Central's Baseball Team Looks to Finish Season Strong Behind New Coach

Their first game with a new leader didn’t end the way they had hoped, but it was certainly a step in the right direction.

The Wolfpack notched 10 hits in a county battle Wednesday night before letting a one-run lead slip away in the bottom of the seventh and final inning, losing to the Roxbury Gaels, 5-4.

The big news wasn’t exactly what happened on the field, but more about who was in the dugout.

After 10 full seasons at the helm, Central alumni and former varsity head baseball coach Dan Wydner resigned his post earlier this week, as well as 2008 Central grad and assistant coach Josh Boyd.

Taking Wydner’s place in the interim and on very short notice is Long Valley resident David Chance Healy, who spent Wednesday night in the dugout with his newly inherited squad. Healy played baseball through college and was a two-year captain at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and has spent the last decade coaching for the Long Valley Baseball Club and Morris County Cubs travel teams. He’s also a member of the Washington Township School District Board of Education.

When asked why he decided to step in as an interim when he was approached earlier this week, Healy said, “I love the game, and I want to see the kids finish the season.”

Healy is performing the role this season in a volunteer capacity.

“We just want the kids to enjoy the baseball season and experience, that’s what’s most important,” said Athletic Director Kent Schilling, who did not comment on the reason behind the resignations.

The varsity squad has eight games remaining on the schedule, with the next contest set for Friday at home against Morris Knolls.

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