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Boys’ Basketball: Scoring drought leads to rough (1–2) showing

By Lauree Padgett Exclusive to Haddonfield[got]Today

Well, the week started out well enough, as the Dawgs, minus junior starter Daire Roddy, who was out due to COVID protocol, hosted the Red Raiders of Paulsboro on Tuesday, 1/3. Unlike some recent games versus this Colonial Conference Patriot division rival, the Dawgs were in control most of the game. By the final buzzer, they had put 72 points on the board to their opponents’ 52.

Two nights later, the Dawgs headed to Sterling to play another one of their Colonial nemeses. As their announcers noted, going into Thursday’s game, the Silver Knights had won three out of the last four matchups between these two Liberty division teams, dating back to the COVID-shortened 2021 season (no games were played in December of 2020). Haddonfield had avenged those three defeats by coming back to win in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 2 round three game in March of 2022 by 1 point, 26–25 thanks in part to some last-second defensive and offensive heroics by Matt Guveiyian.

The commentators went on to add that coming into the game, both teams were undefeated (4–0) in conference play and boasted a 6–1 record overall. Furthermore, the teams were very close in both points scored and given up per game so far this season. When the game was over, one team would remain on top of the Liberty division at 5–0 and one team would drop to 4–1. Unfortunately, the Dawgs faltered in the second half and lost by 8, 39–47.

Two days later, in a nonleague game on Saturday, 1/7 (while I, along with the fictitious residents of River City, Iowa, was being cast under the spell of Hugh Jackman’s Harold Hill), the Dawgs were still under a lack-of-scoring spell and lost again by 8 points, this time to Hammonton, 37–45. Obviously, I did not see this game, and while my nearly lifelong friend (and sometimes nemesis) Bill Tourtellotte kindly sent me a link to stream the game, after I heard from two other basketball buddies that the Dawgs lost and it wasn’t pretty, I decided to skip seeing a second loss within a week’s time.

So, I’m going to do something different (again) and compare the victory versus Paulsboro to the Dawgs’ upending by Sterling. This will be a little tricky, as Paulsboro (minus a key player, I was told) was not as tough an opponent as Sterling. Also, the Dawgs may have missed Roddy, who was still out on Thursday (I’m assuming that was the case Saturday as well), more against the Silver Knights than they did against the Red Raiders. OK, with all that said, here goes!

In the first 8 minutes against Paulsboro, four Haddonfield players (juniors Matt Morris, Paul Ryan, and Sam Narducci and senior Teddy Bond) combined for 16 points, including 3’s by Morris, Narducci, and Bond. The Dawg defense stole the ball three times, aided in the two traveling violations that were called against the Raiders, and held them to 9 points, with the last basket by Paulsboro coming on a 3 that just rolled in ahead of the buzzer.

The first quarter at Sterling was a reversal of fortunes. Three Dawgs scored (Morris, Ryan, and Narducci) but all were on 2-pointers. The Silver Knights saw a pair of treys drop and after Ryan’s basket got the Dawgs back to within 1, 8–9, with 1:09 to go, the Knights would score the last 7 points, putting them up by 6, 16–10, as the quarter ended.

In the second quarter of both games, the team that was down after the first 8 minutes actually outscored their opponents in the next 8. In the Dawgs–Raiders game, Paulsboro came back out on the court and after getting 3 points in the first 4 minutes, had an offensive spurt in the last 4 before half, adding 12 points (including 3 3’s) to get to within 3, 24–27. Meanwhile, in those same 8 minutes, the Dawgs’ offense dropped a bit, as they only added 11 to their tally. Just three players scored (Narducci, junior Zach Langan, and Bond), and out of five baskets, only one, Bond’s, was from behind the arc.

At the Sterling game, the Dawgs “D” got really tough, and Sterling managed one basket, a floater for 2, about midway through the second quarter. The Dawgs had a lot of chances to put more than 8 points, on three baskets (a 3 by Morris and Bond and a 2 by junior Nate Rohlfing), on the board. They missed easy layups, they missed foul shots, and had some fouls called off illegal screens. In other words, even while the Dawgs pulled even, tying the Knights at 18 thanks to the 3 from Bond that bounced on the rim before rolling in at the 3:09 mark, they could have, make that should have, gotten at least a few more points on the board before halftime.

In the third quarter of the Paulsboro contest, the Dawgs really started pulling away. In 8 minutes, six players combined for 27 points, which matched the team’s total output from the first 16 minutes. Out of 11 baskets, 10 were 2-pointers. Langan hit the trey this time, and he and Rohlfing both sank two free throws.

In the third quarter at Sterling, the Dawgs missed a lot more baskets than they made. The Knights got the first 2 points of the third on a nice drive to go up 20–18 with 5:37 on the clock.  Morris’ second 3 of the game would give the Dawgs the slimmest of leads, 21–20, 30 seconds later. Sterling missed an easy layup, but Haddonfield couldn’t take advantage of it. Then on their next possession, the Knights retook the lead, 22–21, on another smooth maneuver in the paint.

This time the Dawgs had an answer, with a field goal from Ryan on a feed from Morris. After Langan pulled down a rebound under Sterling’s basket, Narducci’s jumper gave the Dawgs’ their biggest lead, 3 points, 25–22, with 3:17 left in the quarter. After Sterling came away empty-handed (netted?) at the foul line at the 2:06 mark, the Dawgs had a chance to extend their lead, also from the foul line. Neither of their shots dropped either  With just under 2 minutes to go in the third, Sterling again had free throw opportunities. This time, one of the shots dropped in, making it a 2-point, 25–23 game.

Sterling brought the match even at 25 off a steal and a field goal. After the Dawgs missed an easy 2 under the basket, they committed a shooting foul. With 58.9 left in the third, the Knights edged back in front 27–25 on 2 made foul shots. The Dawgs missed another field goal attempt, the Knights were successful, and with 29.1 on the clock, the Knights were back up by 4, 29–25. With 15.8 seconds left, the Dawgs were able to convert 2 free throws courtesy Narducci. Those would be the last points of third, and going into the 4th, the Dawgs were trailing by 2, 27–29.

The 4th quarter of the Paulsboro game, Morris, Narducci, and Bond added to their individual totals as well as their team’s, each knocking in 4. Junior Joe Tedeschi, who played in three of the four quarters, got a basket, as did junior Jack Walters, who saw some action in the last quarter. Together, they contributed 18 points. Although Paulsboro would score 17, it didn’t matter, and Haddonfield came away with a double-digit, 20-point 72–52, win.

On Thursday, the home team also put 18 points on the board in the 4th; the visitors could only muster 12. That meant that when the horn sounded, Sterling remained the only undefeated team in the Liberty Colonial Conference division, having slayed the Dawgs by 8, 47–39.

Why were there two very different outcomes in the two conference games the Dawgs played this past week? Paulsboro was missing a starter, but they also did not give Haddonfield the same difficulty on the floor that Sterling did. Sterling pressed Haddonfield, somewhat turning the tables on the Dawgs, who are used to doing that to other teams. As a result, in Thursday’s game, the Dawgs had more turnovers than they usually do. Because they were often behind, they put pressure on themselves, which led to them to take bad shots and miss ones they could have made, including from the foul line. I think it’s also noteworthy that in their 20-point victory, eight Dawgs scored from the field. Conversely, in their 8-point loss, only five Dawgs made field goals. It’s also possible the absence of Roddy threw the starters off their rhythm a bit as well.

This coming week, the Dawgs, now 6–3 overall and 4–1 in the Colonial, will look to rebound (and score more baskets!) in conference games against Lindenwold on Tuesday (away at 7:00 p.m.) and home versus Gloucester City, also at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, the team is on the road again in a nonleague game against Pemberton Township that starts at 5:30.

1/3/23 versus Paulsboro                                  1/5/23 versus Sterling

Quarter Scores                                                Quarter Scores

1st: Haddonfield, 16, Paulsboro, 9                 1st: Haddonfield 10, Sterling, 16

2nd: Haddonfield, 27, Paulsboro, 24              2nd: Haddonfield 18, Sterling, 18

3rd: Haddonfield, 54, Paulsboro, 35               3rd: Haddonfield 27, Sterling, 29

4th: Haddonfield 72, Paulsboro, 52                4th: Haddonfield 39, Sterling, 47

Player Scores                                                  Player Scores

Teddy Bond: 20                                              Matt Morris: 13

Patrick Ryan: 17                                            Patrick Ryan: 11

Matt Morris: 11                                              Sam Narducci: 10

Sam Narducci: 9                                           Teddy Bond: 3

Zach Langan: 9                                             Nate Rohlfing: 2

Nate Rohlfing: 2

Joe Tedeschi: 2

Jack Walters: 2

Boys’ Basketball: The Haddons showcase

By Lauree Padgett Exclusive to Haddonfield[got]Today

I finally was able to go back to live and in-person viewing of Dawgs basketball to see the Haddonfield boys host the Pioneers of Clearview Regional on Tuesday, 12/27 and the Eagles of Egg Harbor Township on Thursday, 12/29. As a result, I thought my issues with scoring anomalies would be put to rest … Well, not quite.

Clearview Regional High School vs. Haddonfield, 12/27/22

I got to the gym in time to see the exciting end of the girls matchup against Rancocas Valley Regional High School. When I looked at the scoreboard, the Lady Dawgs were down by 2, and got down by 3 before coming back to seal the 34–31 win from the foul line.

The  boys started their game with 2 points off an offensive rebound from junior Patrick Ryan, but the Pioneers got a 3 to roll in and then after the Dawgs lost the ball at the other end out of bounds, a foul sent the Pioneers to the free throw line, where both shots were made. This gave them a 5–2 edge at the 6:11 mark.

Junior Daire Roddy, on a feed from Ryan, who had picked off the ball, made it 4–5, and the next time down the court, Ryan picked up another assist after junior Sam Narducci went up and in. His bucket put the Dawgs on top 6–5 with 5 and change left in the first quarter.

A basket by the Pioneers gave them back a 1-point, 7–6, edge with 4:41. However, that would be the last time the Pioneers would be in front for the rest of the game. Ryan took the ball in for a basket, making it 8­–7, Haddonfield, and good pressure by the Dawgs on the other end enabled Roddy to pick off the ball. That resulted in a 3 by Narducci, and with 4:18 on the clock, the Dawgs were up by 4, 11–7. Clearview would only get one more basket in the next 3  minutes, while the Dawgs added 2-pointers by Roddy, junior Zack Langan, and senior Teddy Bond. The quarter ended with another 3 by Narducci, which gave the Dawgs an 11-point, 20–9, lead. Clearview got the last bucket of the quarter, however, on a nice move in the paint, but was still trailing by 9, 11–20, going into the next 8 minutes of play.

The Pioneers began the 2nd quarter as they did the first, with a 2-pointer, bringing them back to within 7, 13–20, at the 7:29 mark. After Haddonfield committed an offensive foul to turn the ball back over to Clearview, Bond blocked a shot, and Roddy followed with his third 2 of the half, putting the Dawgs’ lead back to 9, 22–13, with 6:40 to go. After Clearview failed to score, good work under the Dawgs’ basket gave the team a second scoring opportunity, and Ryan’s shot dropped, pushing the Dawgs’ lead back to double digits, 24–13, with 5:32 until the half.

Neither team scored for their next few possessions, and then with 4:01 on the clock, the Dawgs got another offensive board, this time from junior Nate Rohlfing, who then put the ball up and in. This made it 26–13, Haddonfield. He then got a blocked shot at the other end, and when the Pioneers inbounded, Roddy had a near steal, but the ball went out of bounds. Rohlfing got another blocked shot, and under the Haddonfield basket pulled down another board. After Clearview picked up a foul, this sent Narducci to the foul line.

Narducci’s first shot went in, making it 27–14 with 3:34 on the clock. His second went in and … it was still 27–14. I was sure I had missed something. Perhaps a ref called a foot foul or a Haddonfield player moved before Narducci’s shot went off? Our play-by-play man, Mark Hershberger, did not indicate anything unusual happened, so I put a big ?? in my notepad and took another look at the scoreboard after junior Matt Morris got 2 on an assist from Narducci. Yep. It now had the Dawgs on top 29–13 …

A 2 from Rohlfing and 3’s by Narducci and Bond finished the scoring for the Dawgs in the quarter. The Pioneers got one more basket in between, and when the teams left the court for halftime, the Dawgs were boasting a 22-point lead, 37–15.

It was pretty crowded in the gym, so I did not attempt to cross over to ask about that one Narducci foul shot, but I did make sure when the third quarter began that it still wasn’t showing on the board. It wasn’t …

The Dawgs got 21 points in both the third and fourth quarters, holding the Pioneers to 8 points in the third. In the third, Ryan, Roddy, and Bond each had two buckets, and Ryan added a foul shot (that counted!) after one of his field goals. Narducci had a 2 sandwiched between a pair of 3’s.

In the fourth, Clearview did manage to reach double digits, 11, in scoring,  but it didn’t really matter as far as the outcome went. Haddonfield’s 4th quarter points all came from players who hadn’t started the game. Morris had a 3 and a 2; Rohlfing added 2 more baskets, as did freshman Mike Douglas. (Did that make anyone else start humming the theme from My Three Sons or did I just really date myself?) Juniors Joe Tedeschi, Jack Walters, and Phil McFillin each knocked down a 3, and McFillin added 1 from the foul line.

When the horn sounded, the Dawgs had triumphed by 45, 79–34, and definitely sent the Pioneers packing. It also improved the Dawgs’ record to 5–0 for the season. Eleven players contributed to the Dawgs’ total.

Quarter Scores:

1st: Haddonfield 20, Clearview, 11

2nd: Haddonfield 37, Clearview, 15

3rd: Haddonfield 58, Clearview, 23

4th: Haddonfield 79, Clearview, 34

Player Scoring:

Sam Narducci: 21*

Patrick Ryan: 11

Daire Roddy: 10

Teddy Bond: 8

Matt Morris: 8

Nate Rohlfing: 8

Phil McFillin: 4

Joe Tedeschi: 3

Jack Walters: 3

Zach Langan: 2

Mike Douglas: 2

* If any of you checked my arithmetic (and you really should; just ask Michael Steinberger, who would never let me keep score when we played gin rummy), you may have caught that the points listed above actually total 80, not 79. Here’s why. Because I was so flummoxed about that foul shot that seemed good but didn’t get recorded on the scoreboard, I went back and watched the stream of the game to see what I missed. After I confirmed that both shots had gone in, I emailed Dawg coach Paul Wiedeman. It turns out, he had discovered the same discrepancy when he went over the team stats. He explained that while the final score had to remain 79–34, Narducci still gets credited with both foul shots. That’s why the team score adds up to 80, not 79. I should also note, to protect his sterling (ahem) reputation, that the Dawgs’ usual scoreboard operator, Jeff Holman, was not manning it during this game.

Egg Harbor Township vs. Haddonfield, 12/29/22

At some point after I printed out the initial scheduled, the Dawgs’ opponents in the second Showcase game changed from Woodrow Wilson to Egg Harbor. I found out from talking to Mark Hershberger after the game that going into the contest, the Dawgs had been ranked 11 to the Eagles’ 7 in the South Jersey Top 20. I was also reminded just now as I’m reviewing my scorebook how much points can be affected by the number of players involved in the tally. In the first Showcase, as I noted, 11 players put points on the board on the way to Haddonfield’s rout of Clearview. In this game, only four players out of the eight who were on the court scored. You might be able to see where this is going …

The first 8 minutes of the game went well for Haddonfield. Sam Narducci drove for 2 buckets in the paint, and Teddy Bond connected for a pair of treys. And although the Eagles, a very athletic group of players, were getting second-chance offensive boards, Egg Harbor was still down by 6, 10–4, going into the second quarter.

Unfortunately, during the next 24 minutes, the Dawgs would end up on the downside of the quarter scores. In the second quarter, the Eagles put 10 on the board, while the Dawgs struggled and only scored 2 baskets, a 2 by Patrick Ryan and a 3 by Narducci. Still, the Dawgs were up by 1, 15–14, going into the half.

Patrick Ryan accounted for 11 of the Dawgs’ third period points, with four field goals and 3 foul shots. (He so far is proving to be a very reliable shooter from the free throw line.) The Dawgs also got a 3 from Narducci. This meant that going into the deciding quarter, the game was knotted at 29.

The Dawgs had chances in the 4th to tie the game after the Eagles scored the first 5 points, but never quite made the needed plays. A few times after keeping their opponents from scoring, the Dawgs lost possession due to traveling violations. After a second “walk” was called against Haddonfield, Ryan got the ball back with a steal, but the Dawgs lost it on an out-of-bounds call. Egg Harbor then responded with a 3 off an offensive board with 1:44 left in the game. That seemed like the proverbial dagger, as it gave them a 6-point, 37–31, lead. However Daire Roddy responded with a 3 to make it a one possession, 34–37, game at the 1:29 mark.

The Eagles shifted into stall ball. The Dawgs had some fouls to give, as time whittled off the clock. After the third foul was called on Haddonfield during this Eagles’ possession, with the clock down to 54.1, Egg Harbor maneuvered a wide open player under the bucket and got an easy 2 to push the lead up to 5, 39–34. That was the last bucket of the quarter and the game, as the Eagles doubled the Dawgs’ output in the final 8 minutes, 10 to 5. Aside from Roddy’s 3, he also drove in the paint for a basket and Ryan netted 2 more from the foul line.

Quarter Scores:

1st: Haddonfield 10, Egg Harbor Township, 5

2nd: Haddonfield 15, Egg Harbor Township, 14

3rd: Haddonfield 29, Egg Harbor Township, 29

4th: Haddonfield 34, Egg Harbor Township, 39

Player Scoring:

Patrick Ryan: 13

Sam Narducci: 10

Teddy Bond: 6

Daire Roddy: 5

Still in all, after six games, the Dawgs are 5–1 and are still undefeated in the Colonial Conference (3–0). The Dawgs resume conference play the week of 1/2, hosting the Red Raiders of Paulsboro on 1/3 for a 7:00 p.m. game and traveling down Warwick Road to play the Silver Knights of Sterling on 1/5 at 5:30. Saturday, 1/7, the Dawgs will have a non-conference game against Hammonton High School at Holy Spirit, a game scheduled to tip off at 1 p.m. (I hope I won’t get in “Trouble” for this, but I’ll miss this matchup, as I’ll be up in New York City that day watching Hugh Jackman in The Music Man.)

Boys’ Basketball: A 4-0 start to the season

By Lauree Padgett Exclusive to Haddonfield[got]Today

Except for the game versus BCIT Westampton that took place at Cherokee High School on Dec. 17, which went into overtime before Teddy Bond’s 3 sent the Dawgs home with an exciting 48–45 win, the Haddonfield boys basketball team has been downright stingy with points given up. In the team’s three other games, opponents scored 18, 24, and 34 points total. But I’m getting ahead of myself …

My plan going into this season was to provide box scores when able and to pick one game per week to write up at length. (Now that I’ve hit 61, I don’t have the vim and vigor I did back in the Zoubek or the DePersia eras. My hope is that by cutting down on the hours spent per week trying to decipher my handwriting on my notepad, where I scribble the play-by-play of each game, or making sure all the points I’ve marked on my scorebook add up before I actually start to write up each game, I won’t wear out before the playoffs.)

That being said, I must admit that my plan has already gone a bit off-course. During the first game of the year at Haddon Heights on 12/15, I let my guard down, so to speak, and forgot to put my mask on (although I’m fully vaxed and boosted, I wear masks indoors where there are crowds). That’s how COVID was “passed” onto me and why I did not get to the next three games in person. Luckily, the home Haddon Township game on 12/20 and the away matchup versus West Deptford were streamed, so I was able to watch both games, even if I didn’t see both of them “live.” (Note that all home Haddonfield boys and girls games are streamed live and can also be watched at any time after the fact on the school’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=haddonfield+basketball)

Before the Heights game, I emailed Paul Wiedeman, who is entering his 24th season (!!) as Haddonfield’s head coach (and through the 2021–22 season has won 81% of his games with a jaw-dropping record of 532–130). Since only one player, senior Teddy Bond, had a lot of time on the court last year, I asked Wiedeman if he viewed this season as a rebuilding one. His response surprised me. “I am very optimistic about this season. We have a skilled team that is highly connected with good size and who play very hard. The team looked good in scrimmages.”

As usual, the coach knew what he was talking about. Since the most exciting game was the one I couldn’t attend in person or stream online, I’m going to provide short summaries of the games I was able to watch as well as the box scores.

Haddonfield at Haddon Heights, 12/15/22

These matchups are always a bit heated on and off the court. The opposing fans don’t like each other and the players on both teams hate to lose to their longtime Colonial Conference rival. However, from the outset, when junior Zach Langan went up and in for 2 off a feed by fellow junior Daire Roddy to score the Dawgs’ first basket of the season and the game, Haddonfield was pretty much in control. After 8 minutes, Haddonfield was ahead by 8, 13–5. By halftime, it was 20–10. In the second half, the Garnets could only manage 8 points against a defense that wasn’t letting them get many shots off, let alone offensive boards. When the final buzzer sounded, the Dawgs had won by 28, 46–18.

There were a lot of new faces and names to align with jersey numbers, which was a bit of a challenge. After the game, I told my travel buddy I was most impressed with guard Matt Morris and forward Patrick Ryan, both juniors, who finished with 12 and 10 points, respectively, but also played well on both ends of the floor.

Quarter Scores:

1st: Haddonfield 13, Haddon Heights 8

2nd: Haddonfield 20, Haddon Heights 10

3rd: Haddonfield 32, Haddon Heights 15

4th: Haddonfield 46, Haddon Heights 18

Player Scoring:

Matt Morris: 12

Patrick Ryan: 10

Sam Narducci: 7

Zach Langan: 5

Joe Tedeschi: 5

Nate Rohlfing: 4

Teddy Bond: 3

Haddonfield vs. BCIT-Westhampton at Cherokee, 12/17/22

This was the game I missed altogether, as I stayed home and could not find it online. I did get the box score from NJ.com. Here are a few of the stats I wrote down. Patrick Ryan led all Dawgs with 15 points and was followed by Teddy Bond, who had 11. Three of Bond’s buckets, including the winning shot, were treys. Sam Narducci grabbed eight rebounds, and Ryan secured four. The team collected 13 steals, and no one hogged the ball, as of their 48 points, 17 baskets came off of assists.

It was definitely a tight game. The Dawgs were down by 2, 10–12, after the first quarter. By the half, BCIT-Westhampton had pushed its lead up to 5, 21–16. In the second half, the Dawgs inched back, putting 12 on the board in the 3rd to BCIT’s 11, and in the 4th, outscoring them by 4, 14–10, forcing OT. In those extra 4 minutes, Haddonfield put up 6 to BCIT’s 3, capped by Bond’s 3 to break the 42–42 tie.

Haddon Township at Haddonfield, 12/20/22

I streamed this game after the fact, as I wanted to be more awake than COVID had me feeling at 7 p.m. Tuesday night. I have to say it was one of the weirdest games I’ve seen in quite a while. The final score, which I checked on before I actually watched the game, really did not tell the story of what happened on the court for 32 minutes. It was a game the Dawgs won by 30, 54–24, and though it sounded like it was a four-quarter blowout, that wasn’t the case.

Here’s why. While the Dawgs scored 10 points to the Hawks’ 5 (and all five Haddonfield starters contributed to those 10 points) in the first quarter, the Hawks came back and outscored the Dawgs by 2, putting up 8 points to Haddonfield’s 6, in the second 8 minutes. So at halftime, the Dawgs were only leading by 3, 16–13.

In the third quarter, thanks to 3’s by Sam Narducci, who also had a pair of 2-pointers, Daire Roddy, and Joe Tedeschi, the Dawgs were able to hit a double-digit lead, and were ahead by 10, 31–21 going into the last 8 minutes of play. That’s when things got crazy. Not only did the Dawgs’ defense hold the Hawks to 3 points, coming on a basket and a foul shot at the 7:09 mark, Haddonfield poured in 23 points of their own—more than they scored total (16) in the first half.

Matt Morris and Roddy each hit a 3; Teddy Bond nailed 2 of them. Morris also had 4 points on drives into the paint. Bond scored under the net as well, and Patrick Ryan added 2. Zach Langan put up 3 on a basket and a foul shot. So when the game was over, Haddonfield had beaten Haddon Township by 30, 545–24. But the match didn’t hit blowout status until that final quarter.

Quarter Scores

1st: Haddonfield 10, Haddon Township 5

2nd: Haddonfield 16, Haddon Township 13

3rd: Haddonfield 31, Haddon Township 21

4th: Haddonfield 54, Haddon Township 24

Player Scoring:

Teddy Bond: 12

Sam Narducci: 11

Matt Morris: 9

Daire Roddey: 9

Patrick Ryan: 6

Zach Langan: 3

Joe Tedeschi: 3

Nate Rohlfing: 1

Haddonfield at West Deptford, December 22, 2022

This game I was happy to watch as it was being live-streamed from the home of Eagles. But I think it proved more challenging to me at my computer as I tried to keep stats than it did to the Dawgs on the court. Let me explain …

The feed from West Deptford’s gym was spotty. It would freeze, and instead of picking up where it had stopped, it would restart live. So, if the feed froze for a second, that wasn’t too bad, but if it froze for 5 seconds, I would see that the score had changed and if I had missed a Haddonfield basket, I was left to wonder who had made it. All I knew for sure at the end of the first quarter was that the Dawgs—not necessarily which ones—had knocked in 28 points to the Eagles’ 8. In the second quarter, none of the stream freezes occurred during a Haddonfield basket, so I was pretty sure who had scored the 13 points the Dawgs had added. While 13 was almost half of what Haddonfield had put up in the first quarter, sine West Deptford only managed 6 points, it still meant that when the teams left for the locker rooms at halftime, the Dawgs had a sizable, 41–14, advantage.

With the streaming issues seemingly resolved, I was hoping for a good second half from my end. But when I looked at the score shown in the corner of the feed within what I thought was the first minute of the third, I realized it said 48–14, when I still had the score as 42–14. Apparently, more than 2 minutes had been clipped from the game and I really had no idea what had happened. When the period ended, the Dawgs were cruising, 58–16, having held the poor Eagles to 2 points over those 8 minutes. What didn’t help my confusion was that the announcers had credited the wrong Haddonfield player with more 3’s than he actually had made …

In the last quarter, the Dawgs continued their scoring barrage. Players off the bench accounted for 10 of the team’s 25. Junior Phil McFillin scored 8 on a pair of 3’s and a basket; sophomore Lear Fuller got a bucket, as did freshman Mike Douglas. The Eagles finally started landing some baskets in the net, adding 18 points, but it was all for naught, as the Dawgs were a point shy of whipping them by 50, with the final score 83–34.

The next morning, I got the player scores from Paul Wiedeman, explaining that some gaps in the streaming had left me holding the short end of the scorebook. Then I did something that would have amazed my HMHS algebra II teacher F. T. “Bud” Stack, who advised me after I barely passed his class, “Quit [math] while you’re behind.” I used an algebraic equation to figure out who got the missing points in the first and third quarters. It took several attempts, as all the scribbled out numbers on the scorepad will attest, but I finally made it all add up. Sam Narducci, with 13 points in the first and  8 in the second (and finishing with 5 treys) was high scorer with 21. Teddy Bond, with six treys and a foul shot, was right behind him with 19. Patrick Ryan, who scored 4 from the field and was 4–4 from the foul line, added 12.

Quarter Scores:

1st: Haddonfield 28, West Deptford 8

2nd: Haddonfield 41, West Deptford 14

3rd: Haddonfield 58, West Deptford 16

4th: Haddonfield 83, West Deptford 34

Player Scoring:

Sam Narducci: 21

Teddy Bond: 19

Patrick Ryan: 12

Phil McFillin: 8

Matt Morris: 7

Daire Roddy: 6

Zach Langan: 6

Lear Fuller: 2

Mike Douglas: 2

The Dawgs are hosting the Haddon Showcase the week of Christmas break, with both the girls and boys playing on 12/27 and 12/29. You can read about the boys games soon! (Confession: The 12/27 game has already happened …)

Alumni Society Awards 2022

During its annual meeting on Saturday, November 26, the  Haddonfield Alumni Society will present four former students and two teachers with Lifetime Achievement Awards. 

The recipients are:

  • Joanne Connor ’88, educator
  • Joel Cooperman ’71, accountant
  • Megan Mascena Gaspar ’85, film and television producer
  • Sharon Hilgen Willis ’84, biochemist
  • Mary Hall, Tatem teacher
  • Debra Licorish, former Tatem and Middle School teacher

Biographies of the recipients follow:

Joanne Connor ‘88 graduated from Saint Joseph’s University majoring in Spanish and studying abroad at La Universidad Iberoamericano. She earned her M.A. and her Ph. D. in Education from Rowan University.

Joanne began her professional career as a k-12 educator at the Y.A.L.E. School serving as a teacher and school principal. In 2010, she became the Coordinator of the Doctoral Program in Education at Rowan where she assumed myriad responsibilities including budget management, recruitment, advising, program evaluation, staffing and curriculum review and development.   

Over the next year Joanne served as the Assistant Dean of the College of Education overseeing the Office of Field Experience, a critical role in which she ensured the placement of hundreds of pre-service teachers in school districts so they could gain professional expertise before graduation. 

In 2012, Joanne was appointed Executive Assistant to the President. She managed the day-to-day functions of the Office of the President, Board of Trustees relations, oversaw Board of Trustees meetings, served on search committees for key University hires, and worked across divisions to solve urgent matters involving students, parents, community and other external constituents. 

In 2015, she was named the President’s Chief of Staff and Board of Trustees Liasion.  Her new responsibilities included serving as a confidential advisor to the President, representing the President at meetings and other functions, overseeing Presidential projects and committees, working closely with legislators, business partners and other external constituents, managing personnel matters of the President’s direct reports, and overseeing Human Resources, Audit and Compliance, Government Affairs, Public Safety and University Events.

In addition to the extensive responsibilities cited above, Dr. Connor has provided extraordinary service to the University.  She taught four different courses at the Master and Doctoral levels and also served on more than 22 different university committees.  She has been an Emissary to Select Greater Philadelphia, a Steering Committee member of that organization, and the Chair and Institutional Representative to Rowan University’s ACE Women’s Network

Among her awards and recognition are the following:  SJ Biz’s Women to Watch (2018), Gloucester County Woman of Achievement (2018), Keynote Speaker at NAWBO Annual Meeting (2018), Judge Miss America Competition Scholarship Awards (2018, 2021), Gloucester County Boy Scouts Council Woman of Achievement Award (2021).

* * * * * 

Joel Cooperman ‘71 attended Fairleigh Dickinson University earning his BS in accounting.  He joined the Certified Public Accounting Firm, Richard A. Eisner, in 1975.   In 1979, Joel and his colleague, Niles Citrin, decided to strike out on their own.  He and his partner worked out of an apartment in New York City before getting an office.  While economically this was less than the best time to be setting out on his own, Joel’s upbeat attitude, mindset and vision would take the organization far beyond his wildest dreams.

Niles Citrin, Joel’s partner for 43 years, shared these insights.  “Joel is a natural born leader with an excellent sense of business, and a head for negotiating deals.  In our early years, Joel’s ability to connect with people and gain their trust was invaluable. To branch out on our own we obviously needed clients.  Joel was working with some high-profile rock and roll bands at our prior firm.  Those bands had come to rely on Joel’s expertise and decided to give us a chance.”

The rock bands, “The Who” and “Yes” helped the fledging firm get off the ground.

Today, Citrin Cooperman has over 1500 partners and staff, in some 16 offices in the USA and 1 in India. They are the 20th largest CPA firm in the USA out of approximately 45,000. Their 2021 revenue exceeded $350 million.    Joel has been a leader and industry icon in the accounting profession for over 4 decades. So impressive have his accomplishments in the 45,000 CPA firm accounting industry been that Citrin Cooperman remains the fastest growing, first-generation firm in the entire country!

Allen Kotlin, Joel’s colleague for over twenty years writes, “Among the most admired leaders in our profession by his peers, Joel “sets the bar” when it comes to innovation, thought leadership, exceptional client service, growing talent into partners and future leaders, and support for the communities he serves. As amazing as that might sound, even more impressive are his personal traits and values. I have never met a leader who is referred to by many of his partners as “dad” – he cares about every person in his firm whether they work there or are 

a family member of someone at the firm. The stories about him are legendary in terms of his love and passion for his people and their families.”

Joel is devoted to his family.  He is married to Christine and together they have three children, David, Jeff and Marisa and four grandchildren, Wyatt, Chase, Archer and Olivia.

* * * * *

Megan Mascena Gaspar ‘85 attended Emerson College earning a BS degree in television production in 1989.  After college, Megan headed to LA intent on working in television or film. She found her niche working in post-production on the popular series, JAG. Megan lauded the experience at JAG, “It was like doing a mini movie every week – these episodes were big for the time. We were one of the first shows to shoot in high definition and use extensive stock footage. There were a lot of visual effects and stunts. JAG was one of the last shows to use a full orchestra for its score. It was an amazing and supportive learning ground.”

Megan spent thirteen years serving in various production roles with JAG. She began as an Assistant Production Coordinator in 1995 and moved through the ranks of Post-Production Coordinator, Associate Producer and Co-Producer. Her work entailed all elements from pre- through post-production: Breaking down scripts, budgeting, scheduling, hiring, supervising, editorial, sound work, picture work, visual effects, final color and the final mix

After her success with JAG, Megan moved on to produce twenty-four more pilots and series including “New Girl”, Speechless, Single Parents, Bless this Mess, and The Wonder Years. She also produced the independent film, 2 Minutes Later and the short film, Will You. This past year, she was one of the producers of the highly acclaimed series, The Dropout, which was nominated for an Emmy Award and a Television Critics Award as the Outstanding Drama Limited Series. 

Megan has left her mark on the television and film community in other ways as well. She is deeply involved with the Producers Guild of America having served six years on the AP Council Board of Delegates including three years as Chairperson. She has also served six years on the National Board of Directors of the Producer’s Guild and two more years as Chair of the Education Committee. In 2022, she was presented with the prestigious Charles FitzSimmon Award, which recognizes her outstanding work and commitment to the guild. 

Megan and her family love spending time together, whether on their front porch greeting neighbors or on their back deck enjoying the outdoors. Disappointingly, due to recent tree growth, they’ve lost their birds-eye view of the famous Hollywood sign. Suffice it to say they make do enjoying guacamole and margaritas made with avocados, lemons and limes picked from the trees in their yard. 

* * * * *

Sharon Hilgen Willis ’84 earned her undergraduate degree at Gettysburg College and her Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  She returned home to be a post-doctoral scientist with Dr. Roselyn Eisenberg. Dr. Eisenberg was a microbiologist who served on the faculty at Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine.   Working in Dr. Eisenberg’s lab, Sharon furthered the understanding of the herpes complex virus by discovering the virus’s cellular receptor structure. 

With Dr. Benjamin Doranz, Ph. D., MBA, Sharon co-founded Integral Molecular, a research-driven biotechnology company. Starting in 2001, they grew from a two-person team, renting a chemistry bench, to a company with over 110 employees. Integral Molecular is considered “the industry leader in membrane protein solutions,” contributing to the advancement of viral science, including screening, immunizations, and antibody production. Integral Molecular played a vital role during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing foundational standardized products to viral testing and drug development companies.

Integral Molecular has Sharon’s DNA built into its foundation. From working to raise some of the initial funds to start the company, helping to build a lab from scratch, developing new products and processes, leading the sales and marketing teams, and providing leadership and direction to the entire company, Sharon has done it all. 

Sharon’s role has shifted from lead scientist to her current role as VP of Sales and Customer Relations, where she functions “as a science ambassador and mentor.” She is committed to helping train the next generation of scientists: as an adjunct professor at Drexel University, and by organizing company participation in student and community outreach engagements, including the Wistar Biomedical Technical Training Program, the West Philadelphia Workforce Development Initiative, and FirstHand STEM learning initiatives.  Her commitment to workforce development in Philadelphia is enabling individuals from underserved communities to find a path to working in biotech.

Sharon resides in Strafford, Pennsylvania with her husband, Dave and their dog, Belle.  Their two adult children, Claudia and Natalie, both live and work in Philadelphia. Sharon enjoys time with family and friends, traveling, and reading Danielle Steele books on vacations, which, as we all know, “Everyone in America reads!”  

* * * * *

Mary Hall is a 1996, magna cum laude graduate of Immaculata University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and certification in early childhood and elementary education.  She received a Masters in Education from Wilmington University in 2015.

Mary began her educational career in 1996 at Fairview Elementary School in Fairfax County, Virginia where she taught second and third grades.  In 2000, she came to Tatem School.  Over her 22 years at Tatem, Mary was like a most valuable player. She took on every assignment and taught every elementary grade except kindergarten. Mary taught summer school for seven years, supervised Safety Patrol and led the district-wide summer enrichment program. 

Ms. Karen Schulz, retired Principal at Tatem school noted that, “When Mary arrived in the district, she quickly became known as a teacher leader, someone to look to for progressive practices. She piloted new programs, worked on curriculum committees and proved herself as an innovative and hard-working professional.”  Mary’s leadership of professional development activities at the school, district and state level have been exceptional including co-leading and developing an inquiry- based group on differentiated instruction, leading staff development on discovery education, student-led conferences, gifted and talented education, co-teaching, math centers, presenting various NJEA workshops and mentoring and supervising student teachers from four different universities. 

Mary’s service to the school and district has included work on multiple committees including district writing, district math, Supervisor and team leader of the science audit committee, principal advisory, technology advisory, report card, principal selection and teacher interview committees.  Dr. Colleen Murray, former Director of Curriculum commented on her service in these teacher-leadership roles, “She understands the complex nature of teaching and learning, takes responsibility for shared goal-setting and implementation and has a confident assertiveness that commands respect from everyone…her sheer drive and organizational mindset make her a true asset to the district.”

Very deservingly, Mary has been recognized in the recent past with the Sallie Mae Teacher of the Year nomination and was nominated for the Governor’s Teacher of the Year award in 2021-22.   

Mary resides in Chesterfield, NJ with her husband Kris and her children, Ethan and Audrey who are students at Northern Burlington High School.  When her schedule allows, Mary loves to read, travel and especially spend time at the beach with her family.  

* * * * *

Debra Licorish was a 1997, Summa Cum Laude graduate of Rowan University majoring in psychology and elementary education.  That fall she began teaching at Tatem Elementary where for 14 years she created a rich learning environment for fifth graders and served as the After School Mathematics ISP teacher and the Extended School Year Teacher. 

Debra, a highly talented teacher, understood that the best way to be great was to keep improving at your craft every day.   She was always willing to take on new challenges and work at growing professionally.  Only two years into the profession, she served as a mentor to a new teacher.  For four years she served as the district chairperson for the Elementary Math Curriculum project.  She was responsible for leading the selection, pilot study, and implementation of a new math curriculum across all three elementary schools.  Deb also served Tatem and the district as a science curriculum pilot teacher, a pilot teacher for Student Led Conferencing and as a cooperating teacher for student teachers.  She served on several interview committees for new faculty and administrators and on the HEA negotiating team. 

In addition to availing herself of these professional growth opportunities, she served the Tatem community as the Fifth Grade Garden Club Facilitator, co-director of the school play and the Family Arts and Creativity Project Developer.   

In 2011, Debra moved to the middle school to serve as the Technology teacher. She wrote and implemented an Advanced Technology class for HMS students.  She moderated the student Tech Club, introduced 3D printing to HMS, served on the district technology committee, mentored a beginning teacher, and led professional development in classroom technology skills for her district colleagues. 

She has been recognized for her excellence in the past.  She was nominated for a Disney Teacher Award in 2005 and received the BSD Education Care Award in 2021.  Debra was recognized for her resilience by the CARE awards who “describe candidates in the category as always willing to start again and learn from challenges…they show a hunger to continue to improve.” 

Deb recently retired and now resides in West Virginia fulfilling a lifelong dream “ to grow and be a farmer”.  She is spending her days learning how to operate a tractor, tending her gardens and enjoying the beauty of her West Virginia homestead. 

School Board Election 2022: Candidate Q&A

An election for members of the Haddonfield Board of Education will be held on Tue Nov 8, concurrent with the General Election. 

The board has nine elected members, each of whom is elected for a three-year term. Three members are elected each year. Two current members whose terms are ending – Jaime Grookett (board president) and Linda Hochgertel (vice president) – are seeking to be re-elected. The other member whose term is ending – David Seidell – will not be seeking a new term.

Since only one other candidate – Greg Esemplare – filed a petition, he, Grookett, and Hochgertel will be elected unopposed.

Also, there will be a Special Election for the remaining year of the term of a former member who resigned. Two candidates filed petitions for that seat: Mark Cartella and Michael Nuckols.

l Mark graduated from Drexel with a degree in Engineering. He’s VP of Development at Alterra Property Group and a head coach for Haddonfield Youth Wrestling. Mark has two sons and two daughters who attend Central. He enjoys fishing with his sons, daddy-daughter dates, and sushi dinners with his wife. 

Mike is a long-time resident whose two sons have gone through Haddonfield public schools from K-12 (Jack, Class of ’21; Alex is a junior). He is an award-winning writer who has worked in marketing for over 25 years. You can read about Mike’s adventures in parenting andbaseball at NuckolBall.com.

Haddonfield Today posed five questions to these candidates.

Q1. Motivation to Run: Why do you want to serve on the Board of Education? Are there specific issues that motivated you to run?

MARK CARTELLA: My motivation for running for the Board can be summed up by my campaign’s slogan: “For Families. For Teachers. For Haddonfield.”  

The Haddonfield School District has done an amazing job of making their curriculum transparent once it’s fully developed. That said, I’d like to see that level of transparency also applied to the curricula’s development and application in the classroom, giving all parents and guardians more opportunity for meaningful contribution.

As a son of two NJ educators, I believe teaching is arguably society’s greatest profession. Teachers and administrators must be respected, properly resourced, and appropriately compensated. Unfortunately, teachers and administrators alike have been leaving the profession at an alarming rate. Over a half million teachers have quit the profession in the last two years, leaving school districts across the country struggling to find qualified replacements. Of all areas impacted, none were more severe than math, science, and special education.  Teachers deserve better. I believe there’s an opportunity for Haddonfield to serve as a model district within the state, to support our teachers better, and stop the hemorrhaging. We must recruit, retain, and train the brightest and best. Our students deserve it.

  Haddonfield would not be the exceptional town it is without its public school system. It’s critical that Haddonfield continue to build upon its legacy of excellence in education in an ever more competitive world, with equal opportunity for all its residents from different walks of life, backgrounds, and upbringings.  

MICHAEL NUCKOLS: My mother was the president of the Board of Education in the town where I was raised. Once a week someone would come to our door looking for help. Bus drivers, teachers, usually parents. And my mom would go to bat for every single one of them. I grew up seeing the incredible impact she had on the people in our community. She is the reason I’m running.

I’ve wanted to serve on the Haddonfield board for years, but I’ve always had a commute that was an hour plus. With the pandemic, I now work from home, so I’m ready and eager to dive in and serve.

As a long-time resident of Haddonfield whose kids have gone through the district from K to 12, I’m excited about the possibility of doing my part for our community as a member of the Board.

Q2. Referendum: The district is planning a bond referendum for early 2023. Do you have a position on the referendum generally? Did you participate in any of the community planning sessions held in 2022? Are there specific projects you are in favor of, or opposed to? 

MARK CARTELLA: The bond referendum is necessary for the long-term sustainability and viability of our facilities and programs. From first-class buildings and fields to full-day kindergarten, an early-learning center, and redevelopment of the former Bancroft site, the list of initiatives in the community is long.  With resources always being finite, I look forward, if elected, to working with the town and all of its stakeholders to responsibly and sustainably deploy the capital that is raised.

MICHAEL NUCKOLS: My General Position – This referendum is a huge opportunity for our community. It’s our chance to set Haddonfield Schools up to excel for the next decade. But to get it right, we need the entire community engaged. We need to be debating and sharing ideas and making sure we are getting the absolute most out of our investment.

My Participation in Community Sessions – I have participated in visioning sessions and watched all the presentations on the referendum. They’ve been informative – but attendance has been low. 

My Priorities for the Referendum – My priorities are simple: classroom space and athletic fields.

If we don’t act, we’re going to have classes taught in trailers and dozens of kids told they can’t participate in sports. And that’s the last thing we want. That will compromise our national rankings, our ability to recruit teachers, and the quality of the education we provide.

Which brings me back to community engagement. The past referendum with the Bancroft property did not have community buy-in, and it failed. That’s where I can bring essential value to the board: Communication.

As a skilled communications professional, I’d like to help make sure the community is hearing from the board and the board is hearing from the community on every step of the referendum. I’d like everyone to feel invested in the direction we choose – and together we move forward as one Haddonfield. 

Q3. Curriculum: Over the past few years there has been a focus on social and emotional learning (SEL) initiatives in the Haddonfield curriculum. This year, aspects of the health education curriculum have been debated at board meetings. As a board member, how would you approach these issues?

MARK CARTELLA: As a board member, I would work to engage parents/guardians and residents alike not only to foster but also to integrate their input, producing approaches to these issues rich in diversity of thought, representation, and inclusion. 

MICHAEL NUCKOLS: There’s a lot of good discussion about our social and emotional learning (SEL) initiative (RULER is the current curriculum), and that dialogue is fueling us to modernize our approach and get even better results. But if you look at the recent spike in the incidents of harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB), you can see just how much our kids missed our SEL curriculum were learning remotely. 

The health curriculum has drawn a lot of attention, but I think much of that is taken out of context. I also think there is some deliberate misinformation being spread from outside our community to try and create conflict. And all of this is overshadowing any legitimate concerns people have.

Which brings me back to the need for more effective communication between the board and the community. Clear communication will contextualize the controversy, find sensible common ground, and make sure our curriculum is the best it possibly can be.

Q4. Unexpired Term: Since you are running for the final year of an unexpired term, you will have little time, if elected, to learn about the role of a school board member, to become familiar with the workings of this particular board, and to commit to running for a full three-year term. 

Whether or not you are elected in November 2022, will it be your intention to seek a full term on the board in November 2023? 

What experience or qualities do you have that will enable you to hit the ground running in January 2023?

MARK CARTELLA: I agree the remaining year in the unexpired term is not a lot of time to achieve all my platform’s objectives. However, I’ve attended almost every BOE meeting (in-person or virtually) over the last year.  I’m intimately familiar with the challenges the BOE is facing, and if elected will require little time to commence my platform’s initiatives. Accordingly, I am committed to seeing those initiatives through no matter the number of terms necessary.

MICHAEL NUCKOLS: To prepare for the job, I’ve attended almost every board meeting over the past year and read every policy on the board website. I’ve met with multiple board members, parents from all three elementary schools, parents from the special needs community, and some teachers. Plus, I’ve been through the system from K to 12 with my own kids.

If elected, I am 100% committed to running for a full three-year term. If I’m not elected, I’ll probably run again. My kids have benefited greatly from Haddonfield Schools, and I am committed to giving back. 

Q5. Platform: Are there specific policies or practices you would hope to influence during your year in office?

MARK CARTELLA: Coming out of these past two very difficult years, I’d like to see a refocus, reevaluation, and recalibration of curricula, particularly in STEM, coding, and special education, while not forgetting or ignoring the lingering trauma the pandemic has caused. Unfortunately, these areas have suffered the greatest decline in performance metrics in all levels of education (local, state, and national). 

Teachers are amongst our greatest assets, and they must be treated accordingly.  

Finally, an inclusive, apolitical education system is the cornerstone of our society. Lest we forget that. 

For Families. For Teachers. For Haddonfield. 

MICHAEL NUCKOLS: Our current board is doing amazing work, but that message isn’t always getting through. I think I can bring value by supporting more clear communication between the board and the community. 

In the almost 20 years I’ve lived here, I’ve seen what this community can do when it comes together. 

Haddonfield parents are not looking for controversy when their kids’ education is at stake. They want talented teachers, vibrant classrooms, and continued excellence. You can count on me to listen, to collaborate, and always to engage in the important dialogue that is necessary to finding the best path forward.

A new school year: 2022-23

Chuck Klaus, Superintendent of Schools

Greetings!

The first and most exciting aspect of the summer of 2022 was how different it has been from the last two! In the summers of ’20 and ’21, there was a singular focus; almost all of our energy went into planning and developing schedules and systems to deal with COVID. We continued to push forward with our work as educators, but that overwhelming cloud drove decision-making and consumed much time and effort.

This summer has been very different.

The administrative team developed a new format for summer leadership work. The core team attended the AASA conference in Washington, D.C., followed by a more expansive two-day retreat. The conference was excellent! The most significant advantage of the model for this retreat was gaining access to nationally renowned experts in different areas.

One afternoon was spent with Dr. Shelley Berman, who helped us to re-examine our approach to social-emotional learning. We also spent time with Dr. Anthony (A.J.) Nottingham, who helped us to focus on leadership styles and growth. These discussions helped us to stop and think about who we are, what we do, how we do it, and why we do it.

Upon our return, we met every Wednesday afternoon throughout the summer to address specific topics and to collaborate. Breaking up our work sessions into several shorter meetings has been more productive and has made better use of our time.

There’s been a significant amount of curriculum work done over the summer. Teachers have been writing and revising curricula that will eventually be submitted for Board approval.

The three areas that have stood out with greater focus are math, ELA, and PE/Health.

  • Math: For K to 5, the team is starting the research and planning for a pilot that will be put in place next year. The 6-12 training has been arranged with Desmos and Dr. Eric Milou from Rowan University. The training will focus on instructional methods (rather than simply on the programs) and will benefit students immensely.
  • English Language Arts (ELA) work is in an organizational phase. We will be soliciting community input during the school year.
  • Health and PE teachers have been working diligently on an updated curriculum. Parents may review the state standards, current curricular maps, and DRAFTS of updates on the Health and PE Curriculum Development website.

Another significant summer project has been preparing for the upcoming bond referendum. Board Secretary Michael Catalano and I have met with LAN Associates and have closed out the survey that was sent to all members of the school district family and to the community at large. Once the survey data is fully analyzed, we will start to plan charrettes to discuss specific needs, suggestions and concerns. Some of the questions raised in the survey are:

  • Hopkins parcel: How to use this land and how to deal with the historic building?
  • Elementary schools: Can we separate eating and physical education spaces?
  • High School: How to create a new secure vestibule?
  • General: How can we improve our learning spaces?
  • Athletics: How to increase/improve our athletic fields?

Here is a link to survey data.

Here is a link to the LRFP (Long-Range Facilities Plan) website.

Our Buildings and Grounds crew has been busy as well. In addition to cleaning and servicing of all of the mechanical equipment in the entire district, our in-house staff replaced aging carpeting with VCT flooring in several locations. Their biggest summer project involved the student/staff paint crew. Two teachers and six students painted all of the hallways in HMHS and Lizzy Haddon! They also painted several classrooms, kitchens and offices throughout the district.

Most recently, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Gino Priolo and World Language teacher Chris Gwin redesigned our new teacher orientation, making it more interactive and adding more time for building-based work with administration and mentors. We enjoyed getting to know these newest members of our school district community August 29, 30 and 31!

Friends, I look forward to seeing many of you during the first week of school, September 6-9. Let’s make it a great school year!

Celebrating the journey

Chuck Klaus, Superintendent of Schools

It certainly gives me great pleasure to welcome graduates, family, friends, staff, and Board of Education members to the commencement ceremonies of the Haddonfield Memorial High School Class of 2022.

Commencement is a unique event for many reasons. One of the more intriguing aspects of tonight is that the 229 individuals behind me are experiencing an unusual moment when the past, present, and future intersect in a significantly poignant meeting. Tonight is the culmination of a 13-year journey through education. Tonight, students and families will be thinking about the first day of kindergarten, the first day of high school, all the joys and some of the sorrow that happened over the journey.

This leads to the present: the journey is what we are here to celebrate. Celebrating the present is essential. It is the celebration of the moment. The students, families, friends, and teachers deserve this time of joy.

Yet, this is a Commencement ceremony because it is about the beginning. Tonight is about the future. It is about where these students will go, and more importantly, where they will take us. So as we experience tonight’s ceremony, we should remember that this is about the past, present, and future; one of the few times in life when all three are equally significant. Each class has faced unique circumstances and challenges as they move through their educational careers. Indeed, this class can make that claim as well as any.

The class of 2022 started high school in a pre-COVID world filled with promise, joy, and excitement for the high school experience. They were then met with the most bizarre and unexpected shift as schools were shut down, followed by partial openings and masks. Finally, this class ended their career much as they started school. They are the only class to make that full circle; it is important to note that they did it well.

Throughout their careers, the Class of 2022 displayed perseverance, character, and optimism. The class is proud of their commitment to being who they are as well as the commitment to push forward in trying times. This is the past we celebrate tonight. These characteristics both strengthen these students as they move forward and give us all a reason to hope.

Knowing the students’ attitudes, dreams, and visions, we all have good reasons for hope. The Class of 2022 is dedicated to doing what is right and to making a better world. They have demonstrated over the past four years that they are more than willing and able to make it happen. They use persistence and drive to overcome despair and embed their world with hope.

The Class of 2022 represents scholarship and success in the classroom that would rival any. Here is a snapshot of their ACADEMIC achievement:

  • 104 members in the National Honor Society
  • 98 Neumuller Scholars who achieved an A+ weighted GPA over four years
  • 12 Commended National Merit Scholars
  • 1 National Merit Semi-Finalist
  • 1 National Merit Finalist
  • 1 National Merit Scholarship Recipient
  • 45 Seniors earned the distinguished New Jersey Seal of Bi-Literacy
  • Seniors participated in 527 AP Exams
  • 96.9% are going to four-year schools in the fall
  • 1.8% will attend two-year schools.
  • On June 2, at the Senior Awards Ceremony, the class was awarded $330,000 in scholarships. After four years of renewable awards, the total will be over $600,000. In addition, the Class of 2022 earned $1,500,000 in outside scholarship funds for a total of over $2.1 million.
  • HMHS school rankings
    • State ranked #31
    • Nationally ranked #708
    • #249 STEM School

There is no doubt a class as focused, dedicated, and driven as this one will venture off into the world and become leaders in academia, medicine, environmental sciences, law, and social reform.

Academics alone are not enough. Growth and change result from combining knowledge with creativity to rethink issues and find solutions. The Class of 2022 is teeming with creative minds. As a result, over the past four years, the ARTS at HMHS have thrived.

We have all seen the magnificent Drama Club productions. I can say that because the auditorium is always packed. This year, the Drama Club performed the first full-length, live fall play since 2019, “The Book of Everything,” which saw our highest fall play attendance ever. And that was just the beginning. The spring musical “Cinderella” also claimed the highest attendance for a musical ever, including multiple sold-out shows. It was honored by Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards with seven nominations, four honorable mentions, and one win. We also enjoyed “Bulldawgs on Broadway” back for the first time since 2019.

The Marching Band impressed as we exited a world of restriction and limiting factors. You may have heard the band leading our community’s favorite Halloween characters during the Halloween parade, not to mention the town’s tree-lighting ceremony, where the band led Santa to one of his favorite posts – Kings Court. They also marched in the Haddon Township Pride Parade and Cherry Hill’s Juneteenth celebration. The 2021-22 Marching Band placed fourth in our region and in the state of New Jersey. Also noteworthy, the Battery Percussion won high percussion at the N.J. state competition for the first time in HMHS history.

The Madrigals continued their standard for excellent performances throughout the school year in various settings. They were awarded the prizes at multiple faires for their stellar arrangements of selected pieces.

The National Art Honor Society continues to make an impact. Beyond hundreds of hours of community service, seniors displayed remarkable painting ability this school year which is evident in a new mural representing those who have given their lives fighting for diversity and justice titled “Memorial.”

We know this class is talented in the classroom and has proven themselves to be creative thinkers. A third attribute they have demonstrated is DRIVE. If there is any doubt about the nature of their drive to succeed and their competitive spirit, all one must do is review their successes in the areas of ATHLETICS.

Haddonfield Memorial High School had tremendous athletic accomplishments during the past four years despite many lost post-seasons due to the pandemic. In four years, our teams compiled:

  • a record of 1,005 wins and 307 losses: a 77% winning percentage
  • 43 conference titles
  • 33 sectional titles
  • 18 New Jersey State Group championships

This is among the best, if not THE best, record of championships of any other high school in the state of New Jersey.

During the 2021-2022 school year, our teams won:

  • 9 conference titles
  • 11 sectional titles
  • 5 varsity teams finished their season as State Group champions. For the 40th year in a row, HMHS will receive the Colonial Conference All-Sports Award.
  • For the 17th straight year, HMHS will be declared the winner of the NJSIAA Shop Rite Cup for Group II, an award given to the school with the most sectional and state championships for each of the six groups in the state. HMHS is the only school in New Jersey that has won this award every year since the award’s inception!

HMHS Class of 2022, I want to congratulate and thank you for your dedication and your numerous and varied contributions. Please understand that my words are offered in earnest as I speak about you and what you have accomplished. As I think about all you have done, the circumstances you faced, and the grace with which you achieved your goals, I can not help but be moved. I genuinely believe that you bring hope. Your demonstration of promise, perseverance, and character assures me that, as we go forward, the Class of 2022 will touch all areas of our world. I thank you for that as a superintendent, educator, and person.

Since you are kind enough to give me hope, I want to share what I hope for you.

I borrow words from F. Scott Fitzgerald:

“It’s never too late, or in your case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. You can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you’ve never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start over again.”

Haddonfield Memorial High School Class of 2022, congratulations!

It’s farewell and not good-bye

Jack O’Donnell, HMHS Class of 2022 Salutatorian

Good evening, administrators, faculty, family, friends, and my fellow classmates. It is my honor to speak to all of you as the salutatorian of the class of 2022.

My first reaction upon finding out last Friday that I would be giving a speech at graduation was, “I’m glad I took Public Speaking last fall!” My next thought was, “How should I go about writing my last assignment of high school?” I decided to use a couple of problem-solving techniques: 1 – Break it up into smaller parts, so I’ll address the different groups here tonight. 2 – Seek advice from experts. I love listening to music, so I’ve taken inspiration from several famous songwriters.

Then I started to think about teacher songs … Teach Me How to Dougie? Not the right type of teaching. That Van Halen teacher song? Definitely not. Then I remembered that Jimmy Fallon wrote the perfect teacher song during the pandemic. Teachers shouldn’t have to pay their taxes/ They should get cheered around the clock / At the bank they should throw money at them / And at Chipotle they should always get free guac. To our teachers, all of them, from preschool through high school, thank you for not just all of the knowledge you’ve taught us, but also for connecting with us, understanding us, and believing in us. You deserve way more than just free guac for all that you’ve given us.

Next, our families – brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends who are family. Josh Groban sang it perfectly: You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains/ You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas/ I am strong, when I am on your shoulders/ You raise me up to more than I can be. You’ve made us who we are. Thank you for the support, motivation, encouragement and love.

To our parents – the previous song certainly applies to you. I couldn’t actually find another song good enough for your unconditional love and support these last 18 years, at every game, every show, and every day. So my own simple words will have to do. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Now finally, to the Class of 2022! We’re pretty special so I chose two songs for us. As the world-renowned and Grammy winning artist, Baby Keem, eloquently rapped: First order of business, dawg, I gotta thank my mama. It’s important for all of us to be grateful for not only our mamas, but our entire families! We wouldn’t be sitting here today without them. Let’s always remember where we came from.

Second order of business, share the blessings, no more trauma. We’ve all had hardships that we’ve had to face: a broken foot, COVID, other serious challenges. We got through those to be here. Let’s stay strong and positive to deal with whatever comes in the future.

Third order of business, do good deeds and get good karma. As Baby Keem said, I think it’s important to leave the world a better place than how we found it, and I believe that the Class of 2022 has that capability.

I’ll leave you with my other song for us, Until the Next Time by the American Celtic punk band out of Boston, Dropkick Murphys. We’ll meet again/ Don’t know where, don’t know when I We all had a good time I And we’re sad to see it end/ Good luck be with you I You go your way, I’ll go mine/ So until the next time/ It’s farewell and not good-bye.

On that note, let’s finish strong. Welcome, all, to the graduation of the great HMHS Class of 2022. Have a fantastic evening. Thank you.

Think of your own way of saying goodbye

Cleo Hamilton, HMHS Class of 2022 Valedictorian

Good evening everyone.

Choosing what to talk about today was a rocky process. Luckily, I got suggestions from my classmates! I want to talk about some of those suggestions and what they reveal about the HMHS Class of 2022.

First up, we’ve got the suggestion that I sing it. I like the challenge, but I think we’re all better off if I leave it to the music department to serenade us today. I’m no Madrigal after all. Singing this speech is a daring idea, and representative of our class’s creativity, talent, and readiness to take risks. Our class is made up of people willing to walk onto the stage to perform in Cinderella, or stand in front of the class to give a Dawg talk, or endeavor to set athletic records. We show our boldness with the causes we support and when we work for change.

This next suggestion probably wouldn’t have made it through Ms. McHale’s plagiarism radar. One classmate joked that I should deliver the entire High School Musical graduation speech, word for word. Lighthearted suggestions like this one show that we have grace and humor as we set out to take on society’s serious problems.

I think this throwback to High School Musical also reminds us of our shared K through 12 cultural history. We may not have everything in common, but a lot of us watched High School Musical, Stranger Things, or Avatar the Last Airbender. We played flappy bird, clash of clans, and Minecraft. We listened to Taylor Swift, Lil Nas X, Pitbull, and what seemed like the exact same DJ playlists at dances from rec hall to prom. Are there any party rockers in the house tonight? I SAID, are there any party rockers in the house tonight?

Love to hear it!

My physics class didn’t exactly give suggestions, but they did want a shoutout. I think the dynamics of my physics class represents what a class at HMHS can be. Each year we nervously entered class – wondering who we’d be with, whether we could keep up, and whether we’d make embarrassing mistakes. But by the end of the year, each class had its own camaraderie and inside jokes, with everyone working together to learn, and watching those mistakes we were afraid to make turn into some of the best and funniest academic experiences. So thank you Period 6 Physics for being a great class and showing what HMHS classes are all about!

A few classmates suggested that I talk about how our class made it through COVID, and how it brought us together. We learned to be more grateful for each other and for in-person learning. I don’t think I was ever as excited for the first day of school as I was last fall, even though it meant waking up early and changing out of my pajamas. How our class made it through COVID also demonstrated our serious side. We faced challenges and did our best to keep going together.

The speech suggestion that would have gotten us all out of here at record speed was to just yell “Go Class of 2022!” and then walk off stage. I like the brevity here, but I love the sentiment. It says, “I’m rooting for you! Your friends, family, and teachers are supporting and cheering for you! We can be optimistic about our future!”

I learned from all my classmates’ suggestions that the Class of 2022 is daring, lighthearted, helpful, generous, goofy, thoughtful, supportive, collaborative, and grateful.

Having received all these ideas demonstrates that no project or challenge is completed alone. We need to assemble our all-star team and work together. Through spirit week, with our extracurriculars, in our classrooms, or even just on Facetime working together, we have learned to collaborate.

Because a valedictory speech is about both who we are AND saying goodbye, I want to reflect on saying goodbye. We’ve said goodbye to a lot of things already: musically, middle school fashion, and braces. Some of these things we’ve been glad to say goodbye to. Other goodbyes have been harder: recess, Halloween parades, and talent shows.

Saying goodbye to HMHS marks a big moment in our lives so far, and as someone who cried at the end of soccer season, I know our goodbyes will be hard. But we don’t have to leave it all behind. Whatever was your favorite part of high school, whatever was the best part of who you were at HMHS, that’s something to hold on to. Hold on to your memories, your passions, your favorite things, your friends and your families.

As we say goodbye, we’re also saying hello to exciting new things: new jobs, new problems to solve, new opportunities, new schools and studies, new places to see around the world, or even just new freedom.

I want this speech to end with everyone’s participation – my graduating classmates AND all our friends and families in the stands who have helped us get here. I want you all to think of your own way of saying goodbye – any way you want – in the language you studied, with a wave or a peace sign – any words or gestures you choose. I’m going to count to three, then everybody shout it out. 

1, 2, 3 … Go class of 2022!

Despite the craziness, we stuck together

Lily Cheatham, HMHS Class of 2022 President

Good evening everyone! My name is Lily Cheatham, the senior class president for the graduation class of 2022 and it is my honor to be delivering this speech to you all tonight. 

I have been thinking about what I was going to say in this speech for the past few months. Reflecting back and recalling all of the wonderful memories we have created together as a class. We’ve truly been through so much together, we’ve laughed together, cried together, rejoiced together and even sung together (if any of you can recall our interesting rendition of the short musical Band Stand in middle school with Mrs. Murray). 

Through all of the craziness we have experienced in these past four years at HMHS, we’ve stuck together. Powering through two pandemics: COVID-19, and of course, the outbreak of senioritis that began its pervasive spread throughout our class as early as sophomore year. We have remained resilient to whatever challenges have come our way, and despite the numerous quarantines and school shut downs we’ve still dealt with these hardships together, or sometimes just maybe 5 or 6 feet apart.

It should be acknowledged, however, that our togetherness as a class began far earlier than freshman year. In fact I would argue our togetherness was apparent as early as 6th grade; the first year we attended school with one another having graduated from our respective elementary schools (which might I add, many of us still use as identifying factors for the different friend groups that have been created over the years today). Anyways, it’s true that I can remember quite clearly in the early days of 6th grade when we would all walk out to the left side of the train tracks each day, without fail, and we would make a circle in which Will Cody would run into the center of and do a back flip. It was honestly incredible. We would go crazy, running inwards and collapsing the circle so it was now one big mosh pit of 6th graders cheering and celebrating this great feat. 

However, our moments of togetherness weren’t always this positive. It was in 7th grade Mrs. Walters homeroom that together we mourned the death of our cherished class pet, George the frog. In memory of George the frog, my classmates and I in Walter’s homeroom decided to be named the “RIP George’s” for the middle school volleyball tournament. And so, even though the RIP George’s were the complete underdogs of the tournament that year, we powered through only to lose in the championship against Rider’s homeroom. Though honestly, the fact that we won any games at all that day was considered celebratory for the RIP George’s.

Flash forward a couple years and I witnessed our togetherness only strengthen as I assumed my role as class president during our sophomore year at HMHS. Let me tell you, that sophomore year Spirit Week was probably one of the best yet most stressful weeks of my entire life. A quick thank you to many parents, especially my own, who willingly dropped everything to make spontaneous runs to Michaels and Home Depot for things like “35 large unfolded cardboard boxes” and “15 packs of fake cobwebs.” Without your help I don’t think we would have been able to put together the masterpiece that was our Stranger things themed hallway. And another big thank you to Jack and the Rippers for performing themed music in every single Spirit Week hallway from freshman year to now. I would never have thought that Kiss Me More by Doja Cat rewritten into a 1920s-themed beat would work, but you guys definitely proved me wrong and I couldn’t thank you enough for putting that together this year. 

The willingness of so many people in our class to sit freezing in that unheated garage for two months every day after school and unintentionally inhale copious amounts of spray paint was not only shocking but extremely admirable. I feel so grateful to be surrounded by people who demonstrate such great reliability and adaptability to change.

In fact, I would definitely argue that adaptability has to be the most prominent trait of this graduating class. Whether it be dealing with the school schedule which seemed to change on a daily basis, or having our junior prom at an airport, our class was constantly confronted with change and I truthfully feel that we managed these confrontations with grace. It is my greatest hope for everyone here that you maintain that adaptability and flexibility moving forward in your lives, because people always say “you never know what could happen in a year’s time” and honestly if you had said that to me that before entering high school I’d probably be like, “yeah okay sure but how much can really change in 365 days?” 

And well, the answer to that question really came to me as I sat in my room, April of 2020, drinking my terrible cloud coffee, watching Tiger King during “chemistry class.” A lot. A lot can change in 365 days, so all I can say about that is be prepared. Be prepared for the worst, and the best, and everything in between because you really never know what could happen during such “unprecedented times.” And sometimes two weeks is not just two weeks, so I guess try and be prepared for that too. 

I am so proud of everyone in this graduating class and I only wish the best for everyone moving forward. I am humbled to have grown up alongside you all, and I can’t wait to hear about all the incredible things you all accomplish going into this next chapter of our lives, so with that, HMHS Class of 2022: Congratulations, we did it!