Edison High School’s Jose Vargas hits a forehand shot back to Woodbridge High School’s Wasib Malik during their preliminary round match at the Greater Middlesex County Boys Tennis Tournament at Thomas A. Edison Park in Edison on April 23. Vargas advanced, but he fell in the first round to Wardlaw-Hartridge School’s Aditya Dalal. BISHOP AHR
With the recent resignation of Bishop George Ahr High School football coach Don Sofilkanich, the search for his replacement will move quickly, according to athletic director Mike Wolfthal.
Unlike the protocol for hiring successors at public high schools, where candidates may go through layers of approvals before one is ultimately hired, the process is more streamlined at parochial schools. Wolfthal said a committee of nine faculty members representing a cross-section of the athletic and academic community at Bishop Ahr will examine résumés from applicants and come to a consensus as to who will make the best candidate. Wolfthal, as he is for every coaching hire, will be deeply involved in the hiring process.
“There has been interest expressed by some members of the current staff, and we’ve received [double-digit] résumés from people outside the school,” Wolfthal said. “We hope to get [the hiring] completed as soon as possible, and certainly before the school year concludes. To us, it’s very important that [Sofilkanich’s] successor be in place then so the players can become familiar with his coaching philosophy and be prepared for preseason practice.”
In three seasons as head coach, Sofilkanich finished with a 12-18 record.
EDISON
One of the benefits of a 6-4 season and an appearance in the NJSIAA North Jersey II Group V playoffs in 2013 for the Edison High School football team was that players received more attention from college coaches. Head coach Matt Fulham reported that 19 out of 21 seniors will continue to play the sport at some level when they graduate.
Heading the list is Derek Allen, the 6- foot-5, 285-pound two-way lineman who earned a full scholarship to the University of Rhode Island. The other players and their future schools are Kyle Boyer-Tucker and Tyrell Best, American International College; Aqeel Daniels, Wagner University; Donnell Wright, University of Nebraska; Christian Appia, University of Massachusetts; James Waldron, William Paterson University; K.C. Mkpasi (Kean University); Ibrahim Mosaad, Dakota College at Bottineau (North Dakota); and Denzel Crawford, Dean College (Massachusetts).
“I am very proud of this class,” Fulham said. “A great deal of the success we enjoyed last season was because of the discipline, dedication and teamwork by our seniors.”
J.P. STEVENS
With half the season completed, the J.P. Stevens High School boys volleyball team has recorded a 5-11 mark against competition in the ultra-competitive Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC). The Hawks had enjoyed a string of winning seasons up until last year, when they finished 9-18. They are looking to return to the ranks of the conference’s best.
Head coach Anthony White said his team has been competitive in most matches, but it has had difficulty closing out opponents. Plus, the grind of competing against quality teams continues to be a challenge.
“We have played only two teams all season that have not been ranked in the state top 20,” White said. “The team continues to fight, however, and we’re looking forward to the GMC Tournament [that starts on May 9]. A good run in the tourney would make this a more successful season.”
The starting lineup consists of a blend of experienced players and some promising newcomers. Sophomore middle Kyle Mackiewicz has recorded 148 kills and 43 blocks, and senior setter Matt Lee leads the Hawks with 272 assists and has added 24 kills.
The rest of the lineup consists of senior middle Tyler Uckar (81 kills, 22 blocks); senior outside Steven Qiou (65 kills, 82 digs); senior opposite Ray Hickey (16 kills, 19 blocks); junior libero Mike Wang (119 digs); junior defender Lawrence Lin; and junior outside Rigved Tummala.
The next key match for the Hawks takes place on May 9 when they meet crosstown rival Edison.