complete-game in a
3-0 win over Mainland. Taggart
struck out nine while shutting out
the Mustangs.
Brandon Riggs, Egg Harbor
Township baseball, May 2: In
what could be Egg Harbor Town-
ship’s biggest win of the season,
Riggs earned a complete game win
in his first career varsity start. The
sophomore held St. Augustine Prep
in check, allowing two runs on seven hits in a 4-2 win.
Dom DiGiacamo, Ocean City
golf, May 2: The Red Raiders star
golfer rolled in six birdies during
Ocean City’s 152-174 win over Atlantic City. DiGiacamo carded a 30
at Links at Brigantine Beach.
Contact Giuseppe Ungaro:
[email protected];
on Twitter @GDgisepu
u SNAPSHOTS u
Glory Days Magazine photos/Dave O’Sullivan
Egg Harbor Township’s Devin Swisher tries to get around a
Vineland defender during the Eagles’ win over the Fighting
clan in late April.
Mainland Regional’s Maddie McGlynn waits on a pitch during
the Mustangs’ game against Egg Harbor Township.
may 7, 2014
Glory Days Magazine
Alexis
Barrett
Atlantic City High School
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
page 7
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Glory Days Magazine
may 7, 2014
may 7, 2014
Glory Days Magazine
page 9
I got the mic:
Roman Papademetriou, Mainland baseball
Roman Papademetriou is the starting third
baseman for the Mainland Regional High School
baseball team. He’s also one of the top students at
Mainland and will be attending Princeton University this coming fall. Glory Days Magazine publisher Dave O’Sullivan caught up with the senior
last week during a phone interview to talk about
baseball, classical music and what Papademetriou
has planned this summer.
Sully: How often does your last name get mispronounced and misspelled?
Roman: All the time.
Sully: What has this season been like for you guys
at Mainland?
Roman: We’ve had some ups and downs so far.
The main thing is we are still working hard and
we have a shot to do well in the playoffs if we win
some upcoming games. We’ve been in some tight
games throughout the year, some games that we
would have liked to have won, but hopefully that
experience in close games will help us.
Sully: It’s been such a tough season in the CapeAtlantic League. What’s that been like when every
game is such a battle?
Roman: There are a lot of good teams this year, a
lot of good pitching. Our main difficulty has been
hitting. We haven’t hit the ball as well as we have
in previous seasons, but our bats are starting to
come around now. We’ve been pretty solid defensively and once our bats start waking up I think
we’ll be better.
Sully: Did you have any expectations or goals
personally coming into the season?
Roman: My biggest goal was to be a leader. I
didn’t really have any personal goals to make the
all-star selections or anything. I just wanted to be
a team leader and motivate my teammates to do
well and work hard every day.
Sully: What has your senior year been like?
Roman: It’s been awesome. I played soccer in the
fall and I do a bunch of other academic activities.
Baseball season is always something I’m excited
for and preparing for all year. So far it’s been a
great senior year.
Sully: Any senioritis setting in yet?
Roman: Definitely!
Sully: Yeah, it seems like once the weather starts
getting warm seniors are ready for graduation.
Roman: Once it starts warming up and baseball season is in full swing it’s tough to focus on
school.
Sully: What’s it like to be a president? (Papademetriou has been student council president and
honor society president during his high school
career)
Roman: It’s a big responsibility. There’s a lot of
work and a lot of people you have to contact, but
I’ve enjoyed the role. Being president of those
clubs, that’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve
done.
Sully: Did you have any other colleges you were
considering? What did the final decision come
down to?
Roman: I also got into Penn. It wasn’t really that
much of a choice. I had my heart set on Princeton.
That was my No. 1 choice and when I got in I was
really excited.
Sully: What do you think it will be like at Princeton? Do you think you’ll be hanging out every
day in khaki pants and a blue blazer?
Roman: Haha. I hope not. I know there is a lot of
preppiness on campus, but hopefully it won’t be
like that.
Sully: What are you looking forward to after
graduation? Anything planned?
Roman: First, I’m looking to get a job. I’m going
to Greece for a few weeks then I’ll be working on
a campaign for Bill Hughes Jr., who is running for
District 2 congressman.
Sully: What kind of music are you into?
Roman: I listen to everything. My playlist is pretty huge. Everything from Eminem to new bands
like Cage the Elephant, then I have some classical
stuff. I have a few (Johann Sebastian) Bach songs.
Sully: If you could be the star in any movie,
which one would you want to be in?
Roman: The Great Gatsby.
Sully: Do you know what you are planning on
majoring in at Princeton?
Roman: International relations.
Sully: How would you summarize your high
school career?
Roman: I’ve enjoyed it. People always tell you
that your senior year goes by so fast, and that’s
really true. I’m just going to relax and enjoy these
last few weeks with all my classmates and teachers.
Sully: What do you think you will miss most
about high school?
Roman: Definitely the people. There are a lot of
amazing people at Mainland.
Contact Dave O’Sullivan: [email protected];
on Twitter @GDsullysays
Page 10
Glory Days Magazine
may 7, 2014
Momversation
With O.C. girls lacrosse mom Antoinette Rohrer
Glory Days Magazine’s “Momversation” is an occasional series
that spotlights mothers of high
school athletes to get their take on
their son’s or daughter’s scholastic
career and to provide some insight
into the lives of these athletes.
Publisher Dave O’Sullivan recently
sat down with Antoinette Rohrer,
mom of Ocean City lacrosse player
Kristi Rohrer. Kristi, a junior,
dedicated her 4-goal performance
in a win over Egg Harbor Township
in last month’s “Girls lacrosse vs.
cancer” game to her mother, who
was diagnosed with breast cancer last September during Kristi’s
soccer season. Jamie Pearce, a
cancer survivor and mom of freshman player Mackenzie Pearce, also
was honored at halftime. Kristi is
a third-generation Red Raider, and
will graduate in 2015, which also
happens to mark the 50th anniversary of her grandparents’ graduation from Ocean City.
Sully: Give me a little background
on Kristi and what she was like as
a kid.
Antoinette: As a child, Kristi was
always determined. She was competitive and always striving to get
an “A” in school. She was very
hard on herself. She’s been on the
honor roll since the third or fourth
grade. It poured over into sports.
She started dancing at age 4 and
always wanted to be in the front of
the line. She actually broke both
of her wrists in fifth grade and she
would go to dance and watch. She
had to go and watch what they were
doing so that when they took the
casts off she would be ready and
they wouldn’t take her spot away
from her. She was very determined
as a young child.
Sully: At what age did she show
athletic ability?
Antoinette: From the very beginning. No matter what she did, she
was good at it. From the lifeguard
races in Sea Isle to T-ball. I had a
softball coach tell me that she was
a natural athlete. We knew early on
that she was a natural athlete.
Sully: Do you and her dad have an
athletic background?
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Kristi Rohrer, a junior on the Ocean City girls lacrosse team, scored four goals and was named
the offensive player of the game during the Red Raiders’ victory over Egg Harbor Township in
the “Girls lacrosse vs. cancer” game in April, dedicating her performance to mom Antoinette,
who was diagnosed with breast cancer last September. Before the win over EHT, Kristi found
out she was accepted into the National Honor Society.
Antoinette: I don’t, but her dad
(Kirk) played football and baseball at Ocean City, he graduated in
1986.
Kristi: He was really fast. I think
that’s where I got my speed from.
Antoinette: She was nicknamed
“Fire Feet” by her soccer coach,
and even in softball they loved
when she got on base because she
could steal her way around the
bases.
Sully: What kind of kid was she?
What was her personality?
Antoinette: She was shy compared
to her brother (Kirk). We would
drop her off at preschool and she
would cry. We literally had to drag
her from the car into preschool, but
once she got inside she was fine.
She was a mama’s girl. She had
her friends. She’s always had a lot
of friends. In fourth or fifth grade
she did travel soccer and continued
that up until eighth grade. In her
eighth grade summer we went to
Europe and she played in London
and Spain.
Sully: What was that like, going to
Europe?
Kristi: It was a really great experience.
Antoinette: It was truly the trip of
a lifetime. We spent four days in
London, six days in Spain and four
days in Rome.
Kristi: It was awesome.
Sully: What have the last couple of
years been like? You’ve seen Kristi
grow up from an eighth-grader to
being on the verge of going to college next year.
Antoinette: We’re very happy for
her, very proud of her. It’s been a
great experience. She goes right
from soccer to track to lacrosse, has
very little down time, and through it
all she has stayed on the honor roll.
She got accepted into the National
Honor Society. We’re very proud of
her because I feel this is how a high
school career should be.
Sully: Does she give you a hard
time about anything?
Kristi: Not really.
Antoinette: Cleaning her room!
Sully: What’s it like having a teenager in the house?
Antoinette: It’s frustrating sometimes, but I wouldn’t change it for
the world because there are a lot
of people out there who can’t have
children. When they are little you
worry about the little things and
when they are big you worry about
the big things. But they have rules
and regulations, curfews. They have
See Rohrer, page 11
may 7, 2014
Rohrer, from page 10
to do well in school, they have to be
polite and respectful.
Sully: How difficult was it for you
to tell Kristi that you were diagnosed with cancer?
Antoinette: That was the hardest
part, telling the kids. I had known
for a couple of weeks. Kristi got
home from soccer and there was a
soccer meeting that night for the
parents and Kristi was annoyed that
I wasn’t going. We had planned on
telling the kids that night. After dinner we asked them to sit in the living
room. My husband was going to do
all the talking. We agreed from the
beginning that we were going to be
honest, we weren’t going to sugarcoat anything. My husband hesitated
and my son looked at both of us
and said, “OK, who died?” And I
said, “I’m not going to die.” I held it
together.
Sully: What was your reaction,
Kristi? That has to be a tough thing
to hear when you are in high school.
Kristi: When you think of cancer
you automatically think of death, so
that was the first thing I thought of.
But after she explained it and how
it wasn’t spreading and they could
handle it, that made me feel a little
better. But it was still terrible hearing that your mom has cancer.
Antoinette: We talked about it and
told them everything we knew up to
that point. I told everyone from the
beginning that we are going to stay
strong and positive. We are still a
functioning family, you are still going to do well in school and sports.
If (Kristi and Kirk) don’t do well
that’s what’s going to hurt me. And
for the most part they have gone
above and beyond my expectations.
They have been a huge help, they
Glory Days Magazine
haven’t been self-absorbed or selfish. My son has really stepped up to
the plate and helped out around the
house.
Sully: Have you worried at all about
what you are going through taking
attention away from Kristi’s high
school career?
Antoinette: Yes, absolutely. I said
from the beginning, “I’m not taking
an ad out, I’m not putting this on
Facebook,” and that kind of upset
her. I said to her that she could tell
two friends because I know she
needed to talk to somebody, but I
said please, I’m begging you, I don’t
want this on Twitter and Instagram.
I’m not putting it out there yet. My
family and immediate friends knew.
She kind of had a hard time with
that. She wanted to express herself
(on social media) but I said, “I’m
sorry, I don’t want you putting this
out there yet.” I wasn’t ready to put
this out there. I didn’t want to be the
center of attention, it’s not about me,
it’s about her. I’ve tried not to make
this about me.
Sully: (The “Girls lacrosse vs. Cancer” game) had to have been a pretty
cool night for both of you.
Antoinette: It was a very cool night.
She played her butt off, had a great
game. A lot of my family and friends
were there. It was great to see her
and her whole team do so well that
night.
Sully: What was that like for you,
Kristi, to be able to score four goals
and lead your team to a win?
Kristi: It was really cool to be able
to play for my mom like that.
Antoinette: I hope I haven’t overshadowed her, I’ve always tried to
keep it about (the kids).
Sully: What do you think of what
Kristi has become and how she has
matured?
Antoinette: In my opinion, she has
exceeded our expectations. First and
foremost our children have to be
respectful, and they have to do well
in school. To be a three-sport varsity
player and be on the honor roll, we
are very proud of her and her accomplishments. I’m very happy for her.
Sully: How neat is that for your
family to keep that Ocean City tradition going?
Antoinette: Both my parents and
my husband’s mother went to Ocean
City, my sister, my brother-in-law.
It’s very cool. I wouldn’t send them
to high school anywhere else.
Kristi: When I graduate next year,
both of my grandparents are going to
be on the field for the 50th anniversary of their graduation.
Sully: What do you think about that,
Kristi, of having such a long family
history at the high school?
Kristi: I think it’s pretty cool.
Antoinette: Ocean City is a very
good school, both for academics and
athletics. I told her, when you think
about it, from your football field and
track you can see the beach. I don’t
think there is any other school in the
state where you can do that. Once
she gets older I hope she will realize
how lucky she is to grow up where
page 11
she is.
Sully: What are you hoping for her
senior year? Any thoughts about
that?
Antoinette: I’m hoping she does as
well as she has done this year. I hope
her soccer team wins the Cape-Atlantic League again. I’m hoping she
can score her 100th goal in lacrosse
next year, and continue to stay on
the honor roll. I’m hoping it’s everything she wants it to be and more.
She certainly hasn’t disappointed us
when it comes to school and athletics. I’m hoping it’s a great year for
her. And for college I want her to go
where she wants to go, which I think
will be Tampa University.
Sully: Does it feel like it’s all going
too fast?
Antoinette: Definitely. The day goes
slow, but the years go fast. I can still
see Kristi as a 2-year-old. It definitely goes too fast. Some of the moms,
I’ve been around since she was in
kindergarten, and to think next year
is going to be her last practice for
this, her last game against this team.
It’s bittersweet, but they have to
grow up.
Contact Dave O’Sullivan:
[email protected];
on Twitter @GDsullysays
Page 12
Glory Days Magazine
may 7, 2014
Dominance runs in family
Cousins MacKenzie Meyer of EHT and Cheyenne Meyer of Cedar Creek
are very much alike, including being two of the top athletes in the CAL
By DAVE O’SULLIVAN
Publisher
edar Creek junior softball player Cheyenne Meyer and Egg
Harbor Township senior lacrosse and field hockey player MacKenzie Meyer have a lot in common.
Their dads, Jeff and Joe, are brothers.
They are about the same height and
both have blonde hair. They were born
on the same day, one year apart. They
have matching hand-painted decals of
the mascots of their respective college
choices on the spare tire covers of their
Jeeps.
They have another thing in common.
The ability to dominate in their respective sports.
MacKenzie has been one of the best
field hockey players in South Jersey for
the past couple of seasons, leading the
Eagles to a playoff berth last fall while
also turning in one of the top offensive
seasons in the Cape-Atlantic League.
She scored 36 goals as a senior and finished her career with 68, and also came
into this week with nearly 80 career
goals in lacrosse, including more than
30 this year. Cheyenne has emerged as
one of the best softball pitchers in the
league this season and also is perhaps
the CAL’s most feared hitter, having
amassed more than 100 career hits already. She’s helped lead the Pirates to a
10-5 record coming into this week.
Those are some serious bloodlines
the Meyer girls share.
Most of their success can be linked
to an incredibly intense desire to win
at whatever they do. It also helps that
they spent the majority of their youth
playing sports against boys, namely,
their brothers. Cheyenne’s brother,
Cody, and MacKenzie’s brother, Zack,
were also good athletes. Zack Meyer
currently is playing college baseball.
“It was always the girls vs. her brother and my brother so we were always
going against the boys. I think that’s
why we are so tough now, because
we’ve always had to compete against
our brothers,” MacKenzie said. “I remember when I was little I would be in
the backyard and my dad would have
me and my brother play, and I just
think it made me better. I always tried
to beat him and I think that made me a
C
Photo by Ben Hale/Ben Hale Photography
Cheyenne, left, and MacKenzie Meyer are so much alike that they both drive Jeeps, and each
has hand-painted artwork on their spare tire covers that represents the mascots of the colleges
they plan to attend. Cheyenne, a junior softball player for Cedar Creek High School, has given
a verbal commitment to attend Marshall University, while her cousin, MacKenzie, a senior twosport star at Egg Harbor Township High School, has chosen to play field hockey at the University of Delaware.
tougher and better player.”
Their athletic journeys began to take
different paths during middle school,
as MacKenzie started gearing her attention toward field hockey while
Cheyenne got really into softball. But
they did square off against each other
once at the high school level in a field
hockey game, a sport Cheyenne played
her first two years before concentrating
more on softball.
They were both defensive players,
so Cheyenne said she was a little surprised when MacKenzie made a run up
the field and they were face to face, on
opposing teams.
“I was thinking, you’re defense and
I’m defense, why are we going against
each other right now? I think she ended
up getting past me, but I don’t think she
scored on that play,” Cheyenne said.
Egg Harbor Township lacrosse coach
Jonelle Scardino said what separates
MacKenzie from a lot of high school
players is the level of intensity she
brings to the field, whether it be in lacrosse or field hockey.
“She’s definitely very intense. When
she’s not on the field we can definitely
tell. It’s very apparent that she gives
everything she has. If she wants the
ball she goes and gets it, if she wants to
score she goes to goal. She’s always in
the moment, she rarely gets distracted
on the field,” Scardino said. “We could
definitely tell she was an athlete the
moment she walked on the field. Once
she picked up a lacrosse stick and got
used to it and learned the rules and everything, she was in the lineup by the
end of (her freshman year). She’s super
athletic and we were excited to have
her. To get a girl who is that athletic
was very exciting for us.”
MacKenzie said she and her cousin
would play any sport at any time when
they were kids, but as she got older
she moved away from softball and got
more into field hockey and then eventually lacrosse.
“Ever since we were little we kind
of just shared everything. We always
did everything together, like when I
was little and went over to her house
we would just run around and be crazy.
We always did everything together,”
MacKenzie said. “We were both very
active and we were athletic kids, but we
didn’t really know what sport was for
us. Then, right around middle school,
we knew our sports and that we were
going to go pretty far. I played softball in seventh and eighth grade. Field
hockey was always my main sport. I
went from soccer to field hockey because of my mom, Della. My mom
used to play field hockey so she kind
See Family, page 13
may 7, 2014
Glory Days Magazine
Family, from page 12
of got me into it and I fell in love with it.”
Meanwhile, Cheyenne stuck with softball and her
decision has paid off, as she got an offer to play at
Marshall University despite being just a junior. She
has played a lot of travel softball and has gotten some
quality coaching, from Cedar Creek coach Shawn
Cohen to personal workout sessions with Buena Regional coach Pam Pickett for pitching and former
Mainland Regional baseball standout Jason Law for
hitting.
“I knew she was going to be a star. I went to a
bunch of her games (when she was younger) and she
was just a standout every time. Now she’s in the paper almost every day and I’m like, wow. I couldn’t be
more proud of her,” MacKenzie said of Cheyenne.
“It’s a lot of hard work every day,” Cheyenne said.
“Watching the sport on TV, listening to coaches and
players who are above me. My brother played baseball, so listening to him and going to all his lessons
and games. I actually played baseball until I was 12
years old.”
Sometimes teammates can have a hard time coexisting in harmony with players who have intense
travel ball schedules and have outside coaches working with them in the offseason, but Scardino said the
personalities of the Meyer girls have helped to diffuse any potential animosity.
“She’s very team oriented. She tries to give everybody some tricks of the trade. She can be silly and
goofy, like any teenage girl can be. But I think it’s a
nice contrast to her intensity. If she was that intense
all the time the other girls might not be so receptive
to that,” Scardino said of MacKenzie.
Scardino said it was important for MacKenzie to
recognize that as one of the top players, her teammates
would naturally follow the lead of her and the other seniors. And she’s been happy with the effort her seniors
have been turning in this year.
“I told her at the beginning of the season, ‘when
you are on the field, you have to play hard because
everyone on the field follows you. You set the tone for
the game.’ She really sets the tone for the intensity of
the game,” Scardino said. “She is just so competitive.
She wants to win all the time and she’ll do whatever it
page 13
Egg Harbor
Township senior
MacKenzie Meyer
has been one of
the best players
in the Cape-Atlantic League in both
field hockey and
lacrosse during
her Eagles
career. She
finished her
field hockey
career with nearly
70 goals and has
almost 80 in her
lacrosse career.
Photos by Ben Hale/
Ben Hale Photography
takes to get there. She’s been focused this entire season. She wants to win and go out on a high note. She
and the other seniors always lead the runs at practice
and make sure everyone is at the right pace.”
MacKenzie said having someone in her family who
understands the demands of being an athlete who is
working toward a college career has been a big help
to her, and the relationship she shares with her cousin
has been part of the foundation of her success as a high
school athlete.
“We share everything, from birth to now we’re like
the same person. Sometimes it’s a sisterly relationship
but sometimes it’s not because we’re always competing. But she’s one of my best friends and I’ll always
have her. She’s kind of like the sister I never had. It
Cheyenne Meyer has emerged as one of the top softball players in the CAL, leading
Cedar Creek to 10 wins in its first 15 games. Just a junior, she already has verbally
agreed to an offer to play college softball at Marshall University in West Virgina.
was great because I always had someone to talk to and
relate with because we were always so into our sports,
so we always had something to talk about,” MacKenzie said. “When we were younger we never imagined
we could get to this point, and now that it’s here it’s
amazing that we can represent our families when we
go to college.”
“We do have a lot in common. People say we look
alike. I looked up to MacKenzie growing up. When we
were around each other there was always a competitive
atmosphere. We both had that competitive drive when
we were together,” Cheyenne said. “It’s so cool seeing
her do well. I’m so proud of everything she’s accomplished. I was so happy she is going to her dream college and that everything is working out for her.”
MacKenzie said that while she remains focused on
finishing out her final lacrosse season on a high note,
she definitely is anticipating the beginning of her college career. Although she said it will be tough to leave
EHT, a school where she has left her mark athletically
and has made so many friends.
“I love Egg Harbor Township. I have so many memories. The girls I’ve played with, I’ll always remember
them. They are amazing,” MacKenzie said. “I honestly don’t know how it can get any better at college but
I cannot wait to go to college. At the same time I’m a
little bit sad because I have had such a great time at
EHT.”
Said Cheyenne, “I can’t wait to see how she does as
a college athlete. I’m sure she will do well and excel
in the college setting, in both her sport and academically.”
And, as has been the case throughout their lives,
next year Cheyenne will be right behind MacKenzie
on the road to success.
Contact Dave O’Sullivan: [email protected];
on Twitter @GDsullysays
Page 14
Glory Days Magazine
may 7, 2014
Coming of age
Absegami senior Brandon Bowen has matured both on and off
the diamond, and has been a key part of the Braves’ resurgence
By DAVE O’SULLIVAN
Publisher
T
o have a successful baseball team, you need
to have a guy like Brandon Bowen around.
He’s not going to light up the radar gun with
92-mph fastballs. He’s not going to hit towering home
runs deep into the trees beyond the outfield fence.
He’s not going to make acrobatic plays in the infield
worthy of an ESPN Sportscenter Top 10.
But he’s like that trusty old pickup truck out in the
driveway. Teenagers aren’t going to stare and admire
it as you’re driving down the road, but you know the
engine is going to turn over every morning when you
need to get to work.
Bowen didn’t start out his career as the rock of the
Absegami baseball program. He was talented enough
to make the varsity team as a sophomore, but that
season got mostly wiped out after a freak ankle injury. Baseball has a way of grinding you down with a
steady diet of failure, and early in his career Bowen
was had trouble dealing with the frustration.
But he rebounded with a pretty good junior season,
showing flashes of becoming a solid No. 2 starter behind standout righty Matt Ardente, a current junior
who recently committed early to play his college ball
at Seton Hall. Bowen also proved he could be a middle-of-the-order type of left-handed bat.
This season it has all come together for Bowen, as
the southpaw has been dominant on the mound and
is in the midst of putting together one of the better
offensive seasons in the Cape-Atlantic League. He’s
hitting well over .300 and is one of the top RBI guys
on the squad. He also has matured and become a
leader of what is still a fairly young Braves team.
“He struggled with (maturity) early because baseball is a game that is built to beat you down. It’s a
game that’s built on failure. If you get a hit 30 percent
of the time that’s considered good,” said Absegami
coach Brian Wastell. “It’s hard when they are young
to get them to realize that a 70 percent failure rate
is not necessarily a bad thing. That’s one thing that
we stress to our players. Baseball is about failure and
you have to learn how to deal with it.”
“I’ve had my ups and downs. I got hurt my sophomore year and that was very frustrating. Junior year
even caught me by surprise. This year, I’ve tried
to build on what I did last year and improve upon
that, and hopefully turn some heads and win some
baseball games,” Bowen said. “I think I’ve done a
lot of growing up over my four years of high school.
Coming off that injury (sophomore year) was beyond
frustrating and a lot of things were festering. I had a
lot of growing up to do. I have people looking at me
now and it’s time to be mature. I think having some
attention on the team has allowed me to grow as an
individual. I know I can’t throw a temper tantrum or
whatever the case may be.”
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Brandon Bowen has been one of Absegami’s most consistent players this season.
Through his first four starts as a pitcher he was undefeated, and through the first 10
games he was hitting well over .300 as the cleanup hitter in the Braves’ lineup.
“This year, I really feel like we leave
practice knowing we got better. It
came with the success. The quality of
practice started picking up and all of
a sudden we are leaving practice at
5 p.m. when we used to leave at 5:30
p.m., but we also did that much more.
It’s not so much about the time we
spend, but the quality of the time we
spend. The coaches have picked up
on that and it’s working.”
Brandon Bowen
Absegami senior
There haven’t been many reasons for angry outbursts this season, as the Braves have emerged as one
of the better teams in the ultra-competitive Cape Atlantic League American Conference and are steamrolling toward a playoff berth.
“When you go from Millville, to Vineland, to Egg
Harbor Township, to Atlantic City, there are no easy
games in this conference and that’s every day for us.
And for Brandon to step up the way he has, that’s
been big. I’m proud of the way he has matured, be-
cause that’s not only going to help him in baseball,
that’s going to help him in life,” Wastell said. “These
seniors realize they are preparing the future while living in the present.”
Bowen said he’s not surprised at the type of success Absegami (6 wins in first 10 games, in the hunt
for second place in the CAL American) has enjoyed
this year. He expected it, knowing players such as
Ardente, Tyler Welch, Buck Amend and Matt Branco
all came into the season with varsity experience and
were poised to have solid seasons.
“For three years, we had this crazy idea that we
could do something special this year. We were always
looking ahead to this year, and it’s finally here. We’ve
had some ups and downs. My role is to be a leader
and pass the torch on, so to speak. As much as we are
building toward a successful season this year it’s also
about the years to come,” Bowen said. “The coaches
have really helped me become the type of player I
want to be. We want to do big things this year, and
not only will it take me working hard it takes the other guys around me working hard, too, and I feel like
they have. These guys are my best friends. This is
my family, really. We grew up together, we hang out
See Bowen, page 15
may 7, 2014
Glory Days Magazine
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Bowen has been a productive run producer for Absegami this season, averaging an RBI per
game through the first 10 games of the season.
Bowen, from page 14
outside of baseball. We jell together for
whatever reason, and it works.”
Bowen said that there is a new kind
of energy around the team this season,
and that starts in practice. They are
practicing less in terms of time spent
on the field, but they are utilizing their
time so much more effectively.
“This year, I really feel like we leave
practice knowing we got better. It came
with the success. The quality of practice started picking up and all of a sudden we are leaving practice at 5 p.m.
when we used to leave at 5:30 p.m., but
we also did that much more,” Bowen
said. “It’s not so much about the time
we spend, but the quality of the time
we spend. The coaches have picked up
on that and it’s working.”
Wastell said the thing about Bowen
is the potential to be a leader and someone the rest of the team takes cues from
was always there, it just took some
time for those qualities to come to the
surface.
“He’s stepped up. We challenged him
really heavy to leave no regrets with his
senior year, and he’s done nothing but
produce,” Wastell said. “The biggest
thing with Brandon is he has grown
page 15
and matured to not let things rattle him
as much. He is a senior who is realizing
that high school is coming to an end
and he’s maxing out everything that
he’s got. I’m very proud of the way that
he is approaching this year. The best
part is, if he makes a mistake he will
acknowledge it and he will fix it.
“He’s been a guy who needed to
come into his own during his senior
year and he needed to trust that he was
going to come into his own. As soon
as he gave me that letter nominating
someone else for captain, I knew he
was coming into his own. Sometimes
he’s so passionate I have to reel him in
a little bit. The other day he got a little
passionate and we had to sit him down
and say, look, you’re beyond that. He
came in the next day and said, ‘coach,
I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.’”
Ironically, Bowen, despite being a
3-year member of the varsity program
and a senior, is not the captain. He voted Amend to be captain, and according
to coach Wastell, that tells you all you
need to know about Brandon Bowen.
“The guy who wrote the letter for
Buck Amend to be captain, because
you have to write a letter to me stating why you think somebody should be
captain, was Brandon,” Wastell said. “I
knew right away this year was going to
be a good year for him when he turned
in a letter nominating someone else to
be captain.”
“Buck is the undoubted leader, to
me, on this team. I felt that him being a
captain was the best thing for this team,
not only because he’s a leader on the
field, but he’s a leader in the classroom
in school, he’s a good kid, and he represents our team well,” Bowen said. “In
terms of a captain, it’s not necessarily
what you do on the baseball field.”
Sounds like something a captain
might say.
Contact Dave O’Sullivan:
[email protected];
on Twitter @GDsullysays
Page 16
A story of survival
Glory Days Magazine
may 7, 2014
Tony Granieri’s life changed in the blink of an eye
on April 27, 1996 ... in ways he never would have imagined
By DAVE O’SULLIVAN
Publisher
here is a patch of grass in left
field on what is now the junior
varsity baseball field at Mainland Regional High School in Linwood. It’s a patch of grass that players
run on, shag fly balls during batting
practice, do some pregame stretching
and throwing.
It’s also a patch of grass that holds
a story. A story the current Mustangs
players likely never heard of.
It’s a story of young love, sort of,
and of a ballplayer eager to make his
mark. But most importantly, it’s a story
of survival. And how life can change in
an instant.
T
Sudden impact
April 27, 1996.
It was a Saturday, and 16-year-old
Mainland sophomore Tony Granieri
was on cloud nine. The day before, he
had asked a beautiful senior girl if she
would come watch him play. He figured he had all his bases covered. If she
said no, he’d have the entire weekend
to get past the embarrassment of being
rejected by the apple of his eye. As the
game was starting, he realized she was
in the stands. She had shown up!
“I had designs to date this girl. She
was really pretty. I was in love, basically,” Granieri said.
Then, in his first at-bat, Granieri
laced a triple, sliding into third in a
cloud of dust. He got up, dusted himself off, and looked over to see the girl
cheering him on. As far as being a 16year-old boy goes, well, that’s about as
good as life can get.
Granieri was about to get a lesson in
how bad life can get.
The following inning, a batter ripped
a shot into the gap in left-center field.
Granieri, playing left field, made a beeline for it, laying out in a full-extension
dive. A triple and a diving catch in the
span of one inning? Man, that was sure
to impress the pretty girl in the stands.
Only, he didn’t hang onto the ball.
At the same instant he caught the
ball, Mainland’s center fielder was in
mid-dive. Their heads struck in a horrific mid-air collision that crushed the
left side of Granieri’s face as well as
Glory Days Magazine photos/Dave O’Sullivan
Tony Granieri stands in left field at the Mainland Regional High School baseball complex. It was
there, in 1996, that Granieri was part of a horrific outfield collision that nearly ended his life.
his collarbone. Granieri said he blacked
out, and when he came to he felt incredible pain. Kneeling, elbows on the
ground, he saw a pool of blood in his
ball cap and knew something was very
wrong.
In the confusion of the moment and
what happened, Granieri had no way
to know that his life would be forever
changed.
“We impacted as we both chased that
ball, fully parallel, both of us. When I
came to, my hat was in front of me, I
was on my knees. Everything was just
completely black. There was blood just
pooling in my hat. All kind of thoughts
were racing through my head, I didn’t
know what happened. I was terrified.
Everybody who was there said that
the impact sounded like a car crash,”
Granieri said. “I could hear my father’s
voice above everyone else’s just saying, you know, don’t alarm Tony, he’s
already hurt. Don’t make it worse. He
was trying to calm people down.”
Granieri was rushed to the hospital and later transported to Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia, where he
underwent a massive surgery to reconstruct the left side of his face. His
eye orbital had collapsed, and part of
his cheek and forehead were crushed.
Eye muscles were severed. He had to
endure a 13-hour surgery during which
titanium plates and screws were used
to reconstruct his face.
He ended up spending more than a
month in the hospital and several more
months recovering.
“I woke up (in the hospital) and I was
having seizures really bad. My grandmother was there holding my hand and
I was shaking horribly in the bed. They
didn’t have the right titanium pieces
here at this hospital to properly fix me,
so my dad got me out and we took an
ambulance ride up to CHOP,” Granieri
said. “Right away Dr. Scott Bartlett
came in and explained the whole procedure and what was wrong with me.
The people up at CHOP were amazing.
Dr. Bartlett was unbelievable.”
A new perspective
But as those next few weeks began to
crawl by, Granieri learned something.
Well, he learned many things, really.
He learned how quickly life can turn
on a dime. He also learned what a great
community Linwood is. Teammates,
classmates, coaches, family members,
teachers, they all showed up in support.
Grade schoolers even wrote him “get
well” cards. And the girl showed up at
the hospital and gave him a kiss, even
though he felt as though his whole head
was deformed.
The Horners, Gillinghams, Fussners,
Laws, Levinsons, Eisslers, Amodeos, Thomas’, the Kozmors. They all
See Survival, page 17
may 7, 2014
Glory Days Magazine
page 17
Survival, from page 16
showed up, usually with food in tow.
Granieri said his family’s refrigerator
was stocked for weeks.
He also learned he had a new hero.
It wasn’t some major-leaguer who had
heard the story and sent a signed baseball. It was his father. Most boys idolize their fathers, simply because they
usually are the most prominent male
figure in a boy’s life.
“He was my hero by default as a
little kid, but he really earned that title
during this stretch of time. I love ya,
Pop.” This is a line from a letter Granieri posted on Facebook a few weeks
ago as he marked the 18th anniversary
since the incident.
“My father, he couldn’t have been
better through this whole thing. He
stayed with me every night at CHOP.
He slept on a little window sill with
a little cushion. I wasn’t alone. Even
though everybody came to me and my
community was here to help, and everybody was amazing, my dad didn’t
leave my side for a second,” Granieri
said. “That was unbelievable.”
Lasting impact
Despite his quick recovery, Granieri
said he couldn’t bear continuing his
high school career at Mainland. The
event was just too traumatic, so he decided to transfer to Holy Spirit, where,
surprisingly, he continued to play football. He eventually went on to play
quarterback at Bryant University.
Although he went on to have a very
successful athletic career, and an even
more successful professional career
in television production with ESPN,
Granieri said he still has some regret
that he wasn’t able to heal emotionally
enough to finish out his career at Mainland. Not that he didn’t enjoy his time
at Holy Spirit, just that he feels perhaps
some of that high school innocence was
lost after the injury.
“I lived with it for a long time as like
a black mark that robbed me of my
ability to stay here and have kind of a
normal high school baseball and football career. But now, when I look back,
it could have been so much worse. In
time you gain perspective on the luck
side of it,” Granieri said. “It has definitely impacted me in terms of I live
with it every day. I have metal in my
head every day and I have these scars
every day. I get headaches from it, but
you learn to live with it. As far as my
life turned out, I wouldn’t change it
though, because it gave me strength
and a different perspective on how
fragile everything is. I’m where I’m
at now because of all the stuff that’s
Granieri said he visits the Mainland Regional baseball complex every year on the anniversary
of his injury, to remind himself of how lucky he is and how quickly life can change.
happened.”
Silver lining
Granieri returns to Mainland High
School’s baseball field every year on
April 27. Not to re-live the nightmare
of what happened, but more as a reminder. A reminder of how quickly life
can change, and also to remind himself
of how lucky he is. He now is the father of a 2-year-old boy and has a great
career.
“It’s emotional, because that little
patch of grass impacted me horribly. I
drive by it all the time and I can’t help
but have all those thoughts rush in,”
Granieri said. “I come here a lot and
just think about things, if I’m having a
tough day. I think, as bad as whatever it
is I’m facing today is, it’s not as bad as
this was. It’s like a little place to collect
my thoughts and remember how bad it
was for me at that time.”
He said that was the reason he wrote
the lengthy Facebook post. To remind
himself of the emotional cleansing process he goes through every year at the
end of April, and also because it has
now been more years he has lived after the injury than before it. He figured
after 18 years perhaps it was time to
share the whole story with everyone,
and maybe it was more of an emotional
boost for him, knowing that he was finally able to talk about it publicly.
“The idea of having this a part of me
for longer than before. I lived for 16
years as a normal kid. Now I have it
longer than it actually was without it,”
Granieri said. “So, it was just emotional, it was the anniversary and I said,
you know, I’ll share the story and see
what people remember and how they
felt about it.”
And maybe the biggest silver lining
of all was he got to enjoy a special moment with the girl he had tried so valiantly to impress on the ball field that
day.
“A few weeks into my recovery, she
showed up in the hospital. Everybody
left the room and we just sat for a little
while, and then she gave me a kiss. After she left I was like, ‘this is the best
I could possibly feel,’” Granieri said.
“But she graduated and I transferred.
I’ve seen her a couple times since then.
She was kind of the sole bright spot
during that time. It was a good thing
that she was there.”
Life, as they say, goes on. And for
Tony Granieri, that’s a great thing.
Contact Dave O’Sullivan:
[email protected];
on Twitter @GDsullysays
Page 18
Glory Days Magazine
may 7, 2014
Home run a fitting tribute to coach
EHT sophomore Kate Korté turned tragedy
into triumph with one swing of the bat
By DAVE O’SULLIVAN
Publisher
gg Harbor Township sophomore
catcher Kate Korté stepped into
the batter’s box on April 23,
gripped the bat, and looked out at the
field in front of her. She wasn’t focused
on the Hammonton pitcher, the score,
the baserunners, the fielders. In fact,
not much came into sharp focus. It was
as if she was in a dream state, the world
around her blurry, her head spinning with
a mix of sadness, anger, frustration.
The previous night, her beloved travel
coach, Ken Esser, had passed away at
age 54 after suffering a heart attack earlier in the month. Kate had played for Esser’s South Jersey SWAT (Softball With
Attitude) team for the past three years
and considered Esser her primary softball mentor. She was, admittedly, very
emotional during school on Wednesday,
April 23. Her mother, Michelle, contacted EHT coach Mary Dunlap and
urged Dunlap to make her play that day,
believing that participating in the game
and being around her teammates would
provide an emotional outlet and some
form of stability during a trying time for
a 16-year-old.
Looking back now, Kate said she is
glad she did play. Because what happened after she stepped into the batter’s
box became the greatest tribute Kate
could have made to Esser. Kate turned
around a fastball, launching it deep over
the fence in left-center field for a home
run. As Kate sprinted toward first, firstbase coach Julie Sanchas told her to slow
down, the ball had gone over the fence.
Thoughts swirled around Kate’s mind
as she rounded second, and when she
saw the jubilation on Dunlap’s face while
rounding third, the emotion overtook her
and she burst into tears on her way to
home plate.
“Once it was hit, I knew it had a shot
of clearing the fence. Once it went over I
remember just throwing my hands up in
the air and feeling excitement for her. I
was so happy because what better way to
celebrate somebody who has given you
so much?” Dunlap said.
“I knew it was a deep shot but I didn’t
know it would go over the fence. After
I hit it, I was running to first and coach
Sanches said ‘way to go, kid, just keep
on going,’” Kate said. “And then when
E
“She was very emotional
before the game. Just from
my own personal experience I
knew the best thing would be
for her to get on the field and
have the opportunity just to
let go. I knew getting on the
field would be the best thing
for her. I spoke to her and the
whole team about us sticking
together as family and trying
to get through the everyday
obstacles that we have and
relying on one another. Everybody picked her up and
helped her out. It was a difficult day.”
EHT coach Mary Dunlap
I was rounding second I thought of my
first home run with my travel team and
seeing Coach Ken. I saw coach Dunlap
at third and I just lost it, and seeing all
my teammates at home, it was really
emotional.”
After the game, a come-from-behind,
13-6 win over the Blue Devils, Dunlap
said the weight of emotion Kate had been
carrying around that day finally became
too much to hold by herself.
“She was very emotional after the
game when we were in our team huddle.
We were all excited because beating
Hammonton is big, they always have
a great team. She was emotional in the
huddle the whole time, and we recognized that,” Dunlap said. “After we did
our cheer at the end she just hugged me,
because she needed it. She played with
her whole heart that game and it just
shows a kid who really cares. It was a
great way for us to be there for her and
also get a great win.”
Michelle Korté said it was imperative
for Kate to play that day to give her a way
to channel everything she was feeling in
a positive way.
“He passed away the night before that
game and she really struggled that whole
day. Coach Dunlap had contacted me a
few times throughout the day and I just
told her to push her, she has to keep her
mind and body moving,” Michelle said.
“Kate looked like she was struggling in
the beginning of the game and then she
hit that home run. I think as soon as she
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Egg Harbor Township sophomore Kate Korté is overcome with
emotion as she rounds third base after hitting a home run
against Hammonton on April 23, just one day after her beloved
travel coach, Ken Esser, passed away.
rounded first base the coach told her it
was over the fence and she burst into
tears.
“It really showed how strong she is.
She struggled throughout the day, but
thanks to coach Dunlap and her coaching
staff, and some of the teachers, they really pushed her to keep her mind focused.
It was one of those rare moments.”
Said Dunlap, “She was very emotional
before the game. Just from my own personal experience I knew the best thing
would be for her to get on the field and
have the opportunity just to let go. I
knew getting on the field would be the
best thing for her. I spoke to her and the
whole team about us sticking together
as family and trying to get through the
everyday obstacles that we have and relying on one another. Everybody picked
her up and helped her out. It was a difficult day.”
Kate said she credits the EHT coach-
ing staff, as well as her teammates, and
teachers, for helping her get through perhaps the toughest day she’s had to face in
her 16 years.
“I found out the night before and it
was really hard. It was very emotional.
Throughout the school day it was really
hard to stay focused,” Kate said. “He was
such a great coach, but the whole coaching staff at EHT really helped me out.
Coach Dunlap helped me push through
it and keep going.”
According to his obituary, Esser was
a very dedicated travel softball coach,
and the Korté family echoed those sentiments.
“(Esser) was phenomenal. He taught
them on the field and off the field. He
was big on respect, and those girls respected each other, they entered every
tournament with a lot of class,” Michelle
See Tribute, page 19
may 7, 2014
Glory Days Magazine
page 19
Tribute, from page 18
said. “Every girl he coached, he had a great relationship
with. He dedicated his entire life to it. He worked hard
to get every girl into college. He was wonderful, we’re
really going to miss him.”
“Coach Ken was also a hitting instructor and he really
helped improve my swing. He was always there for me.
When I got up (to bat) and realized he wasn’t going to
be there for me anymore, it was really hard. I just tried
to stay focused. I knew I had a job to do for my team,”
Kate said. “Now that I look back on it, it feels like such
an honor that I could do that for him. Hitting a home run
in my first at-bat after he passed away, that was great.
I was really happy that I could do that for him. I hope I
make him proud with everything I do.”
Kate said that one of the teaching tools Esser used
was to get his players to imagine themselves having
great success, whether it was before an at-bat or trotting
onto the field to begin a new inning.
“One of the things coach Ken taught us to do was to
create a personal highlight reel in our heads before we
got up to bat, all our best plays we’ve ever had. So now
that’s in my personal highlight reel,” Kate said.
No doubt the home run she hit against Hammonton
is now on a continuous loop in Kate’s mental highlight
reel.
Contact Dave O’Sullivan: [email protected];
on Twitter @GDsullysays
Ken Esser was the coach of South Jersey SWAT, a travel softball team based
out of Woodstown. He was one of only a
handful of Mike Epstein certified instructors in New Jersey and had mentored
many young softball players throughout
the years before he passed away on April
22 at the age of 54.
Photos courtesy of Korté family
Kate Korté is pictured here in her travel
team uniform. She said “Coach Ken” was
a major influence in her life, both on and
off the softball field.
Page 20
Glory Days Magazine
may 7, 2014
My glory days
Stephon Kent, Atlantic City High School, 2006
By DAVE O’SULLIVAN
Publisher
tephon Kent gazes around the
vast expanse inside Oceanside
Wellness & Sport on the Black
Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township
and has to pinch himself. He’s just 26,
and he now owns and operates the performance gym. But that kind of success
is possible when you work hard, stay
focused and go after your dreams with
drive and determination. Those are all
qualities he learned on the football field
at Atlantic City High School.
Kent was an outstanding fullback and
linebacker for the Vikings, twice being
named the team’s defensive MVP and
also earning All-Cape-Atlantic League
honors as a senior during the 2005 season. He went on to play two seasons at
La Salle University before transferring
to Rutgers, where he played two more
seasons after sitting out a year as required by the NCAA.
After college, Kent joined up with
the Parisi Speed School, a training
program started in 1992 by former AllAmerican track star Bill Parisi which
now has more than 75 franchises and
trains more than 600,000 athletes.
“When I went to the Parisi Speed
School I learned a lot and started training kids. We have a lot of football players in the area, like Taalib Gerald and
all the Holy Spirit guys. It’s just been
a domino effect. I had fun doing it and
now I own Oceanside,” Kent said.
Kent said having an athletic background has really helped him as a
young business owner. He’s planning a
grand re-opening on May 10 and has
been working around the clock to prepare for that as well as implement his
vision for where Oceanside will go in
the future.
“The passion, the energy, the drive.
I’m excited about what I’m doing because it all corresponds to sports. It
makes me feel like I’m playing again.
Every day I come in and it feels like
I’m strapping the helmet on again,”
Kent said. “I really want to help people
with different aspects of training, diving in on nutrition and how to control
their bodies as athletes. And also educating parents on the recruiting process. They don’t know a lot about how
to get recruited and when to start the
recruiting process.”
Kent said the things he learned as a
young athlete are still paying dividends
S
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Stephon Kent was a star linebacker at Atlantic City High School before going on to a college
career that included a 2-year stint at La Salle and another two years at Rutgers University. He
now owns Oceanside Wellness & Sport, a sports performance training center in Egg Harbor
Township.
today. Taking over a business is never
an easy thing and there are a million
things he has to think about, but he said
even when things get difficult that old
football mantra of “don’t quit” is pulsating through his brain.
“I always had to work really hard
to get amazing results. I take that here
with the Parisi Speed School and try to
teach kids to train really hard and never
quit,” Kent said. “That’s always been
instilled in me and that has helped me a
whole lot. You can take that into business as well. Work hard, stay humble
and never quit, and you’ll get amazing
results.”
At Atlantic City High, the 2006 graduate said he strived early on to become
a Division I player and believed he
could achieve that dream.
“Every kid thinks they are going to
go Division I. I wanted to go Division
I and I wanted to do whatever it took,”
Kent said. “I knew if I worked hard I
would have a good shot.”
Kent said the biggest difference he
sees now compared to when he was in
high school is the intensity of the recruiting process and how much more
advanced it is, and he tries to get high
school athletes he trains to realize just
how much competition is out there.
“As far as video-wise, it’s so much
more advanced. You have to be extra
special with your highlight tapes and
your portfolio to really stand out,”
Kent said. “You have to have a really
good coach who is going to sell you
and you have to sell yourself in order
to make it out of this area. That’s one
of the biggest things is the exposure.
Schools like Don Bosco get a lot more
exposure than schools in this area.”
There’s probably tape of Kent’s biggest highlight from high school floating
around somewhere. It came late in his
senior season against Mainland. Atlantic City held a lead and needed a first
down to clinch the game, and a long
awaited win over the Mustangs.
“I’ll never forget beating Mainland
after 10 years of not being able to beat
See Kent, page 21
may 7, 2014
Glory Days Magazine
page 21
Kent, from page 20
them. It was a great experience. It was
fourth down, two yards to go at the 20.
My coach called a timeout and said,
‘can you do it?’ And I said, ‘give me
the ball.’ I took the ball down to the 5yard line. Game over,” Kent said. “It
was on their home turf, playoffs on the
line, fourth down. It was a perfect situation.”
Kent said after the glory of his high
school days, college football was a
whole different experience. Football
was more like a job than an after-school
activity.
“The biggest difference is film. You
get a packet every week, game-planning, scouting reports. Digesting 50
plays in three days, and then on top
of that your college work,” Kent said.
“And your parents aren’t around so
you really have to buckle down on
your school work and football. It’s like
a professional career while you’re in
college.”
Now that his competitive athletic career is over, Kent said he is hoping he
can pass along some of his knowledge
to current high school athletes and help
them become the best they can be.
“I’ve always been focused on a mission and a goal. That is what has always pulled me in the right direction,”
Kent said. “The Parisi Speed School,
they know what they are doing. We focus on nutrition, self discipline. That’s
very big in our program. We want kids
to be able to perform, not just from a
sports performance perspective, but
from a mental perspective.”
Even though Kent has been out of
high school for less than 10 years, he
has some perspective on the journey he
has taken since leaving the halls of Atlantic City High School.
“It’s been a wonderful experience
to see the transition from high school
to college, and now being an owner
of a major facility in the public,” Kent
said. “I’ve had a lot of adversity and
challenges. My dream was to be in the
NFL, but now my dream is to put people in the NFL.
“Life is hard and it’s a struggle sometimes. If I didn’t go through the struggles with football, I wouldn’t be able
to go through the struggles of a lot of
things. High school football helped me
with mental toughness, dedication and
becoming proficient at a craft. At the
end of the day it’s hard work and wanting to master what you love to do.”
Contact Dave O’Sullivan:
[email protected];
on Twitter @GDsullysays
Advertise today in Glory Days Magazine!
Join a winning team and promote your business to thousands
of potential customers in the greater Atlantic City area.
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Page 22
Glory Days Magazine
may 7, 2014
u SNAPSHOTS u
Oakcrest attacker Jon Mitchell tries to get around Ocean City defender
Kyle Conrad during the Red Raiders’ win over the Falcons.
Glory Days Magazine photos/Dave O’Sullivan
Holy Spirit pitcher Frankie Lanfranchie delivers a pitch
during the Spartans’ game against Mainland Regional
in April.
Egg Harbor Township pitcher Misael Castillo, center, is mobbed by
teammates after throwing a no-hitter on Opening Day against Holy
Spirit.
Atlantic Christian School’s Kate Newman is all smiles after a
teammate makes a great play against Calvary.
Cedar Creek second baseman Savanna Wilkinson gets set at
her position during the Pirates’ victory over Atlantic City in
April at Cedar Creek High School.
may 7, 2014
Glory Days Magazine
page 23
Commentary
A county baseball tournament could happen, and here is
an unconventional proposal that might create excitement
T
witter is kind of wacky sometimes. Lots of pictures of sneakers, people complaining about
the ineptitude of their favorite professional sports team, someone imploring
you to retweet something with the possibility of a horrible disease inflicting
you if for some reason you refuse.
But one good thing about
Twitter is occasionally it
can spark a good idea.
Holy Spirit baseball
coach Steve Normane
posed a question on Twitter last week, asking why
there isn’t an Atlantic
County high school baseball tournament. Good
question! And, being that
I sometimes have an active imagination, it set me
to thinking about how one
could be constructed.
Now, stay with me on this, because
it’s not going to be conventional at
all. In fact, it might give you that face
you make when you pop a whole roll
of Smarties candy in your mouth all at
once.
First off, Atlantic County has the
perfect facility, Sandcastle Stadium in
Atlantic City. It’s a former independent league park, has great sightlines,
plenty of seating, Major-League style
dugouts. It would be a neat experience for the players as well as the
fans. A field like that should definitely
be made available for a high school
tournament.
OK, so we have the location set.
Now, what time of year? Tough
choice, because you don’t want to
have it too early in the season, and
mid- to late May would be tough with
the playoffs going on. You don’t want
to have it too late, because once teams
get eliminated from the state playoffs
it would be tough. Seniors would have
their minds on summer vacation and
college. You wouldn’t
get a true measure of a
team’s performance and
ability. Plus, for teams
that wouldn’t be qualifying for state playoffs, this
would be a great chance
for them to play in a tournament setting.
So, for argument’s
sake, let’s say the first
two weekends of May.
So there are 14 teams in
Atlantic County, as in
the Sully scenario we would include
Atlantic Christian School and ACIT
along with the Cape-Atlantic League
teams. You would have the top two
teams, in this case St. Augustine and
Buena Regional, get byes in the first
round. (Now, don’t get all crazy on my
seedings here and start firing off angry
emails. Kind of just going mostly by
records and what I’ve seen so far this
season. It’s just for argument’s sake
to show how the tournament would
work.) The other 12 teams would be
seeded No. 3 through No. 14.
Here’s where it gets a little wacky,
but stay with me. Instead of traditional
seven inning games, all games except
the championship would be five innings.
Dave O’Sullivan
Wait, say what?
Think about it, though. You would
get exciting games and teams wouldn’t
be burning all their pitching during a
mid-season, weekend tournament. So,
for instance, on the first weekend you
would have three 5-inning games on
Saturday and three 5-inning games on
Sunday. Each day would be about 4-5
hours of baseball, great for the fans.
Games at noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.,
you’re done by 5 p.m. and parents can
enjoy a nice dinner in the area. (A nice
boost to local businesses, win-win situation.)
So check it out. In the Sully scenario,
St. Augustine and Buena would get
a bye into the second weekend. On
Saturday of the first weekend you’d
have (4) EHT vs. (13) Pleasantville,
followed by (5) Hammonton vs. (12)
ACIT, followed by (8) St. Joseph vs. (9)
Oakcrest. On Sunday, you’d have (7)
Absegami vs. (10) Mainland Regional,
followed by (3) Holy Spirit vs. (14)
Atlantic Christian, followed by (6) Cedar Creek vs. (11) Atlantic City (as the
host school, Atlantic City would get the
signature game at 3 p.m. on Sunday.)
Fast forward to the second weekend.
You’d have four quarterfinal games on
Saturday. St. Joseph/Oakcrest winner
vs. St. Augustine, Absegami/Mainland
winner vs. Buena, Cedar Creek/Atlantic
City winner vs. EHT/Pleasantville winner, and Hammonton/ACIT winner vs.
Holy Spirit/Atlantic Christian winner.
Then you have the semifinal game at 1
p.m. that Sunday with the championship game, a full 7-inning game, at 4:30
p.m.
If you are not one of the top two
teams and end up winning the tournament, that would be 22 innings spread
over four days, roughly the equivalent
of just three games. So it wouldn’t
totally decimate your pitching staff. (In
case of ties, you’d go to Olympic rules,
with a runner at second to start each
extra inning.) Plus, it would provide
excitement for the players and fans and
make every at-bat, every pitch meaningful. Players might only get up twice
in a game. Better make it count.
So, think about it. Fourteen teams,
14 games, four days, one great facility,
school pride on the line, an exciting
atmosphere, big fan turnout, intense
5-inning games. Plus you could get
the community involved by allowing
groups to raise money for charitable
causes.
You could invite local youth league
teams, marching bands and cheerleaders from each high school, former area
baseball stars to throw out the first pitch
at games. Another great idea: incorporating players from area leagues such
as Little League Challenger or Field of
Dreams. You could allow some of these
players to sit in the dugouts during
games and interact with the high school
players.
The possibilities are endless. It could
end up being the most exciting tournament in South Jersey! Baseball traditionalists probably wouldn’t agree, but
sometimes you have to think outside
the box.
Contact Dave O’Sullivan:
[email protected];
on Twitter @GDsullysays
Page 24
Glory Days Magazine
may 7, 2014