Back when he coached girls basketball and softball at North Arlington, Joe Spaccavento would bring his teams to the display in the school for the school’s athletics hall of fame. The purpose? To show what can be accomplished.
“At the end of one practice early in the year I would say we’re going on a field trip and I would take the team out in the hallway and stand in front of the Hall of Fame plaque and show them, this is your penultimate goal here,” said Spaccavento, who is now the Co-President of the Hall of Fame Executive Committee along with Dan Di Guglilmo. “If you’re going to be an athlete, you want to be recognized five, 10 years after that you’ve finished your high school career as one of the outstanding athletes to go through the school system.”
On May 1, The North Arlington High School Athletic Hall of Fame will induct its newest class in a dinner ceremony at San Carlo Restaurant in Lyndhurst.
The event, held every three years, will honor the contribution of 14 former athletic greats, two championship teams, longtime coach Dan Farinola and Mayor Daniel Pronti.
The Hall of Fame has always had a special meaning for Spaccavento, dating back to his first year as an assistant softball coach in 1984 when then athletic director Rip Collins had him attend that year’s induction ceremony.
“He was so proud of this,” Spaccavento said. “That’s part of the reason why we continued with his legacy. He started it. He was one of the key contributors to starting it and we want to keep his legacy alive.”
Here are the Class of 2025 inductees.
Bob Czvornyek (1969): Czvornyek was a standout linebacker, earning Third Team, All-Bergen County honors before playing at the University of Wyoming. He also set the school record in the discus at 147.9 feet.
Pat Skinn (1969): A versatile player and a high level scorer on the basketball court, Skinn’s 21.7 points per game helped lead the Vikings to a 19-3 record and state sectional title.
John Brazzel (1970): Brazzel set school and conference records in the two-mile run. North Arlington didn’t have cross country when Brazzel started, but when the sport was reinstated his senior year, he went on to win a conference title and medal in the sectional championships.
Anthony Orrico (1987): The Class Salutatorian, Orrico was a three-sport standout (football, basketball and baseball). A standout pitcher, Orrico went on to play at Lehigh.
Nicholas Valakas (2005): A standout wide receiver, Valakas had 110 career receptions for 2,109 yards and 16 touchdowns. On the basketball court, he scored a school-record 30 points in a half during a 2004 game against Lyndhurst.
Anthony Orovio (2007): A multi-skilled track athlete, Orovio earned All-League honors in the long jump, high jump 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. He also was a four-year letterwinner in football.
Eddie Tejada (2007): A stellar center midfielder, Tejada was a three-year captain for the boys soccer team. His 27 assists as a junior set a school record that still stands. The next year, he earned First Team, All-Bergen honors and All-State honors.
Kerrin Dys (2011): One of the finest softball pitchers in school history. Dys’ career started with a perfect game in her varsity pitching debut as a freshman and concluded with a school record 646 total strikeouts.
Michael Brazzel (2014): Brazel lettered in football, basketball and baseball during his three years, but it was in Track & Field where he shined brightest. As a senior, he finished third in the State Meet of Champions in the javelin soon after winning a North 2, Group 1 title.
Travis Fisher (2015): Fisher holds the school record in the pole vault for both indoor and outdoor track. In 2015, Fisher won the Group Indoor title in the High Jump. In outdoor, Fisher was a three-time NJIC champion in the event as well as the North 2, Group 1 champ.
Michael Manzo-Lewis (2016): Manzo-Lewis had one of the finest seasons in recent North Arlington football memory in 2015. He ran for a school record 1,62 yards with 19 touchdowns, while also throwing for eight TDs to help lead the Vikings to their first state tournament in more than two decades.
Joanna Seca (2016): Seca scored 66 goals and 57 assists for her career, earning First Team, All-Bergen honors in 2015. Seca went on to play soccer for the Portuguese National Team and at Drexel. In track, Seca set school records in the mile and the distance medley.
Eric Z. McKenna (2019): The Observer’s Male Athlete of the Year for 2018-19, McKenna led NA’s bowling team to three sectional bowling titles, highlighted by a 1st Team, All-State senior season that saw him bowl a perfect game. McKenna also struck out 230 batters as a pitcher and scored 39 career goals in soccer.
Savannah Smith (2019): Smith rewrote the history books, scoring a school-record 37 goals in 2018 and school-record 107 for her career.
Dan Farinola (Coach): Whether it’s been soccer, bowling or golf, Farinola’s teams enjoyed plenty of success, posting an overall coaching record of 408-218-5 at North Arlington. While the golf and girls soccer teams each made multiple state tournament appearances, his greatest success has been in bowling where the Vikings boys won a Group 1 state title and the girls won a sectional title.
Mayor Daniel Pronti (Honorary): Before becoming mayor, Pronti served as a volunteer youth coach in town for 14 years. In his current job, Pronti was an advocate for turfing Rip Collins Field and is a regular supporter at all Vikings sporting events.
1981-82 Boys Basketball Team: The Vikings went 20-4 overall, including 15-1 in conference en route to a BCSL Olympic Conference title. The season was highlighted by an upset over second-seeded Lyndhurst in the Bergen County Jamboree.
1987 Softball Team: The Vikings went 27-2 that season, winning the BCSL National Conference, making it to the Bergen County Tournament final as well as the North 1, Group 1 title game.
Learn more about the writer ...
Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)