This might be the most remarkable Athlete of the Week feature written here over the last…
Category: Athlete of the Week
Each week during the academic year, our Jim Hague chooses an Athlete of the Week from one of the eight towns we cover.
OBSERVER ATHLETE OF THE WEEK — Kearny’s Hyams does a little bit of everything
Ava Hyams is a rare breed of a girls’ high school basketball player. The Kearny High…
NA hockey standout Golon perfect example of local co-op
Matt Golon had a sophomore year to totally forget. Never mind dealing with the little nagging…
OBSERVER ATHLETE OF THE WEEK — Nutley’s Schroeder starts senior year as sizzling scorer
Nick Schroeder waited patiently for four seasons to finally get his moment in the sun. “It’s…
Kearny’s Castillo goes out as mature leader
The seminal moment of Alan Castillo’s life as a high school soccer player occurred two years…
Mutsoli: Lyndhurst’s goal-scoring machine
It was a little more than a year ago that Enrique Mutsoli’s life changed dramatically. The…
NA’s Cruz: Making good on an early season promise — OBSERVER ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
It was early September at Riverside County Park in Lyndhurst and the reporter was at the…
Harrison’s Brando has an offer no one can refuse – goals
It’s hard not to ask Harrison High School junior striker Brando Moreno the origin of his…
Lyndhurst’s Augustyniak finds knack to scoring goals
So how does a girls’ soccer player like Lexi Augustyniak become so much of a prolific…
NA’s Rivas has day to remember in loss to Secaucus
It’s very rare to have an athlete on the losing side earn the Observer Athlete of…
NA’s Alves off to rousing start
NORTH ARLINGTON – Kevin Barber was taking on a new challenge, taking on the head coaching…
NA’s Alho named as Observer Male Athlete of Year
Maybe The Observer should just rename its year-end Male Athlete of the Year award to the…
Lyndhurst’s Martin presented with Observer Female Athlete of Year, is 4th Golden Bear girl to receive honor
There was always a connection between Carley Martin and Camila Alonso, going back to the days…
Lyndhurst’s Alberti: Getting 100th with flair for dramatic
After a highly successful sophomore year for the Lyndhurst High School softball team, Gianna Alberti just…
Kearny’s Serrano provides gigantic power surge
Chris Serrano was trying to wrap his head around the fact that his high school athletic…
Lyndhurst’s Rivera makes it two straight AOW’s for Golden Bear softball
From the minute Jaylene Rivera rounded third and made the turn for home in a Lyndhurst…
Kearny’s Paszkiewicz: The Queen of the Lanes
With a last name of Paszkiewicz, it was almost a given that Hannah Paszkiewicz would naturally…
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK — Kearny’s Ruiz: A picture perfect example of consistency
When the 2021 high school basketball season began in January, veteran Kearny High School head girls’…
Belleville’s Bey: Emerging as a leader
As the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic started to linger through the summer months, Belleville High School junior…
Lyndhurst’s Martin making most of lost time
As the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic caused havoc on the scholastic sports schedule, Lyndhurst High School’s talented…
NA’s Joa saves his best game for last
Ricky Joa’s high school football career had dwindled down to a precious few, so when the…
OBSERVER ATHLETE OF THE WEEK — NA’s Witt: The Vikings’ little big man
At the end of the 2019 high school football season, North Arlington head coach Paul Savage…
Lembo: Lyndhurst’s version of ‘Johnny Football’
It’s a nickname that Johnny Lembo was familiar with for a long time. When Lembo was…
OBSERVER TRI-ATHLETES OF THE WEEK — Nutley’s close-knit linebacker corps downright stingy against Millburn
Mitch Iaccarino, Nick Polewka and Alex French have been football teammates since they were in fifth…
Kearny’s Horvaht follows in family’s soccer tradition
It’s safe to say that soccer is a major part of the Horvaht’s family life. The…
Kearny’s Osorio named Observer Female Athlete of the Year; Soccer, basketball star becomes 8th Kardinal to receive year-end award
Samantha Osorio can best be described as the reluctant athlete. The recent Kearny High School graduate…
Memorable night for Leone, Lyndhurst’s version of ‘Rudy’
A.J. Leone was a manager for the Lyndhurst High School state champion football team in 2019,…
Lyndhurst’s Weavers: All in the family
It was all part of a master plan established almost a decade ago. When veteran wrestling…
Belleville’s Castro: A true senior leader
The 2019-2020 boys’ high school basketball season was about to begin and Belleville High School veteran…
Kearny’s Souza a quick learner in basketball and life
Nic Souza moved with his family to the United States from his native Brazil four years…