Athletes of the Month-November

The Catholic Star Herald highlights the Diocese’s student athletes who stood out during the month of November.

Olivia Brocious

Paul VI High School, Haddonfield

Soccer

The deeper the Paul VI girls soccer team went into the playoffs, the more thrills Olivia Brocious provided. The Eagles’ senior went on a run for the ages by scoring seven playoff goals as Paul VI captured its second South Jersey championship in school history. Brocious finished the year with 18 goals and six assists, which included a pair of goals in the Non-Public A state championship game. A senior captain and four-year starter, the Drexel University commit ended up with 44 goals and 17 assists in her career.

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Olivia Bent Cole

Camden Catholic High School, Cherry Hill

Field Hockey

It seemed there was only one way Olivia Bent-Cole was going to end her high school career – with a state championship.

One of the best players to ever lace them up in South Jersey, Bent-Cole proved clutch in every situation as the Irish won their first state title since 1985. Bent-Cole scored 38 goals this season, with 14 coming in the playoffs, including the opening tally in a 2-1 win over Oak Knoll in the Non-Public state championship game. The Northwestern University commit ended up with 128 goals and 48 assists during her incredible career at Camden Catholic.

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Zharia Harris-Wadey

Paul VI High School, Haddonfield

Volleyball

Not many volleyball players experience the amount of success that Zharia Harris-Waddy captured in her time at Paul VI.

The senior middle blocker was one of the pillars of a program that won a Non-Public A state championship last year and nearly repeated this season after a 27-game winning streak. Harris-Waddy, a Syracuse University commit, racked up 162 kills, 41 blocks, 42 digs, 10 assists and 53 aces during her senior year with the Eagles. From her sophomore year on, Harris-Waddy and the Eagles compiled an overall record of 66-6.

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Gavin Roman

Holy Spirit High School, Absecon

Football

Gavin Roman’s high school football career will be remembered not just at Holy Spirit High School, but across the entire state. Roman set a new state record with 113 catches in a season, breaking a 25-year-old record, previously held by Mike O’Brien from Butler.

Roman, a senior, accumulated 1,249 receiving yards and four touchdowns in addition to 109 yards on the ground for the Spartans, who finished with an impressive 9-2 record. Roman reeled in double-digit catches nine times this season and even caught three passes from the opposition in the form of interceptions. He finished his career with 152 catches for 1,695 yards and nine touchdowns.

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Karl Wissmann

Bishop Eustace Preparatory School, Pennsauken

Soccer

Nothing got past Karl Wissmann when it came to the playoffs.

The Bishop Eustace senior goalkeeper was perfect throughout the Crusaders’ run through the South Jersey Non-Public A bracket, posting a 1-0 shutout over Ranney School (six saves) in the quarterfinal, before blanking Noor-ul-iman School (11 saves) in the semifinal round.

Wissmann even kept a clean sheet in the sectional final game (10 saves) against Saint Rose as the teams played a scoreless draw before Belmar’s Saint Rose High School advanced in penalty kicks. Wissmann played a part in all eight of the Crusaders’ wins this season and provided five shutouts.