The Record from Hackensack, New Jersey • 6

S-12 THE RECORD MONDAY, JUNE 9, 1997 CALL THE RECORD'S LOCAL i lit 1 It 1 laii til 525-4GOO EXT. G110 i UNDEFEATED SOFTBALL CHAMPIONS ma -l-iii r.oriFox HIGH SCHOOLS Y'V Clifton won't ever forget '97 season The panel is worthy of praise If U', ollowing dinner at an undisclosed Passaic County restaurant last week, the discussion became quite live j.Lt Pi fl -y" By JOE CHESSARI Correspondent TOMS RIVER Cara Boseski sat on the concrete steps that led to the dugout at Toms River High School East. She sat there, alone for a few moments, her chin in her hands, her eyes becoming red with tears. A friend walked up to her, tapped her on the shoulder, and asked if she was OK. Boseski wiped away her tears, sat a few moments more, staring onto the field below, a dirt and grass landscape that had earlier been the setting for a coronation.

Undefeated champions are allowed to cry. "I get emotional sometimes," said Boseski, the senior third baseman during Clifton's perfect Softball season. "I'm feeling so many emotions. We won, we went undefeated. I was wishing for this, and it came true.

This is a great way to go out." And that, too, was a factor that triggered emotions Saturday afternoon for six members of the Clifton Softball team. For Boseski and senior teammates Stacy Veech, Amanda Smith, Ai-mee Calise, Melissa Butler, and Renee Anderson, it was all over. The season, a career playing for the Mustangs. But what a way to end it. Clifton put the finishing touches on its first perfect season with a 3-2 victory over Middle-town South in the Group 4 State final.

Thirty-one opponents stepped up to the plate against the Mustangs, 31 tried and failed. It was the first perfect Softball season in Bergen or Passaic County since Ramsey turned the trick in 1991 by winning 32. "I can't believe it's over," said Boseski, her voice cracking. "I'm happy because we won. You can't really dream about going undefeated because it's so tough.

Then to have it happen is unbelievable. We all worked so hard, we stuck together. The unity between the players and the coaches is incredible. I'll KLAUS-PETER STEITZSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Clifton High School's Softball team celebrating its Group 4 State championship Saturday after 3-2 victory over Middletown South. miss the games, I'll miss the players, and I'll miss the coaches." Head coach Rick LaDuke, who has been assisted by John Hargraves and Diane Besser, always finds it difficult to say goodbye at the end of a season.

But saying goodbye to the seniors is always tougher. "I think more than the Softball was watching the way the kids pull for each other," said LaDuke, whose 17th season at Clifton is in the books. "It's always fun to coach when the kids are great. You see the way they pick each other up when things are tough. I'll remember these special kids, the seniors I won't be coaching anymore.

I'm so proud of all of them I have to check to see if the buttons keep popping off my shirt." Though players like Boseski, Veech, Smith, and Calise won't be around to guide the program, the Mustangs will be in good hands next spring. The battery will be intact, with pitcher Laura Tynio (38-1 career record) throwing to catcher Megan Doczi. And Tamara Tinajero will be back in center field. "This was Laura's year, but there are more good things to come," said Doczi, who will be a junior. "This was an unbelievable season.

We wanted to help the seniors go out like champions. But for those of us coming back, it will be something to live up to, a reputation to uphold." Tinajero, sometimes an overlooked cog in the machine, will be back for her senior year. "This team wasn't only about skill and talent," she said. "We helped each other, picked each other up. A lot of friendships were made.

This was a great team." ly. A decision had to be made on the recipients of the prestigious scholar-athlete awards that the Passaic County Coaches Association hands out each year. Don Bosco Tech athletic director Bill Vacca marveled at the way his blue-ribbon panel handled the 12th-hour decisions. As in recent years, he had assembled a group of teachers, coaches, and administrators from outside the County to pore over the senior-class nominees from 17 schools and pare them down to six finalists three boys and three girls. And then, after the postdinner discussion, the group chose the boy and girl winners.

"It's nice to sit back and watch them defending their selections and trying to sell an individual to the other voters," Vacca said Sunday. "They have no affiliation with any of the kids, but they get very involved. And they all did their homework." The conversation became even more animated this year because the field is more competitive than usual. The girls finalists were Jennifer Conrad of Wayne Hills, Nakisha Leon of Passaic, and Alicia Mazepa of Clifton. The boys finalists were Brian Buczek of DePaul, Mike Ju-liano of Passaic Valley, and Brad Soltis of Pompton Lakes.

The names of the winners will be withheld until the girls' dinner Tuesday and the boys' dinner Thursday, both at 7 p.m. at The Tides in North Haledon. To meet the criteria, each student-athlete had to have been All-County in two sports, including one All-County selection during senior year, plus an all-league selection in a second sport. The honor is based on 80 percent athletic achievement and 20 percent academics and activities. "We sent out a packet of information to the judges on each of the nominees who met the criteria, about a week-and-a-half before the dinner, and we updated it with additional information from the spring season," Vacca said.

He preferred, as usual, to keep his panel faceless. "You'd be surprised to learn the type of highly regarded people we have serving on the panel, and all they get out of it is a free dinner from the association," Vacca added. "It's just our way of saying thank you to them." Jkj) 1. Glen Rock (20-7) Tom Wilson's team caught fire down the stretch, winning nine of Its last 11. Its first-ever trip to the Group 1 final earned the Panthers enough votes to finish No.

1 the only time this season they topped the field. They did tie Paterson Catholic for the Bergen-Passaic Scholastic League Carpenter Division championship. (Points: 40) 2. Ridgefield (22-4) Mike Bucco's club had one of Its finest seasons. It was hurt in the rankings when it lost to Emerson in Group 1, a team defeated by Glen Rock.

The Royals won the Bergen County Scholastic League Olympic Division crown. (Points: 38) 3. Pascack Hills (18-11) Bucky Rehain's squad was a preseason favorite, but it faltered for almost half the season. It did get its act together to make a strong run at the Group 2 title, where it was eliminated in the semis by eventual winner Hanover Park. (Points: 21) 4.

Secaucus (20-5) Tony Falco's crew had an outstanding year, Including a win over Saddle Brook In Group 1. However, the Patriots were ousted by Secaucus. (Points: 19) 5. Saddle Brook (18-7) John Celentano's players surprised everyone except themselves. They dropped a 1-0 decision to champion Ramapo In the semifinals of the Bergen tournament.

(Points: 10) Also receiving votes: Ridgefield Park 8, St. Mary's 7, New Mllford 6, Emerson 1. 1. Ramapo (22-7) Joe Del Buono led the Green Raiders to the Bergen County championship over Hackensack. During the season, they turned back No.

3 Bergen Catholic and lost only one game after April. They also won the Northern Bergen Interscholastlc League Division 1 title. (Points: 46) 2. Hackensack (27-7) Rich Maurlello's crew defeated Union and Toms River North to win its second Group 4 championship this decade. The head-to-head loss to Ramapo cost the Comets the top slot.

(Points: 44) 3. Bergen Catholic (25-5) Joe Dionislo's Crusaders were a dominant force for most of the season, but tosses In the semifinals of the Parochial A and Bergen County tournaments cost them first place. They did capture the Northern New Jersey Interscholastlc League Atlantic Division crown. (Points: 20) 4. River Dell (21-5) Jimmy Walsh's team had a legitimate shot at the Group 3 crown, but was thrown for a loop by breaking the rule that limits the number of Innings a pitcher can throw.

They finished first in the Bergen County Scholastic League American Division. (Points: 12) 5. Paramus (20-8) Joe Cervlno's Spartans were a major surprise as they beat out Hackensack for the NNJIL Pacific Division title. (Points: 10) Also receiving votes: St. Joseph 6, Pascack Valley 5, Fair Lawn 4, Cllffslde Park 1, NVOld Tappan 1, Tenafly 1.

Delbarton (22-6) Trie Green Wave handed Passaic County-champion Lakeland two losses and then drove to the State Parochial A North semifinals before losing to Immaculate. (Points: 43) 2. Butler (14-9) A head-to-head win over Lakeland gave the Bulldogs this slot. They reached the Group 1, Section 1 finals before losing to Cedar Grove. (Points: 36) 3.

Lakeland (20-4) Who can forget Scott Brown's three-run homer In the seventh that gave the Lancers' their first Passaic County championship? A tight loss to Northern Valley Old Tappan cost Lakeland a Group 3, Section 1 title. (Points: 32) 4. Pompton Lakes (19-6) Dennis Arnold retired from coach ing two weeks after his Cardinals recorded his 400th victory. The total Included a win over Paterson Catholic. Pompton reached the Passaic County semis and lost to Lakeland.

They bowed In the States to Vernon. (Points: 19) 5. Paterson Catholic (22-7) A Parochial North championship slipped from PC's fingers, but the Cougars were the best team in school history, finishing second In Passaic County. (Points: 17) Also receiving votes: West Mllford 2, Clifton Vi, Eastside Vi. Voting done on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis by Hie Record sports staff.

A WINNING TEAM f3 t- rM is Hi' 3 4 ix Jy Pitcheroutfielder Greg Deane of Lakeland is bound for Raritan Valley Community College. He'll be pitching for North Region I on Saturday in the annual New Jersey Baseball Coaches All-Star Series, where he'll be coached by his high school coach, Mike Capozzl. Mont-clair State-bound Brian Bird also will be a member of the pitching staff, as will Jon Mitchell of Glen Rock and Mike Wren of Pascack Hills (Seton Hall University). The brilliant tandem of Eric Potts of Ridgefield Park (St. John's) and Emilia no Tatis of Eastside (undecided) will handle the catching duties.

Also included are Clifton outfielderpitcherfirst baseman Ross Petruska (Seton Hall), Pompton Lakes shortstopDH Rory Chapin (Coastal Carolina), Pater-son Catholic outfielder Gilberto Vazquez (Ramapo College), and Fair Lawn shortstop Matt Rozema (William Paterson). The four-game, one-day format has been moved from Princeton University to West Deptford, which is quite a trip from North Jersey. It's 15 miles off Exit 4 of the New Jersey Turnpike. I A I r. i THOMAS E.

FRANKLINSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHER A talented lineup of athletes and coaches was honored Sunday by The Old Timers lc director), Bob Dondero (former West Milford softoall coach), Laura Remla (West I Athletic Association of Greater Paterson. Among them were, from left, Robert Milford), Maydee Oquendo. (Kennedy), Tarae Morton (Passaic County Community Fredericks (Lincoln Park, for Special Olympics), Steve King (Eastern Christian athlet- College), Donald Hand (Paterson Catholic), and Brad Soltis (Pompton Lakes). Weigh-in day for Garden State Games tryouts for the Region II wrestling team is Tuesday, p.m., at Reflex Wrestling School, 162 Linwood Emerson. 4-.