By Tom Williams

July 18, 2001

Pete Higbee wins our CAL Trivia Challenge

By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist

Pete Higbee of Pleasantville won the CAL Trivia Challenge that was published here four weeks ago. He scored 45 points out of 100, which won't get you into Harvard, but it was 11 points higher than any other contestant. And it even beat the top-scoring professional - Mike O'Brien - whose 38 points was the most by a staff member.

Here are the questions, with the answers in parentheses-

1. Which specialist was the only Cape-Atlantic League football player to be named first team, all state during the 2000 season? (place kicker Jim Galea of Hammonton)

2. This year, two CAL athletes achieved that rare distinction of being named first team, all-conference for the fourth straight year. Name them. (We actually made a mistake in the wording of this question. It was supposed to say "spring athletes" and the answer would have been Mainland tennis player Van Homer Pangilinan and Ocean City golfer Jeff Michner. But, since we didn't include the word "spring" in the question, other correct answers would include swimmer Jon Stinson of Holy Spirit and soccer star Chad Severs of Ocean City.)

3. Who is the only CAL basketball player to start on four straight South Jersey championship teams? (Jose Gonzalez of St. Augustine Prep - nobody got this one).

4. The CAL had both South Jersey soccer scoring champions in the 2000 season. Most of you know Ocean City's Chad Severs led the boys. Who led the girls soccer scoring? (Sophomore Alisa Pettit of Buena - nobody got this one, either.)

5. Only five CAL schools did not play in the football playoffs during the 1990s. Name them. (Cumberland, Lower Cape May, Oakcrest, Vineland and Wildwood.)

6. Name the only CAL team to be ranked No. 1 in the state during the 2000-01 school year. (Holy Spirit swim team - 90 percent got this one.)

7. Name the five boys basketball players to score 2,000 career points for CAL schools. (Reggie Miller, Pleasantville-1976, 2,505; John Leahy, Wildwood Catholic/Middle Township-1990, 2,139; Len Burrell, Oakcrest-1978, 2,061; Dan Leahy, Wildwood Catholic-1988, 2,030; Walter Heard, Buena-1991, 2,027.)

8. Who were the first five CAL wrestlers to win four straight district titles? (Doug Taylor, Millville, 1982; Joe Masker, Oakcrest, 1988; Pat Lynch, Ocean City, 1991; John Martin, Absegami, 1992; Michael Ware, Oakcrest, 1992. Everybody got Lynch, few got the others.)

9. Who are the top five active football coaches in career CAL wins? (Paul Sacco, St. Joseph, 153; Pete Lancetta, Hammonton, 99; Bob Coffey, Mainland, 95; Gary Degenhardt, Ocean City, 75; Bob Weiss, Atlantic City, 66)

10. Who was the last CAL girl to win a state cross country championship? (Abbey Hartman of Ocean City. Pete was the only one to get this.)

11. Which member of the Class of 2001 finished among the top 10 career boys basketball scorers in CAL history? (Antwan Dozier of Pleasantville is 8th with 1,922 points.)

12. Before Ocean City won three straight state field hockey titles (1997-99) which CAL school had been the last to win a state field hockey title? (Mainland in 1975.)

13. Shameka Marshall of Oakcrest won two Meet of Champions gold medals in track this spring. Who are the only two CAL athletes to win three? (Royce Reed of Bridgeton and Robert Jordan of Millville.)

14. Name the five active CAL basketball coaches (boys & girls) who scored 1,000 or more points playing at a CAL school. (Pat Holden, Lower Cape May, 1,277 at Lower; Tom Feraco, Middle Township, 1,171 at Wildwood Catholic; Charlie Kates, Bridgeton, 1,100 at Sacred Heart; Robyn Fortsch, Egg Harbor Township, 1,081 at Ocean City; Anthony Farinelli, Millville, 1,037 at Holy Spirit. The most popular incorrect answer was Larry DiGiovanni.)

15. Who was the last CAL football player to score 150 points in one season? (Atlantic City's Jamar Reynolds with 160 points in 1999. Almost everybody said Kevin Sinclair. Mike O'Brien was the only one to get this right.)

16. Before Chad Severs scored 63 goals in soccer this fall, who was the last CAL player to score 60 times? (Matt Miles of St. Augustine scored 65 in 1992)

17. Wildwood's Monica Johnson was first team, all-state as a junior this year. Who was the last CAL basketball player to be first team, all-state twice? (LaMarr Greer of Middle Township.)

18. Who is the only CAL baseball player to hit 10 or more home runs in two different seasons? (Lower Cape May's Dan Olsen hit 10 in 1992 and 13 in 1993.)

19. Name the only CAL tennis player to win the state singles championship. (Holy Spirit's Jill Breslin in 1993. Another one that stumped everybody.)

20. Who was the last CAL football player to return a kickoff more than 95 yards? Hint: Now at an ACC school, he did it on Thanksgiving Day in his last high school game. (Cory Collins of EHT, now at Georgia Tech, went 96 yards against Mainland in 1998.)

Congratulations to Pete Higbee and thanks to all the rest who submitted entries, including a few online. We'll get Pete his prizes. And we'll give you another chance at CAL trivia again next summer.

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