Category: Wrestling

by Mike Pavlichko

“It’s my time:” Outgoing Colonia AD Ben LaSala looks back at decades of coaching multiple sports, molding student-athletes

He has spent decades on the sidelines, coaching sports like softball, wrestling, and most notably, football. In 2013 he stepped away from all that, but not too far away, to become Colonia’s Athletic Director.

Now, after 11 seasons at the helm, there will be no more schedule-wrangling, uniform purchasing, or myriad regulations to worry about. Now, he can just go to a game if he wishes, or not.

Ben LaSala announced his retirement months ago, early in the 2023-24 school year. But that was something to look forward to. Now, that moment is here.

There are so many names, so many people he’s had contact with, influenced, educated, he doesn’t want to forget any. As you would expect from someone who’s been an educator in some shape or form for more than 40 years.

Of course, he did try, sending frequent messages on Twitter over the past school year as he recalled stories, people, places and things from his long career.

And what will he do in his spare time? Beyond spending time with his family, listen all the way to the end of our conversation with him to find out!

Click below to hear Colonia Athletic Director Ben LaSala talk about his long and wide-ranging career with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Measures in the state legislature would offer protections, pensions for high school coaches

Contrary to popular belief, the high school football coach at (inset your favorite school here) is not striking it rich. Quite the contrary.

Not only that, but unlike teachers in a district, they have no protection from the whims anyone in charge. There’s no “tenure” for a high school baseball coach.

On average, New Jersey State Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D-Paterson) says high school football coaches make about $9,000 a year. If you broke that down by game for a team that plays ten games, that’s $900 a week for ten weeks.

That’s not bad if that was all they did. But they are involved year-round with their programs in some capacity or another. There’s pre-season, postseason, college recruiting season, weight room sessions in the off-season, and so on, and so on.

Wimberly knows this well. He was a highly successful football coach at Paterson Catholic – producing several future NFL players, including former New York Giant Victor Cruz – and later spent nine seasons at Hackensack before stepping down in 2021.

He has sponsored two measures in the New Jersey legislature aiming to help not only high school coaches, but anyone in education involved in an extracurricular activity.

“We’re not reinventing the wheel,” says Wimberly. He says the proposals are inline with what neighboring states like New York are doing.

The first measure would require that compensation for coaching – or other activities like band or school play – be considered as income toward that person’s retirement fund.

The second would allow for schools to offer head coaches three-year contracts and assistant coaches two-year contracts, giving existing coaches job security, as well as creating potential to attract – or retain – the best coaches.

Wimberly says the feedback he’s received has been mainly positive so far for both measures, which will be introduced again in May.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly about the proposals:

by Mike Pavlichko

South Brunswick’s Hendricks runs GMC’s social media, promoting league, players and coaches

When C.J. Hendricks put aside his baseball uniform, stepping away from coaching to lead the South Brunswick Athletic Department, the book was out quickly on his style: He would use all the newest technology available to promote his school’s athletic teams, the student-athletes, their coaches and their achievements.

Now, he’s added the Greater Middlesex Conference social media channels and website to his list of 24/7 tasks, taking over those duties this past December.

Social media knows no deadline, other than “get it up as fast as you can.” It can be a beast to maintain. But Hendricks has the chops for it.

When he first started at the Vikings’ Athletic Director, he debuted a feature called “94 Feet,” based on the Jay Bilas feature where he’d walk the length of a basketball court with a player or coach, and learn more about them.

Hendricks took it, adapted it, and ran with it. And in some cases skated or swam with it, to be more accurate.

Yes, he interviewed student-athletes and coaches in all kinds of sports, donning skates and even jumping in the pool last December to chat with swim coach Ryan Webb.

South Brunswick Athletic Director C.J. Hendricks and swim coach Ryan Webb in a version of “94 Feet” called “Wall to Wall” on Instagram. (Source: @WeAreSBVikings on Instagram)

Now, he’s planning on bringing many of the same kinds of ideas to the Greater Middlesex Conference website, which can be found here, as well as the league’s social media channels. It’s all part of telling the great, positive stories about the conference, its student-athletes, coaches and more.

And we all know there are plenty of great stories to tell.

Click below to hear South Brunswick Athletic Director C.J. Hendricks talk about promoting the Greater Middlesex Conference through its website and social media channels:

by Mike Pavlichko

Two fundraisers support former and current Central Jersey H.S. athletes

Every so often, a fundraiser will pop up on GoFundMe for some important cause, or someone who needs financial help after a personal setback.

It just so happens there are two going on now for a couple of Central Jersey high school athletes.

The first to come up was one for Bohdan Biekietov. He’s a junior at Montgomery who only arrived in this country in September with his sister and mother from Odesa, Ukraine. Bohdan is the starting big man on the Cougar basketball team that won the Central Jersey Group 4 title this year, and was named the Central Jersey Sports Radio Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year.

Montgomery’s Bohdan Biekietov goes up for the opening tip against Rutgers Prep in the Somerset County Tournament final on February 17, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

His father is back at home, working with the military, helping to shoot down Russian missles that rain down night after night on Ukraine. Limited in how much he can work, a GoFundMe for the Biekietov family started on March 14th aims to raise $10,000 for the family to adjust to life here in the U.S. It’s passed that amount with nearly 100 donations, and the new goal is $15,000.

TO DONATE TO THE BIEKIETOV FAMILY ON GOFUNDME, CLICK HERE

But a second fundraiser has been going on for even longer, this one for a former Woodbridge football player.

Garrett Mozolic played for the Barrons and then-head coach Brian Russo in the mid-2000s, graduating in 2007. He rushed for 2,459 yards in a three-year varsity career, with 23 touchdowns, and was a thousand-yard rusher his senior year, going for 1,126 yards and nine TDs.

Former Woodbridge football standout Garrett Mozolic. (Source: Woodbridge Football on MaxPreps)

Now 35 years old and living with his wife in Hawaii – where they first met – he’s been diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer that has spread to other organs, according to the GoFundMe description of a fundraiser that went live in January.

But Garrett is not just in a fight for his life; he’s also thinking about helping others at the same time. “Any unused donations will be going to St. Jude’s or directly to children of need,” he writes on the fundraiser site.

Former Woodbridge football standout Garrett Mozolic. (Source: Woodbridge Football)

“My battle ahead is to beat the spread of cancer that has moved from my colon to my liver and lungs. Upon conquering the first battle, then moving on and eradicating the tumor in my colon. I’m taking a combined approach of treatments to attack this best as I can. My faith is in God and I know I’m in his hands. I’m mentally strong to face this head on, although my body is not physically as strong as it once was,” he added.

In a little over two months, the fundraiser has picked up nearly $31,000 with a goal of raising $40,000 for medical expenses.

TO DONATE TO GARRETT MOZOLIC ON GOFUNDME CLICK HERE

by Mike Pavlichko

Legendary Phillipsburg football mentor Bob Stem passes away, aged 84

Former Phillipsburg head coach Bob Stem – who won 112 games with the Stateliners in two separate tours of duty as head coach – has passed away at the age of 84, his death first reported by Lehigh Valley Live.

Stem’s first go-round with P’burg was from 1973 to 1981, then he coached another six years from 2005 to 2010.

A native of the Phillipsburg, Stem starred in football and wrestling in the mid-1950s. He was an All-State and All-American in 1957, and also was a state champion wrestler in 1958.

He went on to play at Syracuse, where he was a three-year starter at linebacker and center and a significant piece of the Orangemen’s national championship team of 1959, a team which starred Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis and tight end John Mackey.

He later played in the AFL and CFL.

As coach of the Stateliners, he won a title in 1977, and three more during his second stint with the program.

According to Lehigh Valley Live, not only did Stem play in the 50th annual Thanksgiving Day meeting between Easton and Phillipsburg, but he coached in the 75th and 100th meeting of the two schools.

The website reports Stem not only taught in Phillipsburg for 35 years, but notes his four children eventually taught there as well.

by Mike Pavlichko

Spotswood referendum calls for athletic, building improvements with zero tax impact

There’s an old saying: “If it’s free it’s for me.”

In Spotswood – and Helmetta, but not Milltown, which has its own Board of Education and its own schools through eighth grade – voters will go to the polls on September 26th to weigh in on a $12.6 million dollar bond referendum that would fund improvements to the high school football and baseball fields, as well as needed repairs and upgrades at all other district schools, all without costing taxpayers a dime.

For football, Spotswood would replace the natural grass surface at Chargers Stadium with all-weather turf, and change the configuration of its track to allow soccer to be played there, too.

The high school’s athletic fields are on land behind it which has traditionally never drained well. The baseball team affectionately calls their home field “The Swamp.” That field would get singificant drainage improvements.

But sports fields aren’t all that would be done.

  • The high school also would get new lighting and sound equipment for district-wide theater and stage performances.
  • Appleby and Schoenly Schools would get new ADA-compliant playground equipment.
  • Appleby and Memorial Schools would get upgraded and replaced HVAC units.
  • Schoenly School would get HVAC upgrades/replacements, and a new roof.

School officials say the best part about the project is that it would not increase taxes; there would be zero tax impact on homeowners in Spotswood and Milltown if the referendum is approved. That’s because 40 percent of the cost would be covered by aid from the state, which it only receives if the district borrows the money.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlickho speak with Spotswood Board of Education President Dan Lennan about the upcoming schools referendum:

by Mike Pavlichko

Manville football, wrestling coach Pat Gorbatuk promoted to Athletic Director

The good news is, Manville’s Pat Gorbatuk is staying in town.

But it’s bittersweet for him to leave his posts as football and wrestling coach, posts he has held for the last 12 and 16 years, respectively, to become the next Athletic Director, replacing Stephen Venuto.

On the football field, his teams went 40-72 with three playoff berths, but that came after 1-9 records the first five seasons. Since 2016, the Mustangs have been .500 or better all but two seasons, one of them the very difficult COVID year, going 35-27 in that span

In wrestling, his teams amassed 230 wins, including a 23-3 campaign this past year, as well as four division titles, three sectional finals appearance, and two state place-winners, both in the last nine years: Brian Kuhlman in 2015 and Michael Tyle in 2018.

Gorbatuk also had two stints coaching boys’ and girls’ track and field for nine seasons between 2009 and 2020.

The draw for Gorbatuk has always been the sense of community in Manville, a small town, and one of the smallest high schools in Central Jersey.

Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talked with Gorbatuk about his new job, and the ones he leaves behind; click below to hear the interview:

by Mike Pavlichko

NJSIAA’s Colleen Maguire talks new transfer rule, emphasis on curbing recruiting in HS

The sweeping changes made Monday by the NJSIAA to its rules on student-athlete transfers and recruiting go hand-in-hand.

That’s the theme from NJSIAA Executive Director Colleen Maguire, who talked with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko in a wide-ranging interview Wednesday morning.

The two big changes are this: all student-athletes will be allowed to transfer at least once in their high school careers without penalty – having to sit out a portion of the season – regardless of whether or not they have moved, and that recruiting a student-athlete before high school is now permitted, though it will continue to be banned once a student-athlete enters high school.

That’s defined as either the first day of classes or the first day they attend practice in the fall sports season, whichever comes first.

But Maguire says with no more requirement of a student-athlete to have a bona fide change of address for a penalty-free transfer, the NJSIAA will put more emphasis on policing recruitment.

Anecdotally, it happens all the time, whether public schools or private, at all grades in high school, all sports. But few cases ever get to the point where penalties handed down..

The most recent high profile case happened this fall when Paramus Catholic was found guilty of illegal recruiting in football after allegations were leveled by Belleville High School. The Paladins were ruled ineligible for the postseason and placed on two years’ probation, but on appeal by Belleville, head coach Greg Russo and assistant coach Christian Maldonado were suspended for the remainder of the probation period.

NJSIAA rules adopted Monday also strike language from its bylaws allowing penalties against student-athletes who transfer as a result of recruiting violations.

Click below to hear the full interview as NJSIAA Executive Director Colleen Maguire talks to Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about the new recruiting and transfer rules:

by Mike Pavlichko

Groundbreaking new NJSIAA transfer, recruiting rules approved; will be in effect a month early

Sweeping changes first proposed back in January will go into effect June first, allowing for recruitment of student-athletes before they become high schoolers, and – in general – one free transfer during their high school careers without having to sit out, regardless of whether they move or not.

Three ballot proposals – the third of which allows the new bylaws to go into effect June first, whereas most amendments go into effect July first – were overwhelmingly approved by the NJSIAA’s membership at its annual meeting Monday.

Recruiting now allowed before high school

The first of the changes amends the NJSIAA’s “Athletic Recruitment Rule.” It removes removes any penalties for recruiting student-athletes before they enter high school, as well as “potential penalties” against student-athletes. It also adds that if a student moves to a residence provided someone associated with the school, it will be considered evidence of recruiting unless proven otherwise.

Previously, the Athletic Recruitment Rule called for a penalty of one year of ineligibility for students-athletes who transfer as a result of recruiting, but that language was eliminated under the changes adopted Monday.

Scroll to the bottom of this story for the full NJSIAA wording on the rule changes.

It is still against the rules to recruit a student-athlete once they’ve entered high school. That includes “using mail, letters, brochures, or news media to compare high schools and to solely point out the athletic assets of the sender; engaging in proselytizing interviews or communications, initiated by school personnel or associates; offering athletic scholarships, free tuition or other monetary assistance, either from the school directly or indirectly through some affiliated body or individual, to induce a student to attend the school for athletic reasons.”

Athletic recruitment is not only banned by administration, staff, and coaches, but also “students, parents, booster clubs, or any organization having a connection with the school.”

Free transfers, but also limits

The NJSIAA says in its bylaws “it aims to discourage transfers for athletic reasons, multiple transfers, and transfers after a sports season has begun.”

Current rules require any transfer, in general, to sit 30-days before participating – or half the number of games, whichever is less – unless the transfer had a bona fide change of address.

The changes approved Monday eliminate the change of address rule, and allow a free transfer with no penalty any time in a student’s first six semesters of their initial high school enrollment. But a “second or subsequent” transfer at any time will require the typical 30-day sit-out period.

Senior transfers – anyone who transfers after their first three seasons of eligibility in a sport they participated in during the past 12 months – would have to sit 22 days or a third of the contests – whether it’s their first transfer or not.

Transfers still would have to sit it they transfer after the start of practice, and would be ineligible for the NJSIAA postseason if they transfer after regular season play begins – neither of those change.

One difference from when the rules were first proposed in January are the exceptions added in by the NJSIAA along the way. The new rules state “immediate eligibility, without penalty, will be granted for transfers resulting from DCP&P placement (Division of Child Protection and Placement), court placement, HIB transfers (Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying), and military transfers.”

NJSIAA Ballot 1 – Recruitment Rule – 2023Download
NJSIAA Ballot 2 – Transfer Rule – 2023Download
NJSIAA Ballot 3 – Transfer Rule Effective Date – 2023Download
by Mike Pavlichko

Edison community and beyond comes together to “Fight For Allie,” help local 11-year old girl beat brain tumor

Much has been written and talked about on this website regarding the sense of community fostered by sports in Edison, whether it’s a beloved baseball coach and mentor passing away, or the youth football programs that helped bring the Edison High Eagles their first state championship in more than three decades.

Now, that community is coming together again, to rally behind Alexandra “Allie” Ewing.

She’s just eleven, and not long after the New Year, she was having some stomach issues. Probably nothing major, her family thought.

She was out of school for a few weeks, but couldn’t seem to get over it. She’d been tired, and took a nap. But when she woke up Monday night, she was exhibiting tell-tale signs of a possible stroke. Facial drooping, lack of mobility.

Off they went to the hospital, and an immediate CAT scan discovered what turned out to be a golf ball-sized mass on her brain. Emergency surgery was successful, for now, and she’s spent the last few days recovering, and waiting for results of a biopsy.

A bright, full-of-life pre-teen, Allie and her parents have been active in the local youth sports scene, playing softball, soccer, and even football with the boys of the Edison Jets. She started with Edison boys’ baseball when she was four.

  • Alexandra “Allie” Ewing of Edison playing the field in baseball. (Submitted photo)
  • Alexandra “Allie” Ewing of Edison at football practice. (Submitted photo)
  • Alexandra “Allie” Ewing of Edison on the football field. (Submitted photo)
  • Alexandra “Allie” Ewing of Edison on her Midtown softball team. (Submitted photo)
  • Alexandra “Allie” Ewing of Edison on her Royals’ EBBL softball team. (Submitted photo)

“Since the first day I met her, she had a ‘Never quit” and ‘Don’t tell me I can’t do it’ attitude,” says Edison Boys Baseball League President Brian Calantoni. “Our athletes are always taught to use what they learn on the field and at practice and utilize it in real life situations. We know she won’t ever give up. She will fight and she will win.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Allie, which has received over 500 donations totaling over $46,000 as of 10 pm Sunday. The family is in need of funds to cover medical costs and seek multiple opinions, so they can get the best care for Allie.

Her father, Keith, told Central Jersey Sports Radio on Sunday afternoon that they still have a potentially long road to go, and have no idea what the immediate future holds.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Allie’s father, Keith Ewing, about how she’s doing, what little they know of her prognosis, and the tremendous support of the community in Edison and beyond: