Knight of Honor: West Essex Recognizes Athletes

A big sports year for the West Essex High School sports teams went out with a bang Thursday night.

The school held its first Athletic Awards Program—attended by keynote speaker and former Super Bowl champion and New York Giant Roman Oben—in the auditorium to recognize the Knights' athletic achievement during the inaugural year of the Super Essex Conference.

"In my six years as an athletic director, no year compares to this one," Athletic Director Damion Macioci said.

The Knights combined to win seven SEC conference titles and state championships in ice hockey and baseball.

"What other school in the state had three seasons like that at West Essex?" said David Drozjock, the West Essex football and boys track coach. "It's incredible."

In addition to the 130 West Essex student-athletes who were recognized with SEC awards, several coaches received awards from the athletic department for reaching career milestones.

Jill Cosse reached 250 wins as coach of the field hockey team and 200 as the girls lacrosse coach, while Drozjock attained his 100th career win on the football sidelines.

Ice hockey coach Mike Giampapa was recognized for guiding the Knights to their second state championship under his leadership.

Girls basketball coach Tom Kenny captured his 162nd career win while leading the Knights to a school-record 23 victories and an appearance in the sectional title game this winter.

Mike Markey was recognized for being tabbed the top regional and district assistant wrestling coach this year. Head wrestling coach Greg Ruggiero was honored for guiding the Knights to their first sectional championship in 25 years.

Andrea Mondadori was also honored for reaching 100 career wins as the school's head softball coach.

Team awards were also presented as the boys cross country team was recognized for winning the SEC Colonial Division title, while the football team was honored for capturing the SEC Liberty Division championship and the girls volleyball team received recognition for overcoming a sluggish start to the season to win the SEC Liberty Division title.

Rounding out the school's fall success was the field hockey team, which garnered the SEC American Division title and the Essex County championship.

The boys ice hockey team led the winter accolades after capturing the Northern Conference Division title, the McInnis Cup and the NJSIAA Public B championship.

The wrestling team won the , while the girls basketball team garnered the SEC Liberty Division title as well as the Holiday Tournament championship.

The baseball team highlighted the spring season by capturing the program's first Group 2 championship, the , the Essex County title and the SEC Liberty Division crown.

The softball team wasn't far behind by also capturing the before losing in the Group 2 semifinals and the final of the Essex County Tournament.

In addition, the boys outdoor track team won the SEC Independence Division title.

The athletic department also recognized its predecessors and those who have built some of the teams to where they are today.

David Montgomery, the West Essex Middle School principal, was honored for his many years coaching the football and track teams.

In addition, William Wosilius, the school's strength and conditioning coach, was recognized as the school's first student to earn an athletic scholarship to college. After playing at Syracuse University, the linebacker was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1967.

Richard Wilson, who will retire this year, was recognized after nearly a quarter of a century of maintaining the school's athletic fields, while Linda Vicari was honored for her years as a softball coach, physical education teacher for 41 years and as a site manager.

Oben, who won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002 and a former Giant offensive lineman, praised the student-athletes and their coaches for setting the right examples during his address.

"People ask me about Plaxico Burress and Michael Vick and why did these guys mess up," said Oben, who's now an announcer for Sirius Radio. "They did not develop a sense of responsibility."

Oben told the students that game results are not what determine winners.

"You win humbly and you lose gracefully," he said. "It's not about the finished product, but about the process."

Scholar Athletes

Essex County Scholar Athletes—John LoCascio, Jennifer Weissbach

NJSIAA Scholar Athlete—Thomas Gasbarro

Men of Essex Scholar Athletes—Sloane Serpe and Austin Leigh

West Essex UNICO Scholar Athletes—Jackie Branco, Joseph Lisella.

Essex County National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete—Michael Cimilluca.

Varsity team captains 2009-10

Fall teams

Girls tennis—Emily O'Neill and Megan Munoz

Field hockey—Heather Barretta, Gia Nappi, Elizabeth Storey and Jennifer Weissbach.

Cheerleading—Casey Campos

Girls soccer—Sloane Serpe and Chelsea DeGiacomo

Boys soccer—Tom Gasbarro and Tom Martin

Boys cross country—Wes Bechtler, Owen Gantz, Geoff Holden and Frank Petrocca.

Volleyball—Christina Galese, Jackie Branco, Amanda Crooks, Emily Shields and Jessica McDonald.

Football—John LoCascio and Michael Cimilluca.

Winter teams

Girls basketball—Jackie Branco, Jenna Sackman and Jennifer Weissbach

Boys basketball—Joe Lisella, Joe Fusco and Miles Young

Girls fencing—Bianca Calderone and Samantha Cosenzo

Boys fencing—Angelo Agrifolio and Rudi Hughes

Boys winter track—Frank Petrocca, Bryan Weissbach and Thomas Gasbarro

Girls winter track—Bineta Niang and Lauren McDonald.

Ice hockey—Travis Trent, John Fox and Erik Wolfer

Boys swimming—Dan Rosen and Colin Lyon

Girls swimming—Kathleen Turnbull, Alicia Pravata, Christina Lovey and Raquel Grasso

Wrestling—Rob Rando, Anthony Perrotti, Paul Cafone and Frank Marotti

Cheerleading—Renata Luzzi and Megan Myslak.

Spring

Golf—Jamie Graham and Owen Part

Girls lacrosse—Kelly Abbot, Emily O'Neill, Sloane Serpe and Jennifer Weissbach

Boys lacrosse—Tom Black, Peter Doelp, John LoCascio and Tom Martin

Girls track—Ellen Gallagher, Lauren McDonald, Bineta Niang and Alicia Pravata

Boys track—Michael Cimilluca, Thomas Gasbarro, David Gomez, Dylan Monahan,Mike DiGiulio, Robert Huetter, Rudi Hughes and Frank Petrocca

Softball—Jackie Branco, Christina Galese and Austin Leigh

Boys tennis—Jon Miller, Corey Marx and Jed Entin

Boys volleyball—Joe Lisella and Bryan Weissbach

Individual honors (all-conference, all-state recognition)

Fall teams

Girls cross country—Jamie Iannuzzi and Victoria Douranakis

Boys cross country—Pat Dyer, Geoff Holden, Matt Mitchell, Dylan Monahan, Frankie Petrocca and Kyle Reilly

Football—Michael Cimilluca, Michael D'Annunzio, John LoCascio, Chris Kitchen, David Gomez, Greg O'Neill, Angelo Domenick, Steven O'Neill, John Gareffa, Dominic Valeriani, Ryan McCormack and Kyle Kitchen.

Girls tennis—Megan Munoz

Girls soccer—Sloane Serpe, Kelly Egan, Chelsea DeGiacomo, Melissa Kuscin, Caroline Spry and Shannon Wojcik

Boys soccer—Jared Koval, Tom Gasbarro, Ed George, Mike Pezzuti, Tom Martin and George Rollins.

Field hockey—Heather Barretta, Natalie Cafone, Amanda Cassera, Adrianna Farina, Jackie Fusco, Casey Higgins, Melissa Laible, Gia Nappi, Kristen McClain, Alexis Miller, Kelly Mosser and Jennifer Weissbach

Volleyball—Jackie Branco, Jessica McDonald, Amanda Crooks, Emily Shields, Christina Galese and Alexis Seidel.

Winter

Girls Fencing—Kristin Maher

Girls basketball—Jackie Branco, Amanda Tiritilli, Theresa Carnevale, Jenna Sackman and Jennifer Weissbach

Boys basketball—Miles Young and Patrick Dyer.

Ice hockey—Travis Trent, John Fox, Tom Paranzine, Michael Cuozzo and Erik Wolfer

Boys swimming—James Lovey

Girls swimming—Ally Barth and Christina Lovey.

Wrestling—Anthony Perrotti, Jimmy Ciampi, John LoCascio, Frank Marotti, Chris Michura, Carlo Zazzara, Paul Cafone and Anthony Pompei.

Spring 

Softball—Jackie Branco, Allissa Kerr, Austin Leigh, Brianna Schauer and Candice Travis

Baseball—Dan Gautieri, Lee Holtzman, Dave Jesch, Jimmy Kenny, P.J. Lawless, Jimmy Philips, Mike Rafanello and Andrew Santomauro

Girls lacrosse—Kelly Abbot, Natalie Cafone, Casey Higgins, Nikki Maxman, Emily O'Neill, Sloane Serpe, Kayleigh Thies and Jennifer Weissbach

Boys lacrosse—Tom Black, Joe Fusco, John LoCascio, Tom Martin and Mike Wiatrak

Girls spring track—Julie Kayzerman, Jamie Iannuzzi, Bineta Niang, Rachel Yen, Lauren McDonald, Jill Crooks, Ellen Gallagher, Megan Myslak, Alicia Pravata, Alexa Perillo and Alina Vitencz

Boys spring track—Mike Cimilluca, Tom Gasbarro, Mike DiGiulio, Chris Kitchen, Pat Dyer, Steven O'Neill, Jonah Gantz, Rudi Hughes, David Gomez, Michael Steets, Rob Huetter, Michael D'Annunzio, Matt Melillo, Matt Mitchell, Dylan Monahan and Frank Petrocca.

Boys tennis—Alex Schwartz

Golf—Jamie Graham and Owen Parr

Boys volleyball—Evan Grau, John Palacio, Joe Lisella, Ryan Towey and Bryan Weissbach