On paper a repeat of the past two Essex County Tournament finals appears very likely, as state powers Mount St. Dominic and Cedar Grove lead the way at the top as a new softball season is underway.
Each team is loaded with veteran talent plus with youngsters on the rise and it would be an upset not to see them once again playing on championship Saturday night, May 17, at Ivy Hill Park.
The pair of softball juggernauts have met in four of the last six ECT finals with each team winning two titles during that time. The Lions have played in the last seven county tourney championship games winning five times during that stretch.
Among the other Essex County teams to watch this spring are Columbia, which reached the North 1, Group 4 state sectional final last spring, and is a team to watch once again in Group 4 with even stronger personnel on hand, and Livingston, another Group 4 school to always keep an eye on and is now guided by former longtime assistant Ian Matten, who takes the reins of the proud Lancers program following the retirement from coaching of Jason Daily; plus the team does return a solid everyday lineup.
The Mount, which edged the Panthers, 9-7, in last year’s ECT final, will once again face a daunting task in its quest to win the overall Non-Public A state title in June with the South Jersey champion promising to come from an elite group of teams including No. 1 ranked and 2-time defending champion St. John Vianney along with Red Bank Catholic and Donovan Catholic.
For the Lions to get to another state final appearance after falling to Vianney, 5-1, last year, they may have to first get by a North field that includes familiar foe Immaculate Heart or Morris Catholic, a program that continues on the rise and has now made the move up from Non-Public B.
Coach Rob Stern’s solid squad returns its array of standouts including sophomore pitcher Ava Kelshaw and slugging junior first baseman Jill Cianfrocca, who hammered 8 home runs a season ago.
Other superb veterans include sophomore third baseman Bella Ianitelli, hard-hitting senior right fielder Carlee Paez and sophomore catcher Brooke Mundy.
Cedar Grove can make NJSIAA history since if it can dominate the Group 1 field once again win a third straight state title which would make it the first public school to win three straight state championships.
The Panthers are absolutely loaded with veteran standouts headed by a trio of Division I commits in pitcher Cayce Kavakich (Florida International University), catcher Ava Oeckel (Manhattan College) and shortstop Gia Fernandez (St. John’s).
And, there are plenty of more experienced players to bolster the lineup for Cedar Grove with other returning regulars such as seniors Marina Bryant (first base) and Danielle D’Angelo (third base).
Coach Nikki Velardi will have her team well prepared for another strong state tourney run with a monster regular season slate that in addition to home-and-home Super Essex Conference-American Division showdowns with the Mount, will also include an attractive independent slate of foes that includes St. John Vianney this Saturday (3 p.m.), Donovan Catholic (1 p.m., April 13, away), IHA (5:30 p.m., April 19, away), Group 2 favorite Hanover Park (4 p.m., April 22, away), Marlboro (11 a.m., April 26 in the annual Black & Gold Showcase at Panther Park), along with scheduled late May showdowns vs. RBC (May 20) and Group 3 favorite Steinert (May 22).
