By W. L. Bill Allen, Jr. / New Jersey Sport/Action

LYNDHURST (Sept. 2, 2010) — The gap between the two most recent conference crowns copped by the boys cross-country contingent from Lyndhurst High School was well over 40 years, as the Golden Bears ran to 2009 Bergen County Scholastic League/National Division after not having garnered a title of any kind since 1965.

Now, the defending champion locals are optimistic that the gap between last year’s crown and the next one will be much, much shorter.

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By W. L. Bill Allen, Jr. / New Jersey Sport/Action

WOOD-RIDGE (Aug. 26, 2010) — Following a season in which the Wood-Ridge High School softball squad reeled off eight straight wins and earned the program’s first state section title, as well as it’s first trip to the state finals, four members of the Lady Blue Devils have garnered some level of post-season plaudits, as senior Hailey Bartek, junior Danielle Matoli and sophomores Nicole Fleck and Alyssa McKhann were all elected to the All-BCSL/National Division rosters by that conference’s coaches conclave in the final year of existence of that legendary league.

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By W. L. Bill Allen, Jr. / New Jersey Sport/Action

RUTHERFORD (Aug. 26, 2010) — When it comes right down to it, championships that are earned via the one-and-done type tournament format frequently go to teams that happened to get hot for a while at just the right time, with those champions not always being the best clubs in their bracket.

Take for instance, the legendary Villanova win over Georgetown in the NCAA title tussle, or the classic Princeton shockers against top-ranked foes.

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By W. L. Bill Allen, Jr. / New Jersey Sport/Action

LYNDHURST (Aug. 19, 2010) — Following a season in which the baseball battalion from Lyndhurst High School went 20-9 overall, with a 13-5 mark in the league loop and a runner-up finish to only 15-3 Saint Mary’s in the Bergen County Scholastic League/Olympic Division standings, a total of a half-dozen members of the Golden Bears contingent have reaped some level of post-season plaudits.

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Submitted photo

(Aug. 19, 2010) — The Paisano’s men’s softball team won the B division championship recently. They defeated Mama Rosa by a score of 12-8 to win the best-out-of-five series 3-1. It was an all Rutherford final as both teams had Rutherford High School alumni on the field. This is Paisano’s first championship.

(Aug. 19, 2010) — The Leader Newspaper and Haley Chiropractic of Lyndhurst are sponsoring the third-annual “Meadowlands Sports Cup” awards, which will be presented to the top public high school and non-public athletic performances of the year from The Leader’s coverage area (North Arlington, Lyndhurst, Rutherford, East Rutherford, Carlstadt, Wood-Ridge and Teterboro; Wallington will be eligible next year). Student-athlete nominees will be provided for each sports season from the schools’ respective athletic departments. The top five performances of the year in the team and individual categories will be selected by the Meadowlands Sports Cup Committee for the final vote.

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By James Dombrowski / Sports Columnist

(Aug. 12, 2010) — WNBA perennial All-Star Taj McWilliams-Franklin signed with her fifth WNBA team, the New York Liberty, and sixth overall pro team this spring bringing a winning attitude and much needed experience to the Liberty. The Liberty failed to make the playoffs last season and revamped the team for this season. In photo is the 40-year-old Taj, a mother of three, holding veteran Leader sports writer James Dombrowski's daughter Talia while son Jad takes a pose. Dombrowski has been covering the WNBA since its inception in 1997. Dombrowski, along with Mel Greenberg of the Philadelphia Inquirer, are the only two reporters to cover every All-Star Game ever held in WNBA history.

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By W. L. Bill Allen, Jr. / New Jersey Sport/Action

EAST RUTHERFORD (Aug. 12, 2010) — Playing without a ‘full deck’ is a term usually used to describe someone who is doing something crazy.

In similar fashion, playing without a full pitching staff is, indeed, doing something crazy in the world of baseball. However, that’s pretty much what the Senior Babe Ruth League team, made up of by players from Becton Regional and Rutherford high schools, did this summer.

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By W. L. Bill Allen, Jr. / New Jersey Sport/Action

LYNDHURST (Aug. 5, 2010) — High standards.

When a team has very high standards, nothing less than the best is usually good enough and such seems to be the case with the Lyndhurst Post 139 American Legion Baseball League contingent.

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By W. L. Bill Allen, Jr. / New Jersey Sport/Action

LYNDHURST (Aug. 5, 2010) — While Lyndhurst has always been something of a Mecca for baseball at all levels, this summer the town has been even more of a hotbed for diamond doings, with the Post 139 contingent finishing second in the Bergen County Legion League and ending the year in the state’s top 12. Plus, the Lyndhurst-American Little League club earned the State District 5 championship and the Lyndhurst Rebels garnered a berth in the NJABL playoffs.

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Photo by Bill Allen-NJ Sport/Action

LYNDHURST (July 29, 2010) — Above, members of the Lyndhurst American Little League contingent celebrate the Young Summer Bears’ New Jersey District 5 championship. By virtue of that accomplishment, the locals competed in the NJ Section 2 Tournament in Edgewater, where Lyndhurst opened with a 5-2 win over District 6 title-taker Fort Lee American on Monday night, July 19.

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Photo by Bill Allen-NJ Sport/Action

LYNDHURST (July 29, 2010) — The Lyndhurst Post 139 American Legion Baseball League contingent, which includes manager Jeff Radagin and DH Michael Schneider, right, was recently stopped just short of earning a berth in the NJ State Finals Tournament. The Summer Bears were topped, 6-3, by Denville Post 390 in the NJ District 2 runner-up final Wednesday night, July 22, in Union.

The locals had started off with two wins, 8-3, over Randolph and 8-6, over Union Post 35, but then lost to eventual champion Flemington, 14-11, before being eliminated by Denville.

Call Bill at 973-783-9236

Photo, Rutherford Rec

RUTHERFORD (July 22, 2010) — Rutherford Recreation recently crowned the Sharks as the champions of the 5th/6th grade girls softball league. Their parents are extremely proud of their accomplishment.  Pictured in the front row from left to right are Mackenzie Disbrow, Elizabeth Hurlburt, Carisa Fortoul, Gina Fujii, Leigha Goldsack and Eilish Armitage.  In the back row from left to right are Coach Bernie Hurlburt, Lydia Guzman, Sabrina Maestre, Lauren Baumann, Keely Armitage, Kristen Wernicki, Sydney O’Neil and Coach Christine Wernicki.  Missing from the photo is league coordinator, Phil Laporta.

RUTHERFORD (July 22, 2010) — The Rutherford Little League is proud to have been selected to host the 2010 New Jersey 9- and 10-year-old Little League state finals, July 23-27.

The League welcomes players and families from all over the state to its newly renovated field and facility. The renovation was accomplished in large part through the success of a two-year capital campaign that resulted in a new playing surface, replacement fencing and new pitching and batting cages.

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Photo courtesy of team

RUTHERFORD (July 22, 2010) — National League champs Kurgan-Bergen Realtors advanced to the town championship game after defeating PBA Local #300 in the playoffs 1-0.  On June 23, the team, led by Manager Pete Schiro, faced American League champs the Elks and defeated them 12-2 to capture the town championship title. Kurgan-Bergen Realtors posted a league-best regular season record of 15-3.

Photo, World Martial Arts Academy

KEARNY (July 22, 2010) — The 11th annual Tae Kwon Do championships were held June 12 at Boys Town in Kearny. The event was sponsored by World Martial Arts Academy, with locations at 542 New York Ave. in Lyndhurst, plus in Kearny and Harrison. The championship director was Grandmaster S.D. Yoon. Competitors participated in three events during the championships, such as form, board breaking and Olympic-style sparring.

For more information call 201-842-2100.

Photo courtesy of team

RUTHERFORD (July 22, 2010) — The Rutherford U14 boys travel soccer team ended a successful season as runner up in its NCSA division, overcoming other towns like Dumont, Demarest, North Arlington and Ramsey.

The players, top row from left to right, are Danny Bivin, Norberto Saavedra, David Walker, Spencer Fox, Mitch Okula, Kelvin Carino, Gabe Estella, Andrew Viera and Edgar Jurado. Bottom row from left to right are Sotiri Limitsios, Michael Tierney, Jefferson Aguilar, Franny Garcia, David DeCandia and Quinn Tormey. Also pictured are Coaches Jorge Jurado and Gary Fox, as well as two of the best supporters and future stars.

RUTHERFORD (July 15, 2010) — Pictured is Rutherford High School senior Ellen Huelbig, presenting her USA Swimming Scholastic All-America team certificate to Rutherford High School. From left to right are Ken Berk, RHS swim team coach; Huelbig; David Frazier, RHS athletic director; and Jack Hurley, RHS principal.

By W.L. Bill Allen Jr.
New Jersey Sport/Action

LYNDHURST —  Perhaps the powers-that-be in the world of Bergen County American Legion Baseball League haven’t heard of proverbs such as, “Never try to change horses in mid-stream” or “Dance with the one that `brung ya’ there.”

So, in what many have already called a blatant display of unfairness and injustice, the Bergen League did away with playoffs of any sort this year and is just sending the top three regular season finishers to the NJ Districts tournaments.

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