BELLEVILLE – The following Belleville High School varsity baseball players have earned Worrall Media All-Area honors:

First Team: twins Dylan Walicky and Dustin Walicky.

Second Team: Sam Abreu.

Honorable Mention: Bryan Villar.

The Walicky twins had strong senior seasons this year. Dylan, a catcher, batted .303 with 23 hits and 15 RBI and had a .369 on-base average to earn All-Super Essex Conference-American Division First Team honors.

Dustin, an infielder, made All-SEC-American Second Team with a team-high .369 batting average, collecting 25 hits and 11 RBI.

Abreu, a junior outfielder, batted .282 with 20 hits and 13 runs scored. Villar, a junior pitcher, had two league wins and struck out 40 in 40 innings. Both Abreu and Villar made All-SEC-American Division Honorable Mention.

Despite finishing with a 3-21 record, the Bucs played in several competitive games.

(Updated Thursday June 309, 10:55 a.m.) The following high school track and field athletes have earned Worrall Media All-Area honors:

BOYS

100M: First Team: Jean Julien, Orange; Akeem Lindo, East Orange Campus; Nick Parisi, Seton Hall Prep; Owen Tuck, Glen Ridge; Dominic Dazzell, EO Campus. Second Team: Albert Kolubah, Orange.

200M: First Team: Akeem Lindo, EO Campus; Willesley Lindo, EO Campus; Nick Parisi, SHP; Owen Tuck, Glen Ridge.  

400M: First Team: Cory Poole, EO Campus; Nick Parisi, SHP; Brandon Moorer, SHP; Immyouri Etienne, EO Campus. Second Team: Connor Lewis, Glen Ridge.

800M: First Team: Immyouri Etienne, EO Campus; Joseph Onubogu, West Orange; Ebizie Anuamadi, West Orange; Liam Cunningham, West Orange; Justin Dignan, Glen Ridge. Second Team: Brandon Hicks, SHP; Matt DaSilva, Nutley.

1,600M: First Team: Joseph Onubogu, West Orange; Ebizie Anuamadi, West Orange. Second Team: Jared Pangallozzi, Columbia. Second Team: Justin Dignan, Glen Ridge.   

3,200M: First Team: Jared Pangallozzi, Columbia; Cameron Dignan, Glen Ridge; Jimmy Quinn, Nutley. Second Team: Jack Looney, Glen Ridge.

110M hurdles:  First Team: Cory Poole, EO Campus; Akeem Lindo, EO Campus; Timothy VanCauwenberge, West Orange; Lawson Nzegwu, West Orange. Second Team: Ozzie Williams, Columbia; Jeremiah Richardson, Columbia.

400M hurdles: First Team: Cory Poole, EO Campus; Immyouri Etienne, EO Campus; Timothy VanCauwenberge, West Orange.  

High jump: First Team: Charon Jenkins, EO Campus; Myles Toppin, Bloomfield; Timothy VanCauwenberge, West Orange; Ikem Eguh, SHP; Roodly Ovil, Columbia; Giancarlo Padilla, Nutley.

Long jump: First Team: Charon Jenkins, EO Campus; Jamaal Dryden, West Orange; Ikem Eguh, SHP; William Rockson, SHP; Myles Toppin, Bloomfield. Second Team: Roodly Ovil, Columbia; Justice Sims, SHP.

Triple jump: First Team: Charon Jenkins, EO Campus; Ammari Sylla, SHP; Justice Sims, SHP; Myles Toppin, Bloomfield; Second Team: James Ely, Irvington.

Shot put: First Team: Zyair Crump, EO Campus, James Caprio, SHP. Second Team: Kensy Jean, West Orange.

Discus: First Team: Timaul Williams, EO Campus; Maliek Dennis, EO Campus; James Caprio, SHP. Second Team: Marco Oliveri, Glen Ridge; Jethro Lewis, Bloomfield.

Javelin: First Team: Connor McSherry, SHP; Brandon Fernandes, Bloomfield. Second Team: Louis Long, Nutley; Joe Bumpus, Bloomfield.

Pole vault: First Team: Daniel Pierre, West Orange; Connor McSherry, SHP; Tarrin Goldberg, Nutley. Second team: James Ely, Irvington.

4x100M relay: First Team: SHP (Brandon Moore, Nick Parisi, Jesse Reid, Dwayne Warren).

4x400M relay: First Team: EO Campus (Immyouri Etienne, Akeem Lindo, Willesley Lindo, Cory Poole); West Orange; SHP; Columbia. Second Team: Bloomfield; Glen Ridge; Nutley.

4x800M relay: First Team: West Orange (Joseph Onubogu, David Robinson, Liam Cunningham, Ebizie Anuamadi); SHP; Columbia.

GIRLS

100M: First Team: Cheyenne Trigg, Columbia; Onunene Albert, Orange; Ciara French, Columbia. Second Team: Olivia Schwern, Glen Ridge; Sienna Farrell, Columbia.

200M: First Team: Dahria Lewis, Columbia; Ciara French, Columbia; Onunene Albert, Orange.

400M: First Team: Mackenzie Presume, Bloomfield; Angeline Fields, West Orange; Onunene Albert, Orange. Second Team: Liz Hauschild, Glen Ridge.

800M: First Team: Mackenzie Presume, Bloomfield; Catherine Jordan, Columbia; Second Team: Liz Hauschild, Glen Ridge; Angeline Fields, West Orange.

1,600M: First Team: Elizabeth O’Connell, Glen Ridge; Chloe Jelley, Nutley.

3,200M: First Team: Alina Chant, West Orange; Elizabeth O’Connell, Glen Ridge; Chloe Jelley, Nutley.

100M hurdles: First Team: Kevaray Gilette, EO Campus; Bukola Akinsola, West Orange; Aniyah Allen, Bloomfield; Ciara French, Columbia.

400M hurdles: First Team: Kevaray Gilette, EO Campus; Bukola Akinsola, West Orange. Second Team: Jamie Maul, West Orange.

High jump: First Team: Catherine Jordan, Columbia; Jasmine Keegan, Columbia; Aniyah Allen. Bloomfield; Sara McEnery, Nutley. Second Team: Celine Egeowu, Columbia.

Long jump: First Team: Jordan Fields, Columbia; Sienna Farrell, Columbia. Second Team: Jaela Small, Nutley.

Triple jump: First Team: Jordan Fields, Columbia; Dahria Lewis,Columbia. Second Team: Sara McEnery, Nutley; Jaela Small, Nutley.

Shot put: First Team: Sarah Soy, West Orange; Jasmine Keegan, Columbia; Nya Hughes, Columbia. Second Team: Shahyan Abraham, Orange; Daniella Hull, West Orange.

Discus: First Team: Jasmine Keegan, Columbia; Sarah Soy, West Orange; Obianamu Okani, West Orange; Joanna Dennis, Columbia. Second Team: Victoire Omou, Glen Ridge.  

Javelin: First Team: Kiara Collazzo, Belleville; Jasmine Keegan, Columbia; Aicha Naouai, Bloomfield; Oliva DeFluri, Nutley. Second Team: Briana Aviles, West Orange.

Pole vault: First Team: Julia Yang, Nutley.

4x100M relay: First Team: Columbia; EO Campus. Second Team; Glen Ridge.

4x400M relay: First Team: Columbia; EO Campus, Orange, West Orange; Second Team: Irvington.

4x800M relay: First Team: Columbia. Second Team: Glen Ridge.

All-Area Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year: Cory Poole, EO Campus.

All-Area Girls Track and Field Athletes of the Year: Jasmine Keegan, Columbia; Jordan Fields, Columbia.

All-Area Boys Coach of the Year: Lance Wigfall, EO Campus.

All-Area Girls Coach of the Year: Chris Faraone, Columbia.

WEST ORANGE – The West Orange Recreation Summer Basketball League began the week of June 27.

The Third-Fourth Grade Boys Division, Fifth-Sixth Grade Boys Division, and Fifth-Sixth Grade Girls Division games are held at West Orange High School.

The Seventh-Eighth Grade Boys Division and Seventh-Eighth Grade Girls Division games are held at Liberty Middle School.

WEST ORANGE RECREATION
SUMMER BASKETBALL

Third-Fourth Grade Boys
all games at West Orange High School, Tarnoff Gymnasium #1

July 6
6 p.m. St. Joseph of Maplewood vs. Good Shepherd of Irvington,
7 p.m. West Orange vs. Glen Ridge
8 p.m. WO Mountaineers vs. Good Shepherd of Nutley

July 13
6 p.m. Good Shepherd of Nutley vs. Glen Ridge
7 p.m. St. Joseph of Maplewood vs. West Orange
8 p.m. Good Shepherd of Irvington vs. WO Mountaineers

July 20
6 p.m. Glen Ridge vs. Good Shepherd of Irvington
7 p.m. West Orange vs. Good Shepherd of Nutley
8 p.m. WO Mountaineers vs. St. Joseph of Maplewood

July 27
6 p.m. St. Joseph of Maplewood vs. Glen Ridge
7 p.m. WO Mountaineers vs. West Orange
8 p.m. Good Shepherd of Irvington vs. Good Shepherd of Nutley

There are no playoffs. Third-Fourth Grade Boys is a Developmental Division.

Fifth-Sixth Grade Boys
all games in South Gym at WOHS

July 5
6 p.m. St. Joseph of Maplewood vs. Caldwell, in WOHS Tarnoff #1
6 p.m. Celtics vs. WO Mountaineers, in WOHS Tarnoff #2
7 p.m. Good Shepherd of Irvington vs. Good Shepherd of Nutley, in Tarnoff #1
7 p.m. Glen Ridge vs. West Orange, in Tarnoff #2

July 12
6 p.m. St. Joseph of Maplewood vs. WO Mountaineers, in Tarnoff #1
6 p.m. Caldwell vs. Good Shepherd of Irvington, in Tarnoff #2
7 p.m. West Orange vs. Celtics, in Tarnoff #1
7 p.m. Good Shepherd of Nutley vs. Glen Ridge, in Tarnoff #2

July 19
6 p.m. Caldwell vs. West Orange, in Tarnoff #1
6 p.m. Good Shepherd of Irvington vs. St. Joseph of Maplewood, in Tarnoff #2
7 p.m. Glen Ridge vs. Celtics, in Tarnoff #1
7 p.m. WO Mountaineers vs. Good Shepherd of Nutley, in Tarnoff #2

Playoffs (all teams make the playoffs)
July 26
6 p.m. No. 4 seed vs. No. 8 seed, in Tarnoff #1
6 p.m. No. 3 seed vs. No. 7 seed, in Tarnoff #2
7 p.m. No. 2 seed vs. No. 6 seed, in Tarnoff #1
7 p.m. No. 1 seed vs. No. 5 seed, in Tarnoff #2

Aug. 2
6 p.m. winner of 4-8 vs. winner of 1-5, in Tarnoff #1
7 p.m. winner of 3-7 vs. winner of 2-6, in Tarnoff #1

Aug. 3
7 p.m. Championship, in Tarnoff #1

Seventh-Eighth Grade Boys
all games at Liberty Middle School

July 5
6 p.m. Glen Ridge vs. Belleville
7 p.m. WO Mountaineers vs. Maplewood
8 p.m. Good Shepherd of Nutley vs. West Orange

July 7
6 p.m. Maplewood vs. Good Shepherd of Nutley
7 p.m. West Orange vs. Glen Ridge
8 p.m. Belleville vs. St. Joseph of Maplewood

July 12
6 p.m. Glen Ridge vs. Maplewood
7 p.m. Good Shepherd of Nutley vs. WO Mountaineers
8 p.m. St. Joseph of Maplewood vs. West Orange

July 14
6 p.m. WO Mountaineers vs. Glen Ridge
7 p.m. West Orange vs. Belleville
8 p.m. Maplewood vs. St. Joseph of Maplewood

July 19
6 p.m. St. Joseph of Maplewood vs. WO Mountaineers
7 p.m. Glen Ridge vs. Good Shepherd of Nutley
8 p.m. Belleville vs. Maplewood

Playoffs (all teams make the playoffs)
July 21
6 p.m. No. 2 seed vs. No. 7 seed
7 p.m. No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed
8 p.m. No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed
No. 1 seed, bye

July 26
6 p.m. winner of 2-7 vs. winner of 3-6
7 p.m. No. 1 seed vs. winner of 4-5

Aug. 1
7 p.m. Championship

Fifth-Sixth Grade Girls

July 7
6 p.m. Randolph vs. Verona, in WOHS Tarnoff #1
6 p.m. West Orange vs. Rockaway 5, in Tarnoff #2
7 p.m. Good Shepherd of Irvington vs. Good Shepherd of Nutley, in Tarnoff #1
8 p.m. Rockaway 6 vs. Wayne, in Tarnoff #1

July 11
6 p.m. Good Shepherd of Irvington vs. West Orange, in Tarnoff #1
6 p.m. Good Shepherd of Nutley vs. Rockaway 6, in Tarnoff #2
7 p.m. Verona vs. Rockaway 5, in Tarnoff #1
8 p.m. Wayne vs. Randolph, in Tarnoff #1

July 18
6 p.m. Rockaway 5 vs. Wayne, in Tarnoff #1
6 p.m. Randolph vs. Good Shepherd of Nutley, in Tarnoff #2
7 p.m. West Orange vs. Verona, in Tarnoff #1
8 p.m. Rockaway 6 vs. Good Shepherd of Irvington, in Tarnoff #1

Playoffs (all teams make the playoffs)
July 25
6 p.m. No. 4 seed vs. No. 8 seed, in Tarnoff #1
6 p.m. No. 3 seed vs. No. 7 seed, in Tarnoff #2
7 p.m. No. 2 seed vs. No. 6 seed, in Tarnoff #1
8 p.m. No. 1 seed vs. No. 5 seed, in Tarnoff #1

Aug. 1
6 p.m. winner of 4-8 vs. winner of 1-5, in Tarnoff #1
7 p.m. winner of 3-7 vs. winner of 2-6, in Tarnoff #2

Aug. 3
6 p.m. Championship, in Tarnoff #1

Seventh-Eighth Grade Girls
all games at Liberty Middle School

July 6
6 p.m. West Orange vs. Rockaway
7 p.m. Wayne Indians vs. Belleville
8 p.m. Montville vs. Wayne Patriots

July 11
6 p.m. Wayne Patriots vs. West Orange
7 p.m. Rockaway vs. Wayne Indians
8 p.m. Belleville vs. Montville

July 13
6 p.m. Belleville vs. Wayne Patriots
7 p.m. Wayne Indians vs. West Orange
8 p.m. Montville vs. Rockaway

July 18
6 p.m. Belleville vs. West Orange
7 p.m. Wayne Patriots vs. Rockaway
8 p.m. Montville vs. Wayne Indians

July 20
6 p.m. West Orange vs. Belleville
7 p.m. Wayne Indians vs. Montville
8 p.m. Rockaway vs. Wayne Patriots

Playoffs (all teams make the playoffs)
July 25
6 p.m. No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed
7 p.m. No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed

July 27
6 p.m. No. 1 seed vs. winner of 4-5
7 p.m. No. 2 seed vs. winner of 3-6

August 1
6 p.m. Championship

UPPER MONTCLAIR – Great talent doesn’t always win. A great team culture almost always does. So how do teams (no matter what level) become strong and unified and the absolute best they can be?

Three of New Jersey’s most accomplished sports figures – basketball Hall of Famer Bob Hurley Sr., two-time Super Bowl champion Chris Snee and Rutgers wrestling coach Scott Goodale – will share their insights in “Building A Championship Culture” on August 25 at 7 p.m. at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, the first of a town hall series of topical sports issues.

The series, presented by Parabolic Performance & Rehab, a leading sports performance training and physical therapy practice, is ideal for student-athletes, parents, coaches and athletic directors, who can customize the concepts for themselves and their teams.

One of America’s most legendary high school basketball coaches, Hurley is a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer who last year led St. Anthony of Jersey City to its 28th state championship. Snee, who spent his entire 10-year NFL career with the Giants, is a two-time Super Bowl champion and four-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman. Goodale has brought Rutgers wrestling to national prominence, compiling a .737 winning percentage (141-50-1) in his nine collegiate seasons. Prior to coming to RU, Goodale was a three-time New Jersey Coach of the Year at Jackson Memorial High School.

Each will share their experiences about winning environments, and answer questions from the audience. Following “Building a Championship Culture,” will be “Maximizing the Youth Sports Experience,” in October with panelists TBA. Tickets for each program are $15 and $10 for students. To RSVP, visit www.yogiberramuseum.org or call 973-655-2378.

Parabolic Performance & Rehab is a provider of high quality sports physical therapy and performance training with multiple locations in the Northern New Jersey area. The company is also the premiere NFL Pre Draft training provider.

The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center is a nonprofit sports education organization on the campus of Montclair State University. Its mission is to preserve and promote the values of respect, sportsmanship and excellence through inclusive, sports-based educational programs and exhibits.

In an effort to even the number of the teams and achieve parity, a proposal has been made to realign high school wrestling teams in the 32 districts and eight regions for state postseason individual competition.

The proposal was presented to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association League and Conferences committee Aug. 11. Once approved by the committee, the proposal will move to the NJSIAA Finance Committee and then the Executive Committee for a vote. If approved, the changes will take effect for the 2016-2017 season that begins in December.

The following are the proposed districts and regions for teams in bold in the Worrall Media publishing area in Essex County:

REGION 3

DISTRICT 9: Glen Ridge, Barringer, Caldwell, Phillipsburg, Hackettstown, Mendham, Lyndhurst-North Arlington, Montclair, Bloomfield.

DISTRICT 10: East Side, Columbia, Orange, Union City, Verona, Becton-Wallington, West Orange, Nutley, Delbarton, Wood-Ridge.

DISTRICT 11: East Orange Campus, Morris Catholic, Queen of Peace, Kearny, Rutherford, Belleville, Morristown, Belvidere, West Morris, Hanover Park.

REGION 4

DISTRICT 13: Plainfield, Summit, Johnson Regional, Elizabeth, Rahway, Linden, Seton Hall Prep, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, St. Peter’s Prep.

DISTRICT 15: North Hunterdon, Roselle Park, Weequahic, Metuchen, Bernards, Carteret, Ridge, Irvington, Westfield, Somerville.

Currently, the districts and regions for the Worrall Media Essex County teams in bold are:

REGION 3

DISTRICT 10: Barringer, Chatham, Columbia, Irvington, Madison, Millburn, Roselle Park, Seton Hall Prep, Summit, Union.

REGION 4

DISTRICT 13: Caldwell, Cedar Grove, East Orange, Glen Ridge, Paterson Kennedy, Orange, Passaic Valley, Verona, West Essex.

DISTRICT 14: Belleville, Bloomfield, Christ the King Prep, Newark East Side, Livingston, Montclair, Newark Academy, Nutley, West Orange.

Union is the current Region 3 host and West Orange is the current Region 4 host.

MONTCLAIR – Twenty-four Montclair YMCA Dolphins swimmers who met the qualifying standards for the 2016 NJ Long Course Junior Olympics Championships attended the meet held at Rutgers University,   July 28-31, with 46 other teams from across the state.

Among the age-group swimmers aged 12 and under, seven swimmers achieved a total of 16 top-20 finishes: Danielle Feldberg 12, Carly Frank, 10, and Xav Gagnon, 10, of Montclair; Izzy Deubner, 12, Connor Townson, 12, and Enzo Wood, 12, of Glen Ridge and Kazuri Lateef, 10, of West Orange.

For swimmers 13 and over, the meet was in a prelim/final format.  Three Dolphins qualified to swim in the finals for their events: Kai Michaud, 17, of Montclair in the 400m and 1,500m free, Edward Madrigal, 16, of Belleville in the 200m free, and Christina Gilio-Malabre, 14, of West Orange in the 200m breaststroke. All three swam personal-best times in the finals. Michaud finished seventh in the 1,500 free and Gilio-Malabre finished fifth in the 200 breast.

Matt Garifo, Head Age-Group Coach of the Dolphins, said, “I am very proud of the hard work that our swimmers put into the long course season and the best times that so many of our swimmers achieved over the summer and at JOs.”

The YMCA of Montclair Dolphins swim team offers a year-round opportunity for competitive swimming in both YMCA and USA Swimming competitions as well as seasonal instructional clinics for aspiring competitive athletes. The team is comprised of girls and boys from age 6 through high school. More than 200 athletes train with the team each year. They compete at all levels, based on their skill set.

Tryouts will be held on Sept. 6 for swimmers age 10 and under and Sept. 7 for swimmers age 11 and over. Both tryouts will be held at 4:30 p.m. at the YMCA on Park Street.

For more information about the Montclair YMCA Dolphins swim team, contact head coach Madeira at pmadeira@montclairymca.org or call 973-744-3400.

High school fans were saddened to learn the passing of Bill Allen, a longtime sports photographer and sports writer. Allen, who died unexpectedly Sunday, Aug. 14, at the age of 58, always had a happy-go-lucky disposition while taking photos of countless scholastic events and writing feature stories and game stories for more than three decades. One of the events he covered every year was the Paul Robeson High School Football All-Star Classic in East Orange.

Bill would always take photos of the the players and coaches in the Robeson Classic each year, whether it was prior to the game or during the game itself.

Those players and coaches especially appreciated what Bill did, particularly Bloomfield HS football head coach Mike Carter.

Carter, like many people, will miss Bill.

“Bill Allen was a great friend of the Robeson All-Star Classic,” said Carter, who has always been involved with the Robeson Classic. “Bill donated a great deal of time and photography to help us make the Classic a great success.”

For me (Joe Ragozzino), I had the pleasure of knowing Bill for almost 20 years, when I first became sports editor for Essex County for Worrall Community Newspapers, which also operates essexnewsdaily.com, back in the fall of 1998.

Whenever I saw him at a high school game, he always showed his passion for his job. His passion was so inspiring. He was always engaging. Whenever I needed a photo, he always helped me.

I will never forget this one particular year at the Robeson Classic, he treated members of the media to pizza. There were boxes of pizza behind the bench on the sideline and he told us to help ourselves to slices of pizza. He was as kind-hearted as any person can be.

I am going to miss Bill dearly, as will many, many coaches, players, fans, and parents. He was well-liked by many, many people. Going to a high school game won’t be the same.

Click to view slideshow.

BELLEVILLE, NJ – Getting tougher physically.

First-year head coach Mario Cuniglio has stressed that goal for his Belleville High School varsity football team ever since he took over the helm in the spring.

And judging by what he and his coaching staff have seen during preseason training camp, the Bucs have heeded that call.

“We like the fact that our guys have become tougher as a whole,” said Cuniglio, who was the Bucs’ offensive and defensive line coach for the past two seasons. “We feel like, from a conditioning standpoint, the strenuous activities that we’ve put them through are going to be the difference maker for us this season. In the past, I felt like our guys weren’t where they need to be from a conditioning standpoint. That is something from Day One that we decided that needs to be of utmost importance; for our guys to be conditioned and be ready to play four-plus quarters of football. That is one of the positives.”

The Bucs, indeed, are determined to turn around their fortunes, posting a total of five wins in the past four seasons and 14 wins in the last seven.

Cuniglio attended a Rutgers University practice during the offseason and was able to take a few things that can be tailored at the high school level. One of the things he took from that Rutgers practice was the implementation of music in the locker room as the players are getting ready for a practice and game. Music-playing has become a useful tool in helping the players get motivated.

Cuniglio and his staff have organized practices during training camp much like a college practice. Everything is broken down, period by period, with a certain amount of time allotted for each period.

And with the hot weather this summer, the Bucs are making sure they are hydrated.

Calling it one of the hottest summers for training camp in quite some time, Cuniglio feels the steamy conditions will benefit his team during the warm September games.

“At the end of the day, I think it’s going to make us better,” said Cuniglio. “Our guys are out there and they’re playing in it, and it’s going to be hot in September. As a staff, we feel like being out there and dealing with this element is only going to make us stronger as a whole.”

The go-to players for the Bucs on both sides of the ball this season will be tailback/strong safety Bryan Rivera and running back/defensive end Anthony Velez, both seniors. Rivera rushed for 780 yards and five touchdowns during last year’s 1-9 campaign, despite missing three games due to injury.

At the quarterback position, senior Kyle Walsh and junior Gustavo Viana were batting for the starting job.

The two-way linemen who will lead the way are seniors Luis Rosa and Nick Guardabasco and junior Mahmoud Youssef.

This season, the Bucs are competing in the newly-formed North Jersey Super Football Conference, which is a merger of the Super Essex Conference, Big North Conference, Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association and Northwest Jersey Conference. The conference has 113 teams in 19 divisions.

The Bucs are in the Freedom White Division. The other teams in the division are Irvington, Wayne Hills, Wayne Valley, Passaic Valley, and Millburn. The Bucs, however, will not face Wayne Valley or Wayne Hills this season.

In addition, the traditional Nutley-Belleville game won’t be played this year. It marks the first time since 1943 that the neighboring rivals won’t meet.

Cuniglio feels the new league will ultimately benefit the Bucs.

“With the change in the schedule and the moves that were made, it’s going to give us a chance to compete and build a program, and as time progresses, it will make us, I feel, a contender,” he said.

The Bucs have been through some tough years. They have finished 1-9 in three of the past four years (2012, 2013 and 2015), went 2-8 in 2014 and posted three straight 3-7 seasons (2009, 2010 and 2011).

For Cuniglio, the main goals are to build the program and change the overall culture.

“Overall, we’re looking to build a program,” said Cuniglio, replacing Joe Fischer, who was the head coach the last two years in his second stint with the Bucs. “That’s the first thing. The second thing we are looking to accomplish by season end is a complete change of culture, from what was, to what will now be and what will be expected.”

The Bucs kick off the season Sept. 2 at Newark West Side.

Schedule

Sept. 2, at West Side, 7 p.m.

Sept. 9, Fort Lee, 7 p.m.

Sept. 16, at Kearny, 7 p.m.

Sept. 23, Newark East Side, 7 p.m.

Oct. 1, at Snyder, 2 p.m.

Oct. 8, at Passaic Valley, 2 p.m.

Oct. 14, Roselle Park, 7 p.m.

Oct. 21, Irvington, 7 p.m.

Oct. 28, at Millburn, 7 p.m.

Correction: Fort Lee defeated Ferris, 42-0

BELLEVILLE, NJ (updated Saturday 3:50 p.m.) – First-year head coach Mario Cuniglio and his staff want to transform the Belleville High School football program into a winning culture.

Though they made some mistakes, the Bucs took a step in that direction with a hard-fought 15-6 victory over Newark West Side in the season opener Friday night, Sept. 2, at Weequahic High School’s Untermann Field.

Gustavo Viana, a junior, accounted for the Bucs’ two touchdowns.

BHS sophomore kicker Anthony Coppiano opened the scoring with a 28-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

Later in the second quarter, senior Kyle Wash connected with Viana on a 50-yard TD pass to extend the Bucs’ lead to 9-0.

After West Side scored to cut it to 9-6 in the third quarter, Viana broke off a 65-yard TD run with about eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Bucs defense held firm the rest of the way to seal the victory.

The Bucs, who already matched last season’s win total, will host Fort Lee in their next game on Friday night, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m. at Doc Ellis Field/BHS Municipal Stadium.

Reviewing the game film the next morning, Cuniglio and his coaches recognize that the Bucs need more work to get better. But overall, the Bucs will take the win and move forward.

“Collectively, we played pretty well,” Cuniglio said Saturday morning via a phone interview. “We made mistakes. Based on what we saw last night and what we did, we have some work that needs to be done. But a win is a win for us. We’ll take it and we’ll correct our mistakes and we’ll move forward against Fort Lee.”

Cuniglio particularly was proud of his team’s resiliency and effort.

“I like the fact that our kids didn’t give up. I liked how our guys were physical. We played with a purpose,” he said.

Nevertheless, the Bucs are now focused on correcting their mistakes as they get ready for Fort Lee, which won its season opener, 42-0, Ferris, also Friday night.

“We are in the process of fixing mistakes and honing in on things that we need to get better at,” Cuniglio said. “We’re going to take this win and take the momentum that we have, moving forward. We’re going to try to use that as a means to compel us into the game against Fort Lee.”

The Bucs certainly don’t have problems with showing enthusiasm, evidenced by Friday’s game.

“We’ve never seen a team as pumped up as they were,” Cuniglio said of his team. “I feel like now that we have a win under our belt, the first-game jitters are out, and now that’s behind us, i feel that we’ll play a lot better this week because of the fact that we have one game and have that experience under our belt. That is the advantage that I feel that we have.”

Cuniglio, indeed, was proud that his team’s hard work paid off with “W.”

“We’re very happy; we’re proud of the kids,” Cuniglio said. “They worked really hard. The bottom line is the hard work paid off for us, and we just have to keep coming and working hard and keep getting better each and every day. That’s the most important thing.”

The Bucs have plenty of motivation. With another victory, they will match their 2014 win total.

For Belleville, establishing a winning culture is the goal. And make no mistake, the Bucs want to taste more victories this season.

BLOOMFIELD, NJ – Bloomfield Babe Ruth Baseball will be sponsoring a recreational level baseball league this fall. Players between the ages of 13 and 16 may register. Players who graduated from Little League are eligible to register. Play is expected to begin approximately Sept. 23.

Assessments will take place on Sept. 16 at Wrights Field. Most games will be played at Wrights Field in Bloomfield. The season will consist of a 10-game regular season, playoffs and championship game. Newcomers to the game are welcome.

The registration fee for Bloomfield residents is $100; for non-residents, $125.

Registration will be held Sept. 7, 8, 14 and 15 from  6 to 8 p.m at the Babe Ruth Field House at Wrights Field, located at 190 Weaver Ave. in Bloomfield.

Included in the registration fee is  uniform top, socks and hat. Players are responsible for grey uniform pants and black belt.

To register, call 973-743-4440.

UPPER MONTCLAIR, NJ – The nationally known Black Maria Film Festival tour will visit the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center on Thursday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Unlike most film festivals, the Black Maria travels, bringing its films to audiences around the country and tailoring the program to each of its venues. The program on Sept. 29 features a collection of the Festival’s award-winning short films with sports-related themes, and will be presented by Jane Steuerwald, Black Maria Festival’s Executive Director, who will lead a Q&A following the screening.

The Black Maria Film Festival was founded in 1981 as a tribute to Thomas Edison’s development of the motion picture at his laboratory, dubbed the “Black Maria” film studio, the first in the world, in West Orange, NJ.  The Festival attracts and showcases the work of independent filmmakers internationally.

The Festival is a project of the Thomas A. Edison Media Arts Consortium, an independent non-profit organization in residence at New Jersey University’s Department of Media Arts.  

Tickets are $15 and $10 for students. To RSVP call 973-655-2378.  For more information, contact Jane Steuerwald of the Black Maria Film Festival at jane@blackmariafilmfestival.org, 201-200-2043 or Dave Kaplan of the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center at david.yogi@montclair.edu or 973-655-6891.

About The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center:

The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center is a 501 © 3 nonprofit sports education organization on the campus of Montclair State (NJ) University. Its mission is to preserve and promote the values of respect, sportsmanship and excellence through culturally diverse, inclusive sports-based programming. Museum programs foster a better understanding of the historic and contemporary role of sports in society.

UPPER MONTCLAIR, NJ – MLB Network host and analyst Brian Kenny will discuss all things baseball and his acclaimed new book, “Ahead of the Curve: Inside the Baseball Revolution” at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center on Sept. 27 at 7 p.m., followed by a booksigning.

One of the game’s most eloquent and passionate observers, Kenny uses stories from baseball’s present and past to examine why fans sometimes choose ignorance over information, and how tradition can trump logic, even when directly contradicted by evidence. His book frames the new way in which baseball insiders are thinking about the game, and why fans, journalists and organizations should embrace straightforward logic.

In “Ahead of the Curve,” Kenny talks about finding the next competitive advantage through statistical analysis, the merits of the current All-Star Game format, the importance of keeping pace of play moving, and more.

Kenny has been at MLB Network since 2011 and currently hosts “MLB Now,” a one-hour panel discussion that covers breaking news and the most recent trends in the game. He previously worked at ESPN, where he was an anchor of “SportsCenter” and “Baseball Tonight.”

Books are available for purchase at the Museum. To RSVP call (973) 655-2378.

About The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center:

The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center is a 501 © 3 nonprofit sports education organization on the campus of Montclair State (NJ) University. Its mission is to preserve and promote the values of respect, sportsmanship and excellence through culturally diverse, inclusive sports-based programming. Museum programs foster a better understanding of the historic and contemporary role of sports in society.

BELLEVILLE, NJ – For the young Belleville High School boys’ varsity soccer team, this season is going to be a learning experience.

Head coach Carlos Goncalves knows that his Bucs will endure some growing pains. But to Goncalves, that’s okay, because as the Bucs develop throughout the season, it’s only going to pay dividends in future seasons.

“I like the fact that we have two freshmen coming up. They are good players who can be starters,” said Goncalves, whose team lost 14 players to graduation. “I like the fact that most of the team is young. That is the advantage for the upcoming seasons.”

The two freshmen who have drawn praise from Goncalves are Lucas Fonseca, a right back, and Kevin Manjarrez, who can play left- or center-midfield.

The Bucs, who finished 6-11-2 last season, got off to a tough start to the season with a 7-1 loss to East Orange Campus in the season opener Friday, Sept. 8, in East Orange. Carlos Flores scored the goal for BHS.

Another promising freshman for the Bucs is goalie Fernando Besantez, who is currently the back-up but could start some games this season.

The starting goalie is sophomore Luis Diaz.

Sophomores Emilio Padilla and Dochio Herrera are other starters. Padilla has exceptional skills even though he is relatively small in size, Goncalves said.

The lone senior starter is striker Brandon Basantes.

Goncalves is in the process of retooling his team’s defense. Angel Ramos, a junior, has been cleared to play and will be a nice addition to the defense, Goncalves said.

Though he knows the Bucs will take their lumps, Goncalves is hoping the team can earn enough power points to earn a state tournament berth this season. And making the state tournament will do wonders for the young Bucs in their development.

The Bucs compete in the Super Essex Conference-Colonial Division. The other teams in the division are East Orange Campus, Irvington, Glen Ridge, Barringer, Science Park, Golda Och Academy and Cedar Grove.

The Bucs’ next game is Sept. 13 at Irvington.

Schedule

Sept. 13, at Irvington, 4 p.m.

Sept. 15, Cedar Grove, at Clearman Field, 4 p.m.

Sept. 20, at Glen Ridge

Sept. 22, Bloomfield Tech, at Clearman Field, 4 p.m.

Sept. 24, Nutley, at BHS Municipal Stadium, 10:30 a.m.

Sept. 27, at North 13th St. Tech

Sept. 29, Golda Och Academy

Oct. 1, at Technology

Oct. 4, at Barringer

Oct. 6, Science Park, at Clearman Field

Oct. 8, West Orange, at TBA, 10 a.m.

Oct. 11, Orange, at Clearman Field, Senior Night,

Oct. 13, Westwood, at Clearman Field, 4 p.m.

Oct. 15, at Montclair Kimberley, 12:30 p.m.

Oct. 17, at North Bergen, 7 p.m.

Oct. 20, at Columbia, 4 p.m.

Oct. 25, at Verona, 4 p.m.

Oct. 27, River Dell, at Clearman Field, 4 p.m.

BELLEVILLE, NJ –The Belleville High School boys’  cross-country team gave good efforts at the Brookdale Invitational in Bloomfield, hosted by Bloomfield HS, on Saturday, Sept. 10.

The following are the Belleville HS Bucs’ results:

Varsity 5K 

Dan Castano – 20:31

Mayck Calle – 20:49

Chad Manning – 21:54

Arik Odre: 22:01

Sal Petrozzino  – 23:44

Joshua Uceta – 25:05

Joseph Rivera – 25:35

Freshmen/Novice 1.5 Mile

Faraz Chowdhury – 11:35

Julian Roca – 12:21

BELLEVILLE, NJ – The Belleville High School girls’ cross-country team defeated Science Park and University, both 15-50 scores, on Sept. 8 at Branch Brook Park to bring its record to 2-0.

Belleville times:
25th place. Ilce Perez, senior, 26:48.1
30th. Andrea Romero, junior, 27:11.9.
31st. Camillah Nigatu, sophomore, 28:00.9.
32nd. Sara Manning, junior, 28:13.5.
35th. Annmaria Albert, junior, 30:17.6.
36th. Korryn Versola, sophomore, 31:29.8.
37th. Bernice Banks, junior, 31:40.8.

The other results in the race were:
Millburn 15, Mount St. Dominic 50.
Millburn 18, West Essex 44.
West Essex 19, Mount St. Dominic 36.

BELLEVILLE, NJ – The Belleville High School boys’ cross-country team defeated both Verona, 23-52, and North 13th St. Tech, 15-47, on Sept. 13 at Branch Brook Park.

Belleville results
9th place. Samuel Abreu, senior, 19:41.0
15. Wady Then, sophomore, 20:08.8.
16. Chad Manning, freshman, 20:30.6.
19. Daniel Castano, senior, 20:57.2.
23. Mayck Calle, senior, 21:44.6.
27. Kevin Ferreira, senior, 21:54.9.
36. Arik Odre, junior, 22:30.1.
37. Jarien Rosario, junior, 22:40.3.
39. Sal Petrozzino, freshman, 23:02.1.
40. Raymond Otonyese, junior, 23:04.1.
47. Joshua Uceta, junior, 24:20.1.
48. Joseph Rivera, sophomore, 24:24.2.
50. Kiel Delasalas, senior, 25:23.2.

Other results in the race:
University 15, Christ the King Prep 50.
East Orange Campus 19, Columbia 38.
Seton Hall Prep 15, Columbia 50.
Seton Hall Prep 15, EO Campus 50.
Verona 15, North 13th St. Tech 48.
Science Park 15, Orange 0.
Science Park 15, Shabazz 50.
Science Park 15, Technology 50.
Science Park 17, University 40.
University 15, Shabazz 50.
University 15, Technology 50.

BELLEVILLE, NJ – Ifeany Anamejeh scored on an assist from Nicholas Jaramillo and Fernando Pesantez made six saves as the Belleville High School boys’ varsity soccer team earned its first win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Cedar Grove on Sept. 15 in a Super Essex Conference-Colonial Division game. The Bucs, who improved to a 1-2 record, outshot Cedar Grove, 14-8.

BELLEVILLE, NJ – Gustavo Viani rushed for three touchdowns and the Belleville High School varsity football team improved to 2-1 with a 28-8 win over Kearny on Friday, Sept. 16, at Kearny.

The Buccaneers, under first-year head coach Mario Cuniglio, already have bettered last year’s 1-9 record.

The carrot is dangling in front of the Bucs. That’s because they have a chance to move to 3-1 with their next game. The Bucs will host Newark East Side – a team that hasn’t won a game in five years – this Friday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m.

Viani had TD runs of 55, 9, and 15 yards to spark the win over Kearny (1-1).

Bucs quarterback Kyle Walsh also connected on a 61-yard TD pass to Eric Rivera.

The Bucs are looking to have their best season since 2008 when they finished 5-5. The Bucs haven’t won three games in a season since 2011 when the went 3-7.

The last time East Side won a game was Oct. 1, 2011 when it defeated West Side. They lost the final six games that year and have gone winless in each of the past four seasons, going 0-9 each year.

BELLEVILLE, NJ – The Belleville High School girls’ varsity volleyball team has enjoyed a 6-0 start to the season.

RESULTS

Won, Cedar Grove, 25-6, 25-23, Sept. 8 (H)

BHS notable stats

Gianna Benacquista: 6 kills

Victoria Bruno: 4 kills

Giselle Luna: 7 digs

Natasha Sanchez: 14 assists

Kara Sica: 12 service points

Cheryl Ann Nicosia: 3 digs

Won, Passaic Valley, 21-25, 25-23, 25-12, Sept. 9 (A)

Gianna Benacquista: 14 service points, 6 aces

Kiara Collazo: 10 digs, 9 service points, 6 kills

Giselle Luna: 14 digs

Natasha Sanchez: 26 assists, 11 digs

Kara Sica: 4 digs

Justine Areola: 4 digs

Clarisse Abanilla: 7 kills

Won, Montclair, 23-25, 25-20, 25-16, Sept. 13 (H)

Clarisse Abanilla: 5 kills

Gianna Benacquista: 8 kills

Victoria Bruno: 10 service points

Kiara Collazo: 11 kills, 16 digs

Giselle Luna: 7 service points, 16 digs

Cheryl Ann Nicosia: 5 digs

Natasha Sanchez: 25 assists, 6 service points, 5 digs

Kara Sica: 7 service points

Won, Hoboken, 25-11, 25-12, Sept. 14 (H)

Kiara Collazo: 6 kills, 6 digs

Natasha Sanchez: 19 assists

Victoria Bruno: 8 kills, 6 service points, 3 digs

Gianna Benacquista: 6 kills

Won, Millburn, 12-25, 25-19, 25-16, Sept. 15 (H)

Clarisse Abanilla: 9 kills, 4 service points

Gianna Benacquista: 9 kills, 6 service points, 3 digs

Victoria Bruno: 4 kills

Kiara Collazo: 7 kills, 6 digs, 5 service points

Giselle Luna: 16 digs, 7 service points

Natasha Sanchez: 26 assists

Kara Sica: 8 service points

Won, Kearny, 25-20, 25-13, Sept. 16 (H)

Natasha Sanchez: 22 assists

Kiara Collazo: 8 kills, 6 digs

Clarisse Abanilla: 5 kills

Kara Sica: 3 aces, 3 digs

Gianna Benacquista: 6 kills, 2 digs

Victoria Bruno: 4 kills

UPPER MONTCLAIR, NJ – A free, family-friendly festival of art, baseball and other kids’ activities will be held at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center on Sunday, Sept. 25 to help celebrate the life and legacy of one of America’s most beloved and legendary sports figures.

The “Celebration of Life” will include magicians, mascots, music, movies and a baseball clinic at adjoining Yogi Berra Stadium, all part of the commemoration of Yogi Berra’s passing at age 90 on Sept. 22, 2015. It will begin at noon and run until 5 p.m.

Each visitor will receive a Museum souvenir and there will be contests and giveaways every hour.  Also, visitors can send messages on baseballs to our troops overseas, courtesy of Billy Cook, a 14-year-old from Washington Township, NJ, whose BASEball project was inspired in part by Yogi, a World War II veteran who participated in the D-Day invasion at Normandy.

The Yogi Berra  Museum & Learning Center has been a hub of educational and public programming since it opened in 1998 on the campus of Montclair State University. Through innovative sports-based programs and exhibits, it is committed to educating and inspiring young people and teaching the honorable values reflected in Yogi Berra’s life and accomplishments.

To honor Yogi’s exemplary baseball career, the Montclair State University baseball team will conduct a free baseball clinic from 12:30-2:30 p.m.  (ages 6-12) at the adjacent minor-league stadium which was  named after Yogi, as is the street (Yogi Berra Drive) that runs through MSU’s campus.

Jack the Jackal, mascot for the minor-league New Jersey Jackals, and Rocky the Red Hawk, MSU’s feathered mascot, will be here to greet visitors and take photos.

About The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center:

The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center is a 501 © 3 nonprofit sports education organization on the campus of Montclair State (NJ) University. Its mission is to preserve and promote the values of respect, sportsmanship and excellence through culturally diverse, inclusive sports-based programming. Museum programs foster a better understanding of the historic and contemporary role of sports in society.