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Athletic Hall of Fame Members

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1933, 1934, 1935 Championship Basketball Teams

The foundation upon which St. Mary’s Athletics was built was the accomplishments of these three basketball teams. In three seasons the Championship teams of 1932/1933, 1933/1934 and 1934/1935 had a cumulative record of 68-14.

Coached by Jack Toohey in 1932/33, the “Saints”, as they where nicknamed at the time, had a record of 21 wins and 7 losses. In post season play they reached the semi-finals of the State Group II Prep Championship and won the first of three straight Newark Diocesan Championships.

Voile Dupes took over the reigns of the basketball team for the 1933/1934 season and the team won 24 games and lost only 6. The team again won the Newark Diocesan Championship and reached the finals of state play, only to lose to Good Council of Newark by the score of 27 to 26.

The 1934/1935 team finished the season with a 23 and 1 record and brought the 1st State Championship to St. Mary’s by winning the State Group II Prep Championship. For third year in a row the Saints also won the Newark Diocesan Championship, hence, retiring the Seton Hall Trophy, which was awarded to the first team to win three consecutive tournaments. This trophy is still proudly displayed in St. Mary’s Gymnasium.

These teams were led by such stalwarts as John Kelly, Joe Kelly, Phil Sheridan, Gene Bruggemann, Howie Bischoff, Vin Daley, John Rohan, Jim Sheridan, Buck Smith, Bill Shea, Pete McCabe, Bill Kraft, Joe Bizub and team manager Robert Miller.



Inducted 1996


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1935 State Championship Basketball Team

St. Mary’s 1935 boys basketball team was a group of excellent athletes coached by an excellent Hall of Fame coach, Voile Dupes.  Their story is a thrilling, inspirational tale of consistency, achievement and heroic circumstance.  The 1935 hoop squad etched its name in St. Mary’s athletic history by beating Bayley Ellard to win the Class A North Jersey Parochial School Championship for the third year in a row.  This impressive win awarded St. Mary’s permanent possession of that tournament’s trophy, which is the largest, grandest trophy ever displayed at St. Mary’s.

A greater achievement lay ahead for this talented team, however, which was led by Hall of Famers, Phil Sheridan, Sr., Pete McCabe and Buck Smith.  In the Catholic Schools State Championship game played at Rutgers University, the Gaels traded baskets with a talented, physical squad from St. Peter’s High School in New Brunswick.  In the waning minutes of the final period, the Gaels’ best player and leader, Phil Sheridan, fouled out.  Coach Dupes turned to his senior “sixth man”, Will Shea, who was known as “Specs” Shea in recognition of the prominent athletic goggles which he wore.  In a thrilling display of guts and determination, “Specs” Shea hit the tying basket to put the game into overtime, and then scored virtually all the points in the extra period to propel St. Mary’s to a stunning State Championship win.  The performance of “Specs” Shea in the 1935 State Championship game is generally regarded as the greatest performance by a St. Mary’s athlete in a State Championship game, and is a favorite chapter in St. Mary’s folklore. 


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Inducted 2011

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1944 Football Team
The St. Mary's football team of 1944 was the most prolific in Gael history. In compiling a 9 -1 record, scored 342 points and gave up only 6. The team suffered their only loss to a Vince Lombardi coached St. Cecilia's team, 6-0. Seven members of the team, five of which are in St. Mary's Athletic Hall of Fame, received various All- County and All -State Awards. This team revitalized the football program at St. Mary's and established St. Mary's as a football power.

Coach Bob Trocolor's roster included, Capt. Tom Sheridan, Tom Fallet, Rich Fowler, Jack Harmison, Frank Kriston, Jack Campell, Tom Cryan, Warren Wiedemann, Mike Fallet, Ed Jasonek, Tom Shannon, Paul Reilly, Ed De Pol, Howie Woods, Pete Traynor, Ed Waters, Robert Benson, Gene Jurkowski, Jay Morales, Ed Goetze, John Solch, John Bezares, Dan Donahue, Paul Trojan, Bill Kirwin, Don Foster, Charlie Friedrich, Richard Muller, John Kirchner, Joe Cowin, Joe Caughey, Ray Goodsir, Gene Strelecki, and Frank Maguire.


Inducted 1998

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1946 State Championship Basketball Team

Our team Inductee is a historical St. Mary’s basketball squad best remembered for winning the 1946 State Championship. This team’s road to the top started very slowly, as it dropped four of its first five games. However, the team improved each game, and found the winning combination in four of its next six games. Thereafter, the Gaels’ scoring machine shifted into high gear and did not lose again. The St. Mary’s yearbook tribute to this extraordinary team recounts that the 1946 Champs were paced by the amazing shots and high scoring of (Hall of Famer) Captain Richie Fowler, the great rebound work of Phil Bersch, the scrappy play of newcomer, Scotty Lindsey, the coolness and versatility of (Hall of Famer) Jack Weiss, the height and bucket shots of Jim Data, and the smooth ball-handling of (Hall of Famer) Jack Campbell."

In addition to these outstanding players, the 1946 State Championship team also received valuable contributions from Frank Lane, Bob Murphy, Robert Liddell, W. Smith, Tom Cryan, Joe Gannon, George Gifford, Richard Collins, Deacon Cartier, Cliff Kalemba, Jim McCormick, Ed Bill and John Shannon. This team’s development into a championship unit can be credited in large measure to the coaching genius of its head coach, Hall of Famer, Bob Trocolar.

 

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Inducted 2010

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1953 Championship Football Team
Only one minute of play remained when Coach Leo Moran’s Gaels scored the tying touchdown and then successfully passed for the game winning extra point to beat Seton Hall 7-6.

Since 1932 when St. Mary’s started football no St. Mary’s team had completed a season undefeated. Against Seton Hall it looked like the Gaels were going to miss their chance to bring the school that unbeaten campaign. St. Mary’s had threatened on several occasions but each time Seton Hall stopped them as they neared the goal line. Seton Hall had scored in the second period after recovering a fumble deep in the Gaels territory and their 6-0 lead looked bigger and bigger as the seconds ticked away in the final period. With less than 4 minutes to go Seton Hall was threatening again, being within St. Mary’s 25-yard line.

But the Gaels never gave up. They stopped the Seton hall drive with a pass interception and then waged a dramatic comeback to win. Quarterback Joe Dressel heaved a 32-yard pass to Charlie Scrivanich who gathered in the ball on the 10 and stumbled into the end zone. Then George Gaughran, on a place kick formation, passed to Joe Dressel for the extra point and the victory. And less then a minute remained to play…60 seconds that ticked away and the Gaels completed their first “won-all” season.

The Gaels finished 9-0-0, and were named Parochial “B” State Champions, the first football championship in school history.

Members of the team included: Walter Smith, Jerry Frain, Bill Livingston, Rich Walsh, Tom Derlinga, Bob DeMarco, Bill Schwanekamp, Charles Durkee, Dan Kearney, Lynn Reilly, George Gaughran, Leo Fink, Bob Jones, Joe Dressel, Harold Perrine, Jasper Papa, Joe Walsh, Paul Connolly, Tom Duddy, Larry Casey, Tom Cascaddin, Tom Arnold, Gene Arnold, Dave Olmstead, Pete Doran, Ron Segal, Bob Kretz, Jim Brennin, Ronald Farrell, Ken O’Connor, Tony Tisullo, Jerry Breslin, Charlie Scrivanich, Ned Carlough, Frank Scelsa, Dan Sullivan, Head Coach Leo Moran, Asst. Coach Isadore Vallorani.


Inducted 1997

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1954 State Championship Football Team

This St. Mary’s State Championship team featured an array of colorful characters, some of whom were great football players and others who were great athletes and very good football players. Under the helm of first year head coach, Val Vallorani, the 1954 football squad raced to a final record of 7-2, after early season losses to Essex County Juggernauts, St. Benedicts and Seton Hall Prep. The Gaels’ offense was a dynamic, revolutionary squad which ran from a single-wing and passed from a split-T formation, directed by the inventive play-calling of assistant coach and St. Mary’s Hall of Famer, Jack Love. The defense of the 1954 team featured a menagerie of hard-hitting defenders who punished opposing ball carriers and receivers. The highlights of the season were lopsided victories over rivals, Pope Pius and St. Luke’s.

Historically, the 1954 team is remembered best for its numerous Hall of Fame players and for its singular achievement of providing St. Mary’s with a repeat State Championship under a new head coach, following Coach Leo Moran’s retirement after the 1953 championship season.



Inducted 2009

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1954, 1955 & 1956 Baseball Teams

In 1951 interscholastic baseball returned to St. Mary's. Two freshman athletes, Joe Dressel and Bob Jones started for the '51 Team. In 1952 George Vuyosevich became the head baseball coach and started to develop a program of young players who would eventually comprise the 1956 State Championship Team.

The 1954 team was gifted with senior players from the 1954 class, including Joe Dressel, Bob Jones, Jasper Papa, and Dan Kearney, while George Gaughran, Jerry Breslin and Bill Schwanekamp were outstanding juniors. Sophomores Charlie Scrivanich, Ron Segal, Richie Walsh, Don Ippolito and Joe Walsh were also important contributors to the 1954 team. The 1955 team also had an outstanding record led by the returning players mentioned above together with Harry Perrine and Eddie O'Connell.

These years of cultivation came to fruition with the 1956 State Championship team, which was led by senior, Charlie Scrivanich. This Hall of Famer posted a won/loss record of 9-1 and shattered the strikeout record in Bergen County by posting 2.34 strikeouts per inning. His only loss in 1956 was 1-0 to St. Benedicts where he pitched a no-hitter and lost. The 1956 team was also led by the hitting and fielding of catcher, Ron Segal, and other fine players like Richie Walsh, Don Ippolito, Ray Reardon, Joe Walsh, Jay McDonald, Ray Scrivanich, Charles Wormke, Emil Hensle, Vin Deleo and Jack Sloan.

Many of these honored players went on to play college, professional or semiprofessional baseball. Bob Jones signed with the New York Giants, while Charlie Scrivanich played at Notre Dame and went on to play in the Cincinnati Reds organization. Ron Segal became an All-American at Ithaca College and played in the Cape Cod League.  George Gaughran went on to become one of the great baseball players at St. Peter's College. During this era in St. Mary history,  baseball was once again established as a prominent and winning
program. 



Inducted 2006

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1960 - 1961 Championship Football Teams
Considered by many to be the greatest accumulation of talent in St. Mary’s history, the football teams of 1960-61 compiled a record of 15 victories, one tie, and one loss. The 1960 teams’ record was 7-0-1 winning the Catholic School Big Seven Championship. The 1961 team won the Catholic School Big Eight Championship and went on to win the State Championship. Coached by St. Mary’s Hall of Fame coach, Nick Cutro, six members of the 1960-61 teams have been inducted into the St. Mary’s Hall of Fame.

Many of the performers received All-State, All-Catholic, All-County, and All League recognition. Players from the 1960-61 teams accomplished more at the college football level than any other group of players in St. Mary’s history. Over 15 players played college football and five became captains of their college teams. Two players received College All-American recognition.


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Inducted 1999

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1962 State Championship Baseball Team
Coached by Hall of Famer Charlie Agel, the baseball Gaels of 1962 won the Catholic B North Jersey State Championship. St. Mary diamond squad was powered by current Hall of Famers, Joe Fratangelo and Jim Kelly, who patrolled the outfield, infielders Joe Weist and Jim Dull, and battery mates, Brian Conway and Dennis Bott. Other key performers on this championship team were John Yacullo, Pete Mulry, Brian Markowsky, Joe Panza, Bob Gentile, Joe Rybka, John Boyle, and Jack Segal. The 1962 State Championship team compiled a record of 13-3, with four games cancelled due to inclement weather. In recognition of their crowning achievement, the 1962 baseball Gaels were the first team in the history of St. Mary history to be invited to the prestigious Bergen County baseball Tournament. The State Championship game was won in resounding fashion as St. Mary drubbed Bayley- Ellard of Morristown by a score of 22-5.

Inducted 2007

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1968 State Championship Baseball Team
This "Cinderella team" of the late sixties for St. Mary's compiled a record of 15-10. The team was coached by SMH Hall of Famers, Charlie Agel and Ron Segal. The conference record was just .500 but the team caught fire late in the season. By upsetting heavily favored Don Bosco Tech and Bayley-Ellard, they captured the State title in stunning fashion. The team was led by senior all-star performers, John Resch and Farrell Sheridan, as well as juniors, John Walty, Bob Santaniello, Andy Cefalo, Joe Gazdowicz and Vin Custer. The team was also chosen to participate in the prestigious Bergen County Tournament.


Inducted 2005

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