Monday, March 21, 2011
Chamber of Commerce donates $1,000 of the proceeds to High School’s Academy of Finance
After months of planning by event coordinator Margaret Maclay, and countless hours of preparation from a number of volunteers, the Fort Lee Chamber of Commerce hosted their first ever 3-on-3 basketball tournament Saturday. With the recent economic downturn that has affected the High School’s Academy of Finance, the Chamber of Commerce looked to do anything they could to help. So before the tournament began, MaClay and the Chamber of Commerce donated $1,000 to the Academy of Finance as well as a paid internship for one of the students this upcoming summer. “I’m so excited about that and overwhelmed with the Chamber,” said Linda Farrell, the head of the Academy of Finance. “This is really important. The Chamber has been a great partner.” …
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Fort Lee’s brightest now looking to the future in movement for a brighter tomorrow.
There is no formula to being a Whiz Kid, and no blueprint for the proper way to become one. It may take the drive of Fort Lee’s Nancie Sophias, the leadership qualities shown by George Padin, the singing abilities of Arev Dinkjian or the dedication of basketball player Bindi Parikh. These four student athletes are just like everyone else but they have something that makes them unique. Sophias, for example, is a senior and one of the top runners in Northern New Jersey. She has set numerous Fort Lee High School records including the 600 meter run and is on the track team year round. If that isn’t enough, Nancie is also the Vice President of her class, the secretary of the student council, and President of the Greek Club. She has donated a …
Monday, February 28, 2011
Second half sets back Fort Lee in 55-35 loss to Rutherford.
Two weeks ago, the Fort Lee Lady Bridgemen hosted Rutherford and played the Bulldogs to the final buzzer in a two-point loss. This time around, the teams met in the state tournament with a do-or-die opportunity to win and advance or lose and go home. Fort Lee nabbed the early lead when junior Ally Long banked in a three pointer and senior Brianna Mattessich added a lay-up for the 5-0 edge. “We got motivated and we had confidence from that,” the senior guard said. “Like I always say, when we have a good start, it really gives us confidence but Rutherford came out on fire and they really wanted the game too.” After Fort Lee lead 7-3, Rutherford rallied back with 12 of the next 14 points to close out the quarter. What was a five-point …
Friday, February 25, 2011
Decorated gyms and heart-felt speeches highlight the last home game for senior athletes.
In a fast paced world, it is sometimes difficult to stop and reflect on how you reached this point in life. Well, the Fort Lee basketball teams did just that this week, as they paused from their normal routine to honor their graduating student athletes. The festivities started on Wednesday night as the Bridgemen hosted Dwight Morrow. Prior to the game, Fort Lee head coach John Ziemba called the team managers, graduating cheerleaders and senior players on to the court with their families. Ziemba talked about everyone’s contribution to the team and went in depth about his two seniors. Forward Ryan Ford had what coach Ziemba called “a disappointing year” as the senior was academically ineligible for most of the season. Ford returned to score …
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Senior forward George Padin: "We finally came through, and it feels good to finally get a win."
A week ago, the Fort Lee Bridgemen were handed one of their most lopsided losses of the year in a 59-30 defeat against Tenafly. Head coach John Ziemba and his basketball team were very upset with the performance that evening and vowed to use that effort as motivation for the remainder of the season. From that point on, the games have been much closer for Fort Lee, but they haven’t equated to the wins the Bridgemen had been hoping for. Last week, Fort Lee lost back-to-back games against league champions Cliffside Park and Rutherford by a combined total of 10 points. This week, the Bridgemen were able to overcome their recent shortcomings on Tuesday night, when Fort Lee defeated the River Dell Golden Hawks 51-45 at home. “Last week we were …
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Team decorates gym, donates money to American Cancer Society.
After weeks of planning, the Fort Lee Lady Bridgemen set out to accomplish something meaningful with their cancer research benefit game Saturday. Long before the crowd arrived for the noontime game, the team was at the high school, redesigning the gym with pink balloons, banners and streamers by 9:30 a.m. “We decorated the whole [place],” said junior guard Megan Gimson. “It was really close to our hearts because in our coach’s past and our past, we all have a connection.” As the team was playing for the school, the program and themselves, the thought of honoring cancer survivors was weighing on the minds of athletes, such as senior guard Brianna Mattessich. “It’s a really good cause, and it gave us a lot of motivation,” she said. “It’s not…
Saturday, February 19, 2011
The sophomore center scores 24 points in rivalry game against Cliffside Park.
The gym is packed, and there is barely room to find a seat. The music echoes loudly, and the fans spike the volume even higher with their thunderous cheers. The anticipation has been building for days, and the high schools haven’t stopped buzzing about it all afternoon. Separated by less than three miles, the rivalry between Cliffside Park and Fort Lee runs deep within many fans associated with the two teams. When the Red Raiders meet the Bridgemen in any sport, chances are most citizens from the neighboring towns will be there to see it. Such was the case on a warm Thursday evening this week when Fort Lee hosted Cliffside Park in a rematch from earlier in the season, an eventual Red Raider victory. The mood was set well before the …
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Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The senior's daily journey to succeed begins long before most people wake up.
With an over-packed bookbag slung on her back, Fort Lee’s Bindi Parikh is hard to miss in the high school hallways. The senior also stands out on the basketball floor as one of the captains on the Lady Bridgemen basketball team. But it is this rare blend of dedication and success both on and off the court that makes Bindi Parikh a true Fort Lee “Whiz Kid.” “There aren’t enough words for me to describe what a wonderful student athlete she is, and not only a student athlete, but a [wonderful] person,” said Bindi’s head coach Stacie Zafiris. Parikh’s teammates have also noticed the special qualities that make up who she is. “Bindi is very unique and one of a kind,” senior guard Brianna Mattessich said. “She is always happy and I don’t think I…
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The Bridgemen nearly had three wins this week including one against a top NJ team.
The Athlete of the Week story is a staple every week on this site, but for the first time this year, the award is being given to more than one person. The Fort Lee boy’s basketball team made it very difficult to single out an individual this week, mainly because the team earned back-t0-back wins and nearly secured three in a row. On Monday night, the Bridgemen defeated Queen of Peace 54-35 as the team pulled away for good in the final quarter. Then on the very next night, Fort Lee fended away Dumont in a 64-51 win. Sophomore center Anthony Rafes scored a season-high 23 points in the victory as the Bridgemen looked to make it three wins in a row. On paper though, many would say that Fort Lee didn’t have a chance. The Wood-Ridge Blue Devils …
Friday, February 11, 2011
Senior guard Brianna Mattessich leads Lady Bridgemen with game-high 21 points.
With the future of the girls basketball team watching, the current Fort Lee Lady Bridgemen defeated the Wallington Panthers 47-32 at home on Thursday night. Coach Stacie Zafiris and Fort Lee Girls Basketball League President Mike Klein invited the younger girls to come watch the game in hopes of showing what it takes to play at the high school level. Zafiris did not want to make her team nervous before the game, but she did stress how important this game was for the program and for the girls who were watching them play. “I said, ‘You are the reason why we are where we are, and why you got Fort Lee basketball on the map,’ ” the head coach said before the opening tip. “But, there is a little girl out there that might be watching you for 5 …
Johan Bae
12:14 pm on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Thank you Chamber of Commerce - FL , all the sponsors and teams that participated!!! It was a great event and I hope there's another one soon. By the way,correct spelling for the 3rd place team is "Maranatha. " www.maranathagrace.org more ›