source www.phily.com

By Bill Iezzi

Inquirer Staff Writer

Wildwood\’s Latifah McNeal is known around the Tri-County Conference as a basketball player who is difficult to stop in the paint.

McNeal, a senior center, lived up to that reputation yesterday at Gloucester when she scored on a layup at the buzzer to lead Wildwood to a 41-39 upset of the host Lions in an NJSIAA South Group 1 semifinal.

Wildwood (19-7), the fourth seed, will meet second-seeded Salem for the South Jersey Group 1 title tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Southern Regional High.

McNeal, who scored nine points and grabbed 13 rebounds, was swarmed by her teammates after she led them to their first victory over their Classic Division rival in three tries this season.

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Related: HS Boys Basketball Tournament Results

March 2, 2008

source http://www.pittsburghlive.com

Bill\’s Note: Pitt Basketball Coach Agnus (McGlade) Berenato is a former resident of Gloucester City, and a graduate of Gloucester Catholic High School where she was star basketball player.

It began with promises.

With all of her Gloucester City gusto and Jersey jargon, Agnus Berenato sold The Big Girl on dreams of winning a Big East Conference title and NCAA championship. The fast-talking Pitt women\’s basketball coach then vowed to The Big Girl\’s grandmother that she would become the first in their family to earn a college degree.

Never mind that the Panthers were about to finish 6-20 that season, not even qualifying for the Big East tournament, let alone the NCAA. Nor that people were pushing Walker toward Rutgers if she qualified, junior college if she didn\’t.

The Big Girl found herself drawn to Berenato and her magnetic personality during a relentless recruitment. The 6-foot-3 center took a leap of faith after one final assurance.

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source www.philly.com

A total of 23 districts, including five locally, are projected to get more basic aid than was projected in December due to changes to the data used to compute their funding.

The local districts and their additional aid amounts are: Beverly City, Burlington County, $86,114; Willingboro Township, Burlington County, $732,882; Brooklawn Borough, Camden County, $291,642; Gloucester County Vocational, $1.4 million; South Harrison Township, Gloucester County, $7,700.

Statewide, districts were slated to receive at least two percent more state aid and in some cases, as much as a 20 percent increase depending on criteria like the number of students they served who are poor, non-English speaking and in special education.

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ATLANTA, Ga. – No. 22 Georgia Tech used a five-run sixth inning to break a scoreless tie and surge past Rutgers in the series finale in baseball action Sunday afternoon before 1,547 fans at Russ Chandler Stadium.

The Scarlet Knights (2-3) won the opener on Friday but were defeated in the final two contests as the Yellow Jackets (7-1) took the series from RU.

The early portion of the game was highlighted by a combination of great pitching and excellent defense as the Scarlet Knights and Yellow Jackets were scoreless through the first five innings.

RU starter Matt Giannini (Millington, N.J.) worked himself out of a jam in the second when GT put runners on the corners without recording an out. He struck out the next two hitters and induced a groundout to get out of the frame unscathed.

In the Georgia Tech third, with a man on first and one out, center fielder Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) ran down a ball at the wall in center field for the catch and threw out the runner on first base from deep in the outfield for a double-play to end the inning.

Senior Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) led off the fourth with a double to center field but the Scarlet Knights could not get him home as Georgia Tech starter Zach Von Tersch retired the next three batters in order to get out of the inning.

A pair of nice defensive plays kept Rutgers off the base paths in the fifth as sophomore Jayson Hernandez (Belmar, N.J.) lined out sharply to third base and sophomore Brett Garlick (Livingston, N.J.) hit a line drive to right field that was caught by a diving Charlie Blackmon in similar fashion to Saturday\’s game-sealing catch by the Yellow Jacket outfielder.

Georgia Tech broke the scoreless tie, exploding for five runs in the sixth. After giving up a single to the Yellow Jackets\’ Chris House to lead off the frame, Giannini followed a sacrifice with a free pass to yesterday\’s hero for Georgia Tech, Blackmon. Tony Plagman made the Scarlet Knights pay with a three-run home run over the left-field fence. A Luke Murton double then signaled the end of Giannini\’s day as reliever Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) came in for RU. After another RBI double, senior lefty Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.) made his third relief appearance in the series. GT countered the Patterson move with its second pinch hitter of the at-bat to a right-handed hitter and the move resulted in an RBI single for the Yellow Jackets to complete a five-run, five-hit inning for the home team.

Georgia Tech added a run in the seventh to make it 6-0 and Von Tersch (1-0) handed the ball over to the bull pen after a seven-strikeout, three-hit, scoreless outing in seven innings of work for the Yellow Jacket starter.

Giannini (0-2) worked 5.2 innings with five strikeouts to go along with four runs on six hits. Junior Tony Wargo (New Providence, N.J,) became the fourth Scarlet Knight pitcher as the righty recorded a scoreless eighth frame for Rutgers.

Several Scarlet Knights made their first plate appearances of the season as redshirt freshman Joey Ianiero (Bloomsburg, Pa.), true freshman Brandon Boykin (Teaneck, N.J.) pinch hit for RU in the eighth and ninth innings.

Rutgers travels home where it will host Temple and head coach Rob Valli, a former Rutgers assistant coach, on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. at Bainton Field in the 2008 home opener.

Joseph M. Spencer passed away at his home in Barrington on February 28, 2008 at the age of 80.

Born in Gloucester City, Joe served in the Korean War under the Army\’s 21st Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division from 1950-1952. He was then discharged from the Army Reserves in 1956. Joe began working for NY Shipyard and continued with South Jersey Port as a key member and on the corporation management staff there for 31 years. His career began in 1968 and he retired as the Facilities Manager in 1992. He was well respected and admired for his outstanding work ethic. Joe belonged to the Townsend C. Young VFW Post 3620 in Gloucester City.

Joe met his loving wife, Ann, in 1951. His kindness, dedication, and devotion to his family will be remembered by all who knew him.
Joe is the beloved husband of 54 years to Anna L. (nee Traini). He is the loving father of Joseph (Nancy) Spencer, Kathy (Rick) McMahon, Maryanne (Richard) Darlin, Ann (Gary) Razler, Michael (Kathy) Spencer, Patrick (Marylou) Spencer, Karen (Jody) Cooper and David (Stephanie) Spencer. He is survived by 16 grandchildren and his two brothers, James and Mathew Spencer. He was predeceased by his brothers, Bill, John and Dan. He is the longtime friend of Steve and Terry Frame as well as Grace and the late, Alan Rosenfeld.

Relatives and friends are invited to his viewing Monday evening from 7:00 – 9:00 PM and again Tuesday morning from 9:15 – 10:15 AM at the HEALEY FUNERAL HOME, 9 White Horse Pike (at Kings Hwy.), Haddon Heights.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday morning 11:00 AM at St. Francis de Sales Church, 199 Willmont Avenue (at West Gloucester Pike), Barrington, NJ 08007. Entombment New St. Mary\’s Mausoleum, 515 W. Browning Road, Bellmawr.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Church at the above address.

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs announced on Friday that
Gloucester City has been awarded Small Cities Grants by the state Department of Community Affairs.

Gloucester City will receive $400,000 to upgrade the roadway and water and sewer infrastructure along Essex Street from Broadway to the railroad crossing.

 

Recent \”Students of the Month\” at Gloucester Catholic High School include, from left, senior Dan McAteer, sophomore Kelly Bonner and freshman Ryan Casey. Missing from the photo is junior John Mealey. These students were selected by a faculty committee because of their outstanding leadership, scholarship, spirituality and service to the community.