DECEMBER 31
1989
Recreation
            Today’s Trentonian Neighbors section is loaded with Hamilton PAL basketball results for the week.
            In girls play, Kristin Voorhees and Jamie Zamparella lifted Trophies Unlimited to a 12-4 win over Heritage T&I Realty. Jen Besler, Jillian Beckman and Lara Bryan played well for Heritage. In a pitcher’s duel, Sarah Burkle took a long pass from Trish McCreedy and converted a layup to give Legal Beagles a 6-4 win over Olden Pharmacy. Rachel Haggar, Janelle Sienkiewsicz and Gretchen Ehret played well for Olden.
            Pratico Jewelers got 15 points from Kerry Roche in a 24-12 win over Barrett’s Girls. Michelle Deschu had eight points and Dee Sanchez got her first career basket for Barrett’s.
            In Senior play, Shelly Wilson and Sue Antostewicz led Busy Bee Travel to a 20-19 win over Grimm Insurance. Jen Hanlon had eight and Amy Crowley seven for Grimm.
            Karen Beke and Melany Furda combined for 16 points and Danielle Matala added six as Brock’s Embroidery topped Caleb Marketing, 30-16. Nicole Johnson had eight points and Rookie of the Year candidate Rachel Rossi had her best game of the year.
            McCay Insurance edged Phil Pratico Sr. Jewelers, 29-27, as Beth Ryfinski had 19 points while Kim Walter, Shaye Hackett and Allison Williams had key baskets.
            In boys play, The Rockets topped the Warriors, 13-9, as Jason Torretta and Kevin Bainbridge tallied points and Brian Mazzoch was the Warriors sparkplug. Mike Reale and Mike Williams hit clutch buckets as the Bulls topped the Lakers, 26-25. Chris Parsons and Ed Jones excelled for the Lakers.
            Chris Daly had 14 points while Matt Reid and Joe Apicelli had solid defensive efforts in the Clippers 26-18 win over the Hawks. Dave Fisher had six for the Hawks. The Sonics topped the Suns, 37-24, as Chris Coleman, Dan Dumple and Jay Larson hit double figures. Andrew Corcione played well for the Suns.
            The Nuggets beat the Knicks, 34-32, as Mike Belifore, Mike Snyder and Derrik Glover hit big field goals and foul shots. Fran Duffy had three steals and 10 points for the Knicks. John Phillips hit a clutch three-pointer to give the Sixers a 33-29 win over the Royals. Chris Kron and Domingo Vazquez split 20 for the Sixers and Jeff Ronca excelled for the Royals. Corey Tulband led the offense in the Bucks 68-47 win over the Celtics. Jason Hand had six points and five assists for the Celts.   
High School 
            In today’s Trentonian, George O’Gorman reports that Dave Dempster will step down as Nottingham High Athletic Director after seven months on the job.  The story says Dempster is looking to get back into coaching. He had previously been head coach of the Nottingham baseball and girls soccer team.
            O’Gorman says leading candidates for the job are Barry Burnett and Glenn Sliker, among others.
            In the same column, O’Gorman reports that Northstars golf coach Bob Fitzsimmons has been selected to take a team of American high school golfers to Europe in the summer. “Fitz” was selected by Youth For Understanding, which coordinates a series of athletic exchange programs between the U.S. and Europe.      
DECEMBER 30
1979
Today's Trentonian highlights the efforts of Hamilton West girls hoopster Beth Davala.

Recreation Leagues
          Today’s Trentonian Neighbors section has this week’s roundup, as follows:
           Hamilton Little Lads: Warren Smith scored 13 points to lead Yardville Supply to a 32-30 win over Conti Realty in 11/12-year-old action, while Bob Barrett and Steve Halko tallied all nine Yardville points in the decisive fourth quarter. Conti got 12 from Jonathon Hohl and eight from Brian “Mags” Maglione. Mercerville Shell topped Dolci’s, 18-14, as Robert George and Zack Hines had six points each. Dolci’s Scott Pidcock led all scorers with eight.
            Fred & Pete’s topped Budget Rent-A-Car as John Carigge had seven points and John Wyckoff added six. Tom Farrell’s 13 points and Vernon Williams’ 11 powered White Horse Lions to a 36-12 win over Hamilton Service Center. Scott Okun added eight for the Lions. Brian Fuller’s 10 points powered Nate’s Pub past Rafferty’s, 32-2 (yikes!). Jeff Jones and Nick Parriski combined for 11 for the winners, while Dennis Machulsky dominated the Rafferty’s scoring column with two.
            Bill Berish and Jimmy Keegan led Hugh Maguire to a 27-21 win over Roma Savings. Keith Fonseca had 11 for Roma. Paul Evans and Craig Haley had seven each for Hamilton PAL in a 38-16 win over Cook AA. Kevin Kiernan contributed to the PAL win, while Joe Barnaba had eight in defeat.
            In Senior action, Tree King remained unbeaten with a 53-40 win over Cook AA as Todd Wilson had 16 and Shell Tyler added 10. Ed Moench added nine points and eight rebounds, while Mike Dye had eight points. Cook got 10 from John Troiani. Tree king Plant Mart topped Lawrence Brook Savings & Loan, 63-39, as Bob Trauer exploded for 22 points and nine rebounds, Steve Wrollewski had 13 points and Mike Toth and Doug Simpson added eight each. Lawrence got 12 points and six rebounds from Joe Fritz.
            The VFW Boosters got 17 from John Fell, 13 from Don Rebbeck and 10 from John Tardugno in a 53-39 win over Sports World.
            Mercer County Street Hockey: Bog Ziegler notched his 14^th goal to lead Three Seasons past Casino Restaurant, 3-1. Jim Howell also scored. Ziegler and Steve Tondreau remain among the league leaders in scoring for Three Seasons.
High School
            Hamilton’s Beth Davala is the subject of a Trentonian feature story today, as she is averaging 11 points for the 6-0 Hornets. Davala also has 12 offensive rebounds. “She’s the unsung leader of the team,” coach Mickey Kessler said. “The other girls look up to her. She’s a hard worker and a very conscientious player. She leads by example. Beth is the type of girl who never quits. We can be losing by a good amount and she’s still out there giving 100 percent.”
1989
High School
            Hamilton’s wrestling team dropped a close 30-23 decision to powerful North Hunterdon as coach Ralph “The Natural” DeLibero did some slick lineup juggling to keep things close. Key components in the move both won, as Bob Sciarotta won by decision at 119 and Lamar Gore, normally a 112-pounder, remained unbeaten by pinning at 125. Spencer Cunningham, Tom Dimowski and Russ Tyndale won by decision, Jeff Quick scored an upset decision at 152 and Jeff Fell drew at 145. “I’ll tell you what, that guy (DeLibero) has done an amazing job,” North Hunterdon coach Dennis Haughey said. “No question about it, they wrestled us even tougher than last year. We’re supposed to be the No. 9 team in the state and we needed a pin at heavyweight. It’s amazing how far Hamilton has come. They’re at the point where they can compete with the Hunterdon schools. Hamilton has become a great addition to our schedule.”
            Nottingham’s wrestlers had a big night with a 52-16 win over Burlington Township. Mike Thames, Brian Hughes, Jeff Saia, Kip Harrison, Tom Agugliaro, Mike Neely and Harry Schulz all pinned. Saia moved to 9-0 on the year.
            In girls basketball, Hamilton’s Diane Mazukewicz is the J&V Engraving Girls Player of the Week after scoring 27 points in a win over West Winds-Plainsboro.
            In boys hoops, Bryan Caver scored 25 and Blitz Wooten added 10 as McCorristin took a 69-66 win over Paterson Eastside in the finals of the ESCIT.
1999
High School
            Collingswood’s wrestling team nipped Nottingham, 38-36, despite pins by the Northstars’ Dennys Delgado, Mike Loginow and Joe Hope.
            In girls hoops, Ocean beat Steinert, 41-31 in the fifth-place game of the Jackson Jags Tournament. Kim Schmidt had eight for the Spartans.
DECEMBER 29
1979
Recreation Leagues
The Dec. 30 Trentonian lauds the efforts of Paul Franzoni in Hamilton Junior Soccer play and also provides a photo of Rowdy Rob Colton for what they did 30 years ago today.
            In Hamilton Junior Soccer Division II play, Paul Franzoni scored four goals to lead the West End Green 65s to a 4-1 win over the Hamilton 64s, dropping Hamilton to 4-1. Mike Spishak also scored for the winners.
           In Division I play, the Hamilton Fury moved to 5-0 with an 8-0 win over Mercer United as Mike Watson and Dan D’Angelo had two goals apiece, while John Antinoro, Jim Metzger, Scott Markulec and Bruno Scardeletti also tallied. The GAK Gold kept pace with the Fury by beating Tom Hamnetts II, 4-3. Ed Gauss had two goals while Kevin Kinnevy and Terry Bellinger added one each for the 5-0 GAK. Jim Tola’s goal gave the West End Cosmos a 1-0 win over the GAK White Juniors. The Mercer-Hamilton Rowdies rode two goals each by Rob Colton and Ben McMichael to a 4-1 win over Liberty Thriftway.
High School
            Rob Riley buried two free throws with 1:24 remaining, which proved to be the winning points in Steinert’s 46-43 win over Notre Dame in the Irish Christmas Tournament. Darryl Reaves added two insurance foul shots to ice the win. “There was no pressure on me. It really didn’t seem that late in the game,” said Riley, who won the Most Valuable Player award after scoring 12 points. Notre Dame’s Tom Keefe had 11 points against his fellow Hamilton Square buddies, while Tom Matlock had nine points and nine rebounds for the Spartans and Al Mostrangeli got in the game. Fledgling Trentonian sportswriter Dennis Maffezzoli, also observed that “Joe Ebeling did a nice job coming off the bench for the Spartans.”
            In the Hamilton Jaycees Classic, Hamilton West gave away a 57-51 victory to Weequahic in the championship game. “They weren’t better than us tonight,” said Hornets coach Charlie “Boss” Ross. “We had the game right in our hands. . .we had it and we let it slip away. Foul shots alone cost us the game. We missed four front ends of one-and-one’s in the fourth quarter at crucial times.”  Troy Stevenson finished with 18 points and made the All-Tournament team while Vince Wilson added 14 markers.
1989
High School
            Jason Cromwell’s 24 points couldn’t save Steinert’s boys basketball team in a 47-40 loss to Lawrence in the New Year’s Classic at Steinert. Nottingham beat Florence, 46-39, as Dan Clark had 14 and Ryan Lopez 12. But, as occasionally happens here, your friendly neighborhood historian forgot to write down what tournament this was. We do know Northern Burlington was also involved, so maybe it was the Florence Tournament. Either way, Nottingham beat both teams so just be happy with that.
            In the consolation game of the Spartan New Year’s Classic, host Steinert took a 59-40 win over Hopewell Valley as Lisa Cesaro and Sandy McNichol scored six points apiece in the decisive 19-7 second quarter. Cesaro had 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting, McNichol had 15 points and Kim Derrico had 10 points and four blocked shots.
            In the third-place game of the Georgian Court Christmas Classic, McCorristin rallied from a 42-38 deficit with 21 seconds left when Vicki Renelli hit a jumper and then a lay-up at the buzzer to tie it. The Mikes then went to overtime for a 50-47 win. Candi Crusen, Jennine McDougal and Renelli all hit buckets in overtime to give the Mikes the lead. “When we were down with 21 seconds left I never thought we’d win,” coach Joe Smiegocki said. “But these kids responded and never quit.” McDougal had 12 points, while Crusen and Alyson Yonkowski had 10 each. Renelli had eight of her nine in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime.
1999
High School
            In the semifinals of the Neptune Holiday Jubilee Tournament, Steinert staged an amazing rally to post a 46-45 win over Lakewood as Mike Conover hit two foul shots with 16 seconds remaining to win it. Conover finished with 20 for Steinert, which trailed 30-12 at halftime.
            Nottingham dropped an 82-72 decision to host Pemberton in the finals of the Mercer-Burlington Tournament. Brian Jenkins had 23 points and six steals, and Willie Jackson added 12 points for Nottingham, which played without Brian Nixon, Duane Martin and Doug Matlock. “Our guys stepped up and did their best,” coach Nate Weber said. “We were missing a lot of keys to our squad and just couldn’t get over the hump.”
            The girls’ final of the Mercer-Burlco Tournament was a mirror image of the boys, as Pemberton topped Nottingham, 42-28. Another Jenkins led the Northstars as Vickie Jenkins had 14 points and 4 rebounds. “We did a great job controlling the tempo in the first half,” coach Mike Kelliher said. “In the last quarter, however, we were just having a difficult time getting into our passing game and it hurt us.”
            In the consolation game of the South Brunswick Holiday Tournament, Hamilton beat the hosts, 63-41, as Jaime McCormack had 21, Jessica Kogel added 14 and Melissa Baksany added 11.
            Wrestling action saw Hamilton’s Frank Page (119 pounds) and Mike Paglione (125) take first place in the Hunterdon Central Christmas Tournament. No team scores were kept at the event, in which Hamilton’s Steve Elmer (180) and Bryan Lyons (215) took thirds.
DECEMBER 28
1979
High School
            McCorristin’s boys basketball team won the New England Invitational Tournament with a 75-52 win over Rockland of New York, using a fullcourt press to break it open. Tournament MVP Jim Smiegocki had 19 points, while Willie Ellison had20 and Steve Brown 13. “That’s the best we pressed all year,” coach Carmen Nitti said. “The defense basically won it. Brown and Ellison were great hawking the ball on defense and controlling the boards. We ran it up the floor and found the open man consistently on the break.” Brown and Ellison both made the All-Tournament team. Trailing 17-16, the Mikes got a jumper from Jerome Gilbert to take the lead for good.
1989
High School
            Hamilton’s wrestling team finished second in the Allentown Wrestling Tournament with 164 points. Ocean City won with 189. Lamar Gore (112 pounds) and Jeff Fell (145) both remained unbeaten for the season by winning their weight classes. Jeff Quick reached the finals before falling (see original newspaper clip below). “We’re closing the gap,” said coach Ralph “The Natural” DeLibero. “My first year (in 1985) we only had nine points, with one third. We’re looking for improvement every year and we’re getting it.”
            In girls basketball, Nottingham fell to Bordentown, 52-32, in the finals of the Pemberton Christmas Tournament. Erin Wingerter and Abby Boldt each had nine points, while Wingerter made the All-Tournament team. McCorristin fell to Toms River East, 61-23 in the semifinals of the Georgian Court Tournament.
          It was better news in Skillman, as Hamilton won the Lady Cougar Christmas Tournament with a 48-30 win over host Montgomery in the finals. “It took us a while to shift out of first gear,” said coach Mickey Kessler, whose team broke it open with a 10-3 run in the third quarter. “Maybe we took this team lightly.” Rhoda Masella led the way with 17 points, while Diane Mazukewicz had 11. Strong rebounding came from Jen Caterson and Kelli Sensi while Kim Walter and Kathy Lanzi ran the offense. The win raised Hamilton to 6-0 for the first time in its history.   
         In boys hoops, McCorristin rolled past East Brunswick in the ESCIT as Bryan Caver had 23 points, Mark Bass 14 and Blitz Wooten 13.  In the consolation game of the McDonald’s Big Mac Classic at Burlington Township, Mike Brown had 20 and Raul Figueroa eight but it wasn’t enough as Glassboro beat Hamilton, 66-59. 
         Action in the pool saw Nottingham’s girls win the Hornet Relays with 100 points, while Steinert tied Lawrence for second (86 points) and the hosts finished fifth. Nottingham won five events and broke two meet records. They clipped the 400-meter medley relay mark when the team of Michelle Cody, Jennifer Thompson, Gina Fontana and Syndi Potts swam a 5:02.07. The old mark was 5:04.67 set by Hopewell in 1986. Mary Laudenberger teamed with Cody, Thompson and Fontana to win the 800 free relay in another record-setting time of 10:02.88. That broke Lawrence’s three-year-old mark of 10:10.59. Cody and Thompson were also on the winning 400 IM relay, and Cody, Fontana and Potts were on the 200 fly relay. Steinert won three events, including the diving behind Tara Stala and Kim Dilatush.
1999
High School    
            The Trentonian announced its Athletes of the Week today and it was a clean sweep for Hamilton Township. The boys winner was Nottingham senior wrestler John Stevens, who won a key 189-pound bout against Hamilton that helped the Northstars to a big win. “John’s tough, he doesn’t give his opponents a break,” Northstars coach Dave Dempster said. “He never stops pushing. He wins matches by wearing his opponents down.” Also considered was McCorristin basketball player Dave Peterson. 
           Hamilton West freshman swimmer Christina Dooling was the female winner after breaking her own school record in the 100 fly and 15-year-old records in the 200 IM and 400 free relay. “She’s amazing, she’s a fireball,” coach Chuck Zalescik said. “The other girls, including the seniors, have started to stay on her toes. All their times are coming down and a lot of that is because Christina has brought an aura that we can be winners for the first time in 18 years.” Also considered was Steinert basketball player Kelly Pugh.  
            That night, Nottingham’s girls basketball team topped Bordentown, 33-27, in the first round of the Mercer/Burlco Christmas Tournament. Sophomore Vicki Jenkins came up with 15 points and 15 rebounds. “I felt I had a pretty good game today,” Jenkins said. “Before I was never in the right spot (trying to rebound) but today I got good position so I was able to get a lot of rebounds.
            The Nottingham boys team also had a big night with a 55-54 overtime victory over Florence in the first-round of the Mercer-Burlington Tournament. Nottingham blew an eight-point lead in the final 1:12, but Brian Jenkins made two foul shots with 40.9 left in overtime to win it for the ‘Stars. “I was real nervous because I knew the game was on the line,” said Jenkins, who had 15 points. Hamilton West lost its first-round game to Pemberton, 77-31. 
           In the Haddon Township Wrestling Tournament, Nottingham finished second overall as Mike Kobylarz (112 pounds) and John Stevens (171) won individual titles.
DECEMBER 27
1969
High School
       Steinert unseated Hamilton as two-time champion of the Hamilton Jaycees Classic with a 55-51 win over Hamilton. No other details could be found, but the Steinert and Hamilton have each won two titles in the four years the tournament has been held.
1979
High School
      Today's Trentonian previewed the Hamilton Jaycees Tournament, which pits Hamilton against Dobbins Tech of Philly, while Weequahic meets West Philadelphia. "Weequahic is one of the top teams in the state," said Hornets coach Charlie "Boss" Ross. "I don't know much about the Philly teams but they are always very represtantive. . . tall, talented and quick. Our practices have been great. The ingredients are there for us. It's just a matter of experience and time."
    That night, a wild game unfolded as Hamilton beat Dobbins, 53-51, in a controversial ending. John Szenczi took a pass from Craig Williams and hit a lay-up to win it. The play was set up when Troy Stevenson drew a charge to give Hamilton possession. Williams had tied the game on a technical foul shot, which the Hornets received when Dobbins coach Rich Yankowitz was hit with a T for not coming out of the huddle fast enough. Hamilton trailed by five with 51 seconds left and Szenczi started the comeback with two foul shots. Of the winning play, Ross said "The play was designed for Craig to shoot from the corner, but he dribbled into a little trouble and hit Szenczi."  Williams finished with 17 and Stevenson had 13. According to Trentonian sportswriter Chris D'Amico, Yankowitz refused to speak with the press afterward.
        In the Irish Christmas Tournament at Notre Dame, Steinert defeated Bishop Egan, 69-60, as Tom Matlock scored 20 points and sparked a key third-quarter surge. "We scouted them and saw that they were weak against the pressure defense," Steinert coach Ken Sullivan said. Daryl Reeves added 14 for Steinert and Rob Riley and Rich Babuschak had 12 each. The Spartans will meet ND in the finals, as the Irish got 23 points and 11 rebounds from Hamilton resident Tom Keefe in an 81-49 win over South Hunterdon.
      McCorristin topped defending champ Falmouth, 68-52, in the New England High School Tournament semifinals. "They did a super job on both offensive and defensive rebounding, (Joe) Bogner came off the bench and did a super job." Jim Smiegocki led the Mikes with 17, Ralphi Chiorello had 14 and Steve Brown tabbed 13. 
     In girls play, Archbishop Carroll took a 61-58 win over McCorristin in the semifinals of the AB Caroll Christmas Tournament. Kate Larkin had 18 and Kelli Williams 12.
1989
High School
      Nottingham's wrestling team won the Bordentown Wrestling Tournament for the third straight year as Mike Gobin (103 pounds), Mike Thames (112), Brian Hughes (119), Anthony Cannuli (125), Jeff Saia (130, Kip Harrison (145), Mike Neely (171) and Harry Schulz (189) all won individual titles. Hughes won the award for most pins in the least amount of time by pinning three foes in a total of 3:49.
       In girls basketball, Steinert dropped a 56-43 decision to Linden in the first round of the Spartan Classic Girl's Basketball Tournament. "I think we were intimidated by their size," Spartan coach Bob Hutchinson said. "Not only were they big, but the were good too." Lisa Cesaro had 19 for Steinert while Sandy McNichol and Nevada Carabelli had eight each.
      Diane Mazukewicz scored a career-high 27 points and Rhoda Masella added 19 as Hamilton topped WestWindsor-Plainsboro, 75-54 in the first round of the Lady Cougar Classic at Montgomery. Kelli Sensi added 12 points and Jen Caterson had 11.
      Nottingham nipped Pemberton, 37-35, in the first-round of the Pemberton Girls Christmas Tournament. Erin Wingerter clinched it with a foul whot with four seconds left and Abby Boldt's last-second steal secured the win. Wingerter finished with 16 points. "I've been trying to tell them there's a difference between leading and losing," coach Leroy Peterson said. "They have to learn to be patient when they are ahead." Nottingham had an eight-point lead late in the game.
      In boys hoops, Nottingham earned its first win over the year, 72-41, over Northern Burlington as Dan Clark had 20 points and 10 rebounds. McCorrsitin topped Bishop Hendrickson in the ESCT, 92-46, as Bryan Caver had 17 points, 10 assists and five steals and Blitz Wooten had 16 points.
     Steinert topped Allentown, 57-29 in the first round of the Spartans New Year Tournament as Jason Cromwell had 16 points, including 12 in the first half. Dominic Pisapia added 10.
     In swimming, Leon Hayduchok and Rob Bilardo combined for a score of 163.90 as the Hamilton duo won their event in the Hornet Relays at West.
1999
High School
      Hamilton's girls basketball team fell to Hillsborough, 54-47, in the first round of the South Brunswick Holiday Tournament. "I was discouraged because it seemed we gave up," said coach Linda Weise, who got 10 points and 12 rebounds from Melissa Baksany and 18 points from Jaime McCormack. In the Jackson Jaguar Tournament, Andrea Mystrena had eight in Steinert's 61-30 loss to Wall.
     Steinert's boys basketball team topped Martin Luther King, 62-54 in the Holday Jubilee Tournament, as Mike Conover had 24 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots.
DECEMBER 26
1969
High School
            This morning’s Trentonian trumpets the start of the heralded Hamilton Jaycees Tournament, which features St. Peter’s vs. Steinert and Paul VI vs. Hamilton in the first-round match-ups. In the article, writer Joe Logue picks Steinert thanks to the early-season play of guards Kevin DeSanctis, Nate Palmer, Jim Wilno, Mike Rasimowicz and Mark Larkin and big men Bob Hutchinson, Dick Stratton, Bruce Witkowski and Al Hutchins.
           Hamilton coach Charlie “Boss” Ross served notice he could care less about bulletin board material, as his scouting report on Paul VI was as follows: “They like to run a lot, play man to man defense and freelance on offense. They weren’t too impressive.”  Ross’s team is the two-time defending champion and he says of his team “We haven’t played the real tough clubs yet, but these games are the ones we have to win before we reach the stronger opponents on our schedule.”  Ross will go to war with Jack Burness, Kirk Taylor, Bob Rossi, Larry Upshur and Dave Tyler.
            Later that night, Ross had even “nicer” things to say about Paul VI off the record, when they decided to forfeit and not make the drive from Haddonfield because of a snowstorm. Meanwhile, Ross drove 60 miles from Easton Pa., in 15 inches of snow to make the game. He ended up having his players practice since they all showed up at Steinert’s gym. The Boss was not a happy man.  
            Steinert, on the other hand, had the fight of its life before taking a 57-56 win over St. Peter’s, putting both team’s records at 4-1. Palmer had 15, Rasimowicz had 14, Stratton 13, and Hutchins 10.
1979
High School
            McCorristin topped Villa Marie, 63-25, in the Archbishop Carroll Christmas Tournament, as Kate Larkin had 29 points and Kelli Williams added 10 rebounds.
1989
High School
        McCorristin topped Monsignor Donovan, 36-34 in the first round of the Georgian Court Classic, as Candie Crusen had 12 points and nine rebounds and Alyson Yonkowski had 11 rebounds.
1999
High School
            Jeff Stackhouse’s two goals couldn’t save Nottingham from a 4-2 loss to Tenafly in the Icehouse Tournament. Dan Burnston and Joe Friel had assists.
DECEMBER 25
1979
The Trentonian sports staff sends out it's once-tradtional Christmas card on the paper's back page.
DECEMBER 24
1969
High School
       It was announced today that defensive end Scott Grocott would be the St. Anthony's football captain for the 1970 season. The co-captains serving under Grocott will be halfback/d-lineman Steve Williams and d-lineman Stan Papciewicz.
1989
Recreation/Travel Leagues
        Today’s Trentonian Neighbors section had a plethora of information in its weekly sports roundup:
         Women’s soccer: Former Hamilton West soccer standout Lynn McGarrigle was writing about Nostalgia 20 years before Fish4Scores as she led her story on the Hibos Hamilton Women’s team in this manner: The Hamilton Township Women’s Soccer League could easily change its name to the “Where are they now?” League. Ever wonder what happens to all those high school stars that seem to disappear after graduation? The Hamilton Township league is living proof that there is girls soccer after high school, or college, for many of its participants.” 
            Ah yes, waxing nostalgic at such a young age. Anyway, the article goes on to talk about the Hibernians, which won the Hamilton Women’s League with the following standouts: Elyse Eichman (6 goals), Cindy Forer and Lynn McGarrigle (5 goals each. . .hey wait a minute. Lynn McGarrigle! Who wrote this story? lol), Lorie McGarrigle (4 goals), ‘keeper Robin McTighe, defenders Chris Wheeler, Denise Sentak, Carol Lorentangeli and Elaine Booz, along with Fran Neely, JoAnn McHale, Shelly Irish, Donna Kovacs, Teri Napolitano, Loretta McShane, Joanie Quitley, Kim Drager and Sherry Sinatra. The Hibos finished with an 8-4-1 record, and beat Joe’s Girls and BRJ Investigations in the playoffs.
            Youth basketball: In Hamilton PAL Girls Junior play, Olden Pharmacy had apparently been called the “Bad News Bears” in one newspaper article. Thus it was posted on the bulletin board and the Olden girls played one of their best games in falling 20-17 to Heritage T&I Realty. Darcy Levy had six assists, while Jodi Comfort, Rachel Haggar and Karla Peroni combined to give Olden its highest scoring total of the years. Jen Bessler had eight for the winners while Jill Peach, Lara Bryan and Michelle Brown combined for 10. Trish McCreedy’s eight points paced Legal Beagles to a 20-12 win over Barrett’s Girls. Elizabeth Ted ford and Megan Menacho combined for eight more points for the winners while Shanice Diaz and Melinda Barber played well for Barrett’s.
            Terry Pratico Jewelers took a 21-8 win over Trophies Unlimited as Karla Kotowski and Danielle Cooper had key baskets in a late surge and Kerry Roche had 11 points. Reese Jail and Nicole Metelus excelled for Trophies. St. Marie Cleaners took a 20-7 win over Mercer Locker as Lesley Bastille, Jessica Walter and Catherine Thorne led the way. Lisa Bucchino had her first career basket for Mercer.
DECEMBER 23
1959

If anyone can make out some of the names, we bring you the boxscores of today's Hamilton PAL Basketball League games. Note the NHL standings next to them, with just the original six teams.  
1969
High School
       The Steinert boys basketball team played a game against its alumni that actually counted toward the Spartans record, and the young guys came up with a 68-37 victory as Nate Palmer had 23 points, Al Hutchins added 11 and Kevin DeSanctis 10. The Hamilton boys played a team their own age and topped Hopewell, 60-56 as Bob Rossi had 20, Kirk Taylor added 14 and Jack Burness had 13. 
1979  
Recreation leagues/Travel teams
      Today's Trentonian Neighbors section had several round-ups for the week, including the following:
       In Hamilton Little Lads action, Cadet League play saw Fred & Pete's Deli take a 15-8 win over Hamilton Service Center behind John Carrigge's five points. and Jason Gonzalez's four. John Haller tabbed four for the Service Center. Mike Sabol and Pete Lestician had eight apiece as Budget Rent-a-Car topped Dolci's, 27-14. John Comfort had five for the winners and Mike Fitzpatrick collected six in defeat.
     In the ABA Division, Scott Okun's 10 points led the White Horse Lions to a 17-16 win over Nate's. White Horse scored 12 points in the last period, seven by Okun. Tom Farrell added six for White Horse and Troy English had seven for Nate's. Conti Realty took a 21-17 win over Mercerville Shell as Jim Episcopo (7) and John Hohl (6) led the way. 
      Bill Berish had 11 points as Hugh Maguire topped Rafferty's, 23-22. Bob Marino paced a Rafferty's comeback that fell just short. Steve Halko had 12 points in Cook AA's 25-18 victory over Roma Savings. Jason Duval had eight for Roma.
      In Senior Division play, Mike Dey and Todd Wilson combined for 27 points as Hamilton PAL topped Knights of Columbus, 43-41. Greg Meszaros had 11 for the Knights. VFW Booster Club topped Cook AA, 53-30 as John Fell had 14, while Frank DiGeronimo and Ed Minacchia had nine each.   
       In Hamilton PAL action, the Bulls took a 45-16 win over the Hawks in 11/12-year-old action as Brian O'Reilly had 19 and Chase Smith tabbed 14. The Suns nipped the Warriors, 25-24 as Charlie Pracko had 12 points. Ken Durfee exploded for 28 in a 36-31 win over the Lakers.
     Mike Dey and Todd Wilson, who you just read about in Little Lads, were also tearing up the PAL 13/14-year-old League as they scored 16 each to power the 76ers to a 47-24 win over the Knicks. Tony Carmasino had 11 for the Knicks. The Celtics topped the Cavaliers, 42-32, as Sal Vacccaro had eight for the winners and Ed Juniak had 11 in defeat.
      Jim Wilno scored 18 as the Bullets took a 36-33 win over the Bucks. Mike Ksepka had 14 in defeat. John Mimms' 16 led the Royals to a 35-33 win over the Nuggets. Bill Ingram had 11 for the Nuggets.  
      The latest scoring figures came out for the Mercer County Street Hockey League, and a pair of Three Seasons players were at the top of the list as Steve Tondreau and Bob Ziegler had 13 apiece. (Note to any friends of Tondreu: The SHS '75 soccer team is looking for him to see if he is coming to the SHS Hall of Fame Dinner in April. Tell him to return his phone calls).
        A feature story on the 1979-80 Hamilton 66ers travel soccer team also appeared today after they won the New Jersey State Youth Soccer Associatoin Division III Cup competition. The team includes Tom Hoffman, Scott Tessein, Don Lenox, Chris Christiano, Sean Daily, Chris Kraft, Rich Garton, Ron Parishy, Tim Yanucil, Kevin Vandewater, John Skrajewski, Dave Spishak, Mark Adams, Frank Little, Bill "Sounds Good" Fink and coaches Rich Garton, Pat Yanucil and Jim Vandewater.
1989
High School
        Hamilton's wrestling team dropped a 29-23 decision to Haddon Heights, which got a technical fall from Lamar Gore, a major dicision from Jeff Fell, and a pin from Jeff Quick. Nottingham fell to Bridgewater West, 32-24, despite pins by Jeff Saia, Dominick Gliottone and Tom Agugliaro and decisions by Mike Thamves and Steve Barnacz.  
1999
High School
       Steinert's girls basketball team opened the Jackson Jaguar Holiday Tournament with a 47-40 win over Lacey as sophomores Kelly Pugh, Colleen Weber, Stephanie Burrell and Cynthia Marquez hit six of eight foul shots in the final 2:29. Weber had 14 points while Pugh tallied 11. "We found a way to win and made some big foul shots. That's encouraging," said coach Jim "Jules" Giglio. Nottingham got 10 points from Erin Kopec and eight from Sara Bucon in a 44-41 win over Westhampton Tech.
       In boys hoops, Trenton and Steinert became the first high school players to perform in the Sovereign Bank Arena and the Tornadoes emerged with a 54-50 win. The game was historic other than the venue, as Steinert's Mike Conover scored 18 points, including the 1,000th of his career. The big ones came from the free throw line with 3:43 left in the first half. "I didn't want to get them at the free throw line," Conover said. "It's enough of a distraction shooting free throws without that kind of pressure. You hear everything. The cheerleaders. The fans." Ironically, the game that followed involved the memorable Trenton Shooting Stars, who would have killed to have ever heard any fans in that building. Anyway, moving on, Nottingham beat Westhampton Tech, 64-56, as Jeremy Coleman had 17 points and Yves Terilus had eight assists.
DECEMBER 22
1979
High School
            Hamilton West’s boys’ basketball team rolled to a 63-58 win over John F. Kennedy of Willingboro, ranked 13^th in The Trentonian’s statewide poll; as Randy Peterson, Troy Stevenson and Craig Williams each scored 14 points. “We’re like the no-names plus one out there,” referring to the sophomore, Peterson, as the team’s star layer. “The kids followed the game plan well today. It was also the first time we showed some fire.”
            In girls hoops, Kate Larkin scored 18 of her 29 points before halftime and Kelli Williams added 18 as McCorristin topped Steinert, 71-21. Denise Wojnarski had eight for the Spartans.
1989
High School
            Rhoda Masella had 15 points and Diane Mazukewicz added 11 as Hamilton topped New Hope, 51-25 in girls basketball.
            In freshman boys hoops, Justin Swain had 15 and Matt Opacki added 10 as Hamilton topped Hopewell Valley, 51-38.
1999
High School
            Nottingham’s wrestling team got six pins on a row from Mike Loginow, Joe Hope, Tim Adams, Justin Schleider, Ismael Soto and Joe Stevens in a 49-23 win over Hamilton. Mohammed El Naggar also pinned for the Northstars. “We prepared for this match since the first day of practice,” Adams said. “I’m proud of our team as a whole, this is what we’ve been looking forward to.” Steinert topped Hopewell Valley, 53-30, as Dan Hoffman, Mark O’Neil and Chuddy Whalen all pinned.
            Mike Nelson, Mark Zangara and Ken Burnston had goals for Nottingham in a 4-3 loss to River Dell.
DECEMBER 21
1969
Recreation Leagues
            Mike Hoffman scored 15 points as OLS topped St. Raphael, 47-25 in the CYO Grammar School League.
            In the Hamilton Township Division of the Junior Cup, Rich Johnson had three goals in Tom Hamnett’s 7-2 win over Ted Dolci’s. Ken Divler and Frank Honachek had two goals each as GAK took a 5-2 win over Independent Radio. John Grivvon’s two goals paced Post 313 to a 6-0 win over VFW 3525.
High School
            Steve MacZinko’s 19 points weren’t enough in St. Anthony’s 90-61 loss to Don Bosco.
1979
            Hamilton topped Lawrence, 46-43, as Beth Davala had 12 points, Cindy Astore had nine in the second half and Elyse Eichman eight. “Cindy’s one of our most productive scorers,” coach Mickey Kessler said. “She’s aggressive, but it has to be a team effort to really win. I wasn’t pleased with the way we played. I’ll take it because it’s the first win, but I wasn’t pleased.”
1989
High School
            In girls basketball, Hamilton took a 56-46 win over Hopewell Valley as Rhoda Masella had 20 points, Jen Caterson added a career-high 18 and freshman Kim Walter tallied seven in the final three minutes. “Down the stretch, when it was crunch time and we were helter skelter, Walter did a nice job,” coach Mickey Kessler said. Kim Derrico had 15 points and Lisa Cesaro added 14 points, 10 rebounds and four steals as Steinert beat West Windsor-Plainsboro, 50-38. McCorristin topped Nottingham, 51-22, as Lori Angelini led the way with 12 points. Erin Wingerter had nine for the Northstars.
            In boys hoops, Hopewell topped Hamilton 82-46, despite 15 points from Matt Waldron and 14 from Mike Brown. “Right now, my guys are learning their values,” coach Carmen Nitti said. “They’re young, but they’re learning they have to pay dues. Most of these kids have never played together and it’s taking time for them to learn, but they’re learning.” McCorristin walloped Nottingham, 106-39 as Bryan Caver had 18. Ryan Lopez notched 17 for the Northstars. 
            In JV girls basketball, Nevada Carabelli scored 31 to lead Steinert past West Windsor-Plainsboro, 47-31. Chris Collins added 12 for the winners. Hamilton got 10 points each from Karyn Garsky and Kim Walter and eight from Andrea Longwell in a 42-35 win over Hopewell Valley.
            In JV boys basketball, Cameron Taylor scored 18 and Reggie Coleman had 14 as McCorristin beat Nottingham, 86-33.
            In freshman boys hoops, Terry Booker had 19 as McCorristin beat Nottingham, while Jerry Wilson had 15 for the Northstars.  
1999
High School
            Dave Peterson tallied 21 points to lead McCorristin to a 67-59 win over Ewing. Hamilton fell to Princeton, 45-42 when Princeton’s Jake Utti hit two foul shots with 21 seconds left to seal it. Nigel Herring had 11 for Hamilton and Jason Malloy added 10. “Our youngsters are bringing their game to the table,” Hornets coach Norm Paul said. “But our older kids, who have been away from the game a year or two, are a little rusty.” Nottingham fell to Lawrence, 52-37, as Yves Terilus had seven points and Willie Jackson played tough defense on Lawrence’s top scorer, Ryan Stein.
            Hamilton’s Melissa Baksany had 14 points and Jamie McCormack added 11 as Hamilton topped Princeton, 55-37. Vicky Jenkins’ led Nottingham with six in a 40-20 loss to Lawrence, while Kelly Pugh had 14 in Steinert’s 77-30 loss to Trenton. Lauren Berlinger had 16 in McCorristin’s 74-34 loss to Ewing.
            Freshman Christina Dooling broke her own five-day school butterfly record in 1:07.15 (1:07.15) and anchored a record-breaking time in the 400 free relay (4:37.80) but it wasn’t enough as Lawrence girls swim team beat Hamilton, 113-56. Dooling also took second in the 200 IM. “People really rally around her and it rubs off on them, and that makes our team better,” coach Chuck Zaleschik said of Dooling. The Cardinal boys took a 113-56 win, although Hamilton’s Fady Bahaeim won the butterfly and 200 IM while Kyle Schulke won the 500 free.

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