Jersey Sports Now Team of the Year

Pequannock

Early in the season, coach Bill Arata didn't know if his Panthers had what it took to be champions.  The Panthers got off to a 5-3 start on the baseball season, including a ten-run defeat at home to Wallkill Valley.  But this team had too much talent to wallow in sports mediocrity.  After that lopsided loss, Pequannock ran off seven straight wins before falling to North Jersey power Delbarton in the Morris County semifinals.

The Panthers made a bid for the conference baseball title, but another heartbreaking loss to Delbarton would deny them that glory.  They seemed to be set up perfectly for the state playoffs, but almost knocked themselves out with an ugly performance in their first state game, committing seven errors against Westwood.  Fortunately, ace Jordan Tabakman limited the damage and Pequannock squeezed out a 4-3 win.

Amazingly, after that game, the Panthers simply became untouchable.  They did not allow a single run in the rest of the baseball tournament, finishing with 29 straight scoreless innings.  Tabakman shouldered much of the load, but #2 starter Sal DeVito fired a huge two-hitter in the North Jersey Section 1 final.  Pequannock struggled at the plate, but delivered some timely hits, none more so than George Chrencik's homer for the only run in the state semifinal against West Essex.  The final game, an 11-0 rout of Shore Regional, was almost an anticlimax.

Pequannock has a fine history of baseball success, but this was only its second state title.  While a few players, like Tabakman and Wake Forest recruit Martin Kelly, will play at the next level, for many this will be their greatest achievement in baseball.  It certainly is worthy of our JSN Team of the Year award.

Jersey Sports Now Player of the Year

Jordan Tabakman, Pequannock

The junior right-hander had his own future pretty much sewn up entering this season:  Tabakman already verbally committed to pitch at the University of North Carolina.  But he still sought to leave a sports legacy at Pequannock.  Mission accomplished.

The raw numbers look awfully good:  a 9-2 record with a 1.22 ERA, and 82 strikeouts in 74 innings.  Even more impressive is that Tabakman didn't allow a single run in his last 22 innings on the hill during the state baseball tournament.  And he was far from 100% for the last two games, battling a hamstring pull but still putting up zeroes.

Tabakman was also a key part of the Pequannock offense, hitting .400 for the season with four homers and 25 RBI.  His three-run homer was the key hit in the Panthers' New Jersey state final triumph.

He'll have a hard time improving on this season as a senior, but for now Jordan Tabakman can rest on his laurels for a little while, as the JSN Baseball Player of the Year.

Jersey Sports Now Coach of the Year

Bill Arata, Pequannock

As he often reminded the media this spring, Arata has been around the Pequannock baseball program for the better part of three decades.  So even though this was his first run to the New Jersey state final as a head coach, he had been down this road before as an assistant to Ed Rogers, and his experience certainly helped the Panthers this season.

Arata isn't a fire-breather, but he clearly gets his message across to the players.  After Pequannock's sloppy seven-error performance in its first state game, he simply stated that the Panthers would improve on that.  Sure enough, Pequannock made just one error in its next two games as it won the sectional title.  Arata also made a smart move when he had a lefthanded assistant coach throw batting practice in advance of the state final;  the Panthers battered Shore's left-handed ace in that game.

He was a part of the 1988 state championship squad as an assistant, and now he can claim a title as a head coach.  Bill Arata is truly deserving of our JSN Coach of the Year award.

Baseball Notes

YOUNG BUT TALENTED:  Led by senior ace pitcher Jerry Elsing, a very young Montville High School team won the Northern Hills Conference-Skyline Division title.  Much of the Mustangs lineup was filled by sophomores, and the team did experience some growing pains, but should be a force to contend with next year in its new sports conference.

COMING ON STRONG:  Much like Pequannock, the Whippany Park High School team played its best baseball at the end of the year.  The Wildcats put together a winning streak to clinch the Colonial Hills Conference-Colonial Division title.  It took one of the best pitchers in New Jersey to stop Whippany from making a big run in the states--Lyndhurst's Glenn Flora held off the Wildcats 1-0 in an eight-inning thriller in the sectional semifinals.

GOING TO DISNEY WORLD:  Two local teams--Lakeland and Passaic Valley--took part in the Spring Training program at Walt Disney World this spring.  While other teams endured miserable rainy weather in New Jersey early in the spring sports season, both the Lancers and Hornets got to play four games against baseball teams from around the nation during their week in Florida.  But did it help either team on the diamond?  Maybe not.  Both finished right around .500 and failed to advance in the state tournament.  -- Paul Mencher for Jersey Sports Now for Jersey Sports Now