By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher Here at Glory Days Magazine we’d like to have a little fun to wrap up what was an interesting and very compelling 2013 fall season of high school sports in the Atlantic City area. Now, obviously we weren’t able to get out and see every team in every sport, so here are some musings from what I saw during my travels throughout Atlantic and Cape May counties the past three months. Best uniforms: Hard to go against Holy Spirit football’s classic navy and gold, but I really love the Cedar Creek home football uniforms. Cool color combo of hunter green and maroon, and the neon green socks really stand out. Honorable mention: Atlantic City football busted out the grey home jerseys for their game against Absegami, and EHT field hockey’s all-black home uniforms are pretty sweet. Coldest game: Hands down, Ocean City boys soccer matchup against Moorestown in the South Jersey Group III semifinals. It was 26 degrees with a wind chill that made it feel like in the teens at the Tennessee Avenue Fields. I don’t know how I got any pictures in focus with frozen fingers! Honorable mention: Atlantic City vs. Absegami in football in November was brutally cold, too. Best freshman: There were a lot of good rookies this fall in several different sports, but I think Oakcrest freshman QB Kendall Elliott really stood out. He passed for more than 1,300 yards and became South Jersey’s all-time leading passer for a single season as far as freshmen go. Honorable mention: Jesse Milza. The Cedar Creek quarterback played well in the system and helped lead his team to the state playoffs. 
Ocean City’s Evan McCardell was one of the best boys soccer goalies in the Cape-Atlantic League this year, notching 14 shutouts, including four in the sectional playoffs. (Glory Days Magazine photos/Dave O’Sullivan) Best goalkeeper: There were several outstanding goalies in field hockey, but in a tough decision I go with Ocean City boys soccer keeper Evan McCardell. Kid played lights out in the sectional playoffs, not allowing a goal in four games and made some brilliant saves in the sectional final against Timber Creek. Had 14 shutouts for the season. Honorable mention: Sarita Charap. The blue-haired keeper for the Ocean City field hockey team was diesel in front of the cage, leading her team to a group championship. Best tweeter: Hands down, Lamont Harris of St. Augustine Prep. Not even close. The guy tweets like crazy and even lets Twitter fans ask him random questions. Honorable mention: Keith Alston. The Cedar Creek lineman’s bus stop frustrations were pure gold! Best interview: By far, Sydney Losco of the Mainland field hockey team. A very thoughtful and well-spoken young lady. She’s got big things in store for her down the road. Honorable mention: Joe DiBuonaventura. The Holy Spirit senior stepped up to the mic after the Spartans lost the state championship game and really put the season, and his career, in perspective. Not an easy thing to do after a disappointing loss. 
Quarterback T.J. Anderson turned in one of the best individual performances of the season in helping Holy Spirit take down St. Joseph of Hammonton 31-28 early in the season. Best individual effort: Kelly Hanna scored with no time left in double overtime, the only goal of the game, to help the Ocean City field hockey team win the Group III championship. You can’t get any more clutch than that. Honorable mention: T.J. Anderson. He had a tremendous game playing quarterback and defense in a hard-fought win over St. Joseph of Hammonton early in the season. Best kept secret: The Ocean City boys cross country team. Cross country is kind of an off-the-radar sport, but these boys helped extend the Red Raiders’ dual-meet win streak to an amazing 53 straight. Honorable mention: The Absegami girls soccer team has a lot of good underclassmen and should rebound from a tough season in 2014. Best rivaly: In field hockey this year, Egg Harbor Township, Mainland and Ocean City went at it like caged tigers this year, each beating the other at least once. This should get pretty intense in the years to come. Honorable mention: The Cedar Creek vs. St. Augustine Prep football Thanksgiving rivalry heated up this year when the Pirates rolled the Hermits. Best short player: Franco Rifici is only 5-foot-5, but he was an absolute beast this year for the Holy Spirit football team, playing linebacker and running back and also returning kicks and handling the kicking duties. And his crushing block on a kickoff return in the state championship game set Twitter abuzz. Honorable mention: Alexi Ruiz. The 4-foot-11 center-midfielder for the Absegami girls soccer team had an amazing season, fighting back from injuries in her first two seasons to earn All-Cape Atlantic League honors as a senior. Best post-game celebration: When Mainland field hockey beat rival EHT in the Breast Cancer Awareness game. Late in the game Mainland’s entire football team came over to the field in their practice uniforms and mobbed the field hockey girls at midfield after the Mustangs pulled out the victory. Honorable mention: When Ocean City field hockey won the group championship in double overtime there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Free-flowing emotion at its best! Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
Tallying up some of the best from the 2013 fall season
