October 25, 2011 Volume-I / Issue-3 www.asmnorth.com Boys Soccer: Chatham Charges Forward Page 4 The NJAC Shuffle Page 6-7 Gridiron Crunch Time: NJAC Football playoff Outlook Page 8-9 Delbarton’s White Knight Page 10 Madison Reclaims Morris County Field Hockey Title Page 10 Girls Soccer: Setting New Standards Page 12 County Tournaments Roundup Page 15 October 25, 2011 Volume-I / Issue-3 Boys Soccer: Chatham Charges Forward Page 4 The NJAC Shuffle Page 6-7 Gridiron Crunch Time: NJAC Football playoff Outlook Page 8-9 Delbarton’s White Knight Page 10 Madison Reclaims Morris County Field Hockey Title Page 10 Girls Soccer: Setting New Standards Page 12 County Tournaments Roundup Page 15 October 25, 2011 Volume-I / Issue-3 Boys Soccer: Chatham Charges Forward Page 4 The NJAC Shuffle Page 6-7 Gridiron Crunch Time: NJAC Football playoff Outlook Page 8-9 Delbarton’s White Knight Page 10 Madison Reclaims Morris County Field Hockey Title Page 10 Girls Soccer: Setting New Standards Page 12 County Tournaments Roundup Page 15
Third issue of newspaper covering the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), featuring football playoff outlook, girls' and boys' soccer, field hockey and more!
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Transcript
O c t o b e r 2 5 , 2 0 1 1V o l u m e - I / I s s u e - 3
www.asmnorth.com
Boys Soccer:Chatham ChargesForwardPage 4
The NJAC ShufflePage 6-7
Gridiron Crunch
Time: NJAC Football
playoff OutlookPage 8-9
Delbarton’s White
KnightPage 10
Madison Reclaims
Morris County Field
Hockey Title
Page 10
Girls Soccer: Setting
New StandardsPage 12
County
Tournaments
RoundupPage 15
O c t o b e r 2 5 , 2 0 1 1V o l u m e - I / I s s u e - 3
Boys Soccer:Chatham ChargesForwardPage 4
The NJAC ShufflePage 6-7
Gridiron Crunch
Time: NJAC Football
playoff OutlookPage 8-9
Delbarton’s White
KnightPage 10
Madison Reclaims
Morris County Field
Hockey Title
Page 10
Girls Soccer: Setting
New StandardsPage 12
County
Tournaments
RoundupPage 15
O c t o b e r 2 5 , 2 0 1 1V o l u m e - I / I s s u e - 3
Boys Soccer:Chatham ChargesForwardPage 4
The NJAC ShufflePage 6-7
Gridiron Crunch
Time: NJAC Football
playoff OutlookPage 8-9
Delbarton’s White
KnightPage 10
Madison Reclaims
Morris County Field
Hockey Title
Page 10
Girls Soccer: Setting
New StandardsPage 12
County
Tournaments
RoundupPage 15
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The newspaper you’re holding inyour hand is an exciting newway to follow NorthwestJersey Athletic Conferencesports. But it’s only one halfof the way we cover local highschool action.
For day-to-day coverage of sports in theNJAC, you can visit our multimediawebsite, www.allsportsmedianorth.com (orwww.asmnorth.com for short). The sitecontains a wide variety of features andcontent that’s hard—or impossible—to findanyplace else:
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n the NFL, they strivefor parity as a way tokeep most of the
league in playoff contentionright up to the final gamesof the season. The NJAC maynot exactly have parity, but itcertainly has a lot of teamswith a chance to reach thepost-season.
With just one game left before the eight-
game cutoff for the bulk of the league, 14
NJAC teams are in playoff position and no
fewer than nine more could qualify with a win
in Week Eight (and some help in a
few cases).
Here’s a group-by-group
breakdown of the various sections
in terms of qualifying, plus an
early look at the how the
playoffs may shape up:
North 1 , Group IV
Three NJAC teams sit at 3-4
with one game left, so all three
must win in order to get in. Morris
Knolls is in the best position by far,
as the Golden Eagles are actually
sixth in power points despite the
sub-.500 record, and they face
winless Mendham in their 8th game. A
win is likely enough to get Knolls into
the dance, barring some big upsets
elsewhere.
Both Roxbury and Randolph are
teams hoping to spring one of those
upsets that could shake up the playoff
picture. The Gaels stayed alive by
beating Morristown and now must
upend 5-2 Parsippany Hills to have a
chance. Randolph has an even tougher
task with a game against unbeaten (and
motivated) Delbarton.
In terms of the playoffs, Montclair is a
prohibitive favorite to win this section after
falling to Randolph in last year’s final.
None of the other teams strike fear in
anyone’s hearts, so if
one of the NJAC teams
can get in and avoid
the 8th seed, it
could have a real
chance to
advance.
North 1 ,
Group I I I
Sparta continues to stand
near the top of what is
usually a crushingly
competitive section. The
Spartans are second, just
one point adrift of Pascack
Valley. Sparta plays surging
Morris Hills this week, and
with a win could very well
finish first—and should place
no worse than second.
Vernon moved up into 7th place
with its victory this week over High
Point, but is far from secure in
playoff position. The Vikings
will almost certainly need
to beat Jefferson this
week to qualify, in what
amounts to a playoff game, as the
winner should be in and the losing
squad is almost surely out.
The top three teams in this section
(Sparta, Pascack Valley and Wayne
Hills) appear to be a level above the
rest, so the team that places first in
the power points gets a major
advantage in avoiding the other two
until the sectional final. It looks like
things could break well for Sparta,
which is looking to reach the finals
for the first time since 2005, when
it played in Group II.
North 1 , Group I I
Lenape Valley is solidly in
the playoffs, and could well
hang on to the 4th seed in
order to have a first-round
home game. The Patriots
will need to beat winless
Parsippany and get a little help elsewhere to lock up
home field. Hopatcong also looks to be in good
shape. The Chiefs are in 6th, and with a victory
over Boonton would be in.
Three other NJAC squads are part of a seven-way
scramble for the final two spots in this section.
Morris Hills stands 7th, with Jefferson 8th—but
tied with Dover on power points for that final
position. For both the Scarlet Knights and
Falcons, the scenario is pretty simple: win
this week and qualify, lose and almost surely
miss the states. Both face tough games,
Jefferson meeting a Vernon team that also
must win, and Morris Hills playing
undefeated Sparta.
For Dover, the Tigers must beat
winless Morris Catholic, then need at
least four other teams to lose, but it’s not
nearly as hopeless as it sounds, as all of those teams
are underdogs this week.
Ramsey, River Dell and West Essex are the top three
teams in the standings and look like the toughest teams
in the section, but Lenape
Valley showed in its recent
game against Madison
that it is ready to
compete at a high
level as well.
North 1 ,Group I
While the
bottom half of
many other
brackets will
feature mediocre
teams, that won’t be the
case in this section,
loaded with high-quality
small school squads.
Mountain Lakes moved
up to 3rd after beating
Butler in their Week
Seven showdown. Now
for the NJAC teams in
this section come two
huge games with major
playoff implications.
Mountain Lakes hosts
Pequannock, currently holding
onto the 8th spot. If the Herd wins,
they lock up a first-round home game
IBy Paul Mencher – ASM Northern Review Managing Editor
Mountain Lakes RB Dylan Muti
Lenape Valley QB Bobby Pregno
Vernon RB Chris Gonzalez
and could move up into one of the top two spots, while a loss would likely drop
them into the lower half of the bracket. The Panthers simply must win to qualify;
there are several teams waiting to pounce if they falter.
The other game to watch this week is Kinnelon at Butler. The Colts are in 12th
place but with an upset over Butler would gain plenty of power points and would
have a chance to make the playoffs. Butler fell to 9th after its tough loss to
Mountain Lakes, but that is somewhat deceiving, as the Bulldogs are one of two
NJAC teams (along with Madison) that have only played six games to date. That
means Butler has two more games to gain points; a win over Kinnelon is probably
enough to sneak in but a Week Nine win over Hopatcong would push them up the
ladder.
This looks like a tremendous section in terms of the playoffs as well, with
quality teams like Glen Rock, Cresskill, Saddle Brook and Pompton Lakes along
with Mountain Lakes and Butler. Whichever team ends up as champion in this
group will have earned it.
North 2 , Group I I
Madison stands atop this group, and the defending
section champion should secure the top seed barring a
major upset. Three other NJAC teams are in the
running here, with two big games on tap this
weekend.
Chatham visits Hanover Park in
a key matchup. A win for the
Cougars locks them in to the
states, but
it
would be hard for them to move up
from 5th position. With a loss,
Chatham might still be able to sneak
in. Hanover Park has no such luxury;
the Hornets must win to get into the
playoffs.
Meantime, Hackettstown slipped
into 8th place with its win over
Wallkill Valley. The Tigers go for
their fifth straight win when they
meet Kittatinny, and will secure a
playoff berth with a win as well.
But a loss will almost certainly
knock the Tigers out.
Madison looks like the team
to beat in this section, but the
Dodgers know repeating
won’t be easy, with tough
teams like Summit and
Orange standing in their
way.
North 2 , Group I I I
This section hasn’t been very strong in
recent years, and this year appears no
different. 11 of the 19 teams are already
eliminated from playoff contention,
and two others appear almost
certain to fall short of the
necessary .500 record as well.
Two NJAC teams
are already in: West
Morris, which can lock up
the top seed with a win over
Morristown, and Parsippany
Hills. Meantime, Morristown is facing a
desperation scenario in its game against West
Morris; now 3-4, the Colonials must win to
qualify. If Morristown falls, this section will
almost surely have only five playoff qualifiers.
West Morris looks like the favorite in this
section, and the Wolfpack’s toughest competition
could come from Parsippany Hills. When the two
teams met early this season, West Morris won by a
touchdown on its home field.
Non-PublicGroup I I I
Delbarton continues to
stand atop the power-
point rankings in this
group, and with a win at
Randolph the Green Wave
can assure itself no worse than
the second seed (St. Joe’s of
Montvale has a game in hand and
would pass Delbarton with two wins). That’s a
significant advantage in this difficult group.
Pope John locked up a playoff berth with its
win over Jefferson; the Lions appear almost
certain to be the sixth seed and face a road trip
to play DePaul, Red Bank Catholic or
Immaculata.
St. Joe’s is very strong this season and plays a
remarkably difficult schedule. The Green Knights are seen as the
group favorite, but will their schedule help them improve or simply
wear them out by the end of the season? That could be the key
question, and if anyone is to knock off St. Joe’s, Delbarton appears
to be the most likely candidate.
www.asmnorth.com ASMNorthern Review / 9
West Morris RB Jon Ciccone
Morris Hills RB Eric Turner Delbarton’s RB Jamie White
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Delbarton football practice was over and Jamie White was
asking the driver of the equipment cart for a lift back to the
fieldhouse. “It’s full,’’ said the driver. “Besides if you run, you
can make it before the cart can.’’
Such is a rare disadvantage for one of the quickest running
backs in Morris County, if not the state. The speed and ability of
the Green Wave’s junior tailback is one of the major reasons
Delbarton is off to an outstanding season.
The 5-foot-9, 175-pound athlete has rushed for 1,085 yards
and had scored 16 touchdowns this season after his team’s
35-0 blitzing of Mendham in last Saturday’s homecoming
contest. White can be dazzling at times with his open field
jaunts but his toughness is also unquestioned.
Jammed with a shoulder injury early in
another recent game against cross-town
rival Morristown, he came back in the
second half and scored on an
electrifying 74-yard run to put a final
touch on the 42-20 victory against a
talented opponent.
“A lot of the defenses come
in and focus on Jamie,’’
Delbarton quarterback
John Shaffer said. “He’s
a great player and he
deserves it but that also
opens up the passing game
for us. I think that’s kind of
what happened for us against
Morristown. His running ability in
the past few games really helped the
offense. It let us throw the ball deep and
it opened things up.’’
At 7-0, Delbarton has been playing
well on both sides of the ball and Green
Wave linebackers Dennis Bencsko and
Chris Soulas have put on impressive
tackling displays on defense at times.
However, having an athlete like White
who can turn a short gain into a long
run at any time he touches the ball
provides a distinct advantage for any
football team.
“Jamie is a spectacular player,’’
Delbarton coach Brian Bowers said. “We
feel like if we give him enough of a crease,
he is going to get through it. He’s a game
breaker. And he showed some toughness getting
back after he banged his shoulder a little bit.’’
White is from Summit. If you don’t know him, you
might remember his brothers. Terry and Alex both
played football and lacrosse for Delbarton in the past
decade. Now both are students and lacrosse players
at Harvard. They are in close contact and always
checking up on what little brother Jamie is up to.
White often uses his brothers as a sounding
board for ideas.
“I’ve learned a lot from both,’’ Jamie White said. “They try and
teach me the ways of things and I take advantage of it as much as
I can. A lot of it is just the way to approach situations and lessons.
They try to teach me drills.’’
Having older brothers is the type of thing that usually keeps an
athlete grounded. White doesn’t consider his size much of a
detriment on the football field. He’s not easily intimidated but he
also doesn’t walk around feeling that he has
something to prove because of his frame.
“I was bigger (then most of my
teammates and rivals) when I was a
little younger and then I stopped
growing,’’ White said. “I haven’t had
too much trouble with my size. I
think I make up for it in other
ways. I definitely think I’m
a target.
“It’s become an
advantage in our pass
game. We run a fake to me
and then the pass goes to
somebody that’s wide
open. It also opens things
up in the run game. They
can use me as a decoy
and I actually like that.’’
White gained
confidence during his
sophomore year which
he used his quick and
elusive abilities to
ground out yards for a
team which finished at
5-5 last year.
The underclassmen -
- including White and
many of the members of
the offensive line -- that gained
experience on that team are reaping the
benefits of last year’s trials by fire.
“I definitely couldn’t do it without the
line,’’ White said. “They do a great job.
They are mentally focused every game and
they know what they are doing.”
Will Reynolds, who also plays lacrosse with
White, is the center. Niyi Odewade plays left
guard. Donny Alvine, the lone senior, is an anchor
at left tackle. Casey Moran, Peter Bergh and Chris
Shafer all do a great job on the right side.
It’s a line that has only two returning starters but bonded
pretty quickly this fall.
“Donny gets us going,’’ Reynolds said. “We all do our thing.
We’re not the biggest line but we’re a bunch of athletes and we
use that to our advantage.’’
It helps the line to know that it doesn’t take much to get
White into open space.
“We know that Jamie is going to do what Jamie does,’’
Reynolds said. “We just try to open up the holes and he finishes.
… We expect him to break the first tackle. If he can make that on
the second level (of defenders), he usually comes through and
ends up in the end zone.’’
When asked to describe what it’s like for a player his size to hit
the line, White says it’s kind of like running through tunnels as
fast as you can. There’s very little thinking involved and White
admits there’s little time for it. He looks for a hole and heads for
it.
“It’s a lot of fun,’’ White said. “I don’t think that much when
I’m running so I don’t remember much of it. I just see it and I just
go. We do a great job of repetition and making cuts in practice so
I’m used to it.’’
There’s little time wasted during a typical Delbarton football
practice. Coach Bowers employs a large digital clock mounted in
the stands that ticks off practice time in five-minute blocks. There
are 32 blocks in an average practice. The practices are upbeat,
well-organized and regimented although there are numerous
variations from day-to-day.
“When you wear the jersey, you have to work hard,’’ White
said. “It’s not given it to you. We all know that out here. It’s a
great tradition.’’
And White has the type of qualities that his coaches covet no
matter his size.
“He’s very smart, very coachable,’’ Bowers said. “You wouldn’t
want to coach a better kid than Jamie White. He has no ego. He
comes to work every day. He’s just a humble, outstanding young
man and it is a pleasure to coach a kid like that.’’
That type of attitude will to make it difficult for teams to catch
White or the Green Wave for the remainder of the season.
“We knew coming into the season that we had some players,’’
White said. “We had a lot of returning starters from last year and
all of our key places were really in check. We have a lot of
confidence.’’
DeLBARTON'S WHITe KNIGHT:Speedy Jamie White LeadsUndefeated Green WaveB y M a r k K i t c h i n – S t a f f W r i t e r
FOR ADVeRTISING INFORMATIONContact : Harry L itsis 201-294-5903 harrypr int [email protected]
P au l Sw e ns o nw w w . p h o t o s b y s w e n s . z e n f o l i o . c o m
www.asmnorth.com ASMNorthern Review / 11
It was a familiar scene on Saturday night as the
Madison High School field hockey team celebrated yet
another Morris County Tournament title.
Denied last year
by Chatham, the
Dodgers seemed to
yell a little louder
and embrace one
another a bit tighter
after wrapping up
their 17th MCT
championship with a
3-1 victory over
second-seeded West
Morris.
"We really earned
this one," Madison
coach Ann Marie
Davies said. "We
didn't run all over
anyone. There was
never an easy
game."
There certainly
wasn't. The road to No. 17 was challenging. After
shutting out Mendham 4-0 in the first round, the top-
seeded Dodgers went to overtime before emerging with a
3-2 win over Mountain Lakes in the quarterfinals. In the
semifinals, they trimmed Pequannock, 2-1. West Morris
provided a
challenge of
paramount
proportions, too.
By clawing and
fighting its way
through the MCT,
Madison left
behind bad
memories of 2010,
a subpar season by
its lofty standards.
In 2010, the
Dodgers were MCT
runners-up and
didn't win any
titles.
The letdown
came one year after
Madison had a
stellar 2009
campaign, garnering conference, MCT, sectional and
Group II crowns. The Dodgers' run landed them a berth in
the Tournament of Champions.
"We brought the title back to Madison," an elated Tori
Ellis, a junior back, said. "We've worked so, so hard for
this."
A lack of chemistry, said Davies, was what hindered
Madison last season.
"This year's group is playing as a team," Davies said.
"They play for each other, not as individuals."
According to goalie Caroline McCabe, named the
defensive MVP of the MCT for her 13-save effort, 2010
was trying for several reasons.
"We were rebuilding. We lost some great players from
the team that won four titles," McCabe said. "That was
hard to live up to. We had players at different positions
and some that hadn't played varsity before. It took time
for us to get used to each other."
Madison went into this season without two more
standouts, Ally Helwig and Mackenzie Ellis, both now
playing Division 1 field
hockey. Still, the Dodgers
got back on track and were
more determined than ever
to honor the program's
tradition.
"It's
amazing
what we've
done with
the group
we have,"
Davies
said. "The
improvement from the beginning of the
season has been unbelievable. The girls
have figured out that hard work pays off.
They do drill after drill after drill.
They're very well-conditioned. They
know what needs to be done."
No longer can Davies
count on the majority of
her players being
involved in club field
hockey. That has had an
impact yet there are
enough devoted to the
sport year-round to keep
the Dodgers among New
Jersey's elite.
"Things have changed
over the years," Davies
said. "The commitment to
club is huge and some
kids shy away from that.
I understand that. Many
of the girls love the game
when it's here but they're
not interested in playing
Division 1. Some clubs
are very intense. Some are not."
Those factors aren't going to stop
Madison from pushing hard for more
championships. Looming is the state
tournament, which will be tough because
West Essex, Chatham and Ramsey are
among the squads vying for top honors in
North Jersey Section 1, Group II. The
Dodgers are also aiming to emerge atop
the NJAC Independence Division.
"If we play the way we've been playing,
we can go far," said McCabe, a captain
along with Sam Spelker and Liz
Lehmann. "We work with each other's
strengths rather than focusing on
weaknesses. We communicate well and
connect."
Besides McCabe, Ellis, Spelker and
Lehmann, Brynn Taylor, Ali Jago, Lexi
Dellavia, Rachel Massaro, Maggie Dalena, Michelle
Montagna and Rachel Alvey are starters for the Dodgers.
Dellavia, the right wing who scored two goals,
including the decisive one, in the county final, declared
winning "the best feeling in the world" and, no doubt,
wants to experience it again.
BACK WHeRe THeY BeLONG: Madisonreclaims Morris County Field Hockey TitleB y S a n d y S e e g e r s – s o a r - n j . c o m
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Madison's Liz Lehmann (left) tries to send the ball into the circle
Dodgers swarm Lexi Dellavia (#9) after her
second goal of the county final.
Mount Olive soccer players Nicole Amada and Victoria Portesyare good at playing together on the soccer field -- maybe, a littletoo good.
“I know where Victoria is going to go,’’ Amada said. “Shescored on about 70 percent of my assists. Sometimes I get yelledat for only giving Victoria the ball.’’
Those complaints are usually few and far between this season.The pairing of the two Marauders standouts are a good enoughplace to start when it comes to talking about this year’s success.Mount Olive earned its 10th victory ofthe season with a 4-2 triumph overMontville on Oct. 12. Ten wins wasbelieved to be the prior school recordfor girls’ soccer. The team, which was11-5 going into the last week of theregular season, is now venturing intonew territory and the players seem to beenjoying their role as trailblazers.
“The reason that we are doing so wellthis season is the girls that start on thefield, we’ve been playing together sincewe were kids,’’ Amada said. “We’vebeen on the same travel teams, sameclub teams. We’re all more dedicated.We all want to win.’’
Amada and Portesy have beenkicking the ball to each other since theywere in the second grade. Amada issmaller, but quick and very active as adistributor while Portesy is long andlean and makes powerful runs often finishing what Amada starts.Portesy, who was hindered by ACL and ankle injuries herfreshman and sophomore seasons, is leading Morris County ingoal scoring. She has 21 goals, many of them coming of plays setup by Amada.
“This year the difference is that they have more of an offensivesupport system,’’ Mount Olive coach Lauren Caruso said.“Victoria is very unselfish. She wants to score goals but she alsowants to win as a team.’’
The development of sophomore midfielder NicoletteThorkildsen has also made a difference in stoking the Maraudersoffense. The two-year starter excels at getting and redirectingopponent’s clears once the first wave ofthe attack comes through.
“Nicolette is a hard worker,’’ Portesysaid. “It shows. She’s very physical andthat’s what it takes.’’
She’s often seen distributing the ballback on the forwards or taking a crack atthe goal herself. She has five goals thisseason
“She’s going to be a phenomenalplayer,’ Amada added. “She’s a bulldozer.That’s why I love her.’’
Anna Poggi, Melanie Kopacki, AlisonSchroeder, Michelle Kozak, StephanieLopez and four-year varsity goalkeeperKat Clint have known each other goingback to the travel soccer days.
Kozak is the key to an improving defensive unit with RebeckaDeValve, Kelly Hartt and sophomore Sara Fasino. Those tightrelationships that have gone on for years translate tounderstanding on the field.
“We haven’t had any fights and if we do yell at each other onthe field, we know that it’s just to push each other,’’ Portesy said.“Right when we step off the field, we forget about it.’’
Even though criticism is often difficult to take, it often serves tomake the players understand that it’s not done to be hurtful but tohelp.
“That’s the advantage of being so close,’’ Amada said. “If (ateammate) says something, I respect what she says and I take it toheart. When my keeper tells me to do something I do it not
because she’s my teammate, she’s also myfriend.’’
The Marauders have developed confidenceand are getting better and better at exhibitingpoise under pressure, something that hasn’talways been a trademark for Mount Olivesoccer teams but something that must bemastered in order to be successful. TheMarauders credit their coach Lauren Carusofor instilling some of those qualities into theprogram.
Caruso, in her third season as the Marauderscoach, learned her soccer at Parsippany Highand counted current Parsippany Hills coachGia Rosamilia as one of her teammates. Shewas anassistant coachat Montvillefor two yearsbefore takingover at Mount
Olive.
“She’s taught us composure andsportsmanship and discipline,’’Portesy said.
“Everyone knows their job. Youknow where you stand. That’sreally important. Players that areseen as leaders, she’s taught usthat you have to act like a leader.If the players on the bench seeyou are not working hard, it islike a slap in the face because you
are on the benchso you want towork hard for yourplayers.’’
Mount Olive isin the running forNJAC Americanhonors and if theMarauderscontinue on theircurrent paceshould earn a statetournament seedthat could landthem at least onehome game if notmore. As the ninthseed in the MorrisCountyTournament, their
loss against eighth-seeded WestMorris in the opening round maynot be looked upon so harshlyconsidering the Wolfpack has
played well lately. In fact,the players have used thatdefeat as a measuringstick for how far they’veprogressed.
“That game showedhow much we’veimproved and our recordshows how much weimproved,’’ Amada said.“Last year we lost toWest Morris 5-0. Thisyear we stayed in thegame the entire time.’’
“It just proved toeveryone that we coulddo it,’’ Portesy added.“We worked really hardand it just shows howskilled we are.’’