The Falcon
College Bowl
page
Vol. XLXI Number 5
The Student Newspaper of St. Joseph High School
Cabrita named NFCA and NJSIAA Coach of the Year
Mr. Miguel Cabrita, ’91, Director
of Admissions and head varsity
volleyball coach (R) receives
congratulations from Jay Williams, ’99 (L), a former SJHS
basketball and volleyball player.
Coach Cabrita was named
Coach of the Year by two separate organizations, the National
Federation Coaches Association (NFCA) and the NJ State
Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). During the 2008
season, Coach Cabrita led his
team to County, Sectional, and
State Championships while tallying a 43-1 record for the season. Jay Williams is the all-time
leading scorer in St. Joe’s history, with 1,912 points. Jay was
National Player of the Year both
at St. Joe’s and at Duke, where
he graduated in three years
while winning a NCAA Championship. Currently, Jay serves as
a college basketball analyst for
ESPN. Congratulations, Coach
Cabrita!
Photo by Dr. M. Gubernat
Moody’s Mega Math Challenge
Second year the charm?
By Kevin Corlett
Managing Editor
Is the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act a welldesigned stimulus plan? If
not, is there a better way for
the United States to fix its
downtrodden economy?
Over 460 teams comprised
of 2,086 students from across
the Northeast attempted to
answer these very questions
on the weekend of March
7 and 8 as part of Moody’s
Mega Math Challenge, a
research competition focused
on mathematical modeling.
The 466 teams are vying for
a slice of the $80,000 scholarship prize to be awarded
in May.
Seniors Michael Chua,
Kevin Corlett, Michael Lee,
John Woolley, and Lucas Zav-
ala spent 14 hours – from 7
a.m. to 9 p.m. – on Saturday,
March 7, creating a 20-page
report comprised of text,
graphs, tables, and computer
programs to grapple with the
issues of today’s economy.
The St. Joe’s team hopes
to advance to the final round,
where they will have the
chance to present their report
in an interview with professional judges. So far, they have
passed the first elimination.
Lucas Zavala, who was a
member of last year’s team
as well, commented, “Last
year was our first year, so we
didn’t know what to expect.
Our team felt rushed, and our
work suffered. This year, our
team functioned smoothly,
our report was clean, and
our chance of winning prize
money is much higher.”
fight song
‘The Falcons Are Flying’
By Jason Diaz
Staff Writer
Mr. Salvatore Ascolese, music
teacher, recently revealed the
school’s rousing new fight song:
“The Falcons Are Flying.”
The song has not yet been formally introduced to the school
community; however, the students in attendance at the basketball game on February 6 against
Piscataway heard the song’s
debut performed by the school’s
pep band.
Mr. Ascolese composed the
song over a surprisingly short
period of time. He finished the
melody in only an hour, spending
more time arranging the work
of art. A recording of the song
was performed using sampled
instruments on a keyboard and
compiled on a Mac.
“It’s my pleasure to contribute the song to the school,” Mr.
Ascolese said.
He believes that the march is
simple enough that people will
have it stuck in their heads, feeling as though they have heard
it before, despite the fact that it
is an entirely original composition.
A recording of “The Falcons
Are Flying” can be heard during
the school day in the band room
or at any time at stjoes.org on
the Band page, located under the
Clubs & Activities tab.
3
Spring Sports
page
4
April 2009
Middle School Chess
Tournament Ranks
By Michael Bender
Staff Writer
The concentration was almost
palpable on March 28 as over 30
middle school students gathered
in the Cor Jesu Conference Center
for the third annual Middle School
Chess Tournament hosted by the
Chess team. These students ranging from 5th through 8th grade
represented 12 different schools
located throughout New Jersey.
Competition was fierce as
participants strove to prove their
skills. In the end though, Thomas Bender was victorious, going
undefeated in all four rounds and
emerging as the victor in the tiebreak blitz match. Second place
went to Frank Fritz who was also
undefeated in all four matches,
but lost the tiebreak. David Casal
took third with 3.5 points. The top
five finishers were all given a new
chess set and board.
As a new addition to the tournament this year, the top two
teams were awarded a plaque. The
team score was obtained by adding the top three individual scores
from each team. First place was
awarded to St. Matthias with 9.5
points, while Fords Middle School
took second with 9 points.
When asked what he hoped to
accomplish by hosting this tournament, Mr. Fischer, the moderator
of the Chess team, responded,
“We are hoping to encourage
middle school students to play
and become involved in chess.
It is also a good opportunity for
7th and 8th graders considering
attending St. Joe’s to get a look
at the school.”
Ernst’s Winter Excursion to Barbados
By Michael Lee
Managing Editor
Although most members of
the St. Joe’s community spent
their winter breaks in the comfort
of their homes, Mr. Ernst and
his wife went on an excursion to
Barbados, an island in the West
Indies.
Having a rich historical heritage, Barbados was an ideal destination for Mr. Ernst, a World
History teacher. Mr. Ernst spent
nearly an entire day exploring the
Barbados Museum and George
Washington House in Bridgetown.
At these museums, he observed
various exhibits, including those
dealing with George Washington’s stay in Barbados during his
nineteenth year.
Not merely an island of historical significance, Barbados
also offers overwhelming scenes
of natural beauty.
Describing the surroundings,
Mr. Ernst said, “The Atlantic side
of Barbados is a place that remains
unspoiled and picturesque in saturated blues, whites, and greens.
The mountainous, wind-driven
waves crash with such fury that
they can be scary.”
However, even such powerful displays could not stifle Mr.
Ernst’s intrepid spirit. He and his
wife swam and snorkeled in the
Caribbean waters, hiked into the
rain forests, and drove off-road
vehicles along the East Coast.
Winter vacation is typically
a time of recuperation from the
stresses of everyday school life.
Mr. Ernst reflected on the soothing
aspects of his journey: “Winter
Break on the islands makes February my favorite month!”
Photos by tour guide and Mrs. Ernst
Mr. Ernst and his wife (top left)
tour museums and contemplate
winter in NJ (top right). Mr.
Ernst gets a pep talk from his
limbo instructor (bottom).
Brother Rich Goes Golden
Photo by Mr. Dellatacoma
Br. Richard Leven, S.C. celebrated his Golden Anniversary as a member of the clergy on
February 8 with a special mass attended by his fellow Brothers, teachers, and students at
St. Francis Cathedral in Metuchen. The Falcon wishes him heartfelt congratulations.
THE FALCON 2
April 2009
Spring
College Tour
On the road
to see higher
education
Mr. Sal Ascolese and Mr. Eugene Tyrrell demonstrate ancient forms of Martial Arts in full action for the Asian Cultural Club.
Photos by Michael Pico
ASIAN CULTURAL CLUB UPDATE
Martial Arts demonstration showcases the art of self defense
By Michael Pico
Managing Editor
Ever since its successful Food
Fest back in November, the Asian
Cultural Club has continued to
remain busy with a myriad of
activities and events. During meetings held throughout the Christmas
season, students gave presentations about the various cultures and
customs that comprise Asia. This
allowed members to gain a deeper
understanding of and greater appreciation for the multicultural Asian
continent.
On February 26, the Asian Club
witnessed a martial arts demonstration by Mr. Sal Ascolese, music
teacher at St. Joe’s. Students
watched in awe as Mr. Ascolese
manhandled moderator Mr. Eugene
Tyrrell, who volunteered to be his
assistant. Mr. Ascolese demonstrated several forms of martial
arts, varying from power-based
fighting styles to forms focused on
quickly flowing movements.
Mr. Ascolese also elaborated on
the concept of chi, or life energy.
By concentrating his chi, Mr. Ascolese was able to withstand several
punches from Mr. Tyrrell without
flinching.
After the special performance,
Mr. Tyrrell said, “If Mr. Ascolese
and a bear ever fought, Mr. Ascolese would definitely win.”
In late April, the Asian Club,
campus ministry update
Published by the students of
St. Joseph High School
145 Plainfield Ave.,
Metuchen, NJ 08840
732-549-7600 ext 261
www.stjoes.org
Volume XLXI, No. 5
April 2009
Editor-in-Chief:
Lucas Zavala
Managing Editors:
Kevin Corlett
Michael Lee
Michael Pico
Associate Editors:
Anton Alicante
Christopher Jacques
Matthew Kuchtyak
Alfonse Muglia
Martin Pico
Edward Zukowski
Sports Editor:
John Nolan
Staff Writers:
Michael Bender
Michael Cash
Leonel Delgadillo
Jason Diaz
Alexander Ganescu
Michael Henton
Ryan Langton
Mark Lee
William Scarano
Nitin Srinivasan
Brian Whiteside
John Woolley
Photographers:
Leonel Delgadillo
William Scarano
Michael Shkolar
Technology:
Mr. George Milligan
Faculty Adviser:
Dr. Martine Gubernat
Principal:
Mr. John Anderson, ‘70
President:
Mr. Lawrence Walsh, ‘68
The Falcon welcomes
articles from students, parents and faculty members for
consideration for publication.
All articles are subject to editing. The opinions expressed in
The Falcon do not necessarily
represent the opinions of faculty or administration. Opinions expressed in any column
except those of the editors
are not necessarily those of
the editors.
Graphics and Printing by
Media Trends, Metuchen, NJ
(732) 548-7088
By Anton Alicante
Associate Editor
Heading into Easter Break,
Campus Ministry conducted
a string of successful events
including its first ever Simple
Meal, its annual Easter Egg
Hunt, and the Holy Week Liturgy.
On March 24, Simple Meal
was held in the cafeteria in an
effort to raise money for Catholic Relief Services. Families
were able to partake in a meal
consisting of soup, bread, and
water. In return, they were
requested to donate the cost of
a usual meal.
The event was led by Ms.
Marion Dellatacoma, who commented, “It’s a great way to raise
consciousness for the plight of
the poor and aid Catholic Relief
Services.”
Catholic Relief Services
reaches out to all parts of the
world where hunger exists to
help those in need. Donations
are still being accepted, and
checks may be made out to St.
Joseph High School and given
to Ms. Dellatacoma in room
311.
The annual Easter Egg Hunt
took place on Sunday, March
29. Children from surrounding
elementary schools enjoyed a
giant egg hunt that took them
all over campus.
Campus Ministry concluded
the Lenten season with its annual Holy Week Liturgy, held on
April 8.
along with the Umoja Club, will
travel to New York to visit Chinatown and Harlem. Students will
be enlightened as they come into
contact with the distinctive culture
and atmosphere of each area.
Asian Club President, senior
Anthony Lazaro commented, “I
believe that the Club has seen an
improvement since last year and
will continue to get better through
activities and events, such as the
Club’s trip to New York.”
Blood Drive Results
Photo by Bill Scarano
The Student Council’s blood
drive held on March 4 was a
great success. An estimated
90 students, faculty, and
members of the community
attended and donated well
over 100 pints of lifesaving
blood. The Student Council
would like to thank all who
participated. —Bill Scarano,
Photography Editor
By Brian Whiteside
Staff Writer
Spring is a time for gardening, camping, and other
enjoyable outdoor activities.
For juniors, however, spring is
another reminder that college is
just around the corner.
On April 2, a group of
juniors, accompanied by
Guidance Director Ms. Diane
Yannaco, attended the Spring
College Tour. On the tour, the
students visited Manhattan College and Fordham University.
While walking through each
campus, the students got a firsthand taste of life as college
students.
After the tour, students were
able to ask questions about the
schools. Administrators from
each school gave them information about the application process, including advice about the
personal essay and resume.
Ms. Yannaco commented,
“In order to choose the right
college, students need to know
what each school will offer.
This tour truly allows students
to experience a college campus as a college student would.
Hopefully the students were
able to gain a lot from this great
opportunity.”
The Spring College Tour has
definitely helped participants
progress towards their goals of
good college educations.
editorial
By Lucas Zavala
Editor-in-Chief
Warmer weather, shortsleeved polos, and spring sports
remind us how close we are to
the end of yet another school
year. For me, the coming summer will consist of spending
time with high school friends
while preparing myself for the
next step along my educational
journey: college. For those of
you who will return to St. Joe’s
in September, I hope the summer months are filled not only
with relaxation but also with
accomplishment.
Summer is the perfect time
to pursue educational opportunities that cannot be offered
within a traditional high school
curriculum. Students with an
interest in foreign language
(or even travel in general) can
participate in a range of study
abroad programs, including
People to People, AFS, and EF
Tours. Colleges around the
country offer creative spins on
the traditional summer experience through theater camps,
chess camps, and forensic science camps (just like CSI).
Research programs offer an
introduction for students looking to study the sciences. Even
the sports enthusiast can find
exciting opportunities beyond
the ordinary day camp. Paintball camps, wilderness survival
camps, and kayaking camps
are just a few of the up-andcoming options for adventurous
students. Those who would
rather stay close to home can
take advantage of the weekly
courses offered at local community colleges and gain the
experience necessary for future
success.
No matter what shape your
summer adventures ultimately
take, always keep two thoughts
in mind. First, you cannot take
advantage of these wonderful opportunities unless you
actively seek them out. No one
will ask you to enroll in a camp;
you must take the first step by
doing the necessary work to
sign up or audition or apply for
programs. More importantly,
however, you should realize
that you have nothing to lose
in trying something outside the
box and outside the bounds of
St. Joe’s. I can say from experience that even uncomfortable
circumstances (such as being
the only high-school student
in a college class) have their
benefits. You may discover a
new interest, you might acquire
some valuable experience, but
you will definitely learn something about yourself. My past
three summers have been times
of discovery, leisure, and personal growth. If you approach
yours in the same manner, the
results will be outstanding.
Photo by Mrs. Whiteside
Club members and moderator Ms. Bonelli outside the Ozanam Family Shelter in Edison after bringing much-needed socks and toiletries
for the residents.
Spanish Heritage Club Sock Drive
By Leonel Delgadillo
Staff Writer
The Spanish Heritage Club
sponsored a “Sock Drive” in
early February to help those at
the Ozanam Family Shelter in
Edison. This organization provides emergency shelter for 16
single women and 26 families.
Along with socks, the Club collected various toiletry products
such as soap, toothbrushes, and
shampoo. Students and faculty
donated the goods over the course
of two weeks
Spanish Club members then
created gift bags for the men,
women, and children of the shelter. They hand-delivered the gifts
on February 13 and spent additional time assisting at the shelter.
They brought board games and
Valentine’s Day crafts for the
young children. While the chil-
Photo by David Ortiz
Derrick Rosario doing a Valentine craft with a small child.
dren were playing, the gift bags
were distributed by the Club’s
moderator, Ms. Alicia Bonelli, and
a parent volunteer, Ms. Ortiz. The
residents and other full-time volunteers were extremely thankful
for the gifts and the company.
Club President Brian Whiteside remarked, “I believe we
were able to help a lot of people,
and the event is something that
we will definitely do again in
the future.”
THE FALCON
April 2009
Falcons fly to Princeton for Science Bowl
By Matthew Kuchtyak
Associate Editor
Two teams made up of members of the Science NHS and the
Science Club represented St. Joe’s
at the National Science Bowl, held
at the Princeton Plasma Physics
Laboratory on February 28.
The competition adopted a
format similar to that of Jeopardy!, employing buzzers and a
unique scoring system. Questions
covered subjects such as General
Science, Earth Science, Biology,
Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy,
and Math. Thirty-two teams
from 21 schools participated in
the contest. The winners in the
regional competition will go on to
the national tournament in Washington, D.C.
The St. Joe’s team performed
the best of the three Catholic
school teams in the tournament,
advancing further than rivals
Christian Brothers Academy and
Notre Dame.
The “A” team was captained
by Mike Lee, and also featured
senior Mike Chua and juniors
Aaron Knowlson and Nitin Srini-
AIME: American
Invitational
Mathematics
Examination
By Nitin Srinivasan
Staff Writer
The AIME (American Invitational Mathematics Examination) is a 15-question, 3-hour-long
exam that is offered to students
scoring in the top 5% nationally
on the AMC (American Mathematics Competition). It is the
second of four contests used to
determine the extremely selective
United States Math Olympiad
Team.
On February 10, 39 students
from grades 9-12 were invited
to participate in the prestigious
AMC. Three of those students
qualified for the AIME: seniors
Matthew Kuchtyak, Junyan Miao,
and Lucas Zavala. They competed
in the AIME on Tuesday, March
17, 2009.
Mrs. Muratore, moderator of
the Math League, commented, “I
am very proud of the accomplishments of the Math League. We
have many gifted mathematicians
at St. Joseph High School, and
our talent shows in this national
competition.”
3
Junyan’s quest for Gold
in the Physics Olympiad
By Matthew Kuchtyak
Associate Editor
Photo by Ms. McNamara
In its second year of competition, the Science Bowl team improved
on last year’s showing.
vasan. The team reached the 7th
round of competition, improving
the 6th round finish achieved by
last year’s team. The “B” Team,
co-captained by Mike Pico and
Mike Olson, also performed
admirably.
Ms. Jeanne McNamara, mod-
erator of the Science Bowl team,
remarked, “I am encouraged by
the knowledge, enthusiasm, and
drive shown by the boys during
the competition. They truly represent some of St. Joe’s finest in all
ways, and their teachers should be
very proud of their students.”
Senior Junyan Miao has been
named as a semi-finalist for the
U.S. Physics Olympiad team. His
journey will hopefully land him
a spot on the traveling U.S. team
to compete at the international
competition in Mexico during
July.
In January, 4,000 students
across the country participated
in the first round of competition,
composed of a written exam. The
top 400 students moved on to the
quarter-finalist round, with 200 of
those moving on the semi-finalist round. Junyan scored highly
enough on the first two exams to
place among the top 200.
Success on another exam, a
positive high school transcript,
and beneficial letters of recommendation could potentially place
Junyan in the top twenty-four students in the competition. These
finalists will spend time at the
University of Maryland-College
Park to take part in the Physics
Team Training Camp. The top
five students at the end of the
camp, as well as one alternate,
will form a traveling team and
represent the United States in
Mexico.
Regarding his success in the
competition so far, Junyan said,
“Reaching this stage was fairly
challenging. From now on, however, the competition will be nearly impossible.” He also gave a
word of advice to students hoping
to emulate his success: “Do your
homework for Br. Paul’s class,”
he said. “It helps a lot.”
BROTHER MIKE’S MOVIE REVIEW
college bowl update
By Ed Zukowski
Associate Editor
The College Bowl team
has had a wildly successful
month. On February 7, the
team attended a competition at
Briarcliff High School in New
York. Both the A and B Teams
played fiercely and managed
to win each of their respective
brackets. The A Team won three
times against its long-time rival,
Horace Greeley A, while the B
Team twice defeated Greely’s
B team to win the tournament.
Both teams had a perfect 6-0
record and received championship plaques and prize money.
On March 9, the entire College Bowl team, along with 25
fans, traveled to Manhattan to
watch Jesse Castellanos, Kyle
Gavin, Victor Janas, Jack Wooley, and Ed Zukowski compete in
the second and third rounds of
the New Jersey Challenge TV
show. They played Wall High
School’s team and won by more
than 100 points.
Immediately after winning
the first game, the team had to
play another game against Old
Bridge High School. It was
a tense game, with the score
extremely close at the end of the
third round, but St. Joe’s team
managed to amass a considerable lead in the final round and
win the game.
The team will play another
Challenge game on May 18 to
see which teams will continue
to the New Jersey finals.
Seniors of the Month Update
By Kevin Corlett
Managing Editor
Kevin Corlett and William McIntyre were named
Seniors of the Month in February, while John Nolan and
David Dodds were named in
March. Matthew Kuchtyak
and Conor Lynch received
the award for April. The
students were selected by
the Edison Rotary Club and
honored at a breakfast, where
they detailed their service to
the community.
Slumdog Millionaire
By John Woolley
Staff Writer
Ey! Oh! Ah! You lookin’ at
Brother?! That’s right, it’s time
for Br. Mike’s Movie Reviews
once again. Just a word of caution first, though: don’t stop to
read them outside of Woodburn;
you-know-who are comin’ out
in the springtime.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop —This
movie is about a true idiot boy.
Are mall cops even really cops?
I laughed twice during this movie. I laughed more at Braveheart! Actually I laughed three
times because I laughed again at
the end because the people who
made it were stupid enough to
think it was funny. H
Slumdog Millionaire— This
movie is the best there is so far
this year. They actually took
the little people in the film out
www.movieweb.com
of the slums of Bombay! I
laughed, I cried; there’s dancing
and there’s murder! What more
can you want out of a movie?
HHHH
Taken — Liam Neeson usually plays the type of guy you
wouldn’t want dating your
daughter. Not this time. Well
maybe not; he’s more ruthless
than a midget on steroids in
this flick. He beats up a lot of
henchmen to save his daughter
from a Euro-trash kidnapper.
HHH
The International— Now
you know where the bailout’s
going! Clive Owen stars in this
movie about why bankers are
not nice guys. On top of being
greedy scumbags, they’re also
buying guns from China to give
to Africans to kill each other.
That’s no good, someone might
get hurt! HH
International
Travelers
Club’s trip
to Hawaii
By Alex Ganescu
Staff Writer
During the week of Winter
Break, the International Travelers Club escaped cold and
cloudy New Jersey in favor of
sunny Hawaii, the only state to
have never recorded a temperature below freezing in its history.
Ms. Rocci, Dr. Longhi, and 12
other students enjoyed a week’s
worth of activities, beaches, and
sights – with happy memories to
bring home.
The group tasted a “flavor
of all the islands,” according to
Ms. Rocci, who chaperoned the
trip and organized events for the
Photos by Dr. Longhi
(left) The International Travelers Club members caught island fever during their trip to Hawaii. (right) The luau offered a healthy dose of
food, fun, and music.
students. Staying in a hotel overlooking Waikiki Beach on Oahu
Island, the group took part in a
luau, visited Pearl Harbor, canoed
in the Polynesian Cultural Center,
and also frequented the beach
during their seven-day stay.
The group was lucky to
have missed a tornado that hit
the Hawaiian Islands the week
before, leaving warm and sunny
skies with only occasional showers during their stay.
Ms. Rocci declared the trip a
success. She remarked, “Every-
one enjoyed Hawaii, and no one
wanted to go back home.”
The International Travelers
Club will be traveling to Japan
over the Easter Break.
THE FALCON 4
April 2009
St. Joseph High School
Falcon
Sports
Winter sports wrapup
By John Nolan
Sports Editor
FALCON FLOCK
ing its 31st straight GMC
Championship.
BASKETBALL
Record: 24-4
Recap: The Falcons rolled
through the GMC Tournament before bowing out to
Piscataway in the finals. In
the state playoffs, the team
battled but came up short
in the Non-Public South
A semifinals against CBA.
Still, it was the Falcons fifthconsecutive 20-win season
and with three starters returning next year, they should be
primed for a title or two.
BOWLING
Record: 6-11-1
Recap: With only one
senior on the roster, the Falcons struggled against stiff
competition in the GMC, yet
still managed to reach the
GMC Tournament quarterfinals and finish fourth in the
WINTER TRACK
Photos by David Willenbrock, ’76, compliments of Russ Hedge, R Visions Photography
Members of the Falcon Flock pulled together to support their team in the hotlycontested county final against Piscataway at the RAC.
Central Jersey Group III State
Sectional Tournament.
HOCKEY
Record: 4-15-4
Recap: The youthful
Falcons faced a daunting
schedule as more than one-
third of their games came
against teams ranked in
the state’s top 20, but the
experience for the many
underclassmen getting significant ice-time should pay
dividends down the road.
SWIMMING
Record: 7-7
Recap: Far from vintage
Falcon teams, the squad
persevered through the
state’s toughest slate of
opponents, while captur-
Record: N/A
Recap: The Falcons
returned to glory, unexpectedly winning the
Non-Public A State Championship, in addition to
both the GMC Relay and
Individual Championships. Will Schubigger
(pole vault), Jon Marques
(400-meter), Rich Bills
(hurdles, high jump), Tim
Moczula (hurdles, high
jump), Anthony Buccigrossi (shot put), Camaron Burke (55-meter), and
the 4x400-meter relay
team of Camaron, James
Livingstone, Hayes Cozza, and Jon qualified for
the prestigious Meet of
Champions.
Steve
Rennard
1,000 Points
Photo by Michael Shkolar
Junior Steve Rennard
became just the fifth player
in school history to score
1,000 career points. He
accomplished the feat
against Cardinal McCarrick
in the GMC tournament
semifinals on February 25.
spring sports preview
Spring Track
& Field
By John Nolan
Sports Editor
The Falcon winter track &
field team overcame an 11-year
championship drought by winning
the Non-Public A State Championship, as well as the Greater
Middlesex Conference Relay and
Individual Championships. So
what is the Falcons’ task for the
spring? Doing it all again.
Nearly all contributing members from the winter squad are
back for the spring, as well as a
cast of fresh faces.
“With more events and athletes
in the outdoor season, we’re bigger and badder now. It will be
disappointing if we can’t repeat,”
said senior Hayes Cozza, a member of the team’s vaunted 4x400meter relay team.
The key to the Falcons’ success during the winter was their
balance, placing in nearly every
event, from the 55-meter dash to
the 3200-meter run to the field
events. The team’s deep roster
features senior Rich Bills and
junior Tim Moczula in the hurdles/
jumps and senior Camaron Burke
and junior Jon Marques in the
sprints.
Hayes, along with fellow
seniors James Livingstone, Nick
Pavia, and John Nolan, plus junior
Matt Delaney, will lead the pack
in the middle distances, while
seniors Jesse Castellanos and Kyle
Witkowski, along with sophomore
Mike Fernandes, are the team’s
top distance runners.
The performances of seniors
Anthony Buccigrossi (shot put),
Will Schubigger (pole vault), Dan
Marazzo (pole vault), Luke Sheptuck (javelin), and junior Mark
Bauer (javelin) will be critical
as well.
The Falcons’ road to repeat as
champs will not be an easy one, as
the likes of Old Bridge and Piscataway are forces in the GMC. The
Non-Public A group also poses a
plethora of challengers.
A schedule filled with eight
dual meets against GMC Red
Division foes will prep the squad
for the stretch run of its campaign
in May, when it will compete for
the GMC Championship (May
16), the NJ Catholic Track Conference Championship (May 24), and
the Non-Public A State Championship (May 29-30).
Coach Gary Trojanowski, ’72,
said, “The team surprised me in
the winter and hopefully it can do
the same again outdoors.”
Tennis
By Martin Pico
Associate Editor
Coming off of two straight disappointing seasons (each with a
3-15 record), the Falcon tennis
team hopes to start off its new
season on the right foot in a new
division.
Like the golf team, the tennis squad has moved from the
Greater Middlesex Conference
Red Division to the less competitive White Division. Nevertheless,
the Falcons seek to start the season
with a spirit of enthusiasm and
confidence as they move toward
their goal of qualifying for the
state tournament and performing
well in the GMC Tournament.
With five returning varsity
members, the team will use its
experience to set an example for
the rest of the squad and help
guide the underclassmen through
the team’s 24-match schedule.
Third-year coach, Jarrett
Dewelde, ’98, commented, “With
a tough schedule ahead, the team
needs to find strength in both
singles and doubles and develop
the chemistry needed to move
forward.”
Golf
By Chris Jacques
Associate Editor
The Falcon golf team has the
talent necessary to piece together
a superb season. The team has a
strong core of returning seniors in
Curt Chapkowski, Matt Kuchtyak,
Kevin Corlett, and Chris Jacques,
as well as sophomore Kevin Waitikowich, all of whom will look to
lead the charge toward a county
championship and success on the
state level.
The Falcons have moved to the
Greater Middlesex Conference
White Division this year, a division that is much less competitive
in golf than the Red Division,
which Coach Ryan Lechner’s
squad has been a part of ever since
he became head coach in 2004.
“Even though we are in a
weaker division, we must ensure
that we do not look past any opponent and simply play against par,”
Coach Lechner commented.
Last year’s White Division
champion was South Plainfield,
which should prove to be the Falcons’ toughest competition this
season.
This year’s schedule is jampacked with GMC cross-over
matches in which the Falcons still
will compete against Red Division
opponents, most notably perennial
power East Brunswick and everpesky South Brunswick.
The Falcons’ talented bunch
of golfers will look to amass the
required .600 winning percentage necessary to qualify for the
state tournament. Furthermore,
the Falcons will participate in
the Cherry Valley Invitational an
18-hole outings that draws the
best competition from across New
Jersey.
Lacrosse
By Ryan Langton
Staff Writer
The weather is getting warmer,
the days are becoming longer,
and the eagerly-awaited Falcon
lacrosse season has commenced.
Under the guidance of Coach
Marc Moreau, the team hopes to
repeat last year’s performance as
Greater Middlesex Conference
champions.
Led by senior captain Eric
Palumbo, the team boasts many
talented players returning from
last season, including juniors
Andrew D‘Ambrosio and Nick
Contino, who have both verbally
committed to play at Rutgers.
“I think the best aspect of this
team is our depth,” said Coach
Moreau. “We are not just relying
on seniors to be successful. We
have quality players at the senior,
junior, and sophomore levels.”
Coach Moreau added, “We
have a very challenging schedule.
If we get caught looking ahead
we can get tripped up. I am confident that the players will come
to each practice and game giving
100 percent.”
The season kicked off on April
1 against Pingry. Other tough outof-conference matchups during the
campaign include A.L. Johnson,
Morristown-Beard, Immaculata,
Bergen Catholic, and Seton Hall
Prep.
Baseball
By Alfonse Muglia
Associate Editor
The field has been lined and the
grass has been cut. The defending
Greater Middlesex Conference
champion Falcon baseball team
is on the path toward the state and
county championships.
“This year we will look to compete once again for both championships as we build the baseball
program into a perennial state
power,” commented third-year
head coach, Paul Esposito.
After capturing the Non-Public
South A Championship in 2007
and the GMC Tournament Championship in 2008, expectations
have been elevated this season.
The regular season opened on
April 1, with games against division rivals East Brunswick and
Old Bridge, the runner-up in last
year’s GMC tournament, as well
as out-of-conference Hamilton
High School East. The team’s
strenuous schedule this season will
include matchups with perpetual
state powerhouses Immaculata
and Seton Hall Prep, as well as
a trip to the 2009 All-Catholic
East Tournament in Miami during
Easter Break.
“This will give us the opportunity to showcase our program
and our players to a national audience,” Coach Esposito said.
The Falcons expect to rally
behind a deep pitching staff and a
talented defense. On the offensive
side, the Falcons feature a balanced lineup from top to bottom
that exhibits a fundamentally
sound approach.
Shortstop/pitcher Chris Bielak has already announced his
intent to continue playing at the
next level for Division I Marist.
Joe Esposito (Rutgers) and Ron
DeSantis (Salem) have also committed, while more seniors are
expected to commit throughout
the year.
Volleyball
By Michael Cash
Staff Writer
Coming off of a record-setting
43-1 season, capped off with
county and state championships
and a twice-named Coach of the
Year, the Falcon volleyball team
is looking to pick up right where
it left off.
Although returning only three
varsity players this year, including starting senior Danny Vaccariello and junior sensation Bobby
O’Grady, the team is composed
of some outstanding young talent.
Coach Miguel Cabrita, ’91,
has hired some new faces to assist
with the program this year. Pedro
Trevino is the new assistant coach
at the varsity level and Jens Madsen, ‘99 is the new head coach
for the JV team. A.J. Safavi will
also be helping out as a volunteer
assistant.
Coach Cabrita commented,
“We are considered underdogs
(to East Brunswick), despite coming into the season as defending
champions. Although we graduated the majority of the team last
year, we have a lot of new talent.
Repeating last year’s success
will be challenging, but we are
definitely in contention.”