TASTY TIDBITS A record signing day at St. Anthony Six Friars officially sign with respective D-I schools; passing of "Petey;" playoff prognostications
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Six St. Anthony High School seniors put their autographs to NCAA National Letters of Intent Wednesday afternoon at a proud get-together, perhaps more shining and a defining moment than any of the school's 24 NJSIAA state championships.
Collectively, this group of seniors was standing in front of promissory notes that equaled more than $1.2 million in scholarship money. That's coming from just one senior class of basketball players. It's a mindboggling amount, especially from all six, who are all products of the inner-city and didn't exactly grow up with the silver spoon in hand.
Even a basketball factory like St. Anthony had never witnessed such an impressive display. It's readily reported that the 1989 version of the Friars was the best high school basketball team ever assembled. But that team, which featured Bobby Hurley, Jerry Walker and Terry Dehere, produced three seniors who went on to major college basketball. This contingent just doubled that total.
"What makes it even more impressive is that five of them are guards," said the legendary mastermind of the St. Anthony basketball program, Bob Hurley. "These aren't exactly a bunch of 6'10" guys that coaches are knocking down the door to get. Five of these guys basically play the same position."
Hurley vividly remembers his early coaching days, when the college recruiters would come calling every so often.
"I think we had three or four in the first decade," Hurley said. "Now, we have six here today. I think this is a new world for us. I also see a lot of smiles coming from the parents of these young men. A lot of stress and financial worries have been taken care of."
Michael Rosario, a product of the Duncan Avenue projects, signed his name to a letter that sends him off to Rutgers. Tyshawn Taylor, who bounced back and forth from Jersey City to Florida and back, put his John Hancock to a letter from Marquette University in Milwaukee, a school that also once produced a larger-than-life sportswriter from Jersey City.
Jio Fontan and Travon Woodall, two cousins who honed their skills by playing on-one-one against each other in the schoolyards near their home in Paterson, are headed to Fordham and Pittsburgh respectively. Fontan will be joined at Fordham by fellow Friar Alberto Estwick. A.J. Rogers, the only forward in the bunch, is headed to St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia.
"We all came a long way," Rosario said. "This proves that hard work pays off. We pushed ourselves together. We all came up together and now we get to share in this day together. It's a big step and we made it together, with our parents here to see it."
Rosario, Woodall and Rogers were the first three to make their intentions known about a year ago. Fontan and Estwick decided to head to the Bronx as a package. Taylor was the late bloomer of the bunch, watching his stock skyrocket over the summer at camps in Philadelphia and South Orange.
"If anyone told me two years ago that I would be signing with a Big East school, I would have told them that they were nuts," Taylor said. "It's almost like we made history together and I like that."
No, they did make history together. No one could remember whether any dominant high school program in the country, like Miami Senior, Dunbar in Baltimore or DeMatha in Washington, D.C. ever boasted such a litany of college talent in one senior class.
"It's really too amazing for words," Taylor said.
"My dream was always to be a Division I player, but I never thought it would be with five of my teammates," Fontan said. "We made history in a real big way."
Incredibly, Woodall, Rosario and Taylor are headed to the Big East Conference where they will unquestionably lock horns against each other. Fontan, Estwick and Rogers will play in the Atlantic 10. So they go from being teammates to foes as soon as they become college players.
"It's going to be great going against each other," Rosario said.
"I'm very excited about our future," Fontan said. "We have a chance to make something great happen."
Now, with the signings out of the way, the Friars can focus on the matter at hand, a pursuit that will begin in earnest next Friday morning when practice for the 2007-08 season officially begins.
"We have to take care of business," Fontan said. "It's now or never."
"If we don't win a state championship, then we'll be the first group of seniors to never have won one," Taylor said. "We can't let that happen."
"That's the only thing that's missing now," Rosario said. "We have to go hard and win that state championship."
They've already made history once. Who's going to deny the second piece of the puzzle?...
My heartfelt condolences go out to the family of a true Hudson County sports legend, former Hudson County Sheriff and Recreation Director Pete DiNardo, who died suddenly last week at the age of 72.
"Petey" DiNardo was Jersey City, through and through. He lived Jersey City and breathed it. He was as proud of a resident as there ever has been.
He also had a heart of gold. His life was dedicated to giving and helping others. He ran trips for senior citizens and parties for kids. He held a picnic every year, honoring local sports greats. I had the fortune of being named Pete DiNardo's Sportswriter of the Year on two separate occasions.
"Petey" DiNardo was the kind of guy who greeted you with a handshake and followed it with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He was warm and funny and loyal and just a pleasure to be around. More importantly, he was a friend, one who could tell a story better than Charles Dickens or Jean Shepherd combined. Every story he told was of epic proportions and captivating in every sense of the imagination.
I wish I had some of those stories of the old times, with Tommie Smith and Nate Borden and Tony Nicodemo on videotape, because they were classics.
He will be sorely missed. Rest in peace, "Petey." Your hometown will never be the same...
The Great Hagueini went 5-2 with his playoff predictions last week, missing on North Bergen and Hoboken. So without any further ado, here are this week's playoff selections, as long as you don't use them for any other wagering purposes than for a shrimp parmigana sandwich and a bottle of Fresca with your Uncle Looie.
Hudson Catholic at Immaculata, Non-Public Group 3: We've doubted the Hawks all season, except for last week, when the playoff curse was finally lifted from the school on McGinley Square. Immaculata's too strong. Immaculata 24, Hudson Catholic 12.
Bergen Catholic at St. Peter's Prep, Non-Public Group 4: Hagueini may be the only person in Hudson County who believes this one will be a war and definitely the mighty Marauders' toughest game of the year. BC is big up front to match the Prep and they have just as many skilled people. But BC doesn't have the best player in New Jersey. The school at Grand and Warren does. For that reason alone, we're going: St. Peter's Prep 21, Bergen Catholic 19, in an epic.
However, be very forewarned that the local high school football season could come to an end this weekend... -- Jim Hague
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