Gloucester Catholic
Geoff Wade has been named the new head wrestling coach at Gloucester Catholic High School for the 2011-12 season. Wade served previously as an assistant under Bill Lucas since 1999 and was formerly a standout wrestler at Woodbury High School and Gloucester County College.
The Woodbury resident, who owns a personal training fitness studio in Riverton, is excited about taking over a team that has several returning sophomores and juniors on the roster.
“This is a great opportunity to develop a winning culture here, and these wrestlers have the talent to accomplish that,” said Wade, whose team competes in the Tri-County Conference Diamond Division. “I’m looking forward to the new season.”
Holy Spirit
Seniors Nigel Jones and Donta Pollock of Holy Spirit High School, Absecon, could become the first set of classmates in New Jersey to pass 4,000 career rushing yards in the same season. Donta has 4,317 yards and Nigel has 3,936. According to football historian, Chuck Langerman, “the feat also was accomplished by a pair of running backs from Libert Hill High School in Texas in 2005.” There are 25 players who have rushed for 4,000 career yards, but just three sets from the same school.
Wildwood Catholic
Fran St. John, legendary basketball coach at Wildwood Catholic, has retired from coaching after 45 successful years. Coach St. John has coached close to 1,000 career games and has been the face of basketball in this community. His son Jeff attended Wildwood Catholic, scored 1,000 points, went to Georgetown then finished Harvard Law.
St. Augustine
Six members of the St. Augustine Prep Lacrosse Team signed official letters of intent to play at Division I programs next year at a ceremony held in the Media Center on Nov. 15. The Hermit seniors and the schools they will be attending are: midfielders Steven Pontrello (University of North Carolina), Thomas O’Neill (Penn State University), and William McMenamin (Wagner College); goalie Joseph Gigantiello (Denver University); attack Patrick McMenamin (Wagner College), and defenseman Bryan Phillips (Drexel University).
In addition, three underclass lacrosse players have already verbally committed to Division I programs. All nine were members of the Hermits team that reached the finals of the New Jersey Private School Class A championship tournament last season.