HCV's top 11 games of 2011

Debray Tavarez's winning catch was HCV's selection as the No. 1 game in 2011. (Photo: Jason Bernstein)

1

In 50 years as a head coach, North Bergen's Vincent Ascolese had seemingly seen it all. But the 359th and final win of his career proved to be the most improbable one of them all.

Considered a four-touchdown underdog by most experts, the Bruins stunned previously unbeaten Montclair 14-13 at MetLife Stadium. On the game's final drive QB Sergio Rodriguez escaped a pair of near-interceptions and successfully converted a 4th-and-10 pass to Elias Castillo to set up the game's final play - one that will live forever in North Bergen history.

Rodriguez connected with a triple-covered Debray Tavarez on a 22-yard touchdown pass as time expired to end the game and give North Bergen its first state championship since 1997 and send the legendary head coach out as a champion.

2

St. Anthony and St. Patrick have had some classic battles over the years, but the hype and anticipation was on a higher level for this showdown. Starting in mid-January, the teams were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the country, setting the stage for arguably the biggest high school game in New Jersey history.

In front of a sold out crowd at Rutgers, both teams stood toe-to-toe for three quarters with St. Patrick clinging to a 40-39 lead. At that point the Friars and head coach Bob Hurley unleashed an "Amoeba" defense. St. Anthony opened the fourth and deciding quarter with an 8-0 run and would outscore their rivals from Elizabeth 23-5 in the period.

Myles Mack led the way with 19 points and St. Patrick's All-American Michael Gilchrist was held to just seven points as the Friars won the Non-Public, North B title and followed it up with three more wins to lock up their fourth-ever National Championship.

3

It was shaping up to be one of the finest pitching performances in Hudson County history for North Bergen's Marco Hernandez. Through the first 6.1 innings, the Bruins' lefty had kept Hoboken hitless, but two outs away from a no-hitter in the finals of the Ed Ford Memorial Baseball Tournament, it all fell apart for him and North Bergen.

Hoboken's Andre Flores broke up the no-hitter with a double to center. Abe Groomes followed with a pop-up that landed just a few feet from home plate for a single. A potential double play groundball was booted in the infield to load the bases.

Hernandez would be lifted after consecutive bases loaded walks to Danny Grossi and Connor Milne to tie the game, but the nightmarish inning wasn't over as pinch-runner Hector Rodriguez scored the winning run on a wild pitch.

4

These two fierce rivals had met just three weeks earlier in a regular season battle won by Union City, but there was more than just neighborhood bragging rights in on the line in this rematch, but a trip to MetLife Stadium and the state finals.

Like the first matchup, this one was a defensive slugfest. North Bergen's Eric McMullen scored on a 67-yard touchdown and Union City's Isaiah Diaz-Mays evened the score with a touchdown in the last minute of the first half. Neither team would score again until overtime as the Bruins' Welmar Muriel booted a 25-yard field goal.

North Bergen would then complete its second overtime win in as many weeks when Anthony Calabrese and Alex Rodriguez sacked Diaz-Mays on third down followed by a Nick Garcia sack on fourth down.

5

To understand the impact Angie Nieves had in her lone season at Union City, one only needs to take a look at this Hudson County Tournament quarterfinals showdown.

Trailing 9-6 in the sixth inning, the senior drove in two runs with a triple and would score the game's tying run on an Amanda Casillas sacrifice fly. Nieves would end it two innings later with a long double to left field which plated Angela Estrada for the winning run in a 10-9 extra-innings victory over Secaucus.

It marked the second-straight walk-off hit in the tournament for Nieves. Union City came back to tie the game on three separate occasions and would eventually win its first ever Hudson County championship.

6

Thirty-two minutes often wasn't enough for Marist in the 2011 and this Hudson County Tournament semifinal showdown was no exception.

After scoring just four points (all free throws) in regulation, Josh Treadwell drained consecutive buckets for five points in the overtime. Jarryd Horsley (14 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks), Marvin Williams and James Matthews had two points apiece in the final minute to preserve Marist's fifth overtime win of the season.

Two of those OT wins came against Hudson Catholic in a span of just 14 days. Those two games were the only losses Hudson Catholic had all year against HCIAL competition.

7

Memorial's Anthony Ferrainolo might not have been at Veteran's Stadium, but it was a record-breaking day for him and his Memorial squad.

With Ferrainolo receiving text updates at his West New York home from assistants Jack Nagurka and Dan Marroquin, he set the state's all-time wins record with the Tigers' 6-5 extra-innings victory over Marist. On the verge of victory, Memorial lost leads in the bottom of the sixth and seventh before finally pulling away in the eighth on a two-run homer from winning pitcher Bryan Vizcaino.

Afterwards the Memorial team went to visit and congratulate their cancer-stricken coach. Sadly, Ferrainolo passed away of the disease in October.

8

2011 proved to be a magical season filled with stunning comebacks for Hoboken. It only took one game for the Red Wings to see that this might be a special year for them.

Trailing 5-0 to St. Peter's Prep before Hoboken's first at-bat of the season and 6-0 in the second inning, the Red Wings rallied for four runs in the fifth. After a rare off-performance on the mound, junior Kenny Roder tied the game at 7-7 with his first career homer, a three-run shot in the fifth inning. Just one inning later, Roder made a stunning catch in center field to rob the Marauders of a potential three-run homer.

Abe Groomes ended the opening day thriller with a three-run homer in the seventh inning, capping off the first of many late-inning comebacks in a season which saw Hoboken win the Ed Ford Memorial Tournament and reach the North 2, Group 1 finals.

9

North Bergen didn't seem to have too much momentum heading into the state playoffs, losing its last two games of the regular season. But defense, and possibly destiny was enough to overcome the Bruins' recent slide.

Despite four turnovers, the Bruins were able to force overtime against Passaic County Tech in head coach Vincent Ascolese's final home game at the field that had been named after him just one week prior. In OT, North Bergen's defense forced a three-and-out thanks to a huge sack from Anthony Calabrese. Vin Ascolese III then punched the Bruins' ticket to the next round  with a game-ending 14-yard touchdown for the 20-14 victory.

It turned out it would be just the first of many incredible playoff moments for these Bruins en route to a North 1, Group 4 championship.

10

A great game doesn't necessarily need to have a title on the line or involve elite teams. This wild offensive shootout is proof of that as Weehawken and Bogota combined for 97 points on this rainy Friday night.

Trailing 44-35 with less than six minutes left, Damian Corredor brought Weehawken to within one score with a 64-yard run for his fourth touchdown of the game. Corredor recovered a Bogota fumble and the host Indians regained the lead on Humberto Leigue's 7-yard touchdown with 1:44 remaining.

The euphoria was short-lived as Edwin Fiscal (31-for-231 yards) scored a touchdown with six seconds left to regain the lead. Weehawken had one final play where Corredor (441 all-purpose yards) took a swing pass and dashed down the left sideline before being tackled at the Bogota 17 with no time left on the clock.

11

Tyler Anderson's finest moment as a goalie was one, he'd probably not one want to experience again anytime soon.

With his Kardinals holding on to a 1-0 lead, the 6-foot-6 senior had five saves in the second half, the highlight being a sliding stop in the game's final minutes, to lead Kearny past Randolph for its first sectional title since 2004.

Anderson made nine saves in the contest to earn his fourth-straight shutout in the state playoffs. Kearny would score it's lone goal when Junior Batista had a beautiful left-footed shot in the 12th minute. The goal marked the 65th of the senior's career, tying the school's all-time record.

Hoboken's Abe Groomes (3) is mobbed by his teammates after his game-winning homer. (Photo: Jason Bernstein)