As we brainstorm our New Year’s resolutions and optimistically look toward what 2016 may have in store, it’s important that we take a look back at the year that was.
Last year was a busy one for the township of Tabernacle.
From the action-packed school year to the numerous issues of significance handled by township committee, there is plenty on which to reflect.
Joining county’s energy program discussed, turned down
The year kicked off with a potential dip in the electricity bill for Tabernacle residents.
A common discussion item brought up at multiple township committee meetings was the potential switch to the Burlington County Energy Aggregation Program.
The new program was announced in May 2014. It is a cooperative between the county and a local electricity provider that allows the county to negotiate a “bulk purchase” of energy supply at a lower price than residents currently pay. County freeholders have partnered with the Burlington County Bridge Commission as part of this program.
“This (plan) will make electricity less expensive for each individual and business in Burlington County,” Freeholder Bruce Garganio said during the plan’s rollout last year.
Township administrator Doug Cramer said participation in the program means residents would purchase their electricity from a cooperative rather than from the utility company itself. Tabernacle’s electricity provider is Atlantic City Electric.
The county estimated its residents would see a 5 percent decrease in electricity rates.
One of the negatives that was brought up in discussions was, as a residential customer, you would have had to opt out not to be included.
Once an aggregate rate is received, residents would be enrolled with Atlantic City Electric unless they chose to opt out. Resident who opt out then had the opportunity to choose to receive Atlantic City Electric’s standard rate or go with a third-party provider.
After much discussion, the Tabernacle Township Committee declined to join the Burlington County Energy Aggregation Program.
Committeeman Stephen Lee IV said there were few potential positives that could have emerged from joining this program, and hardly any guarantees.
A 5 percent decrease in residents’ electricity rates was the number that was kicked around. However, this number was solely based on the fluidity of the market and therefore was not promised.
The biggest argument against joining was the lack of towns in the county buying into the program.
“Five out of 40 does not give me a fuzzy feeling, and those five towns that have decided to join are smaller than ours,” Committeeman Joseph Yates IV said.
Lee solidified the declining of joining the program with his overall lack of confidence in it.
“I have a real hard time telling people where they can get their electric from. It’s not our right to tell people those things,” Lee said.
Preserving the Pinelands
The sacred land of the area was also faced with some alterations in 2015, all in an attempt to preserve the Pinelands.
A prize possession that has been around for as long as the Pinelands have existed nearly underwent some restrictions when the New Jersey Park Services attempted to implement its Motorized Action Plan.
The goal of the organization was to protect the environment and encourage responsible use of off-road vehicles in Wharton State Forest, which is by far the largest unit in the State Park System.
The plan consisted of a map that outlined nearly 225 miles of roads and trails that are open to motorized vehicles and a brochure that explained the long-term damage that can be caused by improper off-roading.
“The MAP program will ensure continued access to these features while educating the public and making sure the region’s sensitive ecology is protected,” said Richard Boornazian, the Department of Environmental Protection’s assistant commissioner for natural and historic resources.
This had numerous residents up in arms immediately after it was introduced to the public during a township committee meeting.
Folks who had limited mobility lead the argument, as this restriction would essentially be negating them from enjoying the park if their only way was by vehicle.
While the Motorized Access Plan would have promoted responsible recreation, many argued the handful of examples of irresponsible ORV use that had damaged the environment is a small fraction of how the majority of people use the forest and therefore should not call for such drastic measures.
Many also argued a mere sign would not dissuade these folks who have been off-roading recklessly for so long, so the plan would not be effective in the means they are applying it to be.
The state Department of Environmental Protection alluded to how crucial enforcement will be in this process and stated the park police will step up its game and make the MAP work.
The Motorized Access Plan has since dissolved, and the DEP has been sent back to the drawing board mainly due to the lack of budget to provide this type of enforcement.
While the DEP works on a plan to help preserve the forest, the Burlington County Farmland Preservation Program did its part to help preserve the farmland.
The program preserved four more farms located in the Pinelands in 2015.
Each year, the organization receives a new batch of farms. The 2015 batch consisted of nine farms, seven of them being from the Pine Barrens area.
“The county administers the program based on the New Jersey agriculture retention and development act,” Burlington County Farmland Preservation Coordinator Brian Wilson said.
This law has minimum standards for farms. The county can impose additional standards or criteria if need be, but Burlington County typically does not preserve farms that are less than 20 acres.
The process of preserving a farm takes about a year from the time of application to the time of closing. The 2015 batch was finalized on July 8.
The county develops preservation funds each year using a portion of its dedicated property tax.
As of 2015, that tax has been boosted to four cents for every $100 of assessed value of private property countywide and expected to generate nearly $18 million in 2015.
A storm brewed
As the people did everything they could to preserve the area, Mother Nature intervened.
On June 23, one of the most devastating storms this area had every seen struck the Pinelands.
Wind gusts were recorded up to 70 mph, leaving a wide path of destruction throughout Burlington County.
More than 200,000 power outages were reported by Atlantic City Electric throughout South Jersey as of the morning of June 24, and many didn’t regain power until almost a week later.
Communication became a large obstacle with many cell phone towers going down, so township offices took to social media to reach as many people as it could with updates.
The debris left behind created a large obstacle for Tabernacle and surrounding towns. The cleanup process went on for several months.
Folks who had been working in these townships for more than 30 years said it was the worst storm they’ve ever dealt with. Many compared this storm to 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, but this storm was more concentrated, and the towns that were hit had little to no time to prepare.
Township officials held meetings with neighboring towns after the fact to discuss what they could have done differently.
“Any weakness that we feel we showed in dealing with the circumstances will certainly be addressed and be corrected,” Tabernacle Township Administrator Doug Cramer said.
“Hindsight is always 20–20,” Shamong Township Administrator Sue Onorato said. “Unlike snowstorms or hurricanes, we had no time to prepare for this. We are doing everything we can for residents and will look to make improvements moving forward.”
Tabernacle Township School District
• There was also a bit of a storm that took place in the Tabernacle Board of Education meetings at the beginning of 2015.
Issues referenced by parents included parents feeling ignored or bullied by Superintendent George Rafferty, changes to what foods can and cannot be consumed and brought in for school activities, how and why students are or aren’t cleared to play school sports, concerns about the district’s spelling and language arts programs, the upcoming Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers exams and the job status of district director of special services John Tirico.
A board of education meeting on March 16 saw about 100 residents and board president Michael Lee took some time to respond with his answers to residents’ concerns.
“Even though we have not set up our public comment as a question-and-answer period, the message from the community as the board understands it is that you’ve got questions and you want answers from us,” Lee said.
In an attempt to solve this problem, the board pieced together a five-year strategic planning initiative to collaborate with the community and get their opinions on different topics.
The initiative is called Vision 2021 because the goal is to achieve a five-year plan and vision for the school district that will start in 2016 and run through 2021.
The board decided this vision must reflect the values of the community and hold steadfast to the educational priorities, mission and vision of the schools it helps establish.
A community-wide plan such as this has not been orchestrated in the district in more than 25 years.
The board scheduled four 90-minute events built around four topics during the 2015–2016 school year and invited everyone in the community in an effort to cohesively plan the direction of the education program.
“It’s easy to become complacent in making the effort to engage in a full-scale initiative and solicit input from all community stakeholders before forging ahead with making plans for our schools,” Rafferty said.
• 2015 also marked the comeback of the Tabernacle Education Foundation to help staff enhance and enrich the school curriculum with programs and projects that would not otherwise be funded by the school district, state or federal education budgets.
“We needed to revive the foundation for Tabernacle Township,” President of the Foundation Judy Sailer said. “Other districts have foundations and they are able to support the students and teachers through financial contributions that the school cannot receive or provide at times. As a non-profit, we can bring in funders who care about education and the development of children to our community.”
• There were both structural and schedule changes made to the Tabernacle schools over the past year to increase safety.
The elementary school now begins at 8:45 a.m. and closes at 3:15 p.m., while the middle school day starts 15 minutes earlier at 7:45 a.m. and ends at 2:15 p.m.
The high school also made an adjustment to its start time, pushing it up from 7:52 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.
“Just like the high school’s recent time changes, ours were implemented to capture the lost instructional time,” Rafferty said. “We’re looking to improve efficiency and enhance our children’s education.”
District transportation supervisor Rob Hogan was at the core of this proposal.
The change will benefit bus drivers in the sense they will not be rushing each morning to get the students to and from school due to unrealistic time expectations.
The timing differences for the schools will lessen traffic and increase the safety of everyone in the township.
• While the schedule changes are aimed to keep students safe on the roads, the board also made some security enhancements to keep them safe while in their classrooms.
The projects focus on having a more secure entrance so someone who buzzes into the school cannot just walk freely throughout the building.
“The whole idea is to slow somebody down and wait for the good guys to come,” district architect Scott England said.
• Another project the school district has been working toward for years now is making a conscious effort to become more green.
On Oct. 27, Olson Middle School was rewarded for these efforts at the Atlantic City Convention Center. The school was recognized as a “sustainable school” by the Sustainable Jersey for Schools organization.
Schools from all over the state had to meet the numerous rigorous requirements presented by the organization to be chosen among the group of 54.
Tabernacle Elementary School is also looking to become a part of this sustainable schools group in the near future.
“Our New Year’s resolution, so to speak, is to have both of our schools certified in January 2016!” Rafferty said.
Lenape Regional High School District was active
• Out with the old, in with the new. As the class of 2019 began their high school careers, the Lenape Regional High School District looked back at the year that was.
The class of 2015 was a special one that has gone off in their separate directions to chase their dreams but not before leaving a distinct mark on the district.
Students from this class earned an average score of 1591 on the SAT. This is noteworthy because, according to the College Board, a student with an SAT score of 1550 or higher is more likely to get a B- their freshman year of college.
“This is indicative of college success and completion,” Lenape Regional High School District Director of Programs and Planning Matthew Webb said.
The class of 2015 had a graduation rate of 96 percent. This qualifies as above average for Burlington County, New Jersey and on a national scale.
Each school widely celebrated its students’ college acceptances a number of different ways, using its websites, videos, pennants, shirts, tweets and even ceremonies such as the academic award night some schools held.
“I have to say I am extremely pleased with our principals and how they have celebrated their students’ college acceptances,” Webb said.
Last school year was also the best one the district has ever had in terms of students taking AP classes and AP tests.
• Academic tests were not the only thing on which these students scored highly. Last year’s students also scored well on the harassment, intimidation and bullying assessment, being awarded 74 out of 78 total potential points.
Each school has to provide a self-assessment to the state for review, and once this grade is approved by the state, it has to be posted on each school’s website.
“We have an award-winning harassment, intimidation and bullying program that we are proud of,” Webb said.
Webb is referring to the district’s “Step Up and ID program” it plans to continue to build on through seeking teen input.
“Our program encourages every student to walk the walk and defend their friends and classmates if they’re ever harassed or bullied for any reason. It empowers every student and all four Lenape high schools to stand up, step up and be an ‘upstander’ not a bystander,” District Superintendent Carol Birnbohm said.
For the third consecutive year, all four schools have been deemed a “no place for hate” by the Anti-Defamation League Program. Each school will receive its award for this accomplishment during the week of respect in October.
These exceptional students shined outside of the classroom as well, excelling in different things such as community service. Students from across the district partook in in the fifth annual Senior Day of Service last year. They also participated in a clothing drive for Goodwill, collecting an overwhelming 56,373 pounds of clothes to donate to the organization. Cherokee High School edged out Seneca High School in pounds per student and was awarded a plaque from Goodwill.
“We enjoy a friendly competition, but this is for a great cause,” Webb said.
• School officials could not say enough about their excitement for the 2015–2016 year to get underway. The new schedule was a particular highlight on this list of new initiatives.
It was a very long, collaborative process that lead the district to this schedule change, a process that included 48 teachers, 47 students and 23 editors — administrators, custodians, sports staff and child study team members, to name a few
The district made it a point during the 2014–2015 year to focus on communicating the schedule and finalizing the details to be ready to roll when the 2015–2016 year began on Sept. 8.
“We feel there are several benefits to this new schedule,” Webb said.
Increasing instructional time with longer periods, increasing staff collaboration, having a common lunch and reducing academic stress are a few advancements Webb touched on.
• The district was also proud to announce its participation in the statewide “You Got Brains” competition. Fifty-nine New Jersey schools competed in the fifth annual You Got Brains competition sponsored by the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey.
LDTV won for the third year in a row and the fourth year in the last five years of the competition with its “heads up, eyes forward” message.
Distracted driving is one of the leading causes for brain injuries. LDTV’s message has been displayed on 160 state Department of Transportation digital message boards.
• The LRHSD also had a new app that debuted this past year.
The creation of this app was a yearlong process that has included input from various students. The app includes several features such as being able to customize it to your respective schools, receiving timely news from your school, parents being able to sign up for grade alerts, parents being able to deposit money in their child’s lunch accounts and parents being able to view the four-day rotating schedule.
“This is just scratching the surface of what this app can do,” Webb said.
• Another project that debuted in all four schools this past year was the Project Lead The Way Program, which was only implemented at Lenape and Seneca last year. It is a national program that develops STEM curriculum in high schools.
“STEM is where jobs are today and where the growth is going to be,” Webb said.
• Lastly, the district wanted to show its gratitude in regard to donation numbers from the 2014–2015 school year totaling almost $88,000. This adds to the nearly $2.5 million that has been donated to the school district since it started keeping track of donations in 2007.
A large chunk of these donations have gone to things such as turf fields at Shawnee and Cherokee high schools, and numerous driving simulators for drivers education classes at all four of the high schools.
• 2015 also marked the maiden voyage of the new standardized test that the district will now be using, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career test.
The PARCC tests were presented to the students exactly as the state Department of Education mandates, according to Birnbohm.
The district did not enforce a “sit and stare” policy. Birnbohm said the district’s staff provided quiet, gentle encouragement for all students to take the test. However, the district did not single out students for refusing the test, as it will not be a graduation requirement for students in high school until 2019.
Birnbohm said Common Core and PARCC’s increased difficulty is not different from changes the state has made in standardized testing in the past.
“We have a history of increasing rigor in our standards,” she said.
Birnbohm described PARCC as an opportunity for students to perfect their skills. She noted other tests such as the SAT are being aligned to Common Core State Standards in 2016 and will feature questions similar to PARCC.
“This is another chance for them to practice and show their proficiency,” Birnbohm said.
The test took place on March 2 and the results were recently released to the public.
LRHSD students in grades nine, 10 and 11 exceeded or equaled statewide percentages of students scoring Level 4 or better and average overall scores for all English language arts assessments.
District-wide math results varied by subject. LRHSD Algebra II results exceeded the state average percent of students scoring Level 4 or better, while LRHSD Algebra I and Geometry results were below the state average percent of students scoring Level 4 or better.
Justin Smith, the district’s assessment, accountability and planning coordinator, noted approximately 33,000 New Jersey students took the PARCC Algebra I and/or Geometry assessment in middle school. Those advanced students’ scores do not factor into LRHSD’s outcomes.
“A more equitable comparison for PARCC algebra and geometry would be to compare the LRHSD average to the New Jersey average of students in grades nine through 11 and not the entire cohort of algebra and geometry test-takers in New Jersey,” Smith said. “This comparison, of LRHSD scores to scores of only high school students in New Jersey, revealed the LRHSD met or exceeded the New Jersey average percent of students scoring Level 4 or better for both Algebra I and Geometry.”
Seneca Pride
The Seneca High School class of 2015 not only showcased their abilities in the classroom, they also turned some heads with their decision making outside as well.
The Seneca Drug Squad returned for it’s 10th year. This impactful group is made up of juniors and seniors who give presentations and talk to the high school’s underclassmen as well as middle school students to help advise them to avoid substance abuse and lead a positive path in life.
Seneca Substance Awareness Coordinator Erin Lawler describes the organization as a group of students encouraging underclassmen to stay away from substance abuse through positive reinforcement.
“The driving force was attempting to provide a positive force of prevention among teenagers, but also create a sense of positive peer pressure,” Lawler said.
Each year, more than 100 Seneca students interview to be a part of the Seneca Drug Squad, and only 30 are selected. Lawler said the number of students who want to get involved with the group shows how much of an impact it has made.
“To have a group heavily entrenched in the culture of a school speaks volumes,” she said.
The class of 2015 bought into this group and decided to take the concept and run with it.
They created the Prom House 110 Carranza event that ran for a second time this year in May.
This student council organized event is a drug- and alcohol-free post prom party filled with games, entertainment and prizes.
The party is open to all seniors who are in good standing. They are also allowed to bring their dates, who do not have to be Seneca students.
“High school senior prom is one of the greatest traditions in American culture. Unfortunately, it also often comes along with the inevitable question of ‘can I go to the Shore for the weekend?’” Principal Jeff Spector said. “The strategies parents employ on prom night to keep their children safe varies with individual parenting styles and becomes more pronounced as students pull toward independence. What is clear to me is so many of you (parents) are looking for alternatives. So are many of your children.”
A multitude of local businesses donate money or potential prizes, and teachers volunteer their time to make the all-night event an annual success.
Guidance counselor Erica Maira takes the reigns of this program each year and uses it as a platform to encourage her students to make the right decision.
• Seneca students were caught making the right decision numerous times in 2015.
Whether it was putting together their annual charity dodgeball tournament that raises money for The Canuso Foundation or organizing their annual toy drive to assure 800 more children in South Jersey get a gift on Christmas, the “Seneca Family” spent 2015 trying to make a positive difference.
However, the embodiment of making the right decision was epitomized during the 2015 football season when NJ.com selected Seneca to be apart of its “Home Field Advantage Competition.”
Home field advantage for the football team has become a tradition at Seneca High School with the creation of the “Bird’s Nest” — a name that was developed by the student section that fills the bleachers at every home game to cheer their Golden Eagles to victory.
So when the school got the news that NJ.com would be conducting a contest to declare the best home field advantage in New Jersey, students were instantly determined to win the contest.
Students Maggie Mitchell and Samantha Scarpello in particular.
They quickly established themselves as the leaders by doing everything they could, from making t-shirts to posting on social media to accumulate votes for Seneca to win the South Jersey section of the competition.
Between the determination and the time spent spreading the word, the girls were able to help Seneca capture the victory and be named the best place to watch a football game in South Jersey.
The Golden Eagles then advanced to the final round where they would face off against North Jersey champions, Warren Hills, for the New Jersey title.
However, after hearing the tragic news of the passing of Warren Hills quarterback, Evan Murray, Mitchell and Scarpello quickly changed the focus of their motivations.
“I immediately just wanted to hug my brother, (Seneca quarterback J.J. Scarpello). It made me step back and think about how lucky I am and to appreciate everything that I have in my life today,” Scarpello said.
That’s when it hit Scarpello that this wasn’t about winning the best student section in New Jersey anymore, it was about how Seneca could help support Warren Hills through this tough time.
“All we wanted to do was figure out how we could make the best out of this situation and help a community that was mourning the loss of one of their own,” Mitchell said. “Seneca emphasizes family and how good it is to come together during tough times, so we knew we needed to come together for Warren Hills.”
The girls starting tweeting from the Seneca Bird’s Nest account to encourage everyone to start voting for their competitor.
After different activities and events that included getting the student section to wear blue, Seneca High School helped push Warren Hills to victory.
The girls accredited how much they learned during this experience by acknowledging a quote from their favorite guidance counselor.
“A little love can go a long way,” Erica Maira said.
“We did it because we wanted to help, but the reaction and feedback we have gotten back has been overwhelming,” Scarpello said.
A Seneca football helmet and a blown up copy of the letter that the girls initially wrote to Warren Hills is now on display at their high school.
Sports (off the field)
The Golden Eagles continued to use sports as a platform to raise awareness for good causes throughout the season.
The Seneca field hockey team recorded another record setting October that had nothing to do with scoring goals or winning games.
The girls have taken a concept that started as a suggestion by their head coach, Julie Smith, and turned it into a large tradition.
Smith wanted to bring awareness to breast cancer after the number of life altering events her and her staff have experienced with the disease.
In 2011, she started piecing together small things to help support breast cancer awareness any way she could.
The team started with baked goods and temporary tattoos that ended up being a huge hit.
“I saw our Seneca students’ willingness to support our cause and knew we could do even more,” Smith said.
Smith also wanted to have a “Play for the Cure” game, so she got together with Shawnee High School field hockey coach Renee Phelps to coordinate a game between the two teams they would dedicate each year to fighting breast cancer.
Unfortunately, the game hasn’t always worked out against Shawnee, due to scheduling or weather providing complications, so Seneca has decided to make it a home game in October each year.
The girls wear pink jerseys and gear Smith gets together each year for this game.
Smith could not say enough about the outpouring of assistance she has received from outside sources such as parents and local business to help achieve better results.
They now raise around $12,000 each year to donate to breast cancer research funds and get the whole school and community involved in the process.
• Former all-conference standout football player from Seneca, Joseph Pawlowski, concluded the great year that was by donating bone marrow.
After his football talents got him an opportunity to play at the collegiate level, he joined Lycoming College in the fall of 2013.
While playing at Lycoming, he learned about the “Be The Match Program” through his coach, Tim Landis.
Not only did he begin promoting the program, he also decided to get involved.
After numerous doctor’s appointments and tests, Pawlowski was placed on the list of bone marrow donors with only a slim chance of being selected.
He ended up getting the opportunity and he took full advantage of it.
“I was really just playing the odds, to be honest. The odds of me getting picked were so small that when I found out I did, it was kind of hard to say no,” Pawlowski said.
Though it would mean enduring some back pain and missing his season finale football game, Pawlowski chose to give a complete stranger the greatest Christmas present he will ever receive, the gift of life.
Sports (on the field)
Between the success of the teams and the personal accomplishments, the Seneca Golden Eagles weren’t too shabby on the field either.
The year kicked off with some remarkable wrestling feats that assures Seneca’s wrestling program to be in good hands moving forward.
Freshman Joe Manchio set a school record with 39 wins, becoming the first Seneca wrestler to win a Region 7 title.
“His skill set is well above what we’re used to,” head coach Greg Bauer said.
Despite having success in youth wrestling, Manchio didn’t set the bar too high for his first season in high school.
“As a freshman, I didn’t expect to do much,” Manchio said. “Everyone on the high school level is good. I just wrestled to the best of my ability.”
• The youth wrestling program had no problems filling Manchio’s shoes as Dominic The “Dominator” Malave shined this year, taking home the state wrestling championship in the junior division at the 60-pound weight class in 2014 and repeating this extraordinary feat again only a year later, winning the 70-pound intermediate state championship.
The 12-year-old Malave is only getting stronger as he gets older, and his passion for the sport has everyone excited for the future.
“Wrestling has absolutely become a huge part of Dominic’s life. It is something he plans to continue to do down the road in high school and potentially in college,” Dominic’s mother Laurel said.
“He amazes me and my wife all the time with his athletic and academic ability,” his father Terry said.
• Another young star came to the forefront in a different sport during 2015, as Anna Lia Sullivan captured the 4-H New Jersey Equestrian of the Year award.
The Seneca junior has put together quite a resume after riding competitively for six years.
As the ambassador of the NJ 4-H Horse Program, some of Sullivan’s responsibilities include organizing projects, attending functions, assisting at the Equestrian of the Year competition and being available to attend county award programs or other significant events where she may be asked to speak or present awards.
“It means so much to me to win this award. It really shows how hard I work to become the most well rounded individual that I can be. It also teaches me that all my hard work and dedication to the 4-H program pays off,” Sullivan said.
• Kevin Gray kept the individual success going with his incredible achievement in boy’s lacrosse at the high school level.
Gray reached the vaunted 200-point mark in his illustrious lacrosse career at Seneca in grand fashion, as the Golden Eagles defeated a top-10 ranked Moorestown team.
Gray’s play on the field and leadership off the field help lead the team to a conference title and playoff run that culminated with an appearance in the NJSIAA South, Group 2 championship game.
• Meanwhile, over on the girl’s field, they were celebrating the accomplishments of one of their own.
Seneca girls lacrosse midfielder Maddie Schulte was selected as Sports Illustrated’s High School Athlete of the Month for May.
After exploding onto the scene her freshman year, earning a spot on varsity and leading the team in scoring, she was getting serious attention from a number of big-time college programs.
The only problem was she wasn’t sure if she wanted that attention.
With her big success came big pressure, and Maddie didn’t like where things were headed so she stopped playing the game she had dominated her whole life.
“It was very weird when spring came around and I would look to hang out with teammates after school and then I’d remember they had a game or practice,” Schulte said.
After her passion for the game created a deep void she could no longer ignore, she ended up returning to the team this year.
She made it a point to focus on just having fun and playing for her teammates, not for the colleges interested in her.
Schulte had a great season, leading her team to a deep run in the NJSIAA South, Group 3 playoffs.
• There were also a number of Seneca athletes who were able to defy the odds and play at a high level in the face of adversity.
Sydney Malave, older sister of Dominic, was able to return to the field while dealing with a health issue.
Malave was diagnosed with type one diabetes but through her great persistence and patience was able to have a strong senior season and fulfill her dream.
She will be playing Division I lacrosse in college in 2016 with Long Island University Brooklyn.
• Tyler McCormack of the boys lacrosse team found himself in a similar situation.
After finishing his sophomore season as one of the top goalies in South Jersey, McCormack was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Suddenly, a game that was such a big part of McCormack’s life since the third grade was now on the backburner, and his future was up in the air.
But the power of a positive attitude and the support of his peers took him a long way and the cancer was unable to keep him down for long.
McCormack returned to the field this year and provided some great goalkeeping and inspiration for the team’s remarkable 16–4 season.
• This was just one of many remarkable seasons put together by the high school teams during 2015.
Girls volleyball reached a milestone by recording their 100th victory against Sterling on Oct. 2.
We would also be remised to not recognize the Cinderella story that was the Seneca girls soccer season.
After a pretty mediocre 8–7–2 regular season the lady Golden Eagles snuck into the playoffs as a 10 seed with low expectations.
However, they got hot at the right time and shocked all of New Jersey as they took down team after team and found themselves one win away from a South Jersey Group III title.
While they had fourth seeded Toms River South on the ropes, they fell just short, losing by a final score of 3–2 after it took two overtimes to finally put this resilient group away.
• All of the teams and players were recognized at the end of the year during the “Goldie Awards.”
Seneca’s edition of the ESPYs — an annual awards show hosted by the sports television station ESPN — is always a much-anticipated event that honors the great seasons these athletes worked so hard to put together.
Student athletes dress to impress as they walk down the red carpet and take photos before the award show kicks off.
Assistant athletic director Kathy Donoghue hosted the show this year and gave numerous awards that were voted on by all of the Seneca coaching staffs.
“Athletics is such a big part of our curriculum and I say that because there are so many lessons to be learned in athletics,” Athletic Director Brad Bauer said.
