[upbeat music] - Hi, I'm Michael Hill.

Welcome to Inside New Jersey High School Sports.

[upbeat music] [cheering] [upbeat music] [cheering] [upbeat music] [cheering] Welcome to Inside New Jersey High School Sports, the only television program devoted just to covering New Jersey high school sports.

I was born and raised in Newark.

I was a student athlete, honor society, student council president, ran track and played football and graduated from Barringer High School.

The COVID 19 pandemic was especially hard on the high school athletes this past year.

Many of them were hoping to take the field to impress those college recruiters.

In our first edition, we're going to look back at some of the top stories and moments of the 2021 New Jersey high school athletic season, and how some of those students and coaches coped and how they triumphed, despite all of those challenges.

- [Narrator] Before he ever set foot on the floor, Camden fans knew his name, now they know his game.

- They got a glimpse of D.J.

last year and of D.J.

this year, and now they're gonna see the evolution of, of a big time player the next two years.

- [Narrator] D.J.

Wagner has already established himself as the best player in New Jersey.

If there's pressure that comes with being the son of Panthers legend, Dajuan Wagner, D.J.

doesn't show it.

- I can say I'm kind of like my dad with that kind of stuff, 'cause I don't really, I don't really, I don't really even think about it at all.

I just, just playing just, for real, I'm just having fun.

Like when I'm out there, I'm really just having fun every day.

So I don't really think about oh, like, oh, I'm the top player, I gotta play this way or I got to do this.

I just play and just have fun.

- Well, I don't think D.J.

feels pressure because he works.

What you put into the game is what you take out the game.

If you study for an exam, you know, for school the next day, you're gonna be confident, if you don't study, you're gonna be nervous.

And D.J.

works every single day so I think when it comes to pressure, he just, he takes care of it the night before, in terms of working, the day before, the week before, the month before.

- [Narrator] Wagner has seemingly aced every test on the court through two seasons.

As a freshmen, he averaged 19 points per game on a Camden team that won 29 games.

As a sophomore this past season, he scored 22 points tonight as the high went 13 and 0.

- No matter how many games we play, no matter if we played one game or we played 50 games, just treat every game the same and just go out there and play our hardest every game, 'cause we never knew what game was gonna be our last game, so just playing hard every game and making every game count.

- [Narrator] Girls States is just three years old, but Princeton's Chloe Ayres is a seasoned veteran.

This senior, looking for a third straight state title, facing Cedar Creek's Riley Lerner, in the 114 pounds state final.

Ayres spent the last two weeks racking up two point take downs at will.

In the state final, it was no different.

Here's one of her four first period take downs to lead eight-three at the end of one.

Her father, Princeton Men's Wrestling Coach, Chris Ayres, was in dad mode more than coach mode.

Late in the second period, the cross face and the turf, just another part of Ayres' arsenal.

Eight more points in the second period makes it a commanding 64 advantage.

In the quarters and semis, she had pins on arm bars and it's only fitting that her final match closes out with yet another arm bar.

Ayres applies the pressure, and there's the fall of the third period.

Chloe Ayres makes history becoming New Jersey's first ever three time girls state wrestling champion.

Chloe will attend Princeton and train for national competition.

Her dad will no doubt keep a close eye on her continued progress.

- Yeah, mostly unbelievably proud dad.

She's got a great coach so I kind of let him do, do his thing and then I just kind of become a cheerleader a little bit.

I try not to give any advice or anything 'cause that's the coach's job, but yeah, I'm so proud.

Just so happy with this event and it's come, how far it's come in three years and the quality of wrestling has just grown exponentially and it's just really, it's really just a joy to see.

But yeah, I was really happy for Chloe.

She's worked really hard for this.

- Ayres will forever be a part of the early history of New Jersey girls wrestling.

[upbeat music] - [Narrator] The Sedlak name has become synonymous with two things over the years, Don Bosco hockey and winning championships.

Connor Sedlak added to his families New Jersey high school hockey legacy after doing what Sedlaks do best.

- He, you know, we talked before the season and, and his dad said, you know, Sedlaks don't lose their senior year.

That's what he told me.

- [Narrator] Connor Sedlak brought that statement to fruition after delivering a career year during the global pandemic and a significantly shortened season.

Don Bosco's star forward checked off virtually every box in 2021.

The Ironmen reached double digit wins and won the illustrious Gordon Cup.

Sedlak was selected the Gordon Conference MVP, the award for the best player in one of the country's top high school leagues for his conference best 18 goals and 10 assists during the year.

- To see Connor have the year that he had, 'cause it was so darn good.

I mean he put pucks in the back of the net, he moved pucks, he made some great plays, just, just thrilled for him and his MVP year.

- As a group of guys we knew that if it was gonna happen this year, that we wanted to make the most of it and a lot of credit to all the people that made it possible this year.

And, yeah, couldn't be more happy with the guys, the way that we performed all year and the way we turned up during our playoff.

- [Narrator] As for the next stage, Sedlak will head to the Junior Hockey Ranks.

He's still waiting to sign with the team, but hopes to square that away in the coming weeks.

When she steps onto the pitch, she's all business and she's honing her craft daily when she's not on it.

That's what makes Emily Mason one of the top players in all of America.

- I mean, I've always set goals that I've always wanted to reach and reaching one of them is like a huge moment in my career.

And like, just knowing that I could reach this and that there's potential to reach my like, future goals.

It's just incredible to me.

- [Narrator] The list of accolades for the graduating Hunterdon Central star are endless.

Mason made headlines as the 2019 Gatorade National Player of the Year after helping lead the Red Devils to a group four title behind 12 points as an outside back in her junior season.

- She really is a team player and she's committed to her teammates.

She makes her teammates better.

She just, she has an energy that is contagious.

- [Narrator] That so-called contagious energy will suit Mason well, as her soccer career takes another major leap.

The senior is signed to play in the Big 10 at Rutgers, but her dream is far beyond that.

Mason is one of the youngest players on the under 20 US Women's National Team, a potential sign of good things to come as the US prepares for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

- My ultimate goal that I've had ever since I was little to be on the full team.

And I think I'm slowly working on getting there, but obviously I have a lot of stuff to learn and improve on.

And I think with all the teams that I've been on, they're all helping me to learn and become the better player that I want to be.

- [Narrator] That mentality is a two way street.

Mason has played with hundreds in her career.

They've all seen what makes her one of the best the country has to offer.

- As I said earlier, I was by no means a star or a starter on the Barringer High School football team, but I did have one great moment.

We were blowing out a team so the coaches felt it was safe enough to put me in the game.

A defensive and pop the quarterback, the ball went flying in the air and landed right in my arms.

And I took off for the end zone, a clear path, I was thinking when I got there, this is gonna be some highlight reel.

Unfortunately, it was such a blow up by the time I got in the game, the coaches had stopped all the filming.

Well, at least I have the memory of that, right?

Our next story is about a New Jersey high school star who you just might see a lot of in the near future.

His name is Audric Estime and he is our Male Student-Athlete of the Year.

- And I will say it until the cows come home, he is the best player in the state of New Jersey hands down, no doubt about it.

You know, anybody can try and argue with me, but he's by far the best player in the state of New Jersey.

- [Narrator] Audric Estime did everything in his power to make people across the state realize he very well could be the top player in New Jersey.

Estime's talent was unparalleled in a season that was unprecedented.

- I kind of knew what I was capable of and I knew what I was gonna do 'cause all the hard work I put in was not for no reason, all the hard work, my whole line and coaches, every day in the film room put in, it paid off.

So I did exceed my expectations, but I kind of felt it coming.

- [Narrator] We saw the Estime express defy gravity, powerfully plow through defenders and speed past the competition.

Estime's numbers tell the full tale, 185 carries, a state best, 1,838 yards and 22 rushing scores.

He was the only position player in New Jersey this season to eclipse 2,000 total scrimmage yards.

What's even more impressive, is that it came against the absolute best competition New Jersey had to offer.

- And listen, we face a lot of nine, 10 man fronts.

You know, it's not as easy to run the ball against that and, and God listen when you play St. Joe's, you ask anybody, they know we're gonna run powerful and we're gonna, we want to run the ball as many times as we can.

And when you can do it, when they know you're doing it, you got something good going on.

- [Narrator] Even the Nyack New York natives knew it wasn't a one man show during his unbelievable year.

- Our offensive line, they played their hearts out all year and they, their bond is great.

I think our offensive line has a great bond.

They, they put their hearts into everything.

- [Narrator] The six foot one, 213 pound back is primed to continue doing dangerous things at the next level.

- Man, I'm super excited about this.

That had been my dream my whole life, to play at the highest level, to play college football and to play the pros.

So it's just the next level and you got to up your game to adapt to the next level.

So I'm very excited about that.

[upbeat music] - Despite the many challenges that student athletes encountered during the heart of the pandemic, it was encouraging to see so many of them return to form when schools opened up without missing a step.

Meet Lauren Princz, our Female Student-Athlete of the Year.

- [Narrator] Her last name is Princz, but she's the queen of the track.

- It's been a great four years.

I was sad that we didn't have a season last year to see what she was able to do, but I'm really looking forward to what she's going to accomplish her senior year.

- I'm glad to come back and I'm glad to come back and show my improvements.

- [Narrator] Lauren Princz sprinted onto the scene in her first two seasons at Egg Harbor Township.

A group four state crown and a Meet of Champions title in the 200 as a freshmen, state titles in the 100 and the 200 as a sophomore, plus plenty of league county and sectional gold medals along the way.

Now she's coming for it all in her final season for the Eagles.

- I'm trying to just conquer them all, the 100, 200 sectional title, the one-two state title and one-two the champ title.

- She has so many goals and she just sets her mind to achieve those goals.

She, which is probably why she's been so successful.

- It's a very heavy goal list this year, but I'm gonna be blessed whatever I get.

- [Narrator] Princz has earned everything thanks to her tireless work ethic.

Being one of the best in the state at such a young age can sometimes cause complacency.

Princz runs like she has something to prove every time she steps on the track.

- 'Cause I know all these other girls are working hard as well as me and trying to be the state champion and sectional champion, whatever.

So I always kept that positive mindset of just doing better than I did last year, better than the meet I did, just keep improving honestly.

- Ever since her freshman year, she's, you know, dedicated countless hours to making herself faster and better.

- [Narrator] Princz committed to Penn State back in November.

Because of COVID-19 concerns, she wasn't able to visit the campus before committing, but is traveling to Happy Valley for the first time this weekend.

When she returns, it will be all business for Lauren Princz and a sprint to the finish at EHT.

- She has accomplished so much.

And I do think that she's going to do some great things throughout the season.

And again, I think her goal is just to leave her mark on New Jersey track and field.

- I'm just trying to show out and do the best I can and make some marks.

- As I said earlier that I was by no means a star on the Barringer football team, but I am proud to say we did win a state championship in 1975 and I'll always cherish that and this ring.

Because of the pandemic, there was not an official state football champion crowned last year, but there was an unofficial championship game between Bergen Catholic and St. Peter's Prep.

What made that clash extra special, it was one coach's last game in a storied career.

This is our New Jersey High School Game of the Year.

- [Narrator] It's the end of an era in North Jersey football.

Rich Hansen retiring after 33 years on the St Peter's Prep sideline, and it's only fitting that his final game is yet another battle of super powers.

The Marauders at Bergen Catholic wrapping up 2020.

Closing seconds of the third down, Bullock throws a dart, Jaylan Sanchez on the extension hauls it in!

That's good for 35 yards.

We head to the fourth St. Peter's Prep is threatening and in the opening minute of the quarter, Bullock drops another dime.

This ball is absolutely perfect!

Sam Slade coming right into your living room.

37 yards.

We've got a 14-13 game.

After an all sides moves the extra point to the one yard line.

How about this?

Rick Hansen going for two, looking to take the lead!

On Monday, the Marauders lost in OT on a failed two point conversion, but this time, Bullock in motion!

It's the Philly special.

Make that the Peter's special!

Sha'zir Sullivan to Tahj in the end zone.

Wow.

The two point conversion is good.

St. Peter's Prep takes the lead, 15-14 Marauders.

Rich Hansen needs his defense to make an epic stand to preserve a final victory.

Third in goal at the one, they gave it to Butler.

He stood up, the ball pops out!

But did he break the play first?

The call comes in right away, putts down Bergen Catholic, just 1:58 on the clock on nearly nine minute dry.

Bergen Catholic gets the touchdown, takes a 20 to 15 lead thanks to Butler's second score of the game.

A [indistinct] needs to go for two.

And here's Angeli rolling right.

Look at this poise, he fires to Christian Carney!

What a great catch in front of the double team.

Bergen Catholic with a 22-15 lead.

St. Peter's Prep throws four straight incompletions, gets the ball back in the final seconds, needing a miracle.

And it's only fitting that Ryan Butler ends it, this time with a standout play on defense.

A coaching legend doesn't get the storybook ending, but it doesn't take away from a hall of fame career.

22 to 15 is your final.

Once again, North Jersey non-public football shows why it's among the best of the country.

[upbeat music] - We're here at MetLife stadium, the scene of some of the high school football championships in New Jersey, which seems to be an ideal place to be.

When you start quoting someone like hall of fame coach, Vince Lombardi, who famously said, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."

New Jersey student athletes went in the classroom everyday.

On a regular, they rank as tops in the nation for academic achievement.

They're also very much well aware of how important it is to have an impact in their communities because just getting a chance to play the game is winning.

Please meet Anthony Solari.

- [Narrator] The Autism Awareness Challenge is a chance for top baseball programs to get together once a year to showcase their talent and promote much more than exciting plays on the diamond.

Anthony Solari has had a special connection with the event from a young age, usually throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.

However, today the Holy Spirit's senior born with autism still took the mound, except this time it was for his very first varsity star.

- It was a surreal moment.

It's something I've been waiting for since I was in sixth grade.

And it was just absolutely crazy.

- You know, Ant's been coming here with us since he was in sixth grade in 2015.

He used to come to our summer camps and stuff and, and we planned to give him a batter and, and see how he did.

And he did great.

So we, we couldn't have been prouder of him.

It means a lot to our team, to our, to our community, to see him out there thriving.

- [Narrator] Solari faced only one batter who would reach on an infield single, but even opposing fans and players from Pope John cheered on the longtime Spartan bat boy.

While autism is the main focus of the showcase, it wasn't for a brief moment, as Anthony stole the spotlight as just another one of the guys.

- I didn't really feel anything really.

I was just out there with the focus to throw strikes and help my team get a good start in this game.

- Anthony is, is a special kid.

And you know, today was an opportunity to make baseball more than a game and I feel like we did that.

Well, we got to make one kid's dream come true today, that's all that matters.

- They all embrace me like, like they would with anybody else, which is crazy.

This, if this isn't number one, this has gotta be way up there.

- This pandemic has changed the lives of just about all of us in one way or another and undoubtedly forever.

It certainly has for me, I lost my mom to this virus.

We know all too well the agony, and frankly, so does the Manasquan Boys Varsity Basketball Team.

Their coach had to step away when the virus infected him and claimed the life of a dad of a pair of players.

- [Narrator] Championships usually bring tears of joy.

But for the Manasquan Boys Basketball Team, the emotions of winning a second straight short conference title pale in comparison to what the Warriors had to deal with away from the hardwood.

Following their first game of the season, Manasquan was shut down due to the Coronavirus.

Head coach, Andrew Bilodeau, tested positive for COVID during the shutdown and was forced to step away for the final seven games of the season for health reasons.

Andrew Soloman and his younger brother, Matt, lost their father, Larry, who succumbed to COVID on February 9th.

Less than a week later, the Soloman brothers were back on the court with their teammates.

- You know, nobody can really describe what kind of pain they're going through.

And we're not, we're not in any spot to, you know, no one ever would judge any of them, any of them for that ever.

And you know, the stuff they're going through, we're just trying to give them like a, a breakaway to, to just get an outlet, to, to just playing basketball with his friends and with the guys.

- [Narrator] In the Shore Conference final, Manasquan and Marlboro were tied at 56 in the final seconds of overtime.

Ben Roy, the best player in the shore, had the ball in his hands with a chance to win the title.

- I knew that the whole team was gonna come out there and expect I was shooting it so I told Soloman when we were in the timeout, I'm like, be ready.

I'm gonna get you the ball.

- Everyone in the gym, everyone watching at home thinks Ben's gonna take that shot.

And what does he do?

He makes the right basketball play and Andrew, and Andrew catches it and finishes it, oh my God.

[cheering] That's a movie right there.

You can't, you can't write that any better.

- [Narrator] Andrew Soloman's final seconds as a high school player was a story book ending.

His layup gave the Warriors a 58-56 overtime win and a perfect 12-0 record.

- I feel like the way that game ended, I really thought he was here for me.

I usually, sure he looking down on us.

- [Interviewer] It's hard to handle all the emotions, isn't it?

- [Andrew] Yeah, it is.

Trying to keep it together, but they'll come out eventually, behind the, behind the cameras, I'll let them, I'll let them go.

- [Narrator] When the buzzer sounded, Andrew and his brother found their mom and they weren't the only ones crying.

- To do this, for all, for all the reasons besides basketball, it's just, it's a blessing, so.

I don't even know what to say, I'm speechless.

- [Narrator] Soloman strong was the theme of this team over the last three weeks.

And the family knows they aren't grieving alone.

- This whole past couple of months, the team I have, they're just brothers to me.

They were really there behind my back the whole time.

Me and my brother, that I just knew they'd always be there for us.

So not just this night, there's just a statement for them this season, but they're always there for me and my brother.

- [Narrator] They never got the chance to play for a state championship and had so much taken away from them.

Yet the 2021 Manasquan Warriors will be remembered, for many years to come.

- Telling compelling stories like that is our mission here at Inside New Jersey High School Sports.

We just looked back at some remarkable scholastic athletes.

Now let's look forward to the coming year, and joining me for that is Rich Chrampanis of Jersey Sports Zone and also Jay Cook.

Rich, Jay, we're right here at MetLife Stadium where they play the football championships of course.

Tell me, Rich for you, which team are you most eager to see play this year?

- You know, there's a lot of teams that have expectations of getting here to MetLife.

Your Don Boscos, you're Bergen Catholics, your St. Peter's Preps.

I always like to see the team that makes that magical run that no one's talking about in the pre season.

There is going to be a team every year that surprises everyone and makes it here to MetLife.

I think of a kid like Steve Angeli, who's Bergen Catholic's quarterback.

He might be the next great quarterback at Notre Dame.

And that's just one of a long list of kids that are gonna do big things.

Down on the Shore Conference, there's a young man by the name of Alex Baumann, who's one of the most recruited players in the state.

He's got a whole bunch of offers and I'm excited to see where he's gonna take the next step of his college career.

- The longtime coach at St. Peter's who's just retired, what can you say about his replacement?

- So, funny you ask, I just spent a week embedded with the St Peter's Prep football program.

Rich Hansen III is Rich Hansen's son.

They're in very good hands.

Rich Hansen spent 33 years as the head coach at St. Peter's Prep and his son, Rich, very detail oriented, very football savvy, and very, very energetic.

This guy loves football.

And the St Peter's Prep program is definitely in very good hands.

- Rich, as you look ahead to the scholastic basketball season for girls, which female player jumps out at you?

- Well, I think there's two girls that are among the very best in the country.

Madison St. Rose, who's heading to Princeton, is part of the St. John Vianney team that finished top 10 in the nation in a shortened season last year.

She is one of the most electrifying players in America.

She could have gone to any school in the country.

She's gonna play Ivy League basketball at Princeton.

And the other big name is Zoe Brooks, she's at Trenton Catholic.

She might be the most recruited player in the entire state of New Jersey and that includes all guys and girls sports.

She might have upwards of 40 or 50 offers at the who's who of girls college basketball.

- Wow, Jay, for you, on the boys side of the court, something you're, you're looking forward to?

- Yeah, we're excited to see D.J.

Wagner at Camden, the number one ranked 2023 player in the country.

He is an elite high school basketball player.

Up north, you're gonna look at Roselle Catholic with Simeon Wilcher, building a really, really talented program there.

Along with the addition of Akil Watson from Don Bosco, they're gonna be a major presence in the northern part of the state.

- Now, Jay, I'm gonna stay with you, tell us about some of the high quality soccer programs.

Which one are you expecting to meet expectations or, or excel?

- I'm really fascinated to see what's gonna happen at St. Benedict's Prep this year.

They didn't play a high school schedule last year.

They're back on it this year, right now ranked the number two team in the country.

Always super talented.

When you look on the NJSIAA side, Delbarton is a power year in and year out, and there's always big things happening there in Morristown.

- Rich, girls lacrosse already at a high level.

Give me an idea of which team is ready to leap even higher this year.

- New Jersey girls high school lacrosse is among the very best in the country.

We've talked about trying to set the bar higher.

It's pretty hard for Oak Knoll to do much better than they are.

They win the tournament of champions the last two times in 2019 and '21, they are the number five team in the country to end the '21 season.

There's also two other nationally ranked programs.

Moorestown in south Jersey, as well as Ridgewood in north Jersey.

There are three high school programs that are among the very best in the country and there are literally 50 to 75 division one prospects every year at a New Jersey girls high school lacrosse.

- As we wrap this up, what's the one lead story in high school sports in New Jersey we should be looking out for?

- Look, just fans being back, watching games played, that's the biggest thing.

When you look at the last year with what COVID took away from high school sports, it was fans in the stands and now with football season coming around, I know I'm very excited about seeing three, four, 5,000 people at Don Bosco, Bergen Catholic, screaming their heads off and enjoying a really intense Friday night football game.

- How about you, Rich?

- I think it's a true appreciation of the value of the entire high school sports experience.

Maybe a couple of years ago, kids would complain about going to practice or going to have to do something with a team.

Now, when so much was taken away, every single thing that a kid gets to do besides playing in the game, they now realize how special that is.

And that's the part where I think it will translate to on the field and we're gonna see incredible performances in both male and female sports.

- Rich and Jay, thank you very much.

We'll see you throughout the year.

- Looking forward to it.

- Appreciate it.

- When Inside New Jersey High School Sports returns, it will be the only statewide television program devoted to covering and telling these captivating and fascinating stories about high school sports.

The coaches, the games, and the athletes will take the court and take the field.

We'll see you on NJPBS.

[cheering] [inspirational music]