SPF Players Past and Present Reflect on Brez, Union County's Soccer Coach of the Year

If it had been one of those formula Disney sports movies, then the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School's boys' soccer team would have won the Group 3 State Final in dramatic fashion, and carried its emotional coach off the field with his 600th career victory. But the Raiders' Cinderella run through the state tournament ended in a Sectional Finals loss to Chatham, and Thomas Breznitsky will return for a 37th season in 2011 just four wins shy of becoming the fourth coach in New Jersey history to reach the 600 mark.

Ironically enough, in a season where the Raiders finished with a pedestrian 10-8-7 record, there were many that thought Breznitsky did one of his finest jobs. He took a team that had only three experienced players, and molded it into a squad that nearly won the county title – it lost in overtime in the finals – and won three road games to make the section finals. Last Friday, The Star-Ledger named Breznitsky its Union County Coach of the Year.

"It's hard to say if it was the best coaching job or not," said Joe Mortarulo a former player in the 1980s who has been an assistant coach the past 17 years. "The way it turned around was dramatic, but every year just as much work goes into the job. He is incredibly passionate about the program and spends all his time thinking about the team and what he can do to help improve it. He is without a doubt the most dedicated high school coach I have ever known."

Breznitsky said that he is not motivated by career wins numbers, but by the challenge and enjoyment of molding a new group of young men into a successful unit. "This season I could not be happier for the boys," he said. "They did a great job all year and were an absolute pleasure to coach." He added that he has no plans to retire.

Breznitsky's biggest challenge this season may have been getting his young team to believe that they were good enough to win. "We had a very young and inexperienced team," Mortarulo said. "We had been working so hard in the first half of the season, and each game we found a way to give away a positive result. We never took our eye off the next opponent. And that kept the entire group focused."

Breznitsky coached his first varsity soccer game in September 1975. Amazing as it may seem today, he thought he would coach soccer only until he could become head baseball coach, a sport he said he was much more knowledgeable about.

"I figured I would keep coaching junior varsity baseball and eventually take

over as head coach, but the coach never left," said Breznitsky with a chuckle.

While seemingly as intense as ever, Breznitsky seems to have his imminent achievement in the right perspective. "600 wins tells you have had some longevity and you've been lucky enough to have had some great players," he said.

It took Breznitsky some time to build the soccer program into the dynasty it is today. He credits an exceptional group of players led by three-time all-state player Lino DiCuollo, who Breznitsky considers his best student-athlete.

In addition to DiCuollo, who was a college All American at Rutgers, other key members of his first state finalist team in 1985 were such Scotch Plains legends as Victor and Alex Passucci as well as Mortarulo. In their first game of the 1985 season, they made a major statement by winning 3-1 at Wall, one of the state's top soccer powers, before a packed house.

"Coach told us that we had nothing to fear and we played with a lot of confidence," Mortarulo recalled.

Although DiCuollo was an exceptional talent, it was still considered a novelty when he started as a freshman. "[Breznitsky] was ahead of his time," said DiCuollo, who now works as a Player Personnel/International Business Director for Major League Soccer (MLS) in New York. "Nobody put freshmen on varsity at that time but he was not afraid to play his best players not matter how old they were."

After playing professionally in Germany, DiCuollo enrolled in law school and practiced at a private law firm in Newark before being hired by Champions World. At SPF, he was the first three-time member of the Star-Ledger All-State First Team and led his team to the 1987 Group III title.

DiCuollo was recognized as one of the nation's premier forwards during his career at Rutgers. He was a 1989 All-America choice following a year where he was also named Atlantic 10 East Division Player of the Year. In his four years, he led Rutgers to a 71-15-8 record and three NCAA Tournament appearances. He stands third on the Rutgers career points list with 122, fourth on the goals scored list with 48 and fourth on the assist list with 26.

"We had a great time in high school and a big part of it was the coach letting us play and realizing that we could use our individual skills within a disciplined system," DiCuollo said. "It is not surprising to see what the program has become over the last 25 years.

The sophomore-dominated team would lose to West Deptford in the state finals. Breznitsky considers the 1986 team perhaps his best ever, but that squad was upset by Randolph in the sectional finals. Finally in 1987, Breznitsky broke through, defeating Wall 4-0 for the first of his seven group championships. That team outscored its opposition by an astounding 120-6, and nine of the 11 starters wound up playing at Division I universities.

If DiCuollo is the Number 1 player in SPF history, then Todd Moser (1995-8) may be Number 1A. His most impressive feat was playing in four consecutive Group III championship games, losing only in the finals his sophomore year.

As a freshman in 1995, the Raiders shared the title and won in 1997 and 1998. The 1998 team set a still-standing school record of 24 wins. Moser was named all state junior and senior years and was voted the NJ State Player of the year. He was also voted as one of the top ten players of the 1990's decade by the Star Ledger.

Like DiCuollo, Moser also went on to play college soccer at Rutgers from 99-03. He was team captain for three years and was voted All Big East and All American in 2001.

Moser currently work in logistics for Dotcom Distribution as a Sales Manager and also coach youth soccer at the Players Development Academy (PDA) in Zarepath, N.J. His wife, Amanda teaches at SPFHS and he is the father of a nine month old son.

"[Breznitsky's] pride in SPF soccer continues to resonate through generations of players," Moser said. "I attended a game recently and there were former players there to watch who had graduated over the past four decades, this is because of him and what he has built. When I was younger I watched my brother's teams and dreamed of playing for the Raiders one day. 15-20 years later you still see younger kids as ball boys with that same dream. It's called tradition, and I do not see it or Coach Brez slowing down anytime soon."

Moser also recalled his contentious relationship with Breznitsky his senior year. "He was pretty tough on me that year," said Moser. "We had a very young team and he wanted me to set an example. He set the bar for me at a very high level and I wasn't always able to reach it, but it made me a better player and made us a better team," Moser said.

He added that he still vividly remembers a rousing halftime speech that Breznitsky gave in the 1997 finals, with the Raiders trailing 1-0. "We were losing and spirits were down," Moser said. "Guys who had played together for 10 years started questioning each other. Brez looked us in the eye and rallied us. We came out, scored two goals, and won the first state title outright since 92."

Moser continued, "Personally, I never had a coach in my entire career that, made sure I gave everything I could. He pushed me, not just physically but mentally too. Since I graduated SPFHS he has been there for me during the good and bad times, came to my wedding, and is now a good friend.

The new millennium could not slow the Raider soccer express. The 2000 season was the debut of Breznitsky's son Ryan, who would become a three-time all-county player, and a two-time all-state selection, and followed DiCuollo and Moser to Rutgers.

Ryan's' final two games in 2003 were truly special. First, he led the Raiders to the section title in a dramatic double-overtime battle with Middletown South. It gave his father his 11th section title and first since 1998, a major drought for Scotch Plains. Then, in the state semi-finals against Ramapo, Ryan scored two goals to lead the team back from a two-goal deficit in the second half, only to lose in a heartbreaking penalty kick shootout.

"Coaching my son was a great treat. It was much better than people had said it was going to be," said Breznitsky.

Ryan did not merely survive the pressure of playing for both a high-profile team and for his father, but truly thrived

"It was fun, but also challenging," said Ryan. "I was never given any special treatment by him during training or games. We both knew the microscope we were under and that made it competitive, which made it fun for me. I enjoyed the challenge of being the son of 'Brez,' and having to live up to the expectations."

When it came to choosing a college, Ryan said the choice was easy. "Rutgers was where I was going to end up from the beginning I think," he said. "I had spoken with guys like Todd and Lino about it quite often, and liked what they had to say. I had known Coach Reasso for a long time and knew that he was competitive and wanted to win like I did. Also being a "Jersey guy" I wanted to stay close to home and be able to have my family and friends come to games."

Ryan has followed in his father's footsteps, and now works as an assistant coach at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). At the age of 24, he already has two Division 1 coaching seasons behind him.

"As for my coaching, I don't know if it gives me a head start, but having my father be as successful a coach as he is gives me motivation to hopefully achieve that same success one day," Ryan said.

Another key player on those teams was Michael Hessemer, whose younger brother, Brian, would also make his mark in SPF history. Hessemer anchored the defense for three years and had an outstanding college career at Lehigh. After starting in several games as a freshmen and sophomore, Hessemer was the captain and started every game his junior and senior years.

"Playing at Lehigh would not have been possible if it weren't for the time I spent playing for and learning from Coach Brez and Joe Mortarulo," Hessemer said. "Coach Brez knows how to push young high school athletes to reach their potential."

Hessemer has remained actively involved in soccer by coaching the U8-U10 teams at PDA, and he plays in the Garden State Soccer League on a team that draws players from Scotch Plains, Fanwood, Westfield, and Cranford, including many former Raiders. Hessemer has worked for the past three years at the Louis Berger Group, a Civil Engineering Consulting firm based in Morristown. Currently, he works in the New York office doing Construction Management for the World Trade Center.

The goalie on the 2003 section champions was freshman Bryan Meredith, who has just completed a remarkable career at Monmouth University and has a very good chance of playing professionally in the Major League Soccer (MLS). Breznitsky had never started a freshman in the high pressure goalie position but Breznitsky was able to look beyond Meredith's youth and relied on what he saw on the field.

Meredith did not allow a goal until his eighth game and led the Raiders to three sectional titles including finals appearances in 2004 and 2005 and was a four time selection to all county and was all state his senior year, But Meredith was even better in college.

As a junior he led the nation in goals-against average, allowing .306 goals-per-game, and he stopped a penalty shot in an NCAA tournament victory over UConn. Meredith was just as good this year, finishing with 11 shutouts and 36 for his career.

From the Passuccis to the Mosers to the Hessemers, Breznitsky has always attracted multiple players from the same family. Sophomore Andrew Leischner, who calmly scored twice in a penalty kick shootout victory in the county semi-finals this year, is the third member of his family to play for Breznitsky. Freshman Christian Zazzali, who showed flashes of brilliance, is followed his older brother, Ed, who graduated in 2004. Their father, also named Ed, played for Breznitsky on the 1974 Junior Varsity baseball team, and was a member of Breznitsky's first soccer team. Ed Senior has a unique perspective on his and his son's coach.

"I guarantee the baseball program would have had all the accolades if Brez had coached baseball," he said. "Kids and parents come and go, but the expectations remain very high, and Brez wants it that way. "

Basketball for Breakfast: Former SPF Hoops Star Plays in ESPN Basketball 'Marathon'

Scotch Plains-native Bryan Dougher, a junior at Stony Brook University in New York, does not normally wake-up at 3:45 a.m. But when his phone rang early Tuesday morning, Dougher, was more than ready to leave the comfort of his bed. A starting guard for the Stony Brook Sea Wolves basketball team, he and his team played the 6 a.m. slot of ESPN's 24-hour college basketball marathon.

"We had 6 a.m. practices to get ready for this one," Dougher said in a telephone interview. "We were ready. It didn't have an effect. There isn't much we can do physically to prepare for the game. Resting the day before and trying to be mentally prepared to execute the game-plan is the main preparation we did."

Stony Brook was not among ESPN's top choices for its basketball marathon, which started at midnight on Tuesday. But the network found itself needing two teams to fill that most unwelcome time-slot at 6 a.m. Stony Brook and Monmouth University, Division I teams eager for national attention, proved happy to take the slot.

"Once the game starts and the ball goes up, it's just like a 7 p.m. game," Dougher said. And his team won in typical college-ball fashion. Playing on the road at Monmouth, Stony Brook won by a single basket, 51-49. The team improved to 2-1 on the season.

Since the 2008-2009 season, Dougher has been answering the call for Stony Brook – although not necessarily so early in the morning. An All-State player at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in winter 2008, Dougher chose the up-and-coming program at Stony Brook over more established basketball programs. That choice, he said, was the correct one.

"I couldn't be happier with my decision to go to Stony Brook," he said. "We have a great coaching staff and a talented team. We've made huge strides in my time here and the program is definitely on the upswing. We have a good chance of achieving our goal of an NCAA tournament appearance."

Dougher was an integral part of the Sea Wolves's season last year, helping them to 22 wins and the America East regular-season title. The team ultimately lost to Illinois in the NIT, but it was nevertheless the team's best season in Division I. They were set to be picked to win the league this season, but then lost forward Tommy Brenton for what looks like the season because of a knee injury.

"Tommy being injured is certainly a setback," said head coach Steve Pikiell, who was also named the American East's Coach of the Year last season. "He has been the leading rebounder in the conference for the last two years. But, I also feel that we have a lot of depth up front."

Dougher said that without Brenton, he and senior guard Chris Martin will be expected to bear more of the load while freshmen Anthony Mayo and Al Rapier acclimate to the college game. Nevertheless, Mayor and Rapier were assets in the game against Monmouth.

"It was great to see other guys step up," Dougher said. "Mayo has a huge upside and Rapier will help us a lot with Brenton out for a while. Chris stepped up big today down the stretch and we need him to play well to win."

Dougher, himself, struggled against Monmoouth's sticky defense. "Monmouth did a good job shading me all over the court and not giving me an open look for most of the game," he said. "The biggest difference between the college game and high school is the talent level. In college, every player on every team is a Division I talent. There's a lot of competition in practices and games, and you can't take days off or you will get beat."

The Sea Wolves' only loss this season came in its season-opener against the University of Connecticut, a perennial powerhouse. The loss, however, came with some upsides, Dougher said.

"Opening up at Connecticut was a great experience and great exposure for the school," he said. "We played them tough in the first half but their size was too much for us in the second half. They're a young, talented team that will be very competitive in the Big East if they can all mesh together and their freshman mature quickly" said Dougher who left an indelible mark on SPF.

Had the 2008 state basketball tournament never happened, Dougher might have been best remembered for what is known around Scotch Plains and Fanwood as "The Shot." In a January 2007 game against archrival Westfield, Dougher, off-balance and falling out of bounds, chucked a three-point Hail Mary at the buzzer that turned what would have been a loss into a spectacular win.

But the following year, after scoring 145 points in five games, and leading the Raiders to their first state championship, Dougher became the player who put Scotch Plains-Fanwood on the basketball map. Dougher saved his best game for the biggest stage, scoring 27 of his 35 points in the second half in a 60-53 championship victory over Timber Creek at Rutgers Athletic Center.

It completed a magical two-week run, in which Dougher seemed to play better as the stakes got higher. He started modestly enough, with a 10-point effort in a 49-37 first-round victory over Emerson. That tally enabled him to become the school's all-time leading scorer in his final home game.

Dougher then racked-up 31 points as the Raiders tamed second seeded Mendham 54-38. In the sectional final, his 26 points paced the Raiders to a 59-39 win over Colonia, their first Section title since 1960.

But he was just warming up. In the Group 3 State semifinals, he hit five three-pointers, was 10-of-10 from the foul line, and poured in a game-high 33 points as the Raiders defeated Wayne Valley 71-56. His tour de force against Timber Creek was the culmination of a four-year journey that began when he started the first game of his freshman year.

"I'm extremely happy the way my high school career turned out," Dougher said. "My freshman year was more of a learning year for me. I got to play valuable minutes and learn what varsity basketball was like. The Watchung Conference has produced so many great players and I'm fortunate to have been able to play four years against great competition."

But for Dougher, high school is a memory moving further into the past. "I don't think about high school too much anymore, except when people bring it up to me," he said. "It's always good to reminisce about great memories in the past and I'll never forget that state championship run. I'm focused on helping Stony Brook win a championship now."

A former teammate of Dougher's at Terrill Middle School, Ashton Gibbs, is also focused on winning an NCAA title at the University of Pittsburgh as one of the nation's top guards. Dougher said he still follows his former teammate.

"We keep in touch throughout the season with text messages, wishing each other good luck," Dougher said. "I watch his games whenever they're on TV. When we're both back in Scotch Plains we get together and workout. It's great to see he's doing so well and I'm hoping he does make to the NBA soon."

"Playing with Ashton in middle school was great. He's a tremendous player. Being on his team and going against him in practice made me a much better player." said Dougher.

Dan Doherty, Dougher's high school coach, discussed his former player's talent. "People just don't understand how good this guy is," Doherty said. "Bryan's game is much more than shows up in the box score. He is a great student of the game and knows how to make winning plays and also make his teammates better." Doherty is now coaching Dougher's younger brother, Patrick, a senior captain at Scotch Plains-Fanwood.

"I usually only get to see Patrick play, like, once a year but I'm hoping to see a little more this year since it's his senior season," Dougher said. "He keeps getting better every time I see him play. Hopefully he keeps growing and getting stronger so he can play in college."

As Dougher's college career continues to evolve, his success on the court demonstrates that he will remain ready to play and win – no matter what time the game starts. 

Follow-Up: After Tumultuous Spring, Harmer Finds Peace at New Providence

For any high school athletic director, November is a hectic time of the year. The fall sports seasons are wrapping up – hopefully with a few championships – and the winter sports seasons are launching.

But in Union County, few, if any, are busier than first-year New Providence Athletic Director Rob Harmer. Not only is he still navigating his new district, but he also has two teams still fighting for state titles, two cross-country runners in the Meet of Champions and a momentous Thanksgiving-Day football game honoring one of the state's coaching legends. But Harmer, a Scotch Plains resident who was athletic director at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School the previous seven years, is not complaining.

"I am very happy with what has happened in my life. I am in a very special place with great people around me," he said in an interview with Patch.

Harmer left Scotch Plains-Fanwood this spring, after the district declined to renew his contract. It would have been his 11th year as the high school's athletic director.

News of Harmer's impending departure caused a groundswell of support among Scotch Plains-Fanwood student-athletes and their parents. In the late-winter and early spring, they created Facebook groups and t-shirts that read "SPF STUDENTS SUPPORT HARMER," and they attended Board of Education meetings to urge board members and superintendent Margaret Hayes to rehire Harmer. The district, however, held fast to its decision to let Harmer go.

Despite the acrimony over his departure, Harmer said he is not bitter. "I will always be a Raider fan," he said. "I am proud of the accomplishments of turf fields, hockey, lacrosse and freshmen soccer that will all help students of SPF."

Harmer remains actively involved in township athletics. "In Scotch Plains, I now coach PAL football, ice hockey and baseball," Harmer said. "I am enjoying spending these times with my family."

The timing of Harmer's arrival at New Providence, meanwhile, proved fortuitous. He moved into his new office just in time to partake in the final season of New Jersey coaching legend Frank Bottone, who founded the New Providence High School football program in 1963. Now 79-years-old, Bottone has 331 wins, with seven sectional crowns and 15 conference championships.

"I have been blessed as a football person to be able to be associated with such a great man," Harmer said, still gushing after New Providence erased a 21-0 halftime deficit to stun Hoboken 24-21 in the first round of the state tournament Saturday. "These kids are playing for him this year and want him to retire with a state championship." With the victory, New Providence advanced to the sectional semi-finals, where it will host Verona on Saturday.

"The game was something amazing. I call it "Pioneer Magic" one of the greatest high school football games ever" said Harmer who is working on a special program to honor Bottone before the Thanksgiving Day game against arch rival Governor Livingston.

Football grabs much of the spotlight at New Providence, but there is nary a bad team at the school. Every fall team sported a winning percentage above 70 percent, their successes are enough to fill the school's outdoor sign-board for at least a month: The girls' soccer team took the state sectional title and advanced to the Group I finals. The boys' soccer team made it to the section finals, and each cross-country team qualified for the state finals, with one runner from each team finishing in the top 10 and qualifying for the state finals. The volleyball team made it to the county and state semi-finals and had an 18-7 mark.

"New Providence is an amazing story," Cranford Athletic Director Marc Taglieri said.

"When you play one of their teams you know they will play hard but show good sportsmanship. And every New Providence team is well coached."

Nevertheless, Harmer said he still closely follows his old school. "I have kept in touch with the coaches and wished them good luck," he said. He also greeted Scotch Plains-Fanwood's girls' soccer team when it came to play at New Providence this season.

"When they got off the bus…it was nice to see all the girls," he said. "They looked happy to see me. I wished them the best of luck this year. (For those keeping score at home, Scotch Plains-Fanwood handed the New Providence girls' soccer team two of its three losses this year).

Harmer said he is happy with his new position, and at peace with what occurred this spring. "I truly believe everything in life happens for a reason," he said. "This was a change that was best for my family and myself. I wish all my Raider athletes the best in the future. It won't be long until my son and daughters will be at the high school wearing blue and white." 

SPF football seniors played for pride

It was just three years ago that the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School football team played Colonia in the first round of the state playoffs. But for the current seniors it must seem like decades. On that cold and raw Saturday, the Raiders, playing in the playoffs for the fifth time in six years, withstood a ferocious performance by Erik LeGrand to hold on for a 16-14 victory and advance to a second straight home game against South Plainfield. Freshmen Kyle Berwick, Quinton Blackwell, Neville Hall and Mike Tufaro stood proudly on the sidelines that day awaiting the future when they would take over and continue the success of Steve Ciccotelli's program. But the Raiders would fall the following week in gut-wrenching fashion, 19-17, to South Plainfield, and in the past three seasons, have lost 24 of their last 30 games. The regression has been consistent from three wins in 2008, to two last year and just one this season.

Although the Raiders were able to crush Millburn 38-12 in their final game on Friday, Nov. 12, what could and, perhaps, should have been a memorable senior season had ended in a nightmare. And nobody has borne the brunt more than the captains and Ciccotelli. When asked for something positive he could take from this season Ciccotelli paused.

"Seasons like this test the character of everybody," he said. "You find out who your true friends are. You find out who the true leaders are. It has been a very rough season to say the least. I have not had a good full night of sleep in a long time. I get three or four hours and I wake up and play over the games and think about how I could have coached better."

He added, "Nothing has made me feel worse than what our captains have gone through. They are all fine football players and great young men and deserve much better."

Unlike college athletes, who are often separated from the general student population, high school athletes spend the entire week with their fellow classmates. "A lot of people were looking down on us," Berwick, now a captain, said. "They don't understand. Kids that used to play football and have quit have asked me why I am still playing."

But for Berwick , whether to continue playing was not even a question. A linebacker, he played through injuries to become the team's leading tackler, and he played the team's final game Friday despite injuries to both ankles. "It's my last game as a high school player," he said two days before the game. "I have nothing to hold back for."

For Berwick and the other seniors, the losses this season were particularly painful. "The last few years we could always say we're going to come back next week, next year, but we can't say that anymore," he said.

Compounding that were their expectations. "We were expecting, going into the season, to do a lot better than last season," Hall, also a captain, said. "We had a lot more talent, a lot more senior leadership, a lot more experience this year."

Blackwell, a captain, put it more bluntly. "We all thought we would make the playoffs and get to the state championships," he said.

For Ciccotelli, whose teams had consistently played mistake-free football, the reasons for this season's disappointment are easy to pinpoint. "We just made way too many mistakes this season," he said. "We played most of our opponents pretty equally but we usually turned the ball over too much and that will kill you."

Tufaro, another captain, echoed Ciccotelli's comments. "We had too many personal fouls, turnovers and mistakes," he said.

During the offseason, Ciccotelli said that he and the coaches will "examine what we did because our message didn't get through." He added, "A lot of people have told me that I can't coach anymore and that I should quit, but that is not me."

Tufaro strongly agreed. "There's no one to blame," he said. "It's the team."

The challenges of this season, however, have had one upside for the seniors: as teammates and classmates abandoned the team, the upperclassmen stuck together and, as a result, became closer. "Hanging out with your friends on the team has helped us all get through this," Tufaro said. "This was definitely the closest senior class in years."

SPFHS Girls' Soccer: Year After Year, a Winning Tradition

The names and faces change each year, but the success of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School girls' soccer program has remained a constant as the team's upperclassmen have passed its winning tradition onto the newcomers.

Three years ago, Emily Nagourney and Avika Shah were eager freshmen who showed tremendous promise and made modest contributions to a powerful Scotch Plains-Fanwood team that beat Westfield in the county finals for their third straight title. Now, as seniors, they form the cornerstones of a 14-1-3 team that has a fluid mix of senior experience and underclassmen talent that bodes well for the future. On the first Sunday night of November, in frigid weather, they showed their all-around skills as the Raiders completed a double trifecta of sorts by defeating Westfield 2-0 at Kean University.

It was an unprecedented third victory this season for the Raiders over their biggest rivals, and also marked the third county title for the duo. It was an accomplishment made even sweeter because it helped to erase the disappointment from 2009, when Cranford upset Scotch Plains-Fanwood 1-0 in the county finals.

"Beating Westfield three times in one season is very difficult," Shah said. "They were extra determined out there tonight and we had to be at our best to win. The defense and Paige were great and we had enough offense to win.

"It's good to get the title back," she added. "Everything seemed to go wrong in that championship game last year. It's an amazing feeling to go out as champions our senior year. We worked so hard to make this happen., Shah scored all three Scotch Plains-Fanwood goals in the team's previous 2-1 and 1-0 victories over Westfield earlier this year. She also had an assist on the team's second goal Sunday night, which helped clinch the game.

"Avika has great vision and is a tremendous passer. She has always had that gift since her freshman year" head coach Kevin Ewing said. He was still wet from a water shower his jubilant team gave him after the victory, his fifth title in six years.

Nagourney a wondrous all-around talent, had two tremendous scoring chances that were stopped by fine saves. Mainly a defensive midfielder during her career, Nagourney was asked to help more in the offense this year and she has responded with nine goals, many of them game changers. Nagourney and Shah have also demonstrated an uncanny awareness of each other's field location.

"They are great complementary players. They feed off each other's strengths and never seem to be out of position. They make it easy to coach," Ewing said.

As seniors and team leaders, Shah and Nagourney as well as fellow seniors Gaby Vacca and goalie Paige Della Badia, extend the winning tradition to Raider stars of tomorrow like freshman Katherine Cunningham, who shows the poise of someone much older.

"They make it easy for me because they tell me to treat this like another game. I look up to them because they are such great players and have won so much," said Cunningham.

"I was a little worried about replacing what we lost last year, but the young players have come through very well and made this a good season," Ewing said. "The seniors have been great leaders and that's what we try and do each year. We like to always have experience returning and bring in a new group.

"The winning helps with each new class that comes in," he added. "They see how hard we work and how it had paid off with success each year. It makes it easy for the new players to buy into what we are trying to achieve.

Nagourney said she agreed. "There is definitely a tradition here that Coach Ewing has built and every player realizes they are not bigger than the program. We all learn from his system which is based on teamwork and passing and it gets passed on to the younger players," she said. Nagourney will join John Hopkins next year, following in the footsteps of former Raiders star Allie Zazzali.

"There is no doubt that we will be replaced and that Coach Ewing will have them winning more championships," Nagourney said, who, along with Shah, has demonstrated the confidence that comes with continual success.

Shah added, "We respect our opponents and realize how difficult it is to get to the championship game each year. There are a lot of talented teams out there that play their best against us because we have been so successful." Shah said she will play at Babson College next year.

Ewing will have seemingly irreplaceable seniors graduating he can feel comfortable with the younger players poised to lead the 2011 team and keep the tradition going.

"It only works if you have talented players as your leaders and we have been fortunate with that each year." 

A Passion for Running, Hours at a Time

Fanwood native Mike Dixon, who won the Fanwood 5K after a grueling week of long-distance races – including a marathon – says he hopes to make the U.S. Olympic Trials.






It only seemed fitting that when road racing returned to Fanwood after a six-year hiatus, the inaugural race would be won by native son Mike Dixon. He has done his share over the past three years to put his hometown squarely on the New Jersey road-racing map. Dixon has already locked-up his third consecutive New Jersey United States of America Track and Field (USATF) grand prix title, which goes to the state's top runner. Dixon has a nearly perfect 5,687 of a possible 5,700 points in three categories of races that encompasses short races (under 5 miles), middle distances (up to 9 miles) and long distance (9.3 miles and up).

When Dixon captured the Fanwood race Oct. 24 in a time of 15:50.62, it marked a return to the first course that Dixon had ever raced. In August 1999, as a member of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School cross country team, he ran in the fourth of nine Contact We Care races that were held from 1996 until 2004. Coach Jeff Koegel had opted to use the August race as a time trial before the season began, and Dixon was trying the sport for the first time. He completed that first race in 17:57 finishing 20th at a pace of 5:47 per mile.

More than 11 years later, the return of the Fanwood 5k culminated a super-human week for Dixon. On Oct. 17, barely a week before the 5k, he completed a marathon in 2:27:21 – a personal best, and fast enough to earn him $1,000. Then, only a few days later, he competed in the Great Race of Middletown on October 23 and won that, too, in 15:48. The Fanwood race merely gave him the hat trick.

It was a grueling week. But Dixon said that the adrenaline rush that came with running in his hometown helped him summon the strength he needed to pull away from former high school track teammate Brian Kopnicki and win the Fanwood race.

"I really enjoyed the course and I was excited to see so many runners turn out this year," Dixon said. "The spectators were amazing and I will definitely plan to run this event as often as I can. With a fast course and races for the whole family, I can see this event building for years.

Like many high school athletes, Dixon first ran track to get in shape for other sports. Dixon said he had hoped to play varsity soccer, and that his speed had helped him become a strong club soccer player from kindergarten through his sophomore year. But after a successful sophomore season in track running the 400- and 800-meter races, as well as dabbling in the jumping events, Dixon said that he decided to switch to cross country.

"I had heard that cross country was a sport where you race through the woods over rocks, roots, downed trees," he said. "This sounded like a lot of fun to me, so I signed right up. Although running over three miles of uneven terrain was new to me, I enjoyed the challenge that it presented because I could no longer utilize my sprint speed over that kind of distance."

He acknowledged that the transition to the sport, however, was a challenge. "In soccer, we used to jog a couple laps around the field and complete wind-sprints for conditioning," he said. "Now, I was running over ten miles out on the hilly roads around the Watchung Reservation and doing grueling interval workouts on the track. After seeing what it took to do well in distance running I decided to spend less time experimenting with other events and I focused on specific races." Dixon ultimately became a county champion on the track in the 800 and qualified twice for the State Meet of Champions.

Today, Dixon puts himself through a punishing schedule. A typical weekday begins at 5 a.m. with an hour run at a comfortable pace through the streets of New Brunswick. Then it is off to the train to Newark where he works from 8:30 to 5 before coming home for a second, one- to two-hour run at 6 p.m. When at peak training, Dixon said, the two runs will usually amount to about 16-26 miles per day. He added, however, that he is careful to balance his training intensity with the recovery his body needs to avoid injury.

"The effort that I put into my training is fueled by my desire to get the very best out of myself," he said. "I know that it is difficult to put in the consistent training that is necessary to reach the next level, but I enjoy the process and I am highly driven to succeed. The difficulty lies mainly in balancing the stress with the recovery and making sure that I take care of any injuries before they prevent me from doing what I love."

He added that he also tries to maintain variety in his training. "I enjoy running on trails as much as I can and I also do plenty of running on a treadmill whenever I need a break from the elements," he said. "Most people look at you funny whenever you tell them that you run for three hours on a machine but often it is easier on the body to run indoors, especially in the winter." As a result, Dixon has demonstrated an unusual ability to succeed in a wide variety of distances. This year, he has won races as short as five kilometers, and as long as half-marathons. He also competed in his first 50-mile race at Bear Mountain in New York.

He said that his favorite distance, however, is the marathon. "I enjoy the challenge of putting my body through over two hours of solid running," he said. "Although, I can recall a time when I promised myself that I would never run one again because of the extreme agony. I think that I got that out of my system now that I have completed over six marathon races. On top of the pain and torture involved, I have the most motivation toward this event because I hope to one day qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials so that I can run against the best in the country."

The younger of two children Dixon grew up in Fanwood. He attended Ramapo College and now lives in New Brunswick with his girlfriend, also a Fanwood native. He is the leading member of the state's top running club, the Raritan Valley Road Runners. He works at the United States District Court in Newark as a clerk in the criminal division.

Dixon's success stemmed from a long-term and remarkable patience. "I figured out that I could have great success with running if I increased my workload over years instead of only weeks," he said. "This gradual progression helped to improve my performances in all of my race distances…. I always say that it's not the end-result that is important. You must enjoy the process because the process is the goal."