Margate Hurricanes Roll to Another Title
It's probably not the smartest thing to get in the way of a hurricane.
That's what teams in the Atlantic County Baseball League found out the hard way this summer, as Margate rolled over their final 21 opponents en route to another title. That makes 11 in the past 14 seasons overall for the South Jersey dynasty, something head coach Yogi Hiltner says his players can be proud of. We asked the Hurricanes skipper about his latest championship victory, what he credits for his team's success, and why he says the environment at Jerome Avenue is like no other.
One local baseball star's name has been immortalized forever at a local field here in South Jersey. In fact, Mike Trout is so big, officials needed a stage like the Empire State Building in New York City to honor him properly. We spoke with one member of the current Thunderbolts baseball who was at this week's celebration in the sky, and found out how he's carrying on the Trout legacy in Millville.
While local sports fans may have to wait until 2014 for baseball to return, high school football teams are busy gearing up for a new season. Pete Lancetta's Blue Devils will be ready next month, and they'll be up for the challenge when they travel to Absecon to face defending champion Holy Spirit (you can listen to that game exclusively on 97.3 ESPN-FM). Find out what's going on during training camp in Hammonton this summer, and why one coach isn't satisfied finishing the season again at .500.
While the Blue Devils look to improve on their 5-5 record, one high school football team a little further south is struggling just to field a team. We get the latest from Cape May County Gazette sports reporter Brian Cunniff, who says it may be dire times for one team that entered 2013 with high expectations.
And one mixed martial arts fighter with local ties is returning to South Jersey for an upcoming bout. Tuckerton's "Brutal" Brendan Barrett is the current "Ring of Combat" Heavyweight Champion, and he'll put his title on the line next month at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City. We asked the M.M.A. star about his intense training regiment, why fighting in South Jersey is so special, and just how he got his unique nickname.
Listen to this week's show:
Emilio Santiago, Millville High School baseball
Yogi Hiltner, ACBL Director & head coach of the 2013 ACBL Champion Margate Hurricanes
Danny Breslauer, R-Vision broadcaster, Rutgers University Athletics
Brian Cunniff, Cape May County Gazette sports reporter
"Brutal" Brendan Barrett, Tuckerton native & Mixed Martial Arts heavyweight fighter
Pete Lancetta, Hammonton High School head football coach
It’s all right here, on The South Jersey Sports Report. Listen every Saturday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on 97.3 ESPN-FM or 973espn.com, and catch the expanded edition every Thursday night from 6-7 p.m.
Follow Tyler Donohue on Twitter @TDsTake