2010 Feb Falcon - Saint Joseph High School

Sports
The Falcon
page
The Student Newspaper of St. Joseph High School
Vol. LII Number 4
3
page
4
February 2010
Community Raises 10K for Haitian Relief
By Nitin Srinivasan
Sports Editor
The lives of millions
of people across the globe
were devastated on Tuesday, January 12, when a
7.0 Mw earthquake rocked
the small nation of Haiti.
Approximately 200,000
lives were lost, and nearly
250,000 more people were
wounded. Buildings were
destroyed, over a million
people were left homeless, and family members
around the world worried
if their loved ones were
alive. Immediately after
the disaster, thousands of
individual relief efforts,
including the community of the Brothers of
the Sacred Heart, began
working toward contributing to those who
were affected by the earthquake.
The St. Joe’s community as a whole – students,
faculty, and family alike –
rose to the occasion admirably when called upon to
help contribute to the effort
to rebuild Haiti. The Brothers, who had numerous
buildings destroyed in the
earthquake, were in despe-
rate need of assistance.
In spite of difficult
economic times, the St.
Joe’s family generously
donated a total of $10,000
through the course of
a weeklong collection.
These collections included
a gracious donation from
the 50/50 raffle and money
raised by the Umoja club,
as well as the considerable contributions from students, faculty members,
family, and alumni.
T h i s h e r o i c e ff o r t
serves as a testament to the
generosity and compassion of the St. Joe’s family.
The fact that the school
was able to raise such a
large sum in such a short
period of time reflects the
spirit of community that
St. Joe’s feels toward all
of humanity, even though
most may not have been
directly affected by this
disaster.
Although the collection
will not solve the multitude
of problems the people of
Haiti are currently facing,
it can evoke small, positive changes on the road to
a better future. That
truly is the “St. Joe’s
Way.”
Finding a connection
to the devastation
By Martin Pico
Managing Editor
Imagine thousands of people sitting on the streets with nowhere to go.
People are running, crying, screaming.
Imagine looking up to a gray, dismal
sky covered in smoke as the buildings
around you begin to collapse and the
ground, the only the thing that used to
hold you up is shaking beneath you,
throwing your world into complete
pandemonium. Imagine having no idea
if your friends or family are safe or
alive. With no water, food, or shelter,
where do you go?
This tumultuous description has
become a stark reality for many who
inhabit the Caribbean Island of Haiti.
Haiti, which is considered one of the
poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, has already been a victim to
numerous recent disasters, including
4 hurricanes and storms in 2008 that
killed hundreds.
On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 quake,
the most powerful to hit Haiti in a century, struck around 5 p.m. Buildings and
power lines collapsed as chaos entered
the lives of many. With this horrifying
disaster, the lives of many Haitians
have taken a turn for the worse.
Whenever you hear about these
natural disasters, it is often difficult to
comprehend the magnitude of destruction that has occurred. These calamities
are often thousands of miles away and
seem worlds apart from the peaceful,
calm atmosphere to which most have
become accustomed. In direct contrast
to the comfortable lifestyle that people
have taken for granted, inhabitants of
Haiti have had their lives turned upside
down. A few clips of the disaster are all
it will take to make you realize that the
reality of the situation is probably much
worse than most people think.
Hundreds of miles away, you may
wonder how we are connected. Are we
connected because we are all inhabitants of the earth? Are we connected
because we share the same basic needs
of food, shelter, and clothing? Are we
connected because we all have encountered pain? Maybe it’s all three of these,
but above all else, it’s because we’re
human. Even though we may not share
the same beliefs, doctrines, or ideas, we
are connected by our human condition.
We are similar in our ability to relate to
others. Through our ability to see and
understand others, we can reach out to
those around us who in turn can reach
out to their communities. In this way,
we can unite as human beings.
The St. Joe’s community worked
together to raise money for the victims
of the earthquake. While everyone’s
individual efforts may have seemed
miniscule, the combined efforts of
the school community were inspirational. But why stop there? Look to
your communities, your parishes, and
your family and friends and continue
to find ways to aid in the cause. Be the
voice for the suffering Haitians affected
by this catastrophe.
If we can imagine a world of suffering, we can also imagine a world of
sharing and kindness. We have seen
the first come true, so why not work
towards making the latter a reality. If
we take the compassion and blessings
we have received in our lives and pay it
forward in some way, whether through
an act of kindness or a simple donation,
we can make a difference in the lives
of so many.
MUN Dominates at Conference Cafeteria in Transition
Falcons Earn Outstanding Delegation Award
By Alex Ganescu
Associate Editor
The Model United Nations
conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania is a congregation of
the most politically astute
students from schools around
the region. Thirty-five delegates represented St. Joe’s
at this annual conference in
early January, in hopes of discussing, debating, and resolving issues of international
importance with some of the
best students the Northeast
has to offer.
Three thousand delegates
from thirty-seven schools
came together to write resolutions on predefined topics.
After researching assigned
countries and committees,
each delegate represented his
country to the best of his ability, voicing the interests and
concerns of his nation.
In addition, there was an
“unexpected crisis” that had
to be handled on the second
day of conference. The Model UN had to work together
to evacuate the entire European continent following a
hypothetical nuclear power
plant meltdown in western
Russia.
As a group, St. Joe’s
Students Call for More Change
By Charlie Bruno
Staff Writer
Photo by Ms. McNamara
St. Joe’s thirty-five Model UN delegates brought home
Outstanding Delegation Awards.
brought home the Outstanding Delegation award
for being one of the few
high schools that met all
deadlines and whose delegates excelled throughout
the conference.
Senior David Stess and
sophomore Joseph Graham
were awarded best position
papers in their respective
committees. Teacher advisers
read and rate each delegate’s
paper and reward the delegate
with the most comprehensive
and elaborate representation
of their country.
Senior Victor Breton, Jr.,
juniors Alex Ganescu and
Riker Pasterkiewicz, and
freshman Frank Fritz were
recognized for their excellent character throughout
the course of the conference,
displaying respect, honor,
honesty, and allowing for an
environment of cooperative
learning and discussion. Fritz
was also recognized when
Brazil won the award for best
country represented overall
by its delegates.
“The students were recognized in many different
categories, making the whole
trip worth while,” commented
Ms. McNamara, co-moderator with Dr. Robert Longhi,
’81, for the trip.
The trip was also a great
experience for newcomers,
like junior Dennis Connors.
“I took a lot away from Model United Nations,” he commented. “The debates were
intense and enjoyable.”
The Falcons are now looking forward to the Georgetown Model UN conference
in February and the Youth
And Government conference
in April.
Cafeteria food has long been the
butt of jokes in pop culture. Entertainers Chris Farley and Adam Sandler’s
Saturday Night Live skit “Lunch Lady
Land” portrayed the horrors of the high
school cafeteria and left the lunchroom
with the poor reputation of serving
“mystery meat” and a sparse variety
of foods.
Maschio’s Food Services Inc., who
has been serving St. Joe’s students for
years, however, has gone above and
beyond to break this stereotype of
subpar cafeteria catering.
After receiving word from Principal
John Anderson, ’70, and the Student
Council of interest throughout the
student body for an expansion in the
lunchtime menu, Maschio’s looked for
a way to supplement the set of choices
already available to students at lunch.
In mid-December, they presented a
sample of potential menu items to the
Student Council.
“We were looking to reach out to
the palette of the high school student
and see what it was that he wanted,”
said Regional Supervisor Chris Traks.
“We wanted to add more variety to the
current menu, while keeping the meals
nutritious and satisfying.”
Results indicated that the students
were interested in an increased selection of chicken, and, since the test, a
chicken cheesesteak has been added
to the menu. For those not looking to
cut back on the calories, hearty Italian
fare has been added in the form of veal
parmigiana and stuffed shells.
While students have shown an
appreciation for these changes, most
agree that they are long overdue, and
more changes are necessary.
“The breakfast food is seriously
lacking,” commented sophomore
Andrew Ho. “The [egg and bacon]
sandwiches are so artificial tasting.” While Maschio’s did add one
breakfast dish, students have given
attention to the lack of variety in the
morning.
“I need something more to wake
me up in the morning. The choices
are monotonous,” added sophomore
Vinnie Laudicina.
Nevertheless, some students are
quite fond of the chow available during
school. Sophomore Sebastian Pedrahita
certainly feels that way. “I eat here
once or twice a day,” he commented.
“The pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich is to die for. I hope the new stuff
is just as good.”
Although some changes have come,
there is certainly room for improvement, and Maschio’s is committed to
catering to the desires of the student
body. The democratic process worked
brilliantly in making the lunchroom
better for all students. If you continue
to voice your desires and concerns,
you could make a difference in your
school.
THE FALCON 2
14 Bloustein Scholars
Announced for St. Joe’s
By Michael Henton
Staff Writer
Every year, students across
New Jersey receive the Edward J.
Bloustein Distinguished Scholar
award. Established in 1989, the
award provides the state’s best
scholars with a yearly one thousand dollar scholarship to any
college within New Jersey.
Students must rank within the
top ten percent of their graduating class at the end of junior
year with combined critical
reading and math SAT scores
of 1260 in order to be honored.
This year, fourteen students from
St. Joe’s received the award, a
recognition of their outstanding secondary school academic
achievement.
These students had the highest cumulative GPAs in their
class through junior year. The
subsequent scholarship will be
available for up to four years
of undergraduate school at any
New Jersey state college or university, starting with the 2010-11
academic year.
Guidance counselor Ms. Yannaco shed light on the nature
of the scholarship. “I believe
the state of New Jersey tries to
keep its highest achieving students within the state by limiting
the range of the scholarship
to in-state colleges,” she
explained.
The academic successes of
the recipients have duly represented the school community
and reflected the merit of the
award’s namesake, Edward J.
Bloustein. President of Rutgers
University for over 18 years,
Bloustein envisioned an award
that could help fund the college education of thousands of
the state’s elite students. For
the fourteen scholars selected
from St. Joe’s, the vision of
Mr. Bloustein has afforded them
an opportunity to help fund their
college education.
National Honor Society Begins
Selection Process for Class of 2011
By Michael Bender
Staff Writer
The National Honor Society is an organization which
recognizes those students who
combine outstanding academic
achievement with the highest
possible character and leadership ability. Acceptance into the
NHS is a prestigious honor, as
the difficulty of the application
process clearly displays.
In order to apply to the NHS,
a student must provide evidence
that he possesses excellence in
scholarship, service, leadership and character. To fulfill
the requirement for scholarship, the student must have a
cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher,
which must be accomplished by
the end of the first semester in
junior year.
The applicants must also be
involved in at least four activities at St. Joe’s and two more in
around campus
Published by the students of
St. Joseph High School
145 Plainfield Ave.,
Metuchen, NJ 08840
732-549-7600 ext 261
www.stjoes.org
Volume LII, No. 4
February 2010
Editor-in-Chief:
Alfonse Muglia
Managing Editors:
Martin Pico
Edward Zukowski
Associate Editors:
Michael Cash
Alexander Ganescu
Ryan Langton
Mark Lee
Sports Editor:
Nitin Srinivasan
Staff Writers:
Michael Bender
James Bogdanowicz
Charlie Bruno
Mike D’Ambrosio
Leonel Delgadillo
Michael Henton
Sean Finan
Christian Goldy
Michael Henton
Daniel Kozub
Himanshu Patel
William Scarano
Alex Schiffer
Mike Syslo
Jonathan Teters
Brian Whiteside
James Ziemba
Photographer:
William Scarano
James Ziemba
Comic Editor:
Rob Luceri
Associate Comic Editor:
Joseph Graham
Faculty Moderator:
Dr. Robert Longhi, ‘81
Principal:
Mr. John Anderson, ‘70
President:
Mr. Lawrence Walsh, ‘68
The Falcon welcomes articles
from students, parents and faculty members for consideration for
publication. All articles are subject
to editing. The opinions expressed
in The Falcon do not necessarily
represent the opinions of faculty or
administration. Opinions expressed
in any column except those of the
editors are not necessarily those
of the editors.
Graphics and Printing by
Media Trends, Metuchen, NJ
(732) 548-7088
Library Club Holds
Book Drive
By Leonel Delgadillo
Staff Writer
Led by librarian Ms. Patricia
Brennan, the Library Club collected over 250 books in the
month of December in hopes of
helping youngsters with limited
opportunities to read. The books,
which were targeted for preschool to teenage age students
and included classics like Where
the Wild Things Are and Fahrenheit 451, were donated to the
Newark Public Library.
“The drive was a great success, and we would not have
been able to accomplish this
without the help of the teachers and students who donated,”
commented club Vice President Brian Whiteside. Due to
the great success this year, the
club hopes to make the drive an
annual event.
Praise for the Vignette
By Mark Lee
Associate Editor
The 2009 Vignette literary
magazine was awarded “First
Place with Special Merit” by
the American Scholastic Press
Association. It marked the fourth
straight year the school earned
this high distinction. St. Joseph
was also one of only eight private/parochial schools in its category to earn this award.
“I am very proud of the literary staff,” commented co-moderator Dr. Martine Gubernat.
February 2010
“A tremendous amount of work
goes into putting together this
booklet. They did an outstanding job.”
The Vignette staff is currently
hard at work publishing the 2010
version of the magazine.
Communication
Glitch Causes
Unappreciated Calls
By Alfonse Muglia
Editor-in-Chief
A glitch in the telephone system around school has resulted
in Room 101 receiving surprise
“prank calls” throughout the day,
disrupting classes and interrupting Dr. Martine Gubernat. The
room, located at the end of the
English wing, is Ext. 0 on the
phone extension list. Teachers
around school, however, under
the assumption that Ext. 0 will
connect them to the Main Office,
dial the number and are shocked
when Dr. Gubernat answers.
“Many teachers hear my
voice on the line, realize that
they didn’t reach the office, and
hang up immediately,” commented Dr. Gubernat, who
teaches three classes there and
experiences such calls throughout the day. She jokingly added,
“Sometimes I wonder if people
are prank calling me.”
The issue has been brought
to the attention of the administration and currently is in
the process of being corrected.
Until then, please stop calling
Ext. 0.
the community. They
must hold a leadership
position in at least
three of these activities and submit a letter
from a coach or supervisor to provide evidence
for each. Finally, they
must demonstrate that they
are willing to volunteer their
time for both the school and their
community.
In addition, applicants are
required to submit character reference profiles from five teachers
at St. Joe’s and must be free of
any disciplinary action as a result
of cheating or plagiarism.
The selection process for
the 2010-2011 NHS students
began on February 8. Applicants
are selected by a committee of
five faculty members. Those
approved by the committee then
go to the principal to receive
final approval, and letters of
acceptance are mailed to those
who are approved on April
13. The students selected
will then be inducted into
the NHS at a ceremony on
May 19.
Those accepted into this
elite society will be responsible for planning and running
school functions throughout
their senior year, such as the
open house, school dances, and
the tree lighting ceremony.
“I expect all prospective
candidates to abide by the rules
and regulations of the application process,” commented Mr.
Carl Santiago, moderator of the
NHS. “A successful applicant
is reminded that acceptance
into the NHS is a commitment
to serve, not only the school
community, but also prospective students and their parents.
They are the best St. Joe’s has to
offer and I expect them to fulfill
their requirements to the best of
their ability.”
Sophomore Setting the
Course for the Future
By Mike D’Ambrosio
Staff Writer
With so many options out
there, students often have difficulty deciding what is best for
them to pursue in college and
what career choices to make. The
Sophomore Career Assessment,
run by the guidance department,
is a useful tool to help steer and
inform these unsure students.
Using “New Jersey Can,” a
computer program sponsored by
the New Jersey Board of Education, students answer questions
about their strengths, weaknesses,
and interests. This career asses-
Comic Relief
sor then generates a cluster of
possible career topics that would
best suit an individual’s personality.
“The guidance department loves
that the students have more access
with this program than they’ve had
in the past,” commented counselor
Ms. Joan Gold.
Following the survey results,
the counselors began the process
of helping students choose electives for junior year.
Along with Career Day in
May, the career assessment is
an opportunity for students to
open their eyes to the right path
to pursue in life.
THE FALCON
February 2010
Catholic Schools Week 2010
Basketball Game Highlights Annual Celebration
3
Building a Winning Foundation
By Mike Syslo
Staff Writer
By James Bogdanowicz
Staff Writer
The last week of January is
annually dedicated by Catholic
schools across the country to
the celebration of what it means
to attend a Catholic elementary
or secondary school. The St.
Joe’s community took part in
the remembrance with a weeklong agenda of student-oriented
activities, highlighted by a student-faculty basketball game on
Wednesday afternoon. The contest, held on January 27, witnessed
the students defeat the teachers,
administrators, and alumni by the
score of 60-54.
The faculty squad was led by
the dual threat of religion teacher Mr. Brian Jenkins, ’98, and
Mr. Chris “The Trainer” Martin, among the likes of Principal
John Anderson, ’70, Ms. Christina
Nicolau, and three-ball specialist
Dan Sohler, ‘07.
“It’s fun going back and forth
with the kids,” said Mr. Jenkins,
“Everyone gets into it, and we get
to see the teachers in a different
light.”
The faculty, however, could
not match up to the skills of their
Over half the school year
has already gone by, and the
chess team is doing very well.
Midway through January, the
squad already had five wins
under its belt. They believe that
they are one of the better teams
in the Jersey Shore League this
year, and are confident that they
will do well.
Most of the matches have
been fairly close. After losing
to Holmdel in a close defeat
of 2-3, the squad rebounded
for a valiant win at Colts Neck
Regional High School on January 13. Led by senior Anthony
Photos by William Scarano
students who were led by game
MVP Mike Dauigoy and Rob
“Muscles Marinara” Sammarco.
Dauigoy’s efforts earned him a
gift card to Foot Locker, courtesy
of the Student Council.
A three-point shooting contest was held at halftime, with
Mr. Anderson offering prizes to
the winners. The atmosphere of
the Vincent Maglio Gymnasium,
meanwhile, was kept lively with
music supplied by DJ Chris B –
senior Chris Buszka.
Given the option to go home
early instead of watching the
game, many seniors stayed to
Math Contest Honors Young Scholars
By Jonathan Teters
Staff Writer
witness the action, demonstrating
their school spirit. This atmosphere of overwhelming school
pride represents what it means to
be a Catholic secondary school.
College Bowl Continues Winning Ways
Squad Ranked 30th in Nation
By E.J. Zukowski
Managing Editor
The College Bowl team has
continued its unstoppable winning streak with another tournament win. On January 9, the team
traveled to Half Hollow Hills
West High School and played
against 90 other teams. The “A”
team won nearly every game,
finishing with an 8-1 record
and beating longtime rival Kellenberg. The “B” team finished
with a 6-1 record and tied for 9th
place, qualifying for the national
tournament in May.
Only a week later, the team set
out again to face even more challenging competition. The “A”
team traveled to Yale University
to play in a tournament designed
for college students. As a result,
the questions were much harder
than the typical high school set
that they typically play on, but
the team still played valiantly.
They finished the day 3-9, losing
to teams from great colleges like
Fontanetta and junior Michael
Bender, the squad is geared for
the remainder of the year with
high expectations.
“Since joining the chess
team, I have learned a lot, and
have really enjoyed playing,”
commented freshman Frank
Fritz, who is one of five freshmen on the team. “It has been
fun so far, and I’m confident
the varsity players will do well
throughout the rest of the season.”
With its core of upperclassmen and emerging freshmen,
the team is primed for continued success throughout the year
and in the future.
The fourth annual Middle
School Math Competition was
held on January 16, with an outstanding turnout of over three
hundred 7th and 8th graders from
thirty-one different schools. Both
private and public schools were
able to participate in this challenging mathematics competition for
a chance to earn distinction and
prize money.
The students competed with
hopes of winning one of the three
top prizes and earning a plaque
for having one of the five highest
team scores. The examination,
which consisted of questions from
Algebra and Geometry, tested the
academic prowess of these young
students.
“Behind the scenes we rushed
to grade all the papers,” remarked
Ms. Linda Muratore. “It was very
hectic.”
Following lunch, the winners
were announced with an accompanying slideshow that featured
pictures of the champions. The
first, second, and third place prizes were for one hundred, fifty,
and twenty-five dollars, respectively.
This annual competition provided a great experience for young
students to test their knowledge,
while enjoying the thrill of competition.
Benvenuti, New Club on the Block
By Sean Finan
Staff Writer
Photo by staff
The 2010 College Bowl Team defeated Penn State University at a
contest on January 30.
Harvard and Brown. Although
the day was primarily intended
to be a learning experience, the
team still managed to beat Yale’s
“B” team once and Dartmouth’s
“A” team twice.
The squad traveled to the
University of Pennsylvania on
January 30, competing once
more against competition from
the nation’s top universities. The
“A” walked away with a 2-9
record, highlighted by a 200-55
romp of Penn State.
“We’ve really come a long
way from the end of last year,
when we were struggling to compete with average high school
teams,” team captain Nitin Srinivasin commented. “This tournament is just another step in our
path to improvement.”
If the team keeps gaining
momentum, who knows what
will happen. Maybe it will
become the new Ivy League
champion.
The Italian Club has recently
been added to the sizable list
of cultural clubs at the school.
Led by junior Christopher Sollecito, the honorary president, the
group’s foundation is the result of
dedication and perseverance from
its members.
“Italian is not an offered language at St. Joe’s, but there are
many Italian people in the community,” commented Christopher.
“I thought it would be popular.
Every other culture has a club
so why not have an Italian
Club?”
The fifteen members that make
up the club meet consistently
every other week during the break
period. They have already hosted
an Italian dinner and a cooking
class, in which visitors were given
the opportunity to taste a variety
of Italian dishes and learn how
they are made. The club is also
in the beginning stages of planning a trip to Little Italy in New
York, where they will visit Italian
restaurants and learn more about
the Italian culture. While in New
York, they also intend to visit Ellis
Island and explore where many of
their Italian ancestors first stepped
on American soil.
The club encourages all St.
Joe’s students – Italians and nonItalians interested in the culture
– to join. With their dedication
to exploring the Italian heritage
and learning about its traditions,
the club is bound to find success
similar to that of the other cultural
clubs at school.
Middle East Pilgrimage
Wash Conducts Religious Research in Antioch
By Ryan Langton
Associate Editor
While most students and
teachers spent their Christmas
vacation relaxing at home, Mr.
Craig Wash, along with his wife,
chose to go on an excursion to
the country of Turkey. During
their trip, they visited exotic cities, as well as various religious
and historical sites.
Arriving in Istanbul on
December 19, Mr. Wash toured
the historical ruins of Roman
aqueducts and other ancient
architecture in the city. After
staying in Istanbul for two days,
he traveled to Cappadocia, a
region in central Turkey. During
this portion of the trip, he was
able to explore underground cities and visit some of the region’s
famed “cave churches” that were
sculpted into the land by the early
Christians.
After visiting the remarkable
landscapes of Cappadocia, Mr.
Wash voyaged into the city of
Antioch, Turkey, home of one
of the first Christian communities. Here, he stayed in a room
provided by the Catholic Church
for six days. He followed in the
footsteps of St. Peter, St. Paul,
and St. John throughout Antioch,
retracing the paths they traveled as they ministered to the
town’s Christians. Among the
many places he visited were a
Photo by Mr. Wash
Long before the time of Christ, people lived in “fairy chimneys,”
like these, in Cappadocia, Turkey.
church in which St. Peter was
said to have preached and the
monastery of St. Simeon.
Mr. Wash ended his trip by
flying to the city of Izmir, where
the tomb of St. John the Apostle
and the house he built for Mary
are believed to be located. After
two weeks of traveling and journeying to diverse religious and
historical landmarks, he flew
home on January 2, ending his
overseas pilgrimage.
“The trip left an indelible
mark on me,” reflected Mr.
Wash. “I will never forget the
overwhelming sense of experiencing the history that I had
studied for so long.”
For Mr. Wash, the trip was
just the launching point of his
Middle Eastern studies. He
hopes to use the knowledge he
gained from his experience to
write a book about the life of
St. John Chrysostom, an early
Church father who worked in the
areas Mr. Wash visited.
THE FALCON 4
February 2010
St. Joseph High School
Falcon Sports
Win or Go Home
The Falcons get pumped up before a home game.
Photo by staff
Time for Falcons to Claim GMC crown
By James Ziemba
Staff Writer
With two consecutive losses in
the Greater Middlesex Conference
(GMC) finals behind them, the
2010 Falcon basketball team is
back with vengeance. At the outset
of the season, the team established
a list of goals for themselves, and
they have measured their success
this season in relation to these
goals.
Goal #1 – win the St. Pius X
Christmas Classic in Atlanta, Georgia. Competing at this national
level, the Falcons fought hard in
all of their games and compiled a
respectable 1-2 record. The squad
gained valuable experience and
chemistry against the high-level
competition.
Goal #2 – win the GMC Red
Division. The Falcons opened their
season with a focus and determination that brings them closer to this
goal with each game. They remain
undefeated against Red Division
foes, including commanding
victories over South Brunswick,
Woodbridge, Perth Amboy, and J.P.
Stevens. The Falcons also picked
apart rival Piscataway on January
14, by a score of 83-39.
Goal #3 – win the GMC Tournament. The Falcons are a perfect
15-0 against GMC opponents,
including an impressive 60-37
victory over second-ranked East
Brunswick on January 26. With
a 18-3 record as of February 8,
the team is within striking distance of their first GMC title in
11 years.
The Falcons are led this year by
senior captains Steve Rennard, the
UPenn-bound guard who reached
the 1,000 point plateau last year,
and Andrew Morgan, a sixth man a
year ago, who has stepped into his
role as a starter and primary scorer.
Three-year starter Rob Ashamole
has dominated the frontcourt, most
notably holding Piscataway’s star
to a season-low seven points in the
January 14 romp.
Seniors Eric Peterson and Nick
Contino have also stepped up
after limited roles last season.
Peterson, a small forward, has
contributed his hard-nose play,
while Contino, a Rutgers-bound
Bowling With Purpose
lacrosse player, has played consistent lockdown defense. Fellow
senior Bobby O’Grady, who took
last year off due to commitments
to volleyball, has jumped back
into basketball without skipping
a beat. He has developed into a
strong force under the basket,
grabbing offensive rebounds and
playing post defense.
“Super Soph” Quenton
DeCosey has been the biggest
surprise of the year so far, averaging double-digits in scoring.
His breakout performance came
when he burned Piscataway for
29 points.
“The guys have great chemistry, commented Athletic Director
Mr. Jerry Smith. “If they play to
the best of their ability, they could
win a county or even state championship.” With the regular season coming to a close, the Falcons’ perfect
divisional record earned them the
#1 seed in the GMC tournament.
If the squad is going to return the
crown to St. Joe’s, however, they
will need to remain focused on
achieving their goals.
Falcons Eye State Title
By Christian Goldy
Staff Writer
What do Brooklyn, pocket, turkey, strike, spare and 7-10 split all
have in common? If you want the
answer, just ask the bowling team,
and they will be happy to explain to
you some bowling vernacular. Led
by seniors Brandon Cotroneo, Matt
Juba, Matt Snyder, and Paul St.
Marie, and junior Joe Campos, the
team has rolled to an impressive
11-4-2 regular season record.
“The team has been as good
as any other,” commented Coach
Wayne Fischer. The bowling team,
in fact, as been so good as to earn
a 7th place state ranking by The
Star-Ledger on January 24.
One of the team’s major accomplishments thus far was a win over
Woodbridge, who is ranked 4th in
the state. The team went on to earn
second-place finishes at both the
29th Winter Classic Tournament
and at the Baker Challenge, losing
to Colonia in the finals.
The squad, however, avenged
this loss to Colonia when they
defeated the Patriots in the semifinal round of the Joe Romer Tournament on February 1. The Falcons
then defeated South Brunswick
173-141 to take home their first
invitational championship of the
season.
Mr. Fischer is pleasantly surprised as to how this year’s bowlers
have come together as a team, noting that they are a cohesive group
both inside and outside the lanes,
exemplified by a team dinner after
a recent match.
After finishing their regular
season strongly, the team lost
Photo by staff
Senior Brandon Cotroneo leads
a balanced bowling attack.
in the first round of the Greater
Middlesex Conference (GMC)
Tournament on February 3. With
their sights set on the state titles,
the Falcons continue to work hard
toward this goal.
hockey update
By Alex Schiffer
Staff Writer
Entering tournament season,
the Falcons are clicking on all
cylinders and have established
themselves as the top team in the
county. With this chemistry, the
squad is primed to make a run at
the conference and state titles.
“We’re playing our best
hockey right now,” said junior
defenseman Oni Sutich. The
Falcons are 12-40 as of February 7, with three regular season games to play before the
state tournament. In a season
filled with surprise victories and
devastating defeats, the Falcons
have exhibited complete dominance over Middlesex County
opponents, against which they
are 7-0-1. If the squad is going
to make a run at the state title,
however, they will need to defeat
the likes of perennial powers
Ridge and Paul VI.
The key to the Falcons’ success has been a combination
of strong defense and ruthless
offense. Their defense – led by
Sutich and senior goalie Vinny
Pizzi – has kept opponents at
bay. Their offense is led by
sophomore Richie Johnstone
and juniors Connor Grade and
Kevin Smyth, and senior Kevin
Cernuto.
The squad took on Red Bank
Catholic on Wednesday, February 10, as they make their final
preparations before state tournament play begins on March 2.
With their eye on the title, the
Falcons will need to rely on the
chemistry they’ve developed
throughout the long season to
prevail.
winter track update
By Dan Kozub
Staff Writer
The completion of the Winter
Track season is a week away,
with the team traveling to Toms
River on Friday, February 12, in
hopes of defending its Non-Public A state championship title. If
the crown is to be brought back
to St. Joe’s, the Falcons will have
to rely on clutch performances
from runners and throwers in
all events.
Throughout the season, the
squad participated in numerous developmental dual meets
and invitationals, like the Lavino relays in Lawrenceville,
to prepare for the Greater
Middlesex Conference (GMC)
and Non-Public A championships.
The Shuttle Hurdle team of
seniors Tim Moczula and Zach
Sikanowicz and juniors Chris
Troche and Andrew Cinko stole
the show at the Lavino Relays,
taking gold with a time of 30.9
– the third fasted time in the
nation. The team, with alternates
senior Rob Luceri and junior
John Matera will to travel to
Boston to compete at the indoor
track national championships
in March.
At the GMC individual championships on January 30, the
Falcons failed to defend their
county title from a year ago,
but walked away from the meet
with impressive performances.
Senior Jon Marques defended his
title in the 400m, while Moczula
placed in both the high jump and
hurdles. Troche (hurdles) and
fellow junior Mike Fernandes
(3200m) also earned points for
the team.
“We have strong chances in
many events, and hopefully it
comes together at states,” commented Moczula.
With a season of successes
behind them, the squad’s complete attention is now directed at
the state championships, where,
through a total team effort, they
hope to keep the title in the hands
of St. Joe’s.
swimming update
By Michael Cash
Associate Editor
Every year the Falcons are
expected to do big things in the
water during swim season, and
this year is no different. A Greater
Middlesex Conference (GMC)
win is definitely a must, and a
run for the state title is usually a
practical thought.
However, for the swim team
this year, victories aren’t being
racked up as readily as in previous years. At the start of the
season, the team earned a strong
victory over Hillsborough, but
then ran into a difficult part of
their schedule, as Westfield and
Bridgewater both out swam the
Falcons.
Despite not being as much
of a powerhouse as compared
to teams of the school’s past,
the Falcons are still dominating
within the county. The squad is
6-0 in dual meets verse county
opponents.
“We’re looking for our 32nd
straight title in the GMC,” com-
mented senior co-captain Eric Scala. “And we’re confident that we
can extend that streak this year.”
The quest for a state championship will most likely be a
challenging one, as the Falcons
are sure to face other perennial
powers like CBA and St. Augustine.
“As a whole, we have been
greatly improving over the course
of the season, but there’s still a lot
of work left to be done to prepare
for states,” described senior cocaptain Christian Lewis. “We rely
on our team’s depth in order to
win close races, which sway the
result of the meets.”
After rounding out the regular season with a 7-4 record, the
Falcons competed in the GMC
championship on Wednesday,
February 10. With their eyes now
set on the county and state tournaments, the swim team plans to
continue to improve and work
hard with the hope of ultimately
emerging victorious from the
pool of competitors when the
season is complete.