The Elmwood Park Athletic Hall of Fame PROUDLY presents THE FIFTEEN FINALISTS FOR TOP TEN GREATEST MOMENTS IN EAST PATERSON/ELMWOOD PARK SPORTS HISTORY!
In no particular order, we present the finalists for greatest moment in East Paterson/Elmwood Park sports history:
8/18/16: Courageous Crusaders March 2003: Elmwood Park Varsity Boys Basketball Team captures the Group 1, North 1, State Sectional Championship, defeating Park Ridge 70-56. This incredible run, with a terminally ill Head Coach, Mike Powers, brought statewide news and media coverage for the high school, and united a town which packed the gym every night as students, parents and fans came to witness a group of courageous young men and an inspirational Coach do some remarkable things.
8/19/16: Bomber Beginnings 1958-59: When several youths wanted to play football in an organized league back in 1958, Jim LaPorte, together with people like Scotty Beckett, Pete Ciolino, Lou Nicosia and Jim Pantano, joined in to form the Bomber Football Association. These men begged and borrowed to suit up a Bomber team, and in 1959, playing before a large crowd at East Paterson High School, the Bombers beat Paramus in that first game. If you grew up in east paterson/elmwood park, being a Bomber has a special meaning, whether you were a player, cheerleader, parent, coach or even a fan, you know there is nothing more "EP" than the Bombers.
8/20/16: East Paterson Says Goodbye to Clifton ... With A Smile October 2, 1971: In what would be the final high school football game between these PVC Rivals, the East Paterson Crusaders upset powerhouse Clifton High School, 27-7, on its way to a State Championship. Playing before a rain-drenched maximum capacity crowd at Memorial Field, East Paterson dominated the Mustangs, from start to finish, in a game that would put the Crusaders on the state football map. Said 21-year Coach of Clifton, Bill VanderCloster, "Taking everything into consideration, I would have to say that this was the worst physical beating any of my teams have ever absorbed".
8/21/16:East Paterson Wrestling - The First Five Years 1960-64: East Paterson/Elmwood Park High School has long been known for its outstanding wrestling programs; this great moment recognizes the first five graduating classes that set the stage for all wrestling teams to follow. With a combined record of 45-5-1, including an undefeated championship team in '63 and an individual state Champion (George Galler) in '64, East Paterson High School quickly became more feared in wrestling than any other sport.
8/22/16:Elmwood Park Upsets Dwight Morrow (Englewood) 54-53 - The "Poodles" Game January 30, 1973: People came from all over to pack the Elmwood Park High School Gymnasium to see the #1 and most sought-after High School Basketball player in the country, Bill "Poodles" Willoughby. Behind some outstanding teamwork, tenacious defense, and inspired play, the Crusaders rallied from behind to beat the Maroon Raiders in one of the most stunning upsets in the history of New Jersey basketball, 54-53. The win would catapult Elmwood Park into the #1 ranking in Bergen County for the next several weeks.
8/23/16:East Paterson Goes Back-To-Back-To-Back-To-Back 1969-72: If one State Championship is an impressive accomplishment, what can you say about four consecutive State Championships? The East Paterson High School varsity football team achieved just that. Beginning in 1969 and continuing through the 1972 season, East Paterson, under two different head coaches (Bill Galese & Len Smith), captured four straight state championships, compiling an overall record of 28-6-1, while competing against a very formidable schedule. 8/24/16: George Galler Wins State Wrestling Championship at 168 lbs. 1964: George Galler was one of the first East Paterson/Elmwood Park High School athletes to have a huge impact on North Jersey and New Jersey High School Sports. In 1964, after having finished 3rd in the State one year earlier, George Galler would win East Paterson's first individual State Wrestling Championship at 168 lbs., a feat not duplicated at East Paterson/Elmwood Park High School during the next 50 plus years. One of the finest athletes to compete at East Paterson/Elmwood Park, George also excelled at football, leading the area in scoring for two straight years. 8/25/16: Girls Softball League of Elmwood Park is Formed 1971: Brenda and Bob Huffman, as well as Janet Zak, saw an opportunity to provide one of the first outlets for girls sports in East Paterson/Elmwood Park. Most of the Borough's outstanding girls softball players, including numerous Hall of Fame inductees, had their beginnings in the GSLEP. The league, which has expanded throughout the last 45 years to include multiple divisions of play and out-of-town all-star teams, has also given back with scholarship awards to many deserving softball players to continue their higher education.
8/26/16: Rizzi Runs - The 100 Yard State Champion 1975: There are precious few East Paterson/Elmwood Park athletes to have ever won an individual state championship, All-Groups, and John Rizzi is one of them. He set the school record for the 100 yard dash; thanks to a 9.7 in the State Group 2 meet. He then proved it was no fluke, winning the overall state Meet of Champions with a 9.8. "A sprinter is 90% born. The rest comes from hard work and discipline". - John Rizzi
8/27/16:Go to the Head of the Class - the Sports Teams of 1972-73 1972-73: This East Paterson High School Sports Year brought the town some of the most memorable moments in East Paterson/Elmwood Park sports history. The dynasty from that school year includes three teams that have been inducted into the Elmwood Park Athletic Hall of Fame: Football (State Champion, which defeated two nationally ranked teams), Wrestling (11-1 record & ranked 2nd in the County) and Boys Basketball (23-5 record, finishing second in the County Tournament and the State).
8/28/16:He Shoots, He Scores! Greg Gearo Makes Hockey History February 1978: On a cold wintery night at the Bergen Ice Arena, the Elmwood Park Crusaders faced off against Group 4 rival, River Dell High School. Spanning the second and third periods, Greg Gearo put on an offensive show as he scored a state record three goals in 26 seconds, netting the fast hat trick in New Jersey High School history. Getting his start in the St. Leo's Youth Ice Hockey Program, EP's Mr. Hockey, Greg Gearo, would ultimately come to hold nearly every hockey record in the history of East Paterson/Elmwood Park High School.
8/29/16: Jack Cleeland: The "Voice" of East Paterson/Elmwood Park Football 1960 to present: Jack Cleeland served as the "voice" of East Paterson/Elmwood Park Football for nearly fifty years. His dedication and service to the fledgling High School in its early days was an example to all. A track star in his own right, setting the PVC record at Eastside High School in the 220 yard dash in 1940 (a record held until 1959), Jack Cleeland has dedicated his life to sports in the Borough. This great moment recognizes the years of service given by Jack Cleeland, an active member of the Elmwood Park Athletic Hall of Fame for the past 25 years and the ultimate ambassador for East Paterson/Elmwood Park Sports.
8/30/16: Dambra Dominates March 1978: Karen Dambra culminates a basketball career as the All-Time leading scorer for East Paterson/Elmwood Park High School with 1,982 total career points. From her very first game as a Freshman in December 1974 to her very last game in an Elmwood Park uniform in March 1978, Karen Dambra dominated the hardwood. All of this accomplished without the benefit of the three-point line, Karen Dambra became one of the greatest female basketball players in the history of East Paterson/Elmwood Park.
8/31/16: Monsignor Moment October 21, 1972: "This had to be our greatest win", said an elated Len Smith after the Crusaders stunned Monsignor Farrell of Staten Island, N.Y., with a 21-0 shutout at Memorial Field. East Paterson outplayed the much bigger Farrell squad in every aspect of the game, ending Monsignor Farrell's unbeaten streak at 35 games. Following the game, Dennis Barret, Head Coach of Monsignor Farrell, the top-ranked team in New York State the previous season, could only lament "East Paterson is one of the toughest high school teams I have ever seen".
9/1/16:Who's Your Dadika? February 1985: Ricky Dadika breaks the East Paterson/Elmwood Park High School single game scoring mark with 55 points as the Boys Varsity Basketball team defeats Hawthorne High School, 93-64. In one of the greatest individual basketball games ever played in the history of the high school, Ricky Dadika netted 16 two-point field goals, and 23 foul shots, en route to the record. The eventual Rutgers Grad would go on to be All-League, All-County, All-State, and the only McDonald's All-American Nominee the school would ever have.