Clayton High School

Clayton, NJ

April 17, 2000

Athletic History Committee

 

The Athletic History Committee was formed in the spring of 2000. Its mission was to help rebuild the pride of Clayton High School and the town of Clayton in general, visa-vie the school’s history of athletics and sport.

 

The committee’s  statement of purpose was to establish a criteria for any events, teams or individuals (coaches or students) to be remembered in form of public display on a banner, plaque or citation and to then review, investigate and research Clayton High School athletic records or any other sources of information to discover those events, teams and individuals to be immortalized.

 

The committee members were:

Committee Chair Neil Rosa, Athletic Director,

Vice-Chair           Dan Ferrell, retired teacher & coach

     Angela Anderson, retired teacher & coach

     Jim Hall, retired athletic director

     Lee Henry, faculty

     Joe Keys, faculty

     Mike Silver, faculty

 

Committee members researched: athletic records that could be found; newspaper articles at the Gloucester County Times and Sentinel newspapers; old high school year books; Hall of Fame records; Hall of Fame programs; old video films and tapes; alumni records and photos;   personal mementos of some alumni; scrap books; trophy cases; NJSIAA records; Star Ledger newspaper. The committee findings are listed below.

 

COMMITTEE DECISIONS

 

·                     Team banners should go to any conference, South Jersey or State Champion

·                     Individual banners for any one who had a South Jersey, a District, or State Championship

·                     Banners should list name, sport, year, team

·                     1000 point club & 1000 yard club members may not get banner

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEAM FINDINGS

 

Sport                            Year                 Description

Baseball                        1926                Tri-County Champion

1944                 Tri-County Champion

1945                 Tri-County Champion

 

Basketball, Boys’         1975-76            Tri-County Champion

1978-79            Tri-County Champion

1979-80            Tri-County Champion; State Group I Champion

1982-83            Tri-County Champion

 

Basketball, Girls’          1965-66            Tri-County Champion

 

Cross Country              1976                 Tri-County Champion

1977                 Tri-County Champion (undefeated)

 

Field Hockey                1953                 Tri-County Co-Champions

 

Football                        1939                 Tri-County Champion

1944                 South Jersey Group I Champion

1945                 Tri-County Champion

1946                 Tri-County Champion

1949                 Tri-County Champion

1950                 Tri-County Champion; State Group I Co-Champion

1952                 Tri-County Champion

1959                 Tri-County Co-Champion

1990                 Tri-County Champion

 

Softball                 none

 

Track, Boys’                1940                 Tri-County Champions; South Jersey Group I Champions

1991                 Tri-County Co-Champions

 

Wrestling                      1999-00            Tri-County Classic Division Champion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INDIVIDUAL FINDINGS

 

Wrestling                      1969         George Sanders - District 31 Champion

                                                      Eugene Gunther - District 31 Champion

1975-76    Bob Tunstell- District 31 Champion

 

Football                        1959         Stan Albertson - 1^st Team All-SJ; 3^rd Team All-State Group I

1959         Tom Bompensa - 1^st Team All-SJ; 3^rd Team All-State Group I

1959          Wilbur Femal  - 1^st Team All-SJ

1959          Ray Hoffman - 1^st Team All-SJ; 3^rd Team All-State Gr. I

1964          Dave Lindsey - 2^nd Team All-State Group I

1965          William Frame - 2^nd Team All-State Group I

1968           Ed Richmond - 2^nd Team All-SJ Group I

 

Track                           1957         John Reim - State Champion Group I Javelin

1963         John Cerak - State Champion Group I Javelin

1980         Gayle Langford - State Champion Group I LJ & 400M

1996         Don Taylor - State Champion Group I Shot Put

1998         Gigi Rowe - State Champion Group I Shot Put

1999         Jackie Nicholson - State Champion Group I 400M HH

 

Cross Country              1976         Renee DeFeo - South Jersey Champion Group I

1977          Renee DeFeo - South Jersey Champion Group I

 

OTHER NOTABLE AWARDS & FINDINGS

 

·                     Girls’ Basketball in 1988-89 received the NJSIAA West Chapter #5 Sportsmanship Award

 

·                     1940 Track RelayTeam “Greatest Relay Team Ever”

4^th in South Jersey over all; won the class race in the Penn Relays; Tri-County Conference Champion & Gloucester County Champion; South Jersey Group I Champions with record of 3:30.2 in mile relay; undefeated team of Alexander, Andrews, Chafey and Wanner

 

·                     Cross Country

In 1978, Bob Thibault set course record of 15:36; 1977 Team was Undefeated

 

·                     Tri-County Conference Founded 1928; Original members were:

Clayton; Kingsway; Penns Grove; Pitman; Woodstown

Split into two divisions in 1983 (Classic & Royal)

Oldest continues operating conference in the state