November 19, 2003
NJSIAA needs a new video camera
By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist
It appears that Ocean City’s girls cross country team got robbed last Saturday.
The Raiders finished third in the NJSIAA State Group 3 Meet but were placed fourth because the officials
at the finish line did not see what developed after Molly Minehan finished the race.
Minehan was struggling with an asthma attack after crossing the finish line while eight runners passed her
in the chute. The officials placed her 39th instead of 30th. Ocean City protested but no changes were
forthcoming. Both sides were polite and cordial but the Raiders were deprived of an accomplishment.
Obviously, officials cannot change a decision just because a team protests. They need proof. But this is
2003, when everybody carries a cell phone - many with cameras, video games and Internet browsers – and
satellite receivers in our cars can guide us to the nearest Italian restaurant. There is no logical reason for
the absence of a video camera at the finish lines of cross country and track meets.
Had there been a camera recording the finish, Minehan probably would have finished 30th and the OCHS
team would have taken third place and qualified for this Saturday’s Meet of Champions.
Fortunately, Ocean City earned a wild card and still picked up a spot in the Meet of Champions. But that
might not be the case the next time.
With the thousands and thousands of dollars worth of timing devices you see at cross country and track
meets, it is inconceivable that a $200.00 video recorder is not among the equipment.
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In the history of the Cape-Atlantic League, only two coaches had taken their football teams to the playoffs
in their first year as head coach and won a game – Tom Bostic at Pleasantville and Dave Heck at Millville.
This year three others have joined them.
Doug Colman, the former star at Ocean City High School and former NFL linebacker, took Absegami into
the Group 4 playoffs for the first time since 1992. Gami then went up the Parkway and knocked off
undefeated Toms River East, the first football playoff win in Absegami history.
B.J. Burch is in his first year as Pleasantville coach. A former Greyhound quarterback and assistant coach,
Burch took over for Donald Barnes after two straight years in the playoffs. Burch stretched that streak to
three and knocked off Sterling in the first round.
Then there is Bill Walsh. An assistant at Holy Spirit, he switched positions with Chris Bell, the former
head coach who is now a Walsh assistant. The Spartans needed two straight wins to qualify for the
playoffs and used a devastating running game to beat Buena and Bridgeton. Spirit then defeated DePaul,
47-0, for the school’s first playoff win since Ed Byrnes’ team defeated Notre Dame in 1991, a week before
losing a thrilling overtime game to Holy Cross in the South Jersey final. The 47 points was also the most
ever scored by Holy Spirit in a playoff game.
Hammonton is still alive in the Group 3 playoffs and St. Joseph will be Holy Spirit’s next opponent
Saturday at the old William Cappella Memorial Field in Hammonton.
But the big story of the 2003 playoffs is the impressive debuts made by Doug Colman, B.J. Burch and Bill
Walsh.
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