Test Your Sports Knowledge
With These Trivia Questions

1-Among those who’ve scored more than 2,000 career points in New Jersey boys basketball history, only two have played their full careers in Essex County. The county leader is Kelly Tripucka, who graduated from Bloomfield in 1977 with 2,278. Which player ranks second in Essex history, with a total of 2,109? 

2-Who is the only Essex County girls basketball player to score more than 3,000 points, with a career total of 3,105? 

A-Tammy Hammond, Irvington 
B-Jennifer Apicella, Belleville 
C-Octavia Thomas, Good Counsel 
D-Blair Watson, Nutley 

3-NFL superstar Jonathan Taylor from the Indianapolis Colts played his high school ball at what New Jersey high school? 

A-St. Joseph (Montvale) 
B-Middletown South 
C-Salem 
D-Hun 

4-This Bergen County native has been nominated three times for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but perhaps a greater honor was being a Bergen Record Athlete of the Week winner, and thus being recipient of a portrait created by the paper’s legendary artist, Charlie McGill. Who is football star-turned acclaimed actor? 

5-Who was the first New Jersey high school hockey player to reach the National Hockey League? 

A-Max Middendorf 
B-Jim Dowd 
C-George Parros 
D-Kyle Palmieri 

6-Phil Colicchio is known as one of the state’s top boys basketball coaches, having achieved great success at both Linden and Elizabeth. His first coaching job, however, was at what Essex County school, where he posted a winning record in his lone season in 1996-97? 

7-Name the Essex County track athlete who set state records in seven indoor events and two outdoor events, which is more than anyone in state history. He was also the national cross-country Athlete of the Year as a senior in 2012-13, and then a 17-time NCAA champion at Oregon. Who is that tremendous runner? 

8-Which North Jersey wrestler never won a NJSIAA state championship, yet went on to become an NCAA champion and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist? 

9-Match the now-closed Essex County schools with their nickname: 

A-Vailsburg
B-Essex Catholic 
C-Good Counsel 
D-Bloomfield Tech

1-Vikings 
2-Eagles 
3-Spartans 
4-Comets 

10-One of the most exciting finishes in the recently-concluded state football playoffs came when Cedar Grove beat Butler, 24-21, on a field goal by Sebastian Kovacs as time expired. How long was the kick? 

A-21 yards
B-30 yards 
C-37 yards
D-48 yards 

11-Morris County produced one NJSIAA state championship-winning boys soccer team this fall. Which school was the winner? 

12-Name the Essex County boys basketball teams that were coached by the following legends: 

A-Les Fein 
B-Milton Gaylord 
C-Bill Kehoe 
D-Ted Fiore 

13-Seton Hall Prep has had only four basketball coaches since 1948. How many can you name? 

14-Which schools have each won seven Essex County boys soccer championships, which are tops among all schools? 

15-The Essex County College gym is named after one of the greatest basketball players to ever hail from the county. Name the player and his high school. 

16-Seton Hall University basketball has had five 2,000-point scorers in its history. Name the one who is a native of Essex County. 

17-Which of the following schools has not won a state soccer group championship? 

A-Verona 
B-West Essex 
C-Montclair 
D-Glen Ridge 

18-Where are the following New Jersey colleges located: 

A-William Paterson 
B-Georgian Court 
C-Rider 
D-Centenary

19-This past August, a well-known figure in New Jersey athletic and educational circles passed away. Among his accomplishments were being one of the greatest basketball players in University of Vermont history, serving as the Mendham boys basketball coach prior to Jim Baglin, principal at Columbia High School, Superintendent of Schools in Montclair, and most impressively, New Jersey Commissioner of Education. Who was he? 

20-The Bradley brothers (Bob, Scott and Jeff) from Essex County are part of a true renaissance sports family. From the list below, what is something any of the three have not accomplished: 

A-Play for the New York Yankees 
B-Coach the Egyptian National Soccer Team 
C- Write for Sports Illustrated 
D-Create a brand of baseball gloves 
E-Serve as an Atlantic Coast Conference athletic director 
F-Work as an Executive Trainee at Proctor & Gamble 

21-Sportswriters Jason Bernstein and John Fineran, TV sports anchor Bruce Beck, former governor Chris Christie and author Harlan Coben are all graduates of what Essex County high school? 

20-Which contributor to Sideline Chatter has won more than 100 games coaching four different sports (basketball, soccer, baseball and tennis?)

A-Will Harrigan 
B-Jeff Goldberg 
C-Art Polakowski 
D-Mike Reilly 

Answers: 

1-The late Keon Lawrence surpassed the 2,000 point in a career at Weequahic that ended in 2006. 

2-B, Jennifer Apicella, who graduated from Belleville in 1984.

3-C, Salem. 

4-Before becoming an esteemed actor, Ed Harris was a football star and captain at Tenafly High School. 

5–A-Max Middendorf. A graduate of St. Joseph (Montvale), he led the school to the 1984 NJSIAA title before debuting for the Quebec Nordiques in 1986-87. 

6-Phil Colucchio began his head coaching career at Barringer in 1996-97. 

7-Edward Cheserek was the record-setting runner from St. Benedict’s and later Oregon. 

8-Bruce Baumgartner never finished better than third in the NJSIAA tournament while wresting for Manchester Regional, but went on to become one of the greatest in United States history. 

9-Vailsburg Vikings, Essex Catholic Eagles, Bloomfield Tech Spartans, Good Counsel Comets. 

10-Sebastian Kovacs boomed a 48-yard field goal as time expired to give Cedar Grove a 24-21 win over Butler as time expired in the Group 1 state semifinals. 

11-Madison won the Group 2 boys soccer championship this fall. 

12-Les Fein-Weequahic, Milton Gaylord- Science, Bill Kenoe-Essex Catholic, Ted Fiore-Our Lady of the Valley. 

13-Finn Tracey, Bob Farrell, Kevin Williams and Sterling Gibbs have been the four SHP hoops coaches over the past 77 years. 

14-St. Benedict’s, Columbia and Seton Hall Prep. 

15-Cleo Hill from South Side HS, later Malcolm X. Shabazz. 

16-Greg Tynes from Orange HS graduated from Seton Hall in 1978 after scoring 2,059 career points. 

17-Montclair has not won a state soccer title. 

18-William Paterson is in Wayne, Georgian Court in Lakewood, Rider in Lawrenceville and Centenary in Hackettstown. 

19-William Librera passed away on August 27 at age 79. 

20-The Bradley brothers have accomplished everything on that list other than E-Serve as an ACC athletic director. Scott has played for the Yankees, Bob has coached the Egyptian National team and worked for Proctor & Gamble and Jeff has written for SI and created a brand of baseball gloves. 

21-The answer is noneother than SC sports quiz co-author Mike Reilly, who won over 100 games apiece coaching basketball, soccer, baseball and tennis over a long career at Oratory, Dickinson and McNair Academic. He was a 2005 inductee into the state coaches Hall of Fame.