Vol. 50 Issue 10 Saint Joseph Regional High School, Montvale, NJ !ursday, February 14th, 2013

!e GuardianSJR Reacts to Pope’s Resignation

On Monday, February 11 Pope Benedict XVI o!cially delivered his resignation as leader of the Catholic Church. Citing his old age as the reason for this sudden announcement, he said, “I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately ful"ll the ministry entrusted to me.” A Pope has not abdicated from o!ce since Gregory XII in 1415, making this decision so shocking and unexpected. Various sourc-es, including Vatican spokesmen and Rev. George Ratzinger, Benedict XVI’s brother, have con"rmed that his deteriorating health has arisen in the past months. However, others have begun to believe that the Pope abdicated because of new scandals in the Church that have shown themselves in recent years. Benedict XVI will continue his duties as the Pope until his formal resignation on February 28th.

!e top candidates for the papacy include Canadian Marc Ouellet, Italians Gianfranco Ravasi and Angelo Bagnasco, and Ghanan Peter Turkson.

Many are excited about the Canadian and Ghanian candidates, because they would be the "rst Pope from their continents. !e election process will be exciting for all.

Along with the rest of the world, the students and fac-ulty of SJR are reacting to this sudden announcement in di#erent ways. Brother John Dunning believes that with the Pope’s current medical condition, his resig-nation was a good decision. He admires the fact that Pope Benedict is aware of his limits, and has made the decision that these limits will hold him from perform-ing his ministry. Mr. Huebner believes that the deci-sion made was appropriate in this time of Benedict’s ailing health.

SJR students Jack Battle and Donny Cuttone like the decision made, as they believe that it was necessary if the Pope was experiencing medical issues. !ey are excited to be living at this time, as this is an extremely rare event.

Pope Benedict XVI will continue his holy duties until February 28th

By Conor Dickson ‘16

2 !e Guardian, !ursday, February 14th, 2013Sta# Spotlight

Editor: Dan GettlerManaging Editor: Elliot FerrisLayout Editors: Shane O’Brien, Nick Caramico, John Henry Da Silva, Mike TyreeEntertainment Editor: Chris FarrellSports Editor: Chris O’ByrnePhoto Editor: Peter HolzknechtInternet Manager: Daniel ScaleraSta! Writers: Chrstopher Ambrogio, Paul Banach, Kirk Brouwer, Devin Buonanno, Brian Buonauro, Chris Cheeseman, Vincent De-Pinto, Conor Dickson, Patrick Doherty, Ryan Doran, Chris Farrell, Liam Glass, Joseph Malfa, Louis Napolitano, Christopher O’Byrne, Brandon O’Connor, James Quinn, Je#rey Richardson, Christopher Walker, Alex WalshModerator: Mr. Mackie

"e Guardian Sta!

SJR Campus Ministry Serves Many“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. Lord, when did we do this for you? Amen, I say to you whatever you do for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

!is symbolizes the true mission of our Campus Ministry Pro-gram at Saint Joseph Regional High School.

It all started in the summer at St. Peter’s Grammar School, St. Joe’s adopted school in Belleville N.J., as our parents and students painted, cleaned, and installed a $oor in St. Peter’s At the same time, a local Boy Scout troop began renovations on the school’s playground.

In October, we started our monthly trip to Sunrise Assisted Liv-ing, playing bingo and visiting with our new friends. A Halloween candy drive supplied 180 pumpkins for St. Peter’s and candy for 350 residents of the Paramus Veterans’ Home.

In November, SJR collected over 200 bags of groceries and 180 turkeys and donated them to the O%ce of Concerns in Engle-wood. !at same week, 43 St. Joe’s students and two adults slept outside in the cold, in the Mall in front of our school raising eight thousand dollars for Covenant House.

December brought a donation of 500 toys to the Archdiocese of Newark along with an additional 150 toys for needy children at a special mass in Belleville.

In January, 280 toiletry kits were assembled along with 10 cases of assorted health care products for the homeless shelters served by Catholic Charities.

Many other programs are scheduled for the remainder of the school year. !ey include a cereal drive, funds for the Leukemia Society and baby supplies for families in need.

By Deacon Joe Sisco A group of parents and students will return to St. Peter’s in the spring and will assist in a Field Day at a local park in Belleville.

Along with the many service projects, Campus Ministry will o#er a mini Renew program for our faculty along with a night of prayer and a simple Lenten meal open to our St. Joseph families. In Feb-ruary, our Con"rmation Retreat team will serve the candidates at Assumption Parish in Emerson, N.J.

“Lord when did we do this for You?”

!e Saint Joseph Campus Ministry Team continues to answer the call, giving their all to our brothers and sisters in need.St. Joe’s students’ thoughts on Campus Ministry:

Ryan Doran ‘15: “!e adopt-a-grandparent program is very ful"lling, it’s amazing how an hour a month can really brighten up someone’s day.”

Ryan Karpovich ‘15: “It feels good to know that you made some-body who might be lonely, smile.”

Ryan Gallagher ‘13: “Campus ministry is something that has been a huge part of my high school career. !roughout my four years at St. Joe’s, helping out with various social outreach programs has given me a strong sense of satisfaction, knowing that I’m helping someone in need. From food drives during my freshman year to adopting a grammar school during my junior and senior years, Campus Ministry has been an important and enjoyable experi-ence that has meant a lot to me.”

Deacon Joe Sisco runs campus ministry and teaches theology.

!e Guardian, !ursday, February 14th, 2013 3Sta# Spotlight

Mr. Ficarra ‘07 Excited to be BackGuardian: If you weren’t a teacher, what else could you see your-self doing?Mr. Ficarra: I don’t know what I would do but I might like to try something in the restaurant industry.

Guardian: I hear that your brother John Ficarra ‘13 is a student in one of your classes. What is it like to teach your younger brother?Mr. Ficarra: I thought it would pose an interesting yet enjoyable challenge, but it’s not as interesting as I thought it would be. He’s a good, smart kid so teaching him isn’t much of a challenge. I think my dad warned him that if he gave me a hard time, I would have the permission to fail him if I wanted to.

Guardian: You’re now about three weeks into your teaching career at St. Joe’s. What have you taken away from these past three weeks?Mr. Ficarra: !ey’ve made me realize that I love this place even more than I thought I did. I’ve realized this place really, really is my home. Also, now that I am a teacher, I am allowed to put my feet up on the desk which is something I could not do as a student.

Guardian: As you move forward, what things from your "rst three weeks will you keep the same, and what things will you do di#erently?Mr. Ficarra: !e thing I will do di"erently is stop lecturing as much as I have. I will have kids ask me more questions and more frequently engage me in conversation so we can all learn things to-gether. !e thing that I will keep the same is that I will keep smiling. I will keep smiling and enjoy every second of my second go around at here.

Guardian: What do you hope your future as a St. Joe’s teacher holds?Mr. Ficarra: I hope to teach more speci#c subjects that kids will see in college, particularly in the subject of history. For example, I would like to teach a class exclusively about World War II. I also hope it holds more enjoyable experiences like the ones I had as a student.

By Joseph Malfa ‘16 & Kirk Brouwer ‘16Guardian: What were the major in$uences in your decision to become a teacher?Mr. Ficarra: I mainly became a teacher just so I could return to St. Joe’s. I love this place. !is place is truly my home.

Guardian: What drew you to becoming a teacher at St. Joe’s?Mr. Ficarra: Just being at home. !is place is literally my home. I feel more comfortable here than anywhere else. I just love every-thing and everyone: the school, the kids, the sta". I feel at home and welcome.

Guardian: What year did you graduate from St. Joe’s?Mr. Ficarra: I was a graduate of the class of 2007.

Guardian: How would you describe your days as a St. Joe’s student?Mr. Ficarra: !ey were literally the best times of my life. Having all of the money in the world still wouldn’t be as great as the memories I carry with me from my times at St. Joe’s.

Guardian: What advice would you give to a St. Joe’s student on how he should go about his four years here?Mr. Ficarra: Don’t blink because if you do it will pass you by. Enjoy every day and every moment. Make memories you’ll have the rest of your life.

Guardian: Is there anything that you took away from your days as a St. Joe’s student that you will now put into use as a teacher?Mr. Ficarra: I am able to easily get to the students because I under-stand you guys. I was in your position not all that long ago. I know how you guys think and I know what makes you tick.

Le$: Mr. Ficarrain his senior portrait. He was voted most likely to return to teach at St. Joe’s

4 !e Guardian, !ursday, February 14th, 2013Entertainment

Fear the Living and the Dead

Kevin Bacon and the cast of Fox’s “!e Following”Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes and David Morrisey as the Governor

Fox’s !e Following isn’t your typical serial killer story. While we all have seen the setup before in the theatres, it’s a "rst for the silver screen. A former FBI agent whose life was pretty much ruined by his successful pursuit of a charismatic serial killer is brought back into the "eld because said serial killer is loose and wrecking havoc again. It doesn’t hurt that our FBI agent (played by Kevin Bacon) is an alcoholic, because that’s never been done before. While the addict agent in pursuit of a killer might be the norm, !e Following begins to make things unique when its resident serial killer, Joe Carroll (played by James Purefoy) gets convicted a second time - he’s made lots of friends when he was locked up before who will now do the killing for him. Unlike Criminal Minds, where you know who it is you’re looking for, the show plays o# the fact that just about anyone could be part of Carroll’s following. !e show’s plot is only enhanced by the incredible per-formances of A-list actors. Kevin Bacon plays his role with such verve and enthusiasm and literally captivates you in every scene. As Hardy, he becomes a man barely keeping it together. He has a pacemaker, a gi& from his encounter with Carroll who stabbed him in the chest puncturing his heart. !is forced him into an early retirement. When he gets the call that Carroll has escaped, he "lls an empty water bottle with vodka already showing that the heart isn’t his only problem. Hardy feels duty-bound to protect the only one of Carroll’s victims who escaped and Carroll subsequent-ly targets. Purefoy brings the right amount of smarm and charm to his performance. Carroll de"nitely oozes charisma and it isn’t surprising that people would choose to follow him with this cult like devotion. !e scenes between Purefoy and Bacon crackle and there is a great Silence of the Lambs quality to them. Natalie Zea jumps over from the equally brilliant FX show, Justi#ed. She plays Carroll’s ex-wife and mother of his child, Claire Matthews. She also had an a#air with Hardy, something that Carroll is none too pleased about. !e story is tense and suspenseful. I don’t want to get into too many speci"cs of the episode, because it’s something that you should experience for yourselves. !ere are currently only four episodes as it came in as a midseason premiere. !e Following airs at 9pm on Tuesdays on Fox.

Zombies, crossbows, and prisons can only mean one thing: !e Walking Dead is back. A&er a two-month break over the holiday season, the hit television show just le& us to wonder, what happens next? !e season premiere (which aired on Febru-ary 10th), le& us with much to look forward to. When we last saw the zombie-survival crew they were entrapped in the quaint town of Woodbury. With the return, Rick and the group are return-ing back to the jail (their safe haven). A&er their escape from the almighty “Governor”, Darryl and Merle have le& the group because of their merry band survivor’s mistrust for the latter, and due to the new visitors at the prison, Rick’s leadership begins to be questioned by everyone, including his son. From the online sources and preview that have been provided with the premiere, the second half of the season is going to be intense, packed with action, drama, suspense and the always-welcome blood and gore. With the tagline of the sea-son being “Fight the dead, fear the living,” the season seems to promise that the walking dead do not pose as much of a threat as compared to their living and evil predators. !e three aspects of the show we mainly have to look for in this second half are Rick’s leadership, the power of the new group, and if Rick can hold onto his sanity a&er the death of his wife. With the dark psychological twist the show has taken, I am looking forward to every episode that is coming. Tune in every Sunday at 10pm on AMC to see !e Walking Dead. And if you are interested in watching the show from the beginning, the "rst two seasons are on Net$ix.

Two of the best shows on TV that will leave you on the edge of your seat, and fearing for your life. By Liam Glass ‘15 By Dan Gettler ‘13

!e Guardian, !ursday, February 14th, 2013 5

Valentine’s Day SpecialHow Valentine’s Day Came to Be

Much to the chagrin of the boyfriends and husbands who only remember on the 13th of February, Valentine’s Day comes around on the 14th of February every year. Despite the fact that Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular holidays, many people give little thought to the holiday’s history. It is generally unknown how many of the traditions that are now associ-ated with the holiday came to be.

!e alternative name for Valentine’s Day, “!e Feast of St. Valentine’s” can begin to provide an explanation for us. Although there are three St. Valentine’s, it is clear that the St. Valentine that spurred the creation of the holiday was Valentinus of Rome. He was born in the 3rd century and was raised a Christian. As he grew older, he learned to love the idea of marriage and the bonding of two loving people. However, Claudius II, the Roman Emperor at the time, had other ideas. He believed that young men marrying distracted them from being good soldiers, and therefore outlawed men to marry until an older age. !is idea didn’t sit well with Valentinus, and he began the illegal practice of marrying young couples who came to him by bonding them in the sacrament of matrimony.

When Claudius II gained word of such a practice, he imprisoned Valentinus. He then tried to talk to the future saint to try to convert him to the polytheistic religion of the Romans, but Valentinus responded with his own attempted conver-sion. !is only resulted in an angry Emperor and a death sentence for Valentinus. Only a few days later, Valentinus was beheaded on February 14th, 270 A.D., which would eventually be the date of the worldwide holiday and the Feast of Saint Valentine. However, just days before his death, Valentinus started a Valentine’s Day tradition. During his imprisonment, he was said to have healed the prison guard’s blind daughter Asterius by returning her sight. And during the day that he was doomed to die, he sent a letter to Asterius in which he concluded, “from your Valentine.” !is not only explains why the holiday is known as “Valentine’s Day” and not “Valentinus’s Day” but it coined the phrase “be my Valentine.”

However, there are still many unanswered questions. Why is it common to send cards during the holiday? And why did the focus of Valentine’s Day shi& from marriages to love despite the fact that Valentine is the patron saint of marriage and

not love? Almost all of these Valentine’s traditions were determined by the celebrants centuries following Valentine’s death. !e origin of the holiday’s association to love and courtship as opposed to just marriage began in the Middle Ages in England and France. Young couples, especially distant ones, wanted a way to express their love for each other on Valentine’s Day, and they did this by sending hand-made cards made of paper that featured lace and ribbons. Usually the designs that were on the cards featured hearts, which stems the association of hearts to the holiday. As time went on, commercially printed cards became available in the 1840s, and they eventually grew into the industry we know today.

Many other things that we associate with Valentine’s today, like Cupid, chocolates, and roses, all had no relation to the original story of Valentinus. Cupid was eventually associated with Valentine’s Day because Cupid was the Roman God of love. Chocolates and roses are popular gi&s because they have long been a simple gi& for a lover. None of these modern ideas relate back to the Valentinus story in ancient Rome.

Valentine’s Day is a holiday shrouded in mystery. Although his-torical records point to the story of a Valentinus in Rome who was executed by Claudius II, there is no absolutely de"nitive source of the traditions we hold as part of Valentine’s Day. All that is certain is that Valentine’s Day is now one of the most commercially pro"table holidays in today’s world and much to the distress of married men, it will be around for decades to come.

By Shane O’Brien ‘14

6 !e Guardian, !ursday, February 14th, 2013Photo Essay

A Week at SJR

Basketball trainer Mr. Ryan Berube tapes up Mike Fiske ‘15 before practice.

Ms. Lina Villanova and Mrs. Nicole Tudisco prepare lunch.

Mrs. Canavan and SJR moms ready Knightlines, the alumni magazine.

Mr. Jan Czerepak and Mr. Fermin Bravo at work in the basement tool shop.

Senior Tommy Mahoney gets the mummy treat-ment in studio art.

Varsity Basketball Coach Mike Doherty is all smiles a$er Sunday’s win.

!e Guardian, !ursday, February 14th, 2013 7Photo Essay

A Week at SJR

Top Le!: Mr. Davis with his father who played in the 1952 Final Four for St. John’s when they lost to Kansas, that year’s national champion. He then played in the NBA for the Rochester Royals in the 1950s. (!e Royals are today’s Sacremento Kings.) Top Picture: Le$ to Right: Head Wrestling Coach Anthony Riotto, Junior Dom Carfagno, Assistant Coaches Ricky Eichenlaub and Brian Long on the bus to Monday’s match against Delbarton. Le!: !e WSJR Crew prepares for its morning broadcast. Bottom: Father Charles Granstrand with OLM Alumni and Park Ridge residents.

8 !e Guardian, !ursday, February 14th, 2013Feature

Eoin in AfricaSJR Junior Rogers to Travel to Ghana

Rogers said, “Hopefully they can put on a little show for us at the end of the trip.”

Rogers, whose brothers Matt ’09 and Ben ’11 graduated from SJR, also said that he and his mother had been trying to get him onto a mission trip somewhere. He is very excited for his visit to Ghana – he is especially excited to hit up the warm African weather and es-cape the cold and brisk climate of the New York Metro Area. As you can imagine, Rogers is doing everything it takes to be properly prepared for a trip abroad. He is in the process of receiving all the proper shots and medication that is vital for a trip to Africa. Rogers is doing a great thing for this community - an endeavor that will bene"t him in the long run, something that he will never forget. Bon Voyage!

Please contact Eoin at rogerse14@saintjosephregional.org if you are interested in making a donation.

By Devin Buonanno ‘14

SJR’s Eoin Rogers’s life will be changed forever on March 27 when he takes a ten-day trip to Ghana. Rogers, a junior and his cousin Ethan will be in the west African city of Accra. “We are building a founda-tion for teachers and housing for an elementary school in the city,” said Rogers, the St. Joe’s junior class pres-ident. “I’m going with a high school from Missoula, Montana. I found out because my cousin Ethan goes to high school out there and I thought it was awesome that he was going on a mission trip to Africa.”

!e main purpose of Rogers’s trip is to do small projects on the side during his “free” time. Ethan and he are in the midst of collecting thousands of dollars to purchase small instruments such as drumsticks, maracas and other musical utilities for the children in Ghana.

!e Guardian, !ursday, February 14th, 2013 9Arts & Entertainment

Can You Guess What “It” Is? Emily Dickinson never tells us what “It” is, but the Belle of Amherst, in her poem which is especially timely for this past weekend, o#ers many hints as to what “It” is.

It si&s from Leaden Sieves — To Stump, and Stack — and Stem — It powders all the Wood. A Summer’s empty Room — It "lls with Alabaster Wool Acres of Joints, where Harvests were, !e Wrinkles of the Road — Recordless, but for them—

It makes an Even Face It Ru'es Wrists of Posts Of Mountain, and of Plain — As Ankles of a Queen — Unbroken Forehead from the East !en stills its Artisans — like Ghosts — Unto the East again — Denying they have been —

It reaches to the Fence — It wraps it Rail by Rail Till it is lost in Fleeces — It deals Celestial Vail

Robert Frost leaves little doubt about the weather conditions in his famous 1923 poem.

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”

Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods "ll up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake !e darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. !e only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy $ake. !e woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.

William Shakespeare depicts a cold but pleasant 16th-century scene in “Love’s Labor’s Lost.”

“Winter”

When icicles hang by the wallAnd Dick the shepherd blows his nailAnd Tom bears logs into the hallAnd milk comes frozen home in pail,When blood is nipp’d and ways be foul,!en nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-whit;Tu-who, a merry note,While greasy Joan doth keel the pot. When all aloud the wind doth blowAnd coughing drowns the parson’s sawAnd birds sit brooding in the snowAnd Marian’s nose looks red and raw,When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,!en nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-whit;Tu-who, a merry note,While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

10 !e Guardian, !ursday, February 14th, 2013Sports

!e SJR Varsity hockey team completed a tough stretch of games. In the past week, the Green Knights fell to Paramus Catholic in a heartbreaker 4-3, then defeated Pas-cack Valley 7-3, and "nished the week by tying Glen Rock 3-3. !e loss to Paramus Catholic was a di%cult one because it was a close game. A&er PC scored 15 seconds into the 1st quarter, senior Jake Healey responded by scor-ing just 15 seconds later. A&er another score by PC, senior James Quinn scored to tie the game at two. SJR Zef Krasniqi also tied the game at 3-3 in the third quarter but a "nal goal by PC le& the the Knights on the wrong side of a 4-3 deci-sion. St. Joe’s went and took to the ice with its rivals Pas-cack Valley. In this rematch of the Dec. 15 game in which the Green Knights le& victorious 6-3, the Knights continued its dominance on the ice with a 7-3 victory.

Head Coach Jason Briggs commented on how well the team responded a&er the PC loss by saying that, “there were a lot of positives that came out of that game, a bad bounce unfortunately won them [PC] the game, but it could have gone either way.”

Finally came this Monday night’s game against Glen Rock, the "rst place team in the league. St. Joe’s "nally found the net with about "ve minutes to play in the "rst quarter a&er a rocky start. Senior Devin Moran snuck behind a Glen Rock defenseman allowing him to catch a clearing attempt from his own players and score for a 2-1 lead. !e Green Knights played a defensive third period until Glen Rock was able to beat SJR goaltender, junior, Phil Babb ending the game in a tie.

!e Green Knights "nish the regular season on Friday night as they honor their seniors against Paramus Catholic. !en next Monday, SJR starts their “Drive to the Final” as playo#s get underway in Wayne, NJ.

Hockey Beats PV

Austin Cantone in a match against Bergen Catholic.

Wrestlers Stun DelbartonOn Monday, February 11, a&er a 16-day hiatus from matches, the well-rested Green Knights wrestlers jumped into high gear and faced o# against #10 state-ranked Green Wave of Delbarton in the quarter-"nal round of the State Sectional Tournament.

SJR entered the tournament as the "&h seed, and was projected by local sports writers to be bounced in the "rst round. Coach Anthony Riotto, however, was con"dent that the Green Knights upper weights could lead the team to victory. “All we need to do is earn two wins in the lower weights, and I believe that we can upset Delbarton,” said Riotto.

Although the Green Knights got o# to a rocky start, as the match progressed the team was able to make up the de"-cit. With forfeits awarded to Je# Farina, Michael Carfagno, Michael Silano, and Dominic Carfagno the Green Knights took the lead and never looked back. Key wins from heavy weight Kevin Wilkins by pin, and decisions from 113-pounder Ryan Freeman and 120-pounder Chris Am-brogio sealed Delbarton’s fate. !e match unfolded exactly as Riotto predicted.

!is victory enabled SJR to advance to the semi-"nal round for the "rst time in several years. With this win, the team also earned the respect of the doubting sports writers as they improved the team’s state ranking to #16. Additionally, the team is now ranked #4 in the !e Record’s Wrestling Top 25.

On Wednesday, February 13 the Green Knights strapped on their headgear, laced up their shoes, and headed to Oradell to face the State Sectional Tournament #1 seed Bergen Catholic for the semi-"nal battle. Despite some close bouts, the team only managed to win 6 matches. Wins from Ryan Freeman, Dan DalCortivo, Austin Cantone, Matt Zovisto-ski, Je# Farina, and Dominic Carfagno earned the team 18 points to Bergen Catholic’s 35 points.

By Chris Ambrogio ‘14

By Devin Buonanno ‘14

Le$-to-Right: Hockey Captains Jake Healey, Devin Moran, James Quinn, and Zef Krasniqi

!e Guardian, !ursday, February 14th, 2013 11Sports

Bowling Season Wraps Up

!e bowling season came to a conclusion on Monday with the State tournament at Bowler City in Hackensack. St. Joe’s "nished fourth in Group 2 roll-ing a 2,435 behind Glen Rock (1st), Westwood(2nd), and Rutherford(3rd). Glen Rock took Group 2 by a landslide shooting a 3,292 which was the highest team series out of any team at the tournament. Unfortu-nately, no one from St. Joe’s quali"ed for the individ-ual championship which took the top nine bowlers at the tournament with a 673 series cut, which was the highest cut in the tournament’s history. Steven Dough-ty from Bergen Tech won the individual part of the tournament, rolling a 731 three-game series.

!e Green Kights "nished 8-5 on the season af-ter a loss to DePaul last !ursday at T-Bowl in Wayne. !e "nal averages of the team were led by junior Ryan Sweeney with a 193, followed by senior captain Devin Ochiuzzo with a 190, and the other senior captain Ryan Hurler with a 188. Sophomores Dan DiFresco and Chris McCann "nished with 140 and 125 averages.

Seniors Ryan Hurler and Devin Ochiuzzo with Coach Frank Salvano.

By Devin Ochiuzzo ‘13

!e winter track team kicked their season o# with a fantastic start. At the Tom Zaccone Invitational at FDU, Sherman Alston ’14 and Zack Bazile ’14 took 2nd and 5th place in the 55m dash respectively. At the following meet, the North Jersey Championship at FDU, Sherman Alston ’14 won the 55m dash. At the "rst meet at RCC for the winter track team, Big North Frosh/Novice, Bazile ’14, placed 1st in the long jump and took 2nd in the high jump. !e relay team comprised of AJ Fontana ‘13, Dan Lacey ‘15, Ryan Gallagher ‘13, and Alex DelloRusso ’14 took 2nd in the 4x800. Also at that meet AJ Fontana ’13 placed 3rd in the 800m and Jack Koch placed 4th in the shot put. At the track team’s "rst meet at the 168th St. Armory Zack Bazile ’14 won the long jump and placed 3rd in the 55m dash.

!e relay team, AJ Fontana ‘13, John Haltner ‘14, Ryan Gallagher ‘13, and Alex DelloRusso ’14, took 3rd in the 4x800. For the "eld portion Troy Kay ’13 took 3rd in shot put. At the Gar"eld Shot Meet Troy Kay ’13 placed 5th. At the Paul Schwartz Invi-tational Zack Bazile ’14 took 4th in the 55m dash. At the Bergen County Relays the track team’s relay team, Sherman Alston ’14, Zack Bazile ’14, Jon Eliacin ‘14, and Kahlil Guerrier ’14, won in the 4x200 relay. !e last meet St. Joe’s participated in was the ED Church Invitational, where AJ Fontana took 3rd in the 800m, Sherman Alston ’14 took 4th in the 55m dash, and Zack Bazile ’14 took 5th in the 55m dash. !e next meet the team will participate in is on Wednesday Feb 13th, at Gar"eld HS for the Gar"eld Shot Meet. Com-ing up this weekend the team will participate in the State Group Championships.

Winter Track Update

By Louis Napolitano ‘14!e SJR winter track team

12 !e Guardian, !ursday, February 14th, 2013Sports

Basketball Advances to County Semi-Finals!e SJR varsity moved one step closer to its goal of a county championship when the Green Knights de-feated Pascack Valley 47-44 in the quarter-"nals of the Bergen County Jamboree on Sunday. !is was the second time in less than a week that SJR faced and beat the PV Indians. On Tuesday night, SJR downed PV 54-50 behind Pat Mensah’s 28 points and Germain Remy’s strong second half play.

In Sunday’s game, sophomore Andrew McGuire’s 13 points led SJR. McGuire hit a huge 3-pointer with just over four minutes to play in the 4th quarter to give SJR the lead for good at 42-40. He later tacked on two more points, hitting two free throws to boost the team’s lead to 46-42. “I had a couple of shots rattle in and out, and I just felt that the next one was going to go in,” McGuire said of his pivotal shot.

Coach Doherty was pleased with the team’s e#ort and excited about moving on to the semi-"nals. “I thought our defensive intensity and ability to get multiple stops late in the game were huge,” said Doherty. “Ricky Jeune was a force all game for us on the defensive end and hit a critical free throw late to give us a 3-point cushion, which put more pressure on Valley to have to hit a 3-pointer to tie.” Doherty added, “!e team is showing toughness and the ability to "nd a way to win. Late in the season, those are great qualities to exhibit.” Above: Ricky Jeune, who scored nine points against

Pascack Valley Sunday lines up a free throw while Kiy Hester watches. Below: Hester, who had 11 points Sunday, looks to score early in the PV game

SJR faced Fort Lee in the opening round of the Jambo-ree on February 3rd and ran past the #11 seed 66-46. !e Green Knights got o# to a quick start, leading 17-9 a&er the 1st quarter and 32-21 at the half. A 6-0 run to end the 3rd quarter blew the game open as SJR headed into the "nal quarter leading 52-32. In all, 10 di#erent SJR players scored. Kiy Hester led the way with 21, including a nice dunk as part of the 3rd quarter run, and Mensah added 12.

SJR will take its 14-8 record against the #2 seed Hack-ensack in the Bergen County Jamboree Semi-Finals on Sunday, February 17th at 5:30 pm @ Ramapo College.

Pat Mensah #4 preps for a free throw under Quai Je"erson’s watch-ful eye.