Posted in Elizabeth, Linden, New Jersey, Rahway, sports, Union County, tagged Busim Hudeen, Chris Balent, college football, David Bruce, Ederson Exume, Elizabeth High School, Frank Cicarell Union County Boy’s Basketball Tournament, Hafis Williams, high school basketball, Isaiah Epps, Jim Whelan, Jose Pena-Benjamin, Kevin Conroy, Khaseem Greene, LaDonte Berry-White, Latif Banks, Linden High School, Mike Eargle, Mudia Oswemgie, Oklahoma State University, Phil Colicchio, Plainfield High School, Rahway High School, Raymond Graham, Scotch Plains High School, St. Mary's High School, St. Patrick’s High School, Tyler Roberson, Tyrone Johnson, Union High School on February 18, 2009 |
By Jim Whelan
This week starts the Frank Cicarell Union County Boy’s Basketball Tournament.
Here are this year’s top seeds:
1. St. Patrick’s is looking to defend their title. Since 1993, St. Pat’s has been a mainstay in the county finals. This year should not be any different
2. Plainfield—With a new coach and led by Pitt-bound Isaiah Epps and Tyrone Johnson, the Cardinals have a good chance to advance and play a rematch of the 2006 finals against the top-seeded Celtics
Posted in Clark, Linden, New Jersey, Rahway, Union County, tagged Christmas, Franklin Elementary School, Gregorio Recreation Center, Linden High School, Linden High School ROTC, Linden School No. 4, Linden School No. 8, Soehl Middle School, St. John the Apostle Elementary School, Toys for Tots on December 25, 2008 |
Happy Holidays from School #4–Linden School #4 Pre-K and the entire School #4 family wishes everyone a Happy Holiday, Photo by Christine Hudak, Linden Public Schools
Posted in Linden, New Jersey, sports, Union County, tagged Felice Trinh, Linden High School, tennis, The College of New Jersey on December 2, 2008 |
Felice Trinh
EWING—Felice Trinh, a graduate of Linden High School, was honored as the 2008 NJAC Women’s Tennis Rookie of the Year.
Trihn, teamed at second doubles with junior Stefanie Haar to go 5-0 in dual matches in her freshman year at The College of New Jersey. Trihn went 9-1 overall this fall in singles action and was 10-2 overall in doubles action.
Trinh was also named to the NJAC All-Star First Team in singles. On the fall, the Lions won the 2008 New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship after going 5-0 in dual action. The Lions have now won 126 straight NJAC matches and have never lost a conference match since women’s tennis was introduced as a league sport in the fall of 1982. With the 2008 victory, the Lions wrapped their 26th consecutive NJAC women’s tennis championship.
Posted in Linden, New Jersey, Union County, tagged homecoming, Linden High School on November 11, 2008 |
King & Queen—Linden High School Homecoming Queen Tierra Adams and Homecoming King Billy Bourgouin are crowned at the high school’s football game.
Posted in Linden, New Jersey, sports, Union County, tagged basketball, David Bruce, George Mason University, Jim Whelan, Linden High School, Paris Bennett, Phil Colicchio, Phil Martelli, St. Joseph’s University on November 6, 2008 |
By Jim Whelan
St. Joseph’s University coach Phil Martelli has reason to smile lately. Not only did he get a contract extension until the 2015-2016 season, he got his man when Linden’s David Bruce gave a verbal commitment to the A-10 basketball program. Bruce is yet another Jersey recruit headed to the “City of Brotherly Love” to play basketball.
Martelli first say Bruce in an open gym last September, even since then he has been on the Linden’s star radar. Oh by the way, Bruce scored 41 points in that game. Bruce’s 6’ 9” frame also helped too. He is the third Linden player in three years to earn a Division I basketball scholarship (Darrell Lampley-St. Peter’s 07, Desmond Wade-08). St. Joe’s gave Bruce his first of many Division I scholarships.
Posted in Linden, New Jersey, Union County, tagged basketball, Linden High School, St. Joseph's University on October 22, 2008 |
LINDEN – A Linden High School basketball star has made a non-binding commitment to attend St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
David Bruce, a 6-foot 9-inch 210-pound senior, averaged 15 points and 12 rebounds per game for the Tigers. During his high school career, Linden went 53-10 and won a Union County Tournament High School and a Group IV championship.
Posted in Linden, New Jersey, sports, tagged Linden High School, New Jersey City University, Nicole Sarica, soccer on September 16, 2008 |
Nicole Sarica
JERSEY CITY—Nicole Sarica, a 2008 graduate of Linden High School and member of the New Jersey City University women’s soccer team, has been named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for week three of the 2008 season. It is the first weekly conference award she has received in her career.
Sarica continued her solid scoring contributions at forward for the Knights, tallying three goals and an assist for seven points as NJCU went 2-0-0 last week to improve to 5-0-0 overall for the first time in its history. She has six goals in her first five career games, including two game-winners.
Posted in Linden, New Jersey, sports, Union County, tagged Linden High School, NCAA Division III women’s soccer, New Jersey City University, Nicole Sarica, soccer on September 11, 2008 |
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.—The NCAA released its first weekly Division III women’s soccer national statistical report for the 2008 season on Sept. 10, and New Jersey City University freshman forward Nicole Sarica is among the top players in assists per game and points per game.
Sarica, a 2008 graduate of Linden High School, is tied for 11th nationally with 1.00 assists per game. She is also tied for 36th in points per game with 3.00.
Posted in Linden, tagged Class of 2008, graduation, Linden High School on June 25, 2008 | 1 Comment »
LINDEN – On Friday, June 20, Linden High School held commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2008.
Linden High School seniors Ainsly Berngan, Carol Benaderet, Leslie Carcamo, and Rachel Cordena all are ready for graduation. Photo by Christine Hudak, Linden Public Schools
Posted in Linden, tagged Linden High School, Richard J. Gerbounka, Union Catholic High School on June 11, 2008 |
Mayor Congratulates Scholarship Winners—Mayor Richard J. Gerbounka recently congratulated two scholarship winners: Jennifer E. Noble of Union Catholic High School (left) and Lucia Oubina from Linden High School. Oubina was awarded $1,000 Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship. This scholarship is based on community service, leadership skills, positive attitude and academic achievement. Noble received a $1,000 scholarship from the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. The mayor’s office submitted her essay to represent the City of Linden in this annual scholarship competition. Approximately 40 municipalities submitted entries.
Posted in Linden, tagged Linden High School on March 26, 2008 |
LINDEN—In October, Linden High School hosted students from Arras, France. This spring, 23 Linden High School students leave for a two-week visit to France. This is the first Linden student exchange with France.
(more…)
Posted in Linden, tagged David Bruce, high school basketball, Linden High School on February 27, 2008 |
By Jim Whelan
In sports, you can always make the argument whether a buy week hurts or helps a team. From the outside looking in, if you look at Linden High School’s Watchung Conference schedule, you might think that they would see everything during the course of a season. Veteran Linden Coach Colicchio knows to win championships you have to play many different teams to get “tournament ready.”
As well as playing Watchung Conference foes Union, Elizabeth, Plainfield, and Scotch Plains, Linden played a schedule hell that included two weeks of playing the area’s top teams. The Tigers faced off against number one St. Anthony’s, Bishop Laughlin, Mount Vernon, N.Y., and St. Raymond’s. All four teams, like Linden, are ranked in the top twenty in the tri-state region.
Colicchio said that there were two reasons for the schedule. “One, when we get to tournament time we have seen everything possible that a team can throw at us and two, it showcases our players for college coaches,” said the Linden coach.
After a Linden win over the St. Raymond Ravens, 6’9” junior center David Bruce was offered scholarships from five schools. St Joseph’s University coach Phil Martelli was in the stands to watch Bruce. Martelli offered Bruce his first scholarship.
Starting the season off with a loss against Plainfield, the Tigers really learned a lot about themselves and what they needed to improve on. “I think some coaches today are afraid of scheduling losses,” said the 42-year-old coach. “I am not afraid of scheduling losses.”
Colicchio’s strategy has paid off so far as the Tigers defeated Union in the semi-finals of the Union County Cicarell Tournament. Linden avenged a regular season loss to the Union Framers and earned the the right to play St. Patrick’s. Both teams know each other very well. Linden defeated St. Patrick’s last year to earn Colicchio his second county championship.
Before Linden took the court last Wednesday, Colicchio addressed the team but said, “there really wasn’t anything I say to the team that would get them more prepared for a semi-final game in the county championship.” Linden changed up their defense from their previous meeting where Union center Travis Taylor had 27 points. After a tight first half, the game was tied at 22.
The Tigers defense held the Framers to only two points in the third quarter. “We always pride ourselves in being a good defensive team and holding a team under 40 points” said Colicchio.
Colicchio credits a lot of success to the exposure that he had as an assistant under Bennie Candelino and the group of coaches at Elizabeth High School. “As a young coach I was exposed to very good coaching at Elizabeth High,” Colicchio said. Roc, Fire, Korn, Jerry and Bennie as they are so eloquently named or John LaRocca, Bob Firestone, Ray Korn, Jerry Moore and Bennie Candelino were the core of coaches are Elizabeth High school in the 1980s that won championships in every sport multiple times.
“Whenever a need an offensive play I call Fire or John and Bennie is probably one of the best basketball coaches in New Jersey” said the former Elizabeth JV coach. Firestone was the Elizabeth’s girls coach and John LaRocca is Colicchio’s long time friend who he still relies whenever he needs an offensive scheme.
Before the Union game, Collichio challenged his junior center, David Bruce, and Bruce met the challenge. Taylor was held to ten points in the Tiger win. “I credit all of all players to keeping their assignments” said Colicchio. Union did not go down without a fight. A turnover tipped into east basket started the 14-2 Framers run. Senior forward Thomas Goubadia hit some outside shots and Aishon White hit a jumper to tie the game at 38.
“Instead of us attacking them, they started attacking us and we became a little hesitant,” Colicchio said about the Farmer run. Senior guard Desmond Wade did not have a good offensive game came down and got fouled and hit a one and one and then a couple defensive stops put the game away. Colicchio told Wade before the game he wanted ten assists from the Houston–bound guard. D- Wade had nine, which helped in the Tigers return to the county finals. “I credit our kids but our schedule really helped in the win,” Colicchio said.
Linden beat St. Raymond’s, but not before St Raymond’s hit a shot to send the game into overtime, which is one of five games Linden had in overtime. “Our kids don’t panic,” the coach said. With the ball in his hands, Wade didn’t panic and once again led the Tigers. Linden will face off against St. Pat’s at the Dunne Center 3 p.m. on Saturday.
With 19.9 seconds in the game a fight broke in the stands behind the Linden bench. The arena was cleared and the Elizabeth police and both schools security teams removed the parties involved. No students from either school were taken into custody and no fans sustained injures during the melee. Colicchio credits the Elizabeth Police Department for protecting his players and turning a potentially dangerous situation into a swift and isolated incident,
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