Andrea Ashuck Mrusek ’85Girl’s Basketball

Coach John Ahearn knew he had a special player when in her first game as a freshman Andrea came off the bench to score 17 points against Long Branch. He was right! Andrea Ashuck Mrusek went on to become the most prolific scorer in Middletown Township history, male or female. The 6’2” Andrea went on to score a career total of 2,064 points, a record that stands today. She also grabbed a career total of 1,517 rebounds – a South school record that also stands today.

The awards and recognition were numerous, as one can imagine. Andrea built an impressive resume during her 4 years with the Eagles so where better to start than in her freshman year. Quickly becoming a starter Andrea averaged 14.3 points and 12.5 rebounds per game and blocked 35 shots while leading the Eagles to a second place conference finish. She moved from center as a sophomore, facing the basket and upped her average to 16 points and still improved on her rebounding average grabbing 15.4 a game and 3.1 blocked shots per game. The recognition came early as she was named 2nd team All-Shore, All-County and All Conference as well as the team’s MVP.

A team captain by her junior year, Andrea was really developing a soft touch from the outside as her average increased to 21.6 per game while her rebounding stayed solid at 13.7 per game. In her junior year she would break the Middletown career scoring record with 1,349 points and lead the Shore conference in scoring. She was rewarded with a 1st Team All-State Group IV selection. In addition she was selected 2nd Team All-Shore and 1st Team All-County and All-Conference. Once again the team MVP, Andrea also won the Wade Trophy and was named a Daily News High Basketball All-Star.

By her senior season Andrea was re-writing the record books. Averaging 25.9 points and 15.4 rebounds per game she became only the third Shore girl’s player to go over 2,000 points in a career. Again she led the Shore Conference in scoring while leading the Eagles to the Shore Conference title. Named MVP of the Shore Conference she earned nearly every post season award there was to hand out. Named 1st Team All-State Group All-Shore, County and Conference she also earned state wide recognition as a member of the 2nd Team All-State – New Jersey. In addition she won the Wade Trophy and the prestigious Kerwin Memorial Award presented to the Shore’s most outstanding women’s basketball player.

Quite a career but there was more for this National Honor Society student athlete as she accepted a full athletic scholarship to Boston University. Since this is the Eagles Hall of Fame and not the Terriers we’ll keep it short. Suffice it to say Andrea Ashuck was inducted into the B.U. Hall of Fame in 1998. Team captain and four year letter winner she finished her career 2nd All-Time in scoring and blocked shots; 4th in rebounding and field goal percentage.

After graduation, Andrea worked for fifteen years in Boston, Ma in the sports marketing field and today is a special events consultant. She resides in Middletown with her husband Roger, a 7 year-old son Alex and4 year old daughter Elle. Andrea Ashuck Mrusek Class of ’85 indeed has an impressive resume which we are pleased to add to as an inaugural member of the Middletown South Eagles Hall of Fame.

Cate Guiney Robbie ‘99Girl’s Track

Cate “The Great” Guiney put together one of the greatest track seasons ever in the state of New Jersey when in 1998 she went undefeated during the cross-county season and twice broke the coveted 18 minute barrier, a feat almost unimaginable. Just as unimaginable was the career of one Catherine Guiney who was a three time High School All- American and a National Champion.

Cate’s accomplishments are almost too many to mention but how’s this for a sampling:

Nineteen State Champion titles Four time Meet Of Champions

winner Four time Shore Conference

Champion Nine time County Champion New Jersey -2 mile indoor record

holder

Pretty impressive trophy case and a scrap book that can double as a step stool. It’s no surprise then that in addition to being a High School All-American, Cate was named to every all star track team published in 1999 was voted the New Jersey Female Athlete of the Year.

Cate was not just a solo act but together with twin sister Maggie, a fellow inductee, she anchored the four member distance medley team that ranked No.1 in the country in 1999! She was the best runner in the state on the best team in the state and finished 7th in the nation in 1999. In one of Cate’s last high school performances, the 3200 at the Shore Conference Meet, she vowed to “run with sister Maggie”. In a true show of sportsmanship and perhaps a bit of sisterly love, Cate and Maggie ran together and when Cate began to pull away she stopped just before the finish line to allow Maggie to win the race. Maggie, as a footnote, was impressive in her own right and had her fastest time of the year in that race.

This star scholar athlete was one of the most highly sought after runners in the country before deciding to continue her career together with her sister Maggie at one of the nation’s premier track programs - Boston College. Cate enjoyed continued success at Boston College participating in cross country as well as indoor and outdoor track. She won numerous events and awards for the Eagles on both an individual and team level. She earned Big East Conference honors three times during her career as well as All-American honors. Cate earned a BA in English from BC in 2003 and attended graduate school at the University of Colorado studying for a teaching degree in Language Arts. Cate married in June of this year becoming Cate Guiney Robbie and is living in Middletown. The name Guiney is synonymous with track at Middletown South and it is with great pride that we honor Cate Guiney Robbie Class of ’99 as a member of the inaugural Middletown South Eagles Hall of Fame.

Charlene Maxson – ‘78Basketball / Field Hockey / Softball

Charlene Maxson: The First Middletown South Superstar so proclaimed the headline accompanying a full page article in the local press back in 1978 describing the Eagles three sport star. A member of the first graduating class for South, Charlene started her athletic career at the old Middletown High School before coming over to South in her sophomore year to begin the Eagle tradition of excellence.

Named to the All-Decades Team for the 1970’s in softball by the Star-Ledger in May of 2000 Charlene had numbers in the sport that are almost hard to comprehend. First Team All-State in 1978 she hit .620, knocked in 34 runs scored 28 runs and hit 3 HR’s (two of them grand-slams). She also played an errorless centerfield that year and occasionally took the mound going 4-0. As a junior Charlene was named first team All-Shore and 2nd team All-State as she batted .444 and was second in the Shore in HR’s with eight. Sophomore year was just as impressive with a .393 batting average with 4 HR’s, good enough for a spot on the All-Shore 3rd team.

Equally impressive were Charlene’s accomplishments on the hard wood where she was a two time All-Shore selection and three times All-County selection. The first championship of any sort for Middletown South was Wall Invitational Tournament at which Charlene was named MVP.

Field hockey was a minor sport for Charlene and she took it up as a sophomore to pick up a fall sport and quickly became the team’s leading scorer. She was simply a tremendous athlete and it surprised no one that she would dominate field hockey as she did the other sports.

Charlene continued her athletic career at St. Peter’s College where she enhanced her athletic resume’. In 1982 Charlene was name to the St. Peter’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Taking a passage from the St. Peter’s

induction program:

“Charlene was one of the best all-around women athletes in SPVC history. She lettered in basketball three years and softball three years as well. Maxson was a key member of some of the greatest Peacock hoop teams of all time, compiling a remarkable 77-15 over those three years. She had a career scoring average of 5.5 points per game with super defensive skills in her 92 game career. But it was on the softball diamond where Charlene really shinned. She was selected as a two-time AIAW District II All-America as a standout outfielder. In 1979, she led the state in batting with a .500 batting average while also hitting two homers and driving in 19 runs. One year later, she batted a team high .410 with no homers and 11 RBI. Both years, Maxson received district All-America honors.”

Today, Charlene lives in Trenton and has worked for UPS since 1983. A truly gifted athlete and indeed a superstar the Middletown South Eagles Hall of Fame is proud to induct Charlene Maxson Class of ‘78 into its inaugural Hall of Fame.

Cheryl Smack – ‘79Women’s Basketball / TrackA four year letter winner in both basketball and track Cheryl Smack became South’s first State Champion in track as a shot putter and led the Eagles to a Central Jersey Group IV title in her senior year.

A dominating player in basketball, the 6’0 center pulled down over 1,000 rebounds and scored over 900 points in her career. She led the Eagles to a 22-3 record and number one ranking in the Asbury Park Press in the 1978-79 season. A Star-Ledger Girl’s Athlete of the Week in 1979 Cheryl earned All-Shore honorable mention recognition in both her junior and senior seasons as well as All- County in her senior year. She would be rewarded for her skills with a basketball scholarship.

As a track star Cheryl broke existing school records in the shot put and discus. A State Champion in the shot put in both 1978 and 1979 she was also Group IV Champion and won championship honors at the Meet of Champions and the Monmouth-Ocean Meet of Champions during her career. In 1979 Cheryl was named to the All-Monmouth Girl’s Track first team.

Cheryl went on to star for St. Peter’s College in basketball setting a team record by playing in every varsity game in her four years. She finished as the 4th all time leading scorer for the Peacocks with 809 points and the 3rd all time leading rebounder with 705. She had a career best of 15 points and 12 rebounds in a game against Delaware. During her career St. Peter’s overall record was 107-13.

Today, Cheryl lives in Hamilton Bermuda where she works as a medical case management representative. A dominating presence on the court we are proud to add Cheryl Smack Class ’79 to the inaugural class of the Middletown South Eagles Hall of Fame.

Dave Cerchio ‘93Football / Basketball / Baseball

Considered one of the greatest quarterbacks the Middletown South program has ever had, he wasn’t bad at hoops either. He was the leading scorer in South basketball history until a few years ago and he currently ranks #2 all time with 1,050 points. He had a pure jump shot; a great shooter’s touch said Coach Jim Anderson of his 6’3” star. Football, however, was the sport in which Cerchio made a name for himself. Under the eye of head coach Bob Generelli, Dave was an accurate passer and a very intelligent reader of defenses. He was able to excel under Generelli’s very complex offensive schemes and led the Eagles to a State Championship in 1993 to close out his career.

A scholar athlete, Dave set records for career touchdown passes with 28 and was 19-1 as a starter completing nearly 60% of his passes while only being picked off 5 times. South’s career passing leader with 1,689 yards, Dave stands at #3 in TD passes with 19 while only being sacked 5 times in his career. Tormenting defenses further he also rushed for 2 TD’s.

Not surprisingly, the post season awards were numerous for this National Honor Society member with the golden arm. In his senior year he was literally “all everything” in football. First team All State-New Jersey, All State Group IV, All-Shore, All-County and All-Conference he was also named to the “Heisman High School All-Star Team”. Dave was the starting QB in the 1993 Jersey Shore Classic All-Star game and North-South All-Star game. Capping off his honors he received “honorable mention” recognition by USA Today as a High School All American.

Mentioned earlier Dave was also quite the basketball player and earned varsity letters in baseball as well. In fact, one could fill a whole program with his accomplishments both on and off the field. An Eagle Scholar Dave also received numerous academic awards, too many to mention.

Dave received an athletic scholarship to Division I Wake Forest University for football and after “red-shirting” his freshman year saw time in his sophomore and junior year before being slowed by a back injury. He returned to the team after disc surgery to be the backup QB in his senior year.

After a stint in sports marketing working with the legendary sports agent Bob Woolf, Dave returned to school for his MBA which he earned at Babson College. Presently, Dave is a financial advisor with International Planning Alliance and resides in New York City. Dave Cerchio – Class of 1993, athlete, scholar and a truly deserving member of the inaugural class of the Middletown South Eagles Hall of Fame.

Dave Lynch – ‘81Baseball / Basketball

Dave Lynch was a versatile athlete who earned eight varsity letters in baseball, basketball and football during his career at South. He made his mark, however, on the baseball diamond. A four year varsity starter Dave earned All State honors in 1980 and 1981 and was a three time All-Shore and All County selection in baseball.

Coach Dennis Sasso called Dave a “natural hitter” with great wrists and outstanding power. Batted .361 as a sophomore, .456 as a junior and .339 as a senior clubbing 8 HR’s in 1981. His career power numbers included 13 HR’s; 87 RBI. He teamed with fellow EHF nominee John Johnson to form one of the shore’s most feared hitting duo’s. Dave was also an effective pitcher during his career including a one-hit shut out as a sophomore in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV final. In his senior season as a full time starter Dave went 5-2 with a 2.93 ERA with 71 strikeouts in 45 innings.

Dave also has the distinction of scoring the first ever Eagles touchdown at “The Swamp” as a tailback for the Eagles. In addition, as a three year varsity member for the basketball team, Dave was named to the All-Monmouth team in 1980.

Following graduation from South in 1981, Dave earned a baseball scholarship to the University of Virginia where he enjoyed a successful college career for the Cavaliers. He was named to the All-Tournament Team as a designated hitter at the Rollins College Invitational in Winter Park, Florida.

Since graduating from UVA Dave has worked in the sales area and today works for Carrier Northeast as an outside sales engineer in New York City. A resident of Middletown, in his free time he has been involved with coaching youth baseball and is active in church activities with the Christ Church Episcopal in Middletown.

An outstanding candidate, we are proud to add the name of Dave Lynch Class ’81 as an inaugural inductee into the Middletown School South Eagles Hall of Fame.

Erik Bernstein - ’83 Track / Football

A nationally ranked punter and place-kicker in football and javelin thrower in track and field, Erik today still holds school records at MHSS in both sports. As a javelin thrower Erik set the school freshman record, and a s a sophomore, he broke MHSN and MHSS record at 180 feet with a best throw of 200’ 8”. He continued to break his record as a junior, and finally set the school record as a senior with a throw of 220’3”. As a place kicker for the Eagles he converted 53 extra points and 8 field goals for a school record 77 points.

In 1981 Erik was cited by “Street & Smith” recruiting magazine as one of the top HS kickers/punters in the country. Also noteworthy, Erik kicked the dramatic winning field goal in the 1981 State Championship Semi Final game at Giants Stadium in sudden death overtime to defeat J.P. Stevens, which brought South to its first appearance in the State Championship Game. Erik was twice named to the All-Shore and All County teams as a punter and kicker during his three year varsity career.

In track, Eric was considered one of the top javelin throwers in the nation. He won the MC Freshman Meet, and competed as a sophomore, junior and senior years at the State Championships, winning in his junior year. In his senior year competing at the State Championship and Meet of Champions. He was also named to the All-State Track and Field team by the Star-Ledger and All-Shore team by the Asbury Park Press and Red Bank Daily Register and was named to the Scholar Athlete Team.

Erik went on to even bigger accomplishments in college attending Cornell University where he competed in both football and track. In the javelin he set a school record of 230’ 1”. In 1986, a record which stood until 2004 when it was bettered at 231’. He was elected co-captain of the track team and made All-Ivy during his career. An injury to his elbow ended his career in his senior year but he stayed on that season to help coach the team.

As a punter and place kicker for The Big Red he was named All ECAC, All-Ivy and All- American (Associated Press) in his career. He was the first punter to win the “Pop Warner” MVP award at Cornell. His gross punting average of 38.8 yards remains a Cornell record. In 1999 Erik was inducted into The Cornell University Hall of Fame.

After college Erik spent several years living and training in Florida as he pursued a career in the NFL. He had tryouts with the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, and Dallas Cowboys before returning to Middletown in 1995 to pursue a career outside of football. Today, Erik is self employed and works as a sales consultant for Word of Mouth Careers.com. His desire to teach and coach after college brought him to U Miami, and now coaches javelin and kicking and punting to youth, HS and college athletes in NJ. An accomplished musician, Erik composed and performed a song he wrote to honor the victims of 9/11 “The Eleventh of September: In Memory of Our Heroes”.

Cornell may have been first to bestow the honor but we would like to add to that legacy by welcoming Erik Bernstein Class of 1983 as an inaugural member to the Middletown South Eagles Hall of Fame.

Glenn Pritzlaff – ‘94Wrestling / Football

A three time state wrestling champion Glenn Pritzlaff is in a class all by himself when it comes to the sport he dominated during his 4-year high school career. A two-time Asics High School All-American, Glen compiled a career record of 113-3 during his four years and never lost after his freshman season. Wrestling at 171 lbs. he captured nearly every post season award earning 1stTeam All-State honors three straight years as well as 1st Team All-Shore and All-County all four years. Adding still further to his wrestling accolades, Glen was voted the outstanding wrestler of the State Tournament in his senior year and won the Middletown South Christmas Tournament and the Neptune Classic three straight years. In addition Glenn was a four time district champ.

Football was also part of Glenn’s athletic resume at South. A solid player the 5’8”, 165 pound defensive lineman earned First Team All-Shore, All County and All-Conference honors in his junior season as well as being named 2nd team All-State.

Glenn earned an athletic scholarship for wrestling to Penn State where he took it to another level – NCAA All American in 1998-99. Wrestling at 174 lbs. Glenn was the NCAA Champion in 1999 as well as the Big Ten Champ. He also earned academic honors being named a National Academic All-American and GTE Academic All American in 1999.

After receiving his degree in finance from Penn State, Glenn went on to earn his MBA from the prestigious Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania. Glen currently works as an associate in fixed income at Barclay’s Capital and resides in Jersey City. In his free time Glenn coaches wrestling at the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club.

His dominance on the mat was proven; his election to the hall of fame is without question. The Middletown South Eagles Hall of Fame is proud to invite Glenn Pritzlaff Class ’94 into its inaugural class.

John Fagan ’87Wrestling

John Fagan has won more matches than any other wrestler in Middletown South history. He is in the elite 100 win club of

New Jersey wrestlers. Much admired by his coaches, John was said to have displayed the leadership and championship qualities that all young men and women should model themselves after.

John was a four time District Champion, a two time Region Champion and advanced to the State Tournament three consecutives years during his high school career. He placed second in States his junior year before fulfilling his ultimate goal, that being, State Champion his senior year. His record his senior year was 34-0!

There was no better wrestler than John at the 122 lb. weight class in the State of New Jersey during his high school career. His career record was 102-9-1 and he wrestled his heart out every time he hit the mat. He was All-State, All-Shore and All Monmouth County. His coach at the time, Tom Erbig, called him the most natural and determined wrestler he had ever coached.

John’s wrestling accomplishments earned him a wrestling scholarship to what is now The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State) which he attended in 1987-1988. Today, John is a special effects technician and coordinator and has also worked as a stunt man. His list of film credits is as impressive as his high school wrestling record. He has worked on nearly 30 films including such recent hits as The Last Samurai, Rules of Engagement, October Sky, Courage Under Fire and the HBO movie *61. In many of these films John received credit for being both the special effects coordinator and for his stunt work.

John could not attend the induction ceremony as he is on location in California working on the popular Fox television series “24”. In his spare time John does work with the Special Olympics and has also assisted with the wresting program at South.

A truly deserving honor, we are proud to welcome John Fagan Class ‘87 in the Middletown South Eagles Hall of Fame.

John Johnson –‘81Baseball / Football / Basketball

Johnny Johnson a three sport star who earned seven varsity letters during his high school career is perhaps best known for baseball. Coach Dennis Sasso, in the 1979 All-Shore write-up, compared Johnny to former Yankee great catcher Rick Cerrone whom he had coached at Essex Catholic H.S. in Newark. “At similar stages I think John is more advanced than Ricky (Rick

Cerrone) was” – said Coach Sasso of Johnson. Johnny didn’t disappoint and went on to be one of the best high school catchers in the State during his career.

Named to the All-Decades by Scholastic Sports in 1981 Johnny put up impressive numbers during his career. As a sophomore Johnson batted .393 and had 29 RBI, followed by a junior season in which he hit .356 with 2 HR’s and 32 RBI. Senior year was even more outstanding as Johnny hit .381 with 7 HR’s and 30 RBI. Named All-Monmouth County as a sophomore he went on to make 1st team All-State Group IV and 3rd All-State –All Groups. His junior season also included first team honors for All-Shore and All Monmouth County. Johnny capped off his high school baseball career by again being named 1st team All-Shore and All County as a catcher and MVP of the Monmouth County Tournament.

On the gridiron Johnny was a QB passing for 907 yards and garnering honorable mention All-Shore recognition in 1979. His completed 12-19 passes for 199 yards against Neptune. Similarly, in basketball he received honorable mention recognition in the 1980-81 season.

After high school Johnny continued his baseball career, first at Brookdale College followed by a year at Miami-Dade before finishing up at University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV). He played in the NCAA Division I Southwest Regional with UNLV in 1984.

Today baseball remains a focal point of Johnny Johnson’s professional career as the well known and successful head baseball coach of the Brookdale College Blues baseball team. He was the NJCAA North East Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2005 and has a career record at Brookdale of 213-88. His teams have been consistently ranked among the top in the nation and were GSAC Champions in 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2005 and participating in the College Worlds Series in 2002 and 2005.

We welcome Coach Johnny Johnson Class ‘81 into the inaugural class of the Middletown South Eagles Hall of Fame.

Jon Pritsch –’91 Golf

One can only dream what the future might have been for Jon Pritsch a prolific golfer during his 4 years at South who passed away unexpectedly in his senior year. In his 1991 bio for the All-Shore team Jon named as the person best he admired most - his parents. Fittingly, the following bio was contributed by Don and Ruth Pritsch.

“Jon was on Middletown South’s Golf Team all four years 1988-1991. His career four year record was 59 wins and 3 losses and he was undefeated in his junior and senior years. During his four years, he led his team to 3 conference championships and one second place finish. His four year career nine-hole average was 38.5. He was named on the All-Shore Golf 1st Team all four years. Never before has a player been named the #1 South Jersey High School Golfer by the Asbury Park Press.

In 1988, he won the Monmouth County High School Golf Championship as a freshman. In 1990, Jon won the NJSIAA Region VI Championship at Spring Lake C.C. and was runner-up in the 1990 Junior Masters at Manasquan River Country Club. In the 1991 NJSIAA Region VI Championship he was the defending champion and tied for 1st before

losing in a playoff. Also in 1991, Jon finished 2nd at the Shore Conference Tournament and 3rd at the NJSIAA State Championship.

On the weekend before his death, Jon finished 3rd in a field of 80 players at the Oyster Reef Invitational in Hilton Head, S.C. which was an AJGA sponsored tournament (American Junior Golf Association). He was beaten by Joe Ogilvie, who today is a PGA tour winner and Trip Kuehne who played on the last three Walker Cup teams. Jon’s finish made him eligible for the Rolex Junior Classic on November 27th. Jon was ranked 8th in the nation by the AJGA as a senior. Derek Branham played with Jon at Oyster. When he heard of Jon’s death, he was on his way to play at the Doug Sanders International Junior Championships in Woodlands, Texas and vowed he would win the tournament for Jon. Derek did win the tournament and kept his promise.”

“One day prior to his death, Jon was one stroke short of capturing the New Jersey High School Championship.”

His friends built a memorial in Normandy Park and the basketball courts were named in his honor. The January 1992 Golf Digest listed Jon in the Notable Deaths of 1991 which was quite an honor for a 17 year old non-professional golfer.

We thank Jon’s parents for providing such a fitting tribute to their son’s accomplishments. It is with great honor that we add the name of Jon Pritsch Class ‘91 to this inaugural class of the Middletown South Eagles Hall of Fame.

Maggie Guiney ‘99Girl’s Track

Her sister was labeled by the press as “Cate the Great,” Maggie should have been aptly labeled “Mag the Magnificent”. A late comer to the track scene, Maggie took up serious running as a senior after three years of playing field hockey. It was quickly evident that running was in her genes. Once she laced them up it was evident that a star was born.

How good was she? Good enough to be named 1st Team All-Shore, Second Team All-State in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track in her senior year. . Good enough to earn High

School All-American honors as a member of National Champion Distance Medley Team in 1999. Good enough to place sixth individually at the New Jersey Meet of Champions.

A team captain along with Cate, Maggie has the second all-time fastest cross country time at South as well as the second fastest 3200 in indoor track. She also finished runner up to Cate in the All Group NJ State Championship for outdoor track.

High school was just Maggie’s warm up as she came into her own at Boston College. Running cross country, indoor and outdoor for the BC Eagles she began to pile on the awards. A two time First Team Division I All-America Honors in cross country she led BC to 4th and 6th place finishes at the NCAA National Championships in 2000 and 2001. She was named Northeast Region Division I Runner of the Year in 2000 and 2001 and led BC to a 1st place finish in the 2000 Big East Cross Country Championships.

Captain of the BC cross country team in 2000 and 2001 Maggie also earned BC Rookie of the Year honors in 1999. She also captured All Big East Conference honors several times during her four year career in cross country, indoor and outdoor track. Always a scholar athlete, Maggie was named a Big East Conference Academic All-Star all four years and earned the Athletic Director’s Award for Academic Achievement all four years. As a result of her success both athletically and academically, Maggie who was given a partial scholarship coming out of high school was rewarded with a full scholarship.

Graduating Boston College in 2003 with a BS in Finance and a minor in mathematics, Maggie used a 5th year of eligibility to run for the University of Wisconsin and earn an MBA in management and masters in real estate and urban land economics. Today, Maggie lives in Chicago and works for Standard and Poor’s Corporate Value Consulting.

Maggie Guiney Class of ’99 was a star performer and is a magnificent addition to the Middletown South Eagles Hall of Fame and as such we proudly welcome her as an inaugural member.

Matt Cuccia ‘94Baseball / Football

South has a storied football tradition and there is no better example of the type of player that has come through the Swamp than Matt Cuccia. A two-time First Team All-State wide receiver for all of New Jersey (All Groups) Matt dominates the South record book in hauling in the pig skin. A career leader in receptions and TD’s, Matt also is in the record books as a career leader in interceptions as a defensive back. In 1993 and 1994 Matt was just about “All-Everything” in football (All-Shore, All County, All Group IV).

On the receiving end of many of fellow nominee Dave Cerchio’s bombs Matt helped lead the Eagles to the Central Jersey Group IV title and number one Shore ranking in 1992 (his junior year). A three-year varsity winner and team captain in his senior year Matt was named the Offensive Player MVP at the Asbury Park All-Star Football Classic in the summer classic.

Matt also contributed on the baseball diamond where he played four years and won three varsity letters. A centerfielder and 2-year team captain Matt was selected to the prestigious Carpenter Cup team in 1994 and his team captured the Carpenter Cup in that year. Matt was also selected to play in the All-Shore baseball game in 1994 and was named team Co-MVP in that same year.

Matt received a baseball scholarship to Monmouth University and played both football and baseball for the Hawks. In baseball, he was named N.E.C. “newcomer of the week” as well as player of the week during his career at Monmouth. As a football player, Matt played wide receiver his freshman year and received the 1994 Scholar-Athlete award.

To keep in shape during his playing days, Matt life guarded in Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach and it’s no surprise that he competed nationally in the US Life Guard Championships. His team placed second in the U.S. Nationals.

Today, Matt lives in Red Bank, works for Commerce Bank and does community work for the Salvation Army Youth Center as a counselor. It is with great pride that we welcome Matt Cuccia into this inaugural class of the Middletown South Eagles Hall of Fame.

Stephen Pitts ‘91Football

The first great running back in Eagles history was Stephen Pitts, High School All-American and holder, until recently, of nearly every South rushing and scoring record. He was simply “the best”. In a 1990 article in the Asbury Park Press, naming Pitts Athlete of the Week it was written and we quote: It’s a good bet the Monmouth County community will not see the likes of Pitts for a long time to come.

How good was Stephen Pitts? He rushed for 4,884 yards and scored 442 points (19 TD’s and 10 PAT’s) school records that stood until this year. He averaged 7.7 yards a carry on 632 carries still school records. He had 20 games in which he went over 100 yards. He was “All Everything” when it came to post season awards and recognition. First team All-State New Jersey in both 1989 and 1990. First Team All-State Group IV, All-Shore, All-County, All-Conference in both ’89 and ’90. As a sophomore, he made 2nd Team All –Shore and 1st Team All-County and All-Conference.

Named a High School All- American by USA Today in 1990 he was also named Gatorade Player of the Year for New Jersey in 1990. He was listed in “Streets & Smith” recruiting magazine as one of the top backs in the country. Behind the running of Pitts the Eagles reached the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Central Jersey Group IV sectional title three years in a row, winning the championship in 1989 and 1990. The Eagles went 30-2-1 in those three years (Pitts’ first full year as a starter was in 1988 as a sophomore.

One of the top recruits in the nation coming out of high school Stephen accepted an athletic scholarship to football powerhouse Penn State playing for legendary Coach Joe Paterno. He was a member of the 1994 undefeated Rose Bowl team and during his career was twice named Chevrolet Player of the Game. He piled up 284 total yards in a game against Iowa in 1995, still good for the 3rd all time best in Penn State football history. Stephen graduated PSU in 1996 with a degree in telecommunications and broadcast cable and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL.

Today, Stephen is a Senior Executive sales representative with GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals and has been in the top 10% of company sales for 3 straight years, so he’s still chasing records. In his free time Stephen is active with “The Second Mile” a program that provides children with help and hope. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of “Big 33” a non profit organization that raises scholarship money for deserving high school seniors.

As recognizable a name as there is in this inaugural class of the Middletown South Eagles Hall of Fame we are proud to welcome – Stephen Pitts Class of ’93.

Tracey M. Cahill ‘85Softball / Basketball

“The best pure hitter I have seen,” declared legendary softball coach Tom Erbig back in 1984 when Tracy was just a junior tearing up the Shore Conference both at the plate and defensively as a slick fielding second baseman. Erbig’s comment says it all and one could simply stop there but that would spoil the fun.

An All-State, All- Shore performer in softball as well as an All – Shore basketball player she garnered eight varsity letters (adding two in Cross Country) during her illustrious high school career for the Eagles.

Tracey dominates the Eagles softball record book to this day despite the many outstanding players who have gone through Coach Erbig’s program. As a junior she hit .513 with 9 HR’s and 33 RBI followed by an outstanding senior season in which she hit .443 with 33 RBI and 5 HR’s.

On the basketball court Tracey was the same type of impact player as she was on the diamond. Teaming with fellow Hall of Fame nominee Andrea Ashuck, Tracey was a

deadly shooting guard who complemented Ashuck presence in the middle. A team captain in basketball as well as softball she dominated in both sports.

A member of the National Honor Society and the Student Athlete of the Year in 1985. Tracey furthered her education Catholic University where she played both basketball and softball. In 1986 Tracey was 3rd in the country in HR’s. She was also a 4-year starter in basketball and team captain in 1989.

Graduating in 1989 with a degree in World Politics and Economics she began a career in finance before transitioning to marketing area. Today Tracey is a Director of Corporate Accounts for Horizon Contract Services, LLC and oversees the development and management of all strategic corporate and national level accounts for Horizon National.

Tracey resides in Middletown and has remained involved in youth sports coaching and assisting in both basketball and soccer. She has also participated in the Big Sister program in Manhattan assisting with the tutoring and mentoring of underprivileged young girls in New York.

A well deserving honor for a fine young woman, we welcome Tracey M. Cahill Class’85 as an inaugural member of the Middletown South Eagles Hall of Fame.

Girl’s Basketball Team1978 - 79

Record: 22-3 Head Coach, Pat Smith

Asst. Coach, Dennis Sasso

Team Accomplishments NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV Champions Shore Conference Champion Class ”A” North Conference Champion Ranked #1 in Shore Conference

Team Members Mary Gilligan Cindy Hook Chandler Holly Smith Debbi Flatley Cheryl Smack Sue Acciovatti Williams Charlene Maxson Diane Gilligan Curd Claudia Fulshaw Patti Camatote Mary Halpin Edmonds Donna Garr Jan Cummins Galanti

Boys Basketball Team1978 - 79

Record: 27-1 Head Coach, Pat Houston Asst. Coach, Paul Zanat Asst. Coach, Mark Kelly Manager Mike Barklage

Team Accomplishments NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV Champion Shore Conference Champion

Class ”A” North Conference Champion Bayshore Tournament Champion Ranked #1 in Shore Conference

Team Members Paul Hall Dave Harrington Jeff Ennen Chris Montani John Benbrook Jeff Kunkel Greg Teasley

Dave Lynch Roger Baum Mike Bennett Joe Crosby Jim Murray Joe Flannagan Mike Benbrook