8/2/2010 - PJ Soccer Family Rallies For Good Cause
Jake Barbulescu was looking for his cleats.
The youngest of the Barbulescu clan was itching to get on the field at Pope John despite the fact it was close to a 100 degrees and the first game of the day-long soccer tournament was for high school kids, not youngsters.
It didn’t matter. He wanted to be part of it all and his spirit and determination was the perfect illustration of how the Pope John soccer community, both boys and girls, came together for the second annual Mona Barbulescu Memorial Tournament at Pope John last week.
The tourney was in honor of Jake’s mother Mona, the late wife of Pope John’s outstanding girls soccer coach Ryan Barbulescu and devoted mom to Neal and Stephanie. Mona was tragically taken from us over a year ago when she lost a short, but very-hard-fought battle with cancer.
But her spirit and love of soccer was evident as teams from around the area gathered to raise money for scholarships for Pope John students in her honor. This year, the tourney raised close to $3,000, a great testament to the local soccer community.
“It is a great cause and so many people did a great job helping out,” said Pope John boys soccer coach Brad Cameron, one of the directors of the event. “It was easy to get teams. I think before I hit send on my email Pat (Brennan) from Newton replied, yes.”
Yes, it indeed was a great cause. Cameron said that the tourney would not have happened without the great efforts of Ray and Mary Beth Ferriola, Brian Vohden and Darcy Fisher.
The Barbulescu family was well represented and genuinely touched by the outpouring of support for the tourney. Besides Jake wanting to get on the field, Ryan coached a team, while Neal, an up-and-coming soccer official worked some of the games.
Stephanie had to be a spectator due to a recent knee injury, but the former PJ star and current standout for Montclair State University worked the registration tent and was all smiles.
“We did it last year and it was nice,” said Stephanie. “But to have it for a second year and for years to come is really special for us and my mom’s memory.”
Once the games started, though, the good-will was left at the door and the players on the field got down to business. The first game pitted the Pope John boys against Newton and despite the weather and the fact it was a fund-raiser, you could have sworn the old Sussex County Interscholastic League title was on the line.
Both teams went at it hard and Pope John posted a tough 2-0 win against the Braves, the top team in the Mugs Media area last year. The game gave the coaches just a glimpse of what this season should hold and a mini-preview of opening day when the same two teams will clash in an independent showdown.
Pope John will be competing in the realigned American Division of the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, while Newton will look to defend its Freedom Division title.
Newton topped PJ last year in the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament to lay claim as the No. 1 team in the area.
The fact that PJ topped Newton last week was not lost on Cameron, however. Cameron, who has become one of the top coaches in the area in a very short time, feels the Lions are the victims of a Mugs Media jinx.
Although, I don’t believe him, the numbers don’t lie. PJ has not won a game on Channel 10 since he became coach and the Lions’ only positive was a tie with Sparta last year.
When I reminded him that the Lions won while I was in attendance, he responded that a broken clock is right twice a day. Nice guy that Cameron.
All joking aside, Cameron has built a nice program at PJ and is one of the most helpful coaches around and is a pleasure to talk to. And his effort at the tourney is just another example of what a class act Cameron is.
Oh, by the way, Brad. I believe our first Mugs Media Game of the Week this fall will be the PJ-Newton clash, so let’s hope this broken clock is ticking in the right direction!
WORTH WATCHING---Most people click on Channel 10 and expect to see our local teams on the Games of the Week all season and especially during the state tournament.
Well, that could change after a federal judge in Wisconsin ruled that the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association can sell exclusive the rights to the state finals in certain sports to one company and that doesn’t bode well for a free press.
The judge in the matter, Hon. William Conley stated, “Ultimately, this a case about commerce, not the right to a free press.”
Right now, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association has a deal with The Star-Ledger and with the organization under the gun for its spending practices, this could have a chilling effect on media organizations covering state tourney games as the state tries to raise revenue.
Let’s hope a bidding war doesn’t break out because little guys like Mugs Media could get hurt in the crossfire, and that wouldn’t be fair.
So far, covering state games has not been a problem for us and Steve Timko, the executive director of the NJSIAA, has been by far, the most media-friendly director in my 20-plus years of covering sports in the Garden State.
Let’s hope it stays that way.
That’s it for now, see you on the sidelines.
|
