The 2022-2023 school year produced an extraordinary amount of success on the playing field for Catholic high school athletes in South Jersey. The Catholic Star Herald counts down the Top 10 athletic moments of the school year.
Honorable Mention: Wildwood Catholic honors St. John
Wildwood Catholic Academy renamed its gymnasium to honor longtime coach Francis St. John. The newly designed and refinished gymnasium was dedicated Dec. 19 to pay tribute to St. John, who played high school basketball for the Crusaders before beginning as an assistant coach for the boys program in 1966 and eventually taking over as head coach. In 2000, he took over Wildwood Catholic’s girls basketball program and retired in 2011 after 45 years of coaching. However, St. John quickly returned as an assistant coach with the girls team, where he currently serves.
10: Holy Spirit gets back to the big stage
In 2022, Holy Spirit High School made its first appearance in a girls lacrosse state championship. In 2023, the Spartans were back again. Although they fell just short of the ultimate prize in a 14-8 loss to Montclair Kimberley in the Non-Public B State Championship, Holy Spirit showed it is now a perennial contender under coach Kylie Primeau. Holy Spirit followed a 16-6 season with a 14-5 campaign this past spring, led by an incredible campaign by Hanna Watson (58 goals), Maddie Abbott (50) and Brielle Soltys (49).
9. State swimming titles
Our Lady of Mercy Academy and Saint Augustine Preparatory School both reached the top by winning their respective brackets in the swimming state tournament.
OLMA made history by winning the school’s first state championship as it easily defeated Newark Academy, 106-64, in the Non-Public B final on Feb. 25. The Villagers, who finished the year 9-1, also won the Cape-Atlantic League and Gloucester County titles this season, and took second-place in the SJISA Coaches Invitational A Division.
The next day, Saint Augustine Preparatory School captured its prize. The Hermits produced a perfect 10-0 season, which included the seventh state championship in the program’s history as Saint Augustine defeated Christian Brothers Academy, 91-79, in the Non-Public A championship, on Feb. 26.
8. Hannah Hidalgo earns national attention
Recent Paul VI High School graduate Hannah Hidalgo’s fame grew even larger as she was selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game on March 28. After the basketball star scored her 2,000th career high school point, the University of Notre Dame commit traveled to Houston to participate in the national spotlight, where she shined even brighter. Hidalgo set the McDonald’s All-American girls scoring record by knocking down 26 points and earning co-MVP honors. Hidalgo also tied an All-American record with eight steals in the game, and she contributed five points. During the high school season, Hidalgo scored 692 points, 122 assists and 176 steals to lead Paul VI to a 21-3 record and an appearance in the South Jersey Non-Public A championship game.
7. Richie Grungo earns wrestling gold
On March 4, Saint Augustine Prep’s Richie Grungo won a 5-1 overtime bout at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City to win the 144-pound individual state wrestling championship. Grungo’s victory was the only state title by a South Jersey wrestler this year, and he became just the third individual state wrestling champion in Hermits history. He ended up with a 30-2 record this season as the Hermits went 12-10 as a team.
Grungo, a Lehigh University commit, finished his high school career as a three-time state place-winner, finishing fifth as a sophomore and fourth as a junior.
6. Gedaka, Rodio reach milestones
Two of the biggest milestones in South Jersey high school basketball were reached during the winter season involving two of the biggest names around.
Saint Augustine Prep’s Paul Rodio reached 1,000 career wins Jan. 11 as the Hermits defeated Ocean City at home in the Paul A. Rodio Gymnasium in Richland. Rodio, a five-time state championship winning coach, is the second all-time winningest coach in the state and among the top 10 winningest active coaches in the country.
On Jan. 31, Gloucester Catholic’s Lisa Gedaka secured her 683rd victory during a 65-19 win over Clayton to surpass Wildwood High School’s Dave Troiano for the most wins in South Jersey high school girls basketball history. Gedaka, a 1984 Gloucester Catholic graduate who scored more than 2,000 career points in high school, will enter her 35th season coaching the Rams this year.
5. Eagles make magical run
In one of the most remarkable underdog postseason runs in recent memory, the Paul VI girls soccer team caught fire and produced a thrilling championship season.
The Eagles entered the South Jersey Non-Public A playoffs as a No. 7 seed with an 8-7 record before embarking on four straight victories, including three on the road, to win the South Jersey sectional championship. Paul VI defeated Donovan Catholic, Saint John Vianney and Immaculata before Ave Martin snapped a 1-1 tie with less than 10 minutes to go against top-seeded Red Bank Catholic to win the South Jersey Non-Public A crown 2-1 over the Caseys.
4. Irish win wrestling state crown
The Camden Catholic wrestling team returned to the top as state champions as the Irish won their 18th state title in school history in come-from-behind fashion Feb. 12. Camden Catholic trailed by seven points with three bouts remaining but rallied for a 33-29 victory over Saint John Vianney to win the Non-Public B state championship at Rutgers University.
Jackson Young, Kage Jones and Wayne Rold won the final three bouts as the Irish won gold for the first time since 2020 and finished the season with a 14-5 record.
3. Hermits hockey run of upsets
Enzo Fanelli scored 11 seconds into overtime to capture the Non-Public ice hockey state championship in a 3-2 victory over top-seeded Delbarton on March 6 as Saint Augustine pulled off an improbable run of upsets. The No. 7 seed Hermits defeated the top three seeds in the tournament to win the school’s second hockey state title and first since 2007.
Saint Augustine finished the season with a 14-6-3 record, led in scoring by Ryan Vaites (nine goals, 12 assists) and the goaltending of Bobby Kennedy, who allowed just three goals in the Hermits’ four playoff games.
2. Rams win Diamond Classic, state title
The Gloucester Catholic baseball team added to its allure by winning yet another state championship during a dominant season.
The Rams had already won their division title and the prestigious Joe Hartmann South Jersey Diamond Classic before attempting to win their 20th state title in school history. That goal became a reality June 9 as the Rams defeated Saint Mary-Rutherford 10-0 in six innings to win the Non-Public B state championship at Veterans Park.
Tanner Nolan, who also pitched the Diamond Classic championship game, threw 77 pitches and struck out seven in the state championship game to cap off a 24-7 season for the Rams.
1. Camden Catholic field hockey wins it all
The Camden Catholic field hockey team was arguably the best team in the entire state from wire to wire during fall 2022.
Playing one of the toughest schedules that could be assembled, the Irish finished with a 21-1 season with their only loss coming in a 3-2 regular season defeat to Episcopal Academy in Pennsylvania. Led by Olivia Bent-Cole and Ava Moore, the Irish carried a 14-game winning streak into the Non-Public state championship game against four-time defending state champ Oak Knoll. Bent-Cole and Olivia Stazi each scored in the first half, and Camden Catholic held on for a 2-1 victory to win their first field hockey state championship since 1985 and just the second in school history.
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