Jul 23, 2012 - American Legion Post 70's Senior Baseball Team – comprised of next season's seniors, juniors and sophomores at Nutley High School – ended its summer season in the payoffs of the New Jersey State championship finals this past weekend.

The tournament series also reflected some bad judgment by Legion officials both on the district and state level beginning with Saturday's 5:30 p.m. game with Waldwick Post 57. It was an excellently played game but the problem was it got underway three hours late – not until 8 p.m. and leaving both teams baking in the hot summer sun for four tiring hours waiting for the game to start.

And then once the game got underway, a 10:15 p.m. curfew imposed by the state legion's rules brought an immediate halt to the game. Both teams were ordered to return at 7:30 the next morning to resume play at 8 a.m.

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Head Coach Phil Agosta
Legion Post 70 Baseball

Jul 16, 2010 - Nutley's American Legion baseball team begins competition tomorrow (7/17) in a double-elimination tournament for the N.J. State American Legion Championship. Game time is 5:45 p.m. at Oberpeck Park in Richfield Park where Nutley will be facing Waldwick.

Nutley qualified for the state tournament after capturing the Essex Title a week ago. The competition starting tomorrow, however, will be particularly challenging Nutley will likely face a team that includes college and other specially recruited players.

Mark Gualtieri, who will be entering his senior year at Nutley

The uneven match-up results from the Legion's Essex League's makeup of 15-17 year old players. The state Legion organization, however, permits teams with players who can be recruited and may include 18 and 19-year-old.

"That's because in Essex, nearly all of the teams are closely affiliated with the local high school varsity programs," Nutley coach Phil Agosta explained. In Essex, for example, the head coaches at Millburn and Belle- ville also coach the Legion team. In Nutley, Agosta is an assistant coach with the high school varsity.

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Mark Gualtieri was tapped today
to start in tomorrow's state championship playoffs.

Jul 11, 2010 - Nutley's American Legion team edged out the closest of victories over Bloomfield yesterday to qualify for the opening round of the N.J. State Championships next weekend. Final score yesterday, Nutley 5, Bloomfield 3.

Bloomfield held the lead for most of the afternoon and was still ahead 3-1 going into the final seventh inning when Nutley catcher Dominick Auriemma led off with a single into left field. That alone was enough to prompt a Bloomfield conference on the mound but when Kevin Garcia, the next Nutley batter, singled to deep center, Bloomfield made the pitching change with Jeremiah Smith relieving starter Cavan Penberthy.

Smith's opening pitch was a bunt off the bat of shortstop Nick Gariano that seemed to startle the Bloomfield infield. Gariano's bunt was mishandled and ended up rolling into the outfield, providing enough time for Auriemma and Garcia to score. The game was now tied at 3-3.

A strikeout and a walk set up the finale for Nutley when the next batter, first baseman Phil Condito, blasted a double into deep center field scoring two runs . Nutley was now in the lead 5-3.

Complete details inside. (Game times for next weekend's opening round of the state tournament will be announced here on NJHometown as soon as the schedules are finalized – most likely tomorrow (Monday) or Tuesday.

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Nutley's starting pitcher Mark Gualtieri covers home plate as Bloomfield's Mike Carter slides into the dust for the first score in yesterday's game for the championship.

Jul 13, 2010 - The Nutley American League Little League team is now three games away from qualifying for play in the N.J. State Championships after defeating Bloomfield last night (7/12) to capture the District Championship by a 15-4 score.

Next Monday, Nutley faces West New York in a game that will be played in Edgewater. The the winner of that game will travel to Trenton to qualify for the state championship preliminaries.

"I've been coaching Little League for 28 years," says the team's coach Tom Rose. "But this team is something special: These guys can really hit!" That was apparent right from the opening inning last night as Nutley scored three first-inning runs and never to lose the lead.Click here for Full Story

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Nutley's championship Little League team poses for photos after winning the district title in a 15-4 victory over Bloomfield. Game was played on the Mill Street Little League field in Belleville.

Jul 6, 2010 - The Nutley High School Tennis Team's record does not tell the story of what was a successful season, according to Coach Valerie Martin. The team was 12-10 all around and 7-5 in its division, not overly impressive sounding but a closer look reveals something more.

"We were in the finals in the consolation round of the Essex County Tournament and made it into the State tournament, losing in the

Matt Salerno and Derek McMullen made first team in the division for first and third singles respectively. Anthony Sbarra made the second team and Alex Bruno and Phil Lam made honorable mention for their efforts as the second doubles team.

"All in all, I am very pleased with the way the season went both on and off the court," Martin said. "They are a bunch of great kids, very respect- able and received many compliments from other teams and their coaches on how nice and sportsmanlike we were. It's great to get that from another team at the end of a match, win or lose. It's an important aspect of the game, and to be recognized for it, is just a great feeling."

Jun 22, 2010 - Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo led a long list of dignitaries late this afternoon in honoring the members of the Nutley championship girls varsity softball team.

"The success of the team gives us all something to root for and brings statewide recognition to Essex County and our schools," DiVincenzo said as the ceremonies began in the auditorium of the Essex County Hospital Center in Cedar Grove.

DiVincenzo, a Nutley resident, noted that the Raider softball team "turned its underdog season around in competing for the NJSIAA Group 3 championship. Nutley defeated the two top seeds in the section to reach the Group 3 state championship round in Toms River.

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Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo (right) poses with Nutley's championship varsity softball team at ceremonies earlier today at the county hospital auditorium in Cedar Grove. Nutley's championship coach, Luann Zullo stands proudly (red dress) with her team in the front row.

June 5, 2010 - The Nutley High School Girls Softball team's storybook run ended two innings short of a state championship this afternoon (6/5) when the Raiders lost a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning and fell 5-2 to top-seeded Middletown South at Toms River North High School.

The first four innings featured a

The tide turned in the fifth inning, however, when Middletown South scored four times and added another run in the sixth run to close out the

Coach Luann Zullo called the last five games "a great run."

"The kids played well to get that far," Zullo said. "There is nothing to hang their heads about. They came together and I could not be more proud of them," Coach Luann Zullo said.

Larissa Lohman on her way to a record-breaking leap of nine feet, six inches.

May 27, 2010 - Nutley High has eight athletes competing in the Group III N.J. Track Championships tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday. The Raiders competed in the first of three championship rounds this past weekend at Frank Jost Field in South Plainfield.

Advancing into the championship round are senior Lindsay Ryder who finished fourth in the girls' javelin, tossing the javelin 108'4". This makes her a three-year sectional medalist. Sophomore Joe Drago, in his inaugural season, advanced in the 400m run with a time of 51.70.

May 16, 2010 -Nutley's varsity tennis players will face top-rated Millburn Monday (May 17) in the quarterfinals of the New Jersey State Inter- scholastic Association's North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 boys tennis tournament.

Millburn is top-seeded in the tournament and won the NJSIAA title

Nutley has already played one game in this year's state tourn- ament,defeating Somervillle 3-2.

This past Friday (May 14), the team lost matches at Verona High School, 3-1.

Nutley's only victory came the first singles when Matt Salerno beat Paul

Other scoring at Verona -- 2nd singles: Mike Streifer (V) defeated Anthony Sbarra 6-2, 6-4; 3rd singles: Norah Herman drew with Nutley's Derek McMullen, 6-1, 1-1. In the first doubles: Verona's Will Schenkel and Matt Tuorto defeated Julian Grutta- davria and Kevin Robinson, 6-3, 6-1.

Apr 19, 2010 - This week it was the lady distance runners who were the stars. Coach Robert O'Dell reports that girls broke the Nutley High School record for the 4x800 meter relay during competition atthe Morris Hills Relays on Saturday, April 17.

The team of junior Miki Tanaka, freshmen Katie Marano and Ann-Margaret Conca, and senior Dana Principe, ran a time of 10:34.68. The lady athletes broke the old record of 10:40.2 set in 1992 by Anna Conca, Lynn Frikert,

Each of the girls ran an excellent leg, from Tanaka's strong lead-off, to the two freshmen recording personal bests, to senior Dana Principe sealing the record attempt with a fast anchor leg.

Also scoring at the Morris Hills Relays was the boys triple jump team of Jordan Jimenez, John Perez, and Matt Delmauro. The boys

Earlier in the week, both the boys and girls teams defeated Belleville on Wednesday at DeMuro Park. The boys won 120-10, and the girls 111-24. Both teams are now undefeated at 3-0. Greg Palma threw the discus 125' in one of the leading performances.

This week the Raiders will host Montclair Kimberely Academy for a dual meet Wednesday at DeMuro Park, and then on Saturday travel to Millburn for the Millburn Relays.