By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
@tortreports on Instagram
Mark Petito said he was eager to take on a new challenge.
After spending the previous nine years as the girls basketball coach at West Deptford, he felt it was time for a change in scenery.
Enter Haddon Township.
The timing was perfect, as longtime 600-win coach Tom Mulligan recently stepped away at the end of the 2023-24 season after 32 years leading the Hawks.
“Basically, I felt the tradition here and the feeder program — just how basketball is valued here in this community. That appealed to me. I felt it was time for a change and that’s why I applied here,” said Petito, who started his coaching career at Deptford High from 2002 to 2010. “Coaching against Haddon Township all of these years, I’m just familiar with the roster and what they usually do. Coming in last year with the talent we had, I knew we could make a run, and the girls did a great job.
“I knew coming in that I could help these girls keep the tradition going.”
Petito certainly did that, as his first year at Haddon Township was a special one. He led the Hawks to a 28-4 overall record last season that included the South Jersey Group 1 title with a 42-32 triumph over Wildwood. It was the first sectional title for Petito, who reached a sectional final while at Deptford in 2010 but never got over the hump until last winter.
Known for his high energy and vocal coaching style, Petito is as competitive as they come and puts an emphasis on his players giving 100 percent effort each and every time they step on the court.
That, he says, is what truly matters.
“I want my teams to compete hard. I want the opponent to say, ‘You know, man, it was just tough to play them.’ That’s the goal,” said Petito, a 1987 Gateway graduate who earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Rutgers-Camden in 1992 and a masters in Student Personnel Services from Rowan in 2002. “You want to win, but at the end of the day, if we compete and we make it a living hell for the other team, I’m happy about that.
“The way my father brought me up and having two older brothers that kicked my rear end all the time, I’m just super competitive.”
Haddon Township athletic director Tim George said Petito’s intensity is something the program needs in order to continue its winning tradition.
“Basketball’s a game where only five play, and those five need to be doing the right thing. We’re fortunate to have Mark land in our program,” George said. “His basketball IQ is on the very high side. His coaching resume is undeniable, and I think it’s a perfect fit.
“I wasn’t surprised (when he applied) because I was always told what a good coach he was and how much he knew. He always had his girls in the correct positions, but just didn’t have the depth or horses at some other programs.
“What he brings to our program equals what the girls are bringing on the other side: energy, hustle and heart.”
Petito, who is in his 25th year as a counselor in the Deptford Township School District, was also able to recruit a longtime familiar face to join him at the end of the bench this winter.
Christine Stetson, who was Petito’s assistant varsity coach at West Deptford, joined the Hawks’ staff as a volunteer assistant after taking last basketball season off after Petito’s departure. Stetson is a health and physical education teacher at Colonial Conference foe Paulsboro High, which Haddon Township ironically rolled past in the first round of the South Jersey Group 1 playoffs on Feb. 25.
“I have had the pleasure of knowing and coaching with Mark for the last decade. His love for coaching basketball is clear to anyone who meets him,” said Stetson, who served as the girls lacrosse coach at West Deptford for the past three seasons. “That passion is the best thing about him. It comes through in different ways but it’s always there, driving him and his teams to strive for success. I am a better person and coach because I know Mark Petito and I am so excited to be back with him this season, taking this ride to a hopeful repeat.”
Now in his second season at the helm, Petito will be looking to guide Haddon Township to another championship run. The Hawks earned the top seed by a sizable margin and, as long as seeds hold, would once again host second-seeded Wildwood in the final on Saturday. After earning a 49-34 triumph over Woodbury in the quarterfinal round on Monday, the Hawks will host fourth-seeded Glassboro Wednesday in the semifinal round. The other semifinal pits No. 2 Wildwood against No. 3 Audubon.
“This year, we have a lot younger team, but we have (20) wins and we’ve beaten some really good basketball teams this year,” he said. “We’re happy to have the No. 1 seed. We’re going to be tough to play, especially here. It’s not going to be easy for teams to come in here.”
WHAT’S NEXT: No.1 Haddon Township hosts No. 4 Glassboro on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the South Jersey Group 1 semifinals. In the other semifinal, No. 2 Wildwood hosts No. 3 Audubon at 5 p.m.
