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October 3, 2001

Current Raiders keeping pace with past successes

By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist

There was a lot of talent at Carey Stadium on Saturday.

Certainly, the football players on the current editions of the Ocean City and Absegami football teams contributed to that talent pool. But there was a great deal of talent watching this game.

It was the first annual Hall of Fame Day, co-sponsored by the Gazette, and, at halftime, two new members were added to the OCHS Hall of Fame – both from the 1980s.

Basketball player Bob McAllister, one of only three Raiders to average 20 points a game during two separate seasons, was one. The other was Kristie Miller Fenton, the school’s all-time field hockey scoring leader until just a few seasons ago.

On hand to help induct these two new members into their group were Hall of Famers Fenton Carey, Andy Jernee, Tom Adams, Ken Leary, Jack Neall and Ed Paone – six of the finest performers the school has ever produced.

“Its really quite an honor,” said McAllister, who now works for the Postal Service in Ocean City. “I guess it also means I’m getting older.”

McAllister and Fenton were two of the eight selected in the 1990s who will be inducted during this school year. In January, at halftime of a basketball game, similar recognition will be bestowed upon Romeo Adelizzi, John Cranston, Diane Snow, Mike Linahan, Bill Fisher and Jen Blizzard.

The winter ceremony will also honor two teams – the 1988 state girls cross country champions and the 1979 South Jersey girls basketball champions. Plus Bill Haynes (1964) and Brad Bryant (1973) for their Memorable Performances in basketball.

There are photos and bios of all OCHS Hall of Fame members, plus the All-90s and All-Century teams that have appeared in the Gazette, available online at www.primeevents.net. Simply select “CAL Sports” from the menu.

Though they were inducted for their contributions to a single sport, both McAllister and Fenton were versatile athletes. He is still the only OCHS athlete to play in state all star games in two sports (basketball and soccer) and she was also selected to the all-century team in softball.

“There were a lot of good players I played with,” said Fenton, “and a lot since then. It is a great honor to be included in the Hall of Fame.”

McAllister, who scored 20 points or more 34 times in his career, a school record, still remembers his final game. “We were beating Willingboro by nine with a couple minutes to go,” he said, “and they beat us by eight in regulation. It was a tough way to end your high school career. I get a chance to talk about the old days when I work at DiOrio’s in Somers Point, with guys I used to play against, like Mike O’Brien and Rob Higbee.”

Fenton, who is Director of Sports for the city’s Recreation Department, is also an assistant to OCHS field hockey coach Trish LeFever. “I really enjoy coaching,” she said. “There is a lot of talent out there and it is rewarding to help them through the program.”

Also at halftime, athletic director Paul LeFever accepted the Ed Byrnes Memorial All-Sports Award from Mrs. Louise Byrnes, symbolic of Ocean City’s success during 2000-01. OCHS actually shared the award with St. Augustine Prep. It will he displayed in the high school until late January when it will be moved to the Prep for the balance of the school year.

Bringing back great talents like McAllister, Fenton, Jernee, Carey, Leary, Neall, Adams and Paone reminds fans about the great sports tradition at Ocean City High School. And the presentation of the Byrnes Award – which Ocean City has won or shared six times in nine years – makes it clear that the tradition is still very much alive.

That brings us to the current fall season.

Every year it seems that Raider teams put together fall seasons that cannot be topped. Then they go out the following year and do better.

This fall, for example, five of the school’s seven teams entered October undefeated. All seven are ranked in the South Jersey top 20. The tennis team, South Jersey champions last fall, has qualified for the Group 3 tournament.

Now, there are still a lot of games to be played and meets to be run. Just this week, for example, after The Gazette's deadline, the boys soccer team will face Vineland and the boys cross country team will run against Mainland. There is also girls soccer with Shawnee and field hockey with Millville on this week’s schedule.

It will be five or six weeks before the fall champions will be crowned and we find out which schools are early contenders for this year’s Byrnes Award. But Ocean City’s fall teams have already made it clear in the first month of the season that the tradition of success started and continued by those Hall of Famers who were introduced at Saturday’s football game is still thriving.


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