It was another thrilling year of high school sports in North Jersey, as teams from Bergen and Passaic counties won state championships and individuals broke records.
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Bergen Catholic football wins fourth straight state title
The Crusaders made program history by winning a fourth consecutive Non-Public A state title in 2024. They beat Don Bosco, 25-7, in the title game.
Don Bosco boys basketball wins title in Dylan Harper's last game
Current Rutgers star Dylan Harper capped one of the great North Jersey basketball careers of all time with 26 points in the Ironmen's 56-29 win over Paul VI in the Non-Public A state final.
Don Bosco boys lacrosse rallies to win state championship
The Ironmen got back on top of the New Jersey lacrosse world by coming back from two goals down at halftime to beat Seton Hall Prep, 13-8, in the Non-Public A state final.
DePaul football wins second state title in three years
With one of the most talented rosters North Jersey has ever seen, DePaul capped an 11-1 season with a 33-21 win over Pope John in the Non-Public B state championship game.
Ridgewood baseball coach Kurt Hommen wins 600th career game
Ridgewood's 16-2 win over Emerson on April 13 gave coach Kurt Hommen his 600th career win. Hommen ranks second all-time in North Jersey history, behind only Frank Salvano, who died in September at age 73.
Holy Angels golf sweeps major tournaments
The Angels won every major golf tournament in 2024, including winning the state championship by 13 strokes. Juniors Inha Jun, Angelina Kim, and Sharanya Agarwal, all three-year starters, led the way.
IHA girls lacrosse dethrones Ridgewood as county champ
IHA made lots of history with a 12-11 win over Ridgewood in the Bergen County girls lacrosse final. The Blue Eagles became the first team to ever beat Ridgewood in the county tournament - ending an 18-year title streak - and the first Bergen County team to beat Ridgewood in any game since 1995.
IHA swimming wins state title as the lights go out
IHA repeated as Non-Public girls swimming state champions with a 87-69 win over Trinity Hall that ended in bizarre fashion. The power went out at Rutgers' Werblin Recreation Center with one event to go. When the lights came back but the scoreboard remained blank, officials decided to call the meet.
Lakeland baseball breaks 18-year drought to win county title
The Lancers won the Passaic County baseball championship for the first time since 2006 with a 4-1 win over Pompton Lakes in coach Ron Etzkorn's first year at the helm. Mikey Gilligan hit a two-run home run to jumpstart a four-run first inning.
Leeana Mercado becomes Lodi's first two-time wrestling champ
Lodi senior Leeana Mercado did something no Lodi wrestler of any gender had done before when she beat Jasintai Mallqui of Pennsauken, 5-2, in the girls 107-pound state final in Atlantic City. She became the school's first two-time champ and the second North Jersey girl to ever win two state titles.
Leonia wrestler Seach Hibler stuns No. 1 seed
Leonia sophomore Seach Hibler entered the state wrestling tournament as the No. 16 seed at 126 pounds. On the first day in Atlantic City, he pulled off perhaps the biggest upset of the entire weekend, beating top-seeded Sammy Spaulding of Camden Catholic, 13-7. Hibler made it all the way to the state final and took second place.
North Jersey athletes dominate track & field Meet of Champions
North Jersey athletes brought home eight gold medals at the 2024 State Meet of Champions, tying an area record. Abigail Dennis (girls 100), Layla Giordano (girls discus), Ridgewood's Luke Pash (boys 1,600), Leonia's Jaden Marchan (boys 400), Passaic Tech's Raynier Galvez (boys 800), Demarest's Liam Paneque (boys long jump), Benji Shue (boys shot put), and the Demarest 4-x-800 relay team all won state titles.
Northern Highlands field hockey makes North Jersey history
When Northern Highlands beat North Hunterdon, 3-2 in overtime, to win the North Group 3 sectional final, the Highlanders became the first North Jersey field hockey team to reach a state championship game since 1999. They also became the first Bergen County team to do so since 1986.
Northern Highlands ice hockey scores late to secure state title
After giving up a 3-1 lead in the third period, Northern Highlands scored with 6:19 left in the Public state championship game to beat Manalapan, 4-3. The Highlanders became just the 14th program in state history to win three state championships.
Old Tappan football wins second state championship
Since the NJSIAA started playing down to true state champions in football in 2022, Old Tappan is the only North Jersey team to win two state titles. The Golden Knights earned that distinction with a 28-16 win over Mainland in the Group 3 state final. Versatile senior Alex Orecchio caught a TD pass and threw another.
Park Ridge girls basketball wins first sectional title
Park Ridge girls basketball made program history with a 43-28 win over Mountain Lakes in the North 1, Group 1 sectional title game to win a sectional crown for the first time. In the game, junior Allie Shenloogian scored 26 points and became the program's all-time leading scorer.
Pompton Lakes baseball dominates to win first state crown
Pompton Lakes only needed five innings to beat Point Pleasant Beach, 14-4, in the Group 1 state championship game. The win marked the first state championship in program history.
Ramapo boys basketball storms back, repeats as state champ
After falling behind by 10 points in the first quarter, Ramapo left zero doubt with a 94-47 win over Freehold Boro in the Group 3 state championship game. Peyton Seals scored 35 points and Chris Cervino made nine 3-pointers and scored 34 points, reaching exactly 1,000 points for his career on his final shot.
Ridgewood girls flag football becomes first repeat champ
Ridgewood finished off another state championship season at MetLife Stadium, this time with a 26-0 win over Wayne Valley. Since girls flag football gained club status in 2021, the Maroons are the first team to win back-to-back state titles.
Saddle River Day girls basketball eighth straight county title
Saddle River Day extended its record Bergen County Tournament title streak to eight straight with a 50-47 win over Teaneck in the 2024 final. In the closest championship-game win of the Rebels' streak, Julianna Almeida sealed the win with two late free throws.
St. Joseph baseball wins record 12th Bergen County title
Making a record 20th appearance in a Bergen County baseball final, St. Joseph won its 12th title with a 5-4 win over Westwood. The Green Knights gained the lead in the sixth inning then escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh to secure the win.
St. Joseph wrestling matches record with four champs
St. Joseph tied a Bergen County record with four state champions at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Adrian DeJesus won his second state title (he won his first as a freshman at St. Peter's Prep), and Ryan Burton, Zach Ballante and Rocco Dellagatta all won their first titles.
Three Bergen County athletes win winter track titles
Jaden Marchan became the first Leonia track and field athlete to win a State Meet of Champions title when he won the boys 400-meter dash. He was one of three Bergen County athletes to win indoor state titles, joined by Ridgewood's Luke Pash (boys 3,200) and Demarest's Liam Paneque (boys long jump).
Three North Jersey volleyball teams bring home state titles
Old Tappan became the 10th Bergen County team to ever complete a perfect volleyball season, doing so with a sweep in the Group 2 state final over Governor Livingston. The 25-0 Golden Knights were joined as state champions that weekend by IHA (Non-Public A) and St. Mary (Non-Public B).
Waldwick boys soccer wins dramatic state championship game
The Group 1 boys soccer state final had one of the most dramatic endings of any title game in the Garden State in 2024. JJ Ruehlemann broke Waldwick's school record for goals, scoring the winning goal with fewer than two minutes remaining in a 2-1 win over Haddon Township.
Wayne Valley boys basketball wins first county championship
For the first time in the 53-year history of the Passaic County boys basketball tournament, Wayne Valley won the title. The Indians accomplished the feat by hitting six 3-pointers in a 44-38 win over Eastside in their home gym.
Wayne Valley swimmer breaks through with state title
After finishing second in a Meet of Champions race three times, junior Sarah Rodrigues won her first state title by completing the backstroke in 52.59 seconds, more than a second faster than any other competitor.