12/3/2012 - Newton Win Worthy Of Parade
News travels fast in a small town like Newton and even faster when the news is great.
“I was performing a wedding when I kept getting these calls saying “We won!” said an excited Newton Mayor Sandra Diglio. “I knew we had to do something and we had to do it quick and everyone involved did a great job.
“This is fantastic for the kids, the school and the Newton community,” she added as she was mobbed by excited Newton fans. “This is what makes Newton such a special place.”
Newton certainly was a special place on Saturday evening as fire engine and police car sirens and lights illuminated the sky above the county seat to hail the conquering heroes who made not only school but Sussex County sports history.
The boys soccer team from Newton became the first boys or girls soccer team in county history to play in and win a state group championship as the Braves (23-4) dominated state-ranked Holmdel 3-1 in the Group 2 final at The College of New Jersey to end the greatest run in county soccer history.
After the historic victory, word spread quickly and the people of Newton and the surrounding sending districts wanted to do something special for their beloved Braves and, boy, did they ever.
In just over an hour’s notice Diglio with the help of many others coordinated an impromptu parade.
When the Braves pulled up to the Andover Fire Department on Route 206 in their luxury bus followed by a spirited group of students in a yellow one, they were greeted by screaming fans and screaming sirens.
Folks, it was a sight to behold and sent shivers up my spine.
Yes, I have covered many special moments in my career, but the instantaneous outpouring of love for this group was truly touching.
The parade began there and ended in the Newton High School parking lot after a trip around the square in town.
Then a pep rally broke out with chanting and cheering that was pretty cool.
Newton coach Pat Brennan, a class act and great coach, had a look of amusement and bewilderment on his face as he looked at what was transpiring around him.
“This is insane, I can’t believe this,” said Brennan, who was being mobbed.
As the celebration continued I remarked to Newton police officer Mike Monaco that now it was his job to make sure everyone got out safe.
He just smiled, and said this was a good bunch of kids and that there would no trouble at all and that this was a true sign of what a great place Newton is and how they support their town.
He was right.
I have often said that Newton always supports its teams and its blue-collar approach to athletics has always been an endearing quality every since Henry Boresch rolled out the first wrestling mats at the school in the 1920s.
It seems appropriate that Newton would be the first school in county history to bring home the hardware. After all, Newton is the oldest school in the county by far and the Braves have had five previous cracks of advancing to the final, more than any other school.
Sparta and Vernon have way more league titles than the Braves, but that shows how good the soccer is in Sussex County and that it was an anomaly that the county did not have a state champ.
Brennan and all the players on the squad realized the significance of the victory as numerous former players made the trek to Ewing to watch the Braves after giving up an early goal take Holmdel (21-3) out to the proverbial shed.
I think of the great Newton players I had a chance to watch, the Salameh and the Franco brothers, Jeff Roselli, Matt Martinka, and Karl Heinrich, to name a few, build the foundation to what happened on Saturday.
Then there are the Braves themselves, a talented and selfless group which make soccer the Beautiful Game.
Their style of play was so much fun to watch. They could bang the ball around with the best of them and they never panicked or lost their composure as evident of the goal Holmdel scored in the first two minutes of the final.
And it all starts with the superbly-talented Andy Weber in the midfield. The Rutgers-bound senior was a maestro on the pitch orchestrating the Braves’ attack from the center midfield. Something has done since his freshman year.
But he wasn’t alone, no far from it. Junior Brett Conrads will be the next Division I player to come out of the fold and he was magnificent in the states. From his expertly-place free kicks to his heady play all over the field, Conrads may have been Newton’s best player throughout the title run.
Conrads really came through in the final after Chris Guth was given a questionable second yellow card, Newton played the final 21 minutes of the game down a man.
But Conrads dropped back on defense and shut down Rhode Island-bound Holmdel star Zach Bond and the Braves claimed the championship.
Ah, Guth. The junior was a clutch as they come scoring the game-winner in double OT against Mahwah in the North 1, Group 2 final and the first goal in the Braves’ 2-1 win over Cliffside Park.
The affable fan-favorite was lethal on set pieces and was part of back line along with Brady Castle, T.J. Chrustic, and Jake Gutowski that was just plain spectacular in front of keeper Kyle Morel who only allowed three goals in the state tourney.
The quartet worked in harmony just like a singing barbershop one and they made beautiful defensive music together.
Then there were the Newton snipers up top, lethal and accurate. Ryan Cronin finished with 19 goals, scoring two against Mountain Lakes in the section semis and the third goal against Holmdel.
Every team needs a finisher and Cronin was smooth as silk from the 18-yard line and in.
Leo Recalde. I typed those two words as hard and as fast I could in tribute to the player who has an engine big enough to move mountains.
He missed some games due to injury, but when a healthy Recalde came back the Braves made their move to winning the Freedom Division, section and state titles.
His breakaway goal against Cliffside was the perfect illustration of his game—talent along with an unyielding will to hustle.
Recalde didn’t have a patent on hustle, however. Ryan Brewster was one of the hardest workers around and his hard work enabled him to become an answer to a trivia question.
Who was the first player in Sussex County history to score a goal in a state final?
It may have taken two shots, but Brewster got it done and he tied the game at 1-1 two minutes after Holmdel scored.
Then there was Matt Cespedes who was completely overwhelmed after the game, a game in which he gave Newton the lead for good 2-1. The junior has been rock-solid all season and he really picked up his game in the states
The Braves’ strength this season was balance and great depth. Many players on the Newton bench would start and star on other teams but they played their role and played a big part in making history.
Players like Frank Heter, Chris Marin, and earlier in the season Kevin Sosa, all contributed greatly.
After the state final victory, Weber summed it up best when he said the Braves had gotten “what they deserve,” and he is right.
Like I said, I have covered several championship teams over the years and they all have been special. But not historic.
As an avid Sussex County sports buff, it was a privilege to call and witness county history. I would like to thank personally everyone involved in the Newton program for taking us on one of the greatest rides ever and one I will never forget.
That’s it for now, see you on the sidelines.
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