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Dennis McCaffery won 511 games over a 25-year career with Cranford and took over at St. Joseph (Met.) prior to the start of the 2025 season.

After losing the first two games, he’s now on the board with his new squad.

From top to bottom, every player had at least one hit and St. Joseph slugged a pair of home runs in a 14-7 win over South Plainfield in South Plainfield on Friday.

“I’m happy for the kids,” McCaffery said. “It’s never about me. I’m happy that the kids are able to get (the win). It starts on the mound. Richie Zangara threw a good game, was able to throw strikes and command both sides of the plate, and he did a very good job out there.”

Zangara set the tone by allowing just five baserunners across the first four innings. South Plainfield got to him in the fifth inning but by that point, St. Joseph was well on its way to victory.

The senior’s final line checked in at 5 2/3 innings pitched, four runs and four strikeouts.

The offense got its spark in the third inning. Trailing 1-0, a leadoff single from Bobby Christensen, who went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and three runs, and Joseph Barca got on board after getting hit by a pitch to set the table for JP Zayle.

He crushed a monstrous three-run homer to left field, his second in three games this season.

The senior hit .296 a season ago with 21 hits, none of which went over the fence.

“(I’m) playing looser,” he said. Last year, (I was) trying to muscle a lot of things, trying to do too much. This year, just let the bat and hands work and good things happen.”

“JP’s a gamer,” added McCaffery. “He works very hard and he’s someone that is a pleasure to coach and he’s a hard-working kid.”

Barca then supplied a big bop in the fourth inning with a two-run double and the team took over in the fifth.

Matthew Ferber got the run started with a solo homer and he stepped up again later in the inning and delivered a two-run double to make it 13-1. Seven different players had a hit in the inning.

South Plainfield was down to its final out in the bottom of the fifth, but Dan Kapsch stepped up to deliver a bases-clearing triple. He had a pair of hits and four total RBIs in the loss.

From Christensen as the leadoff hitter to Logan Ring, who hit sixth, the top six hitters went a combined 14-for-26 with 11 runs and 12 RBIs.

“We have a very deep lineup,” Zayle said. “Everybody can hit, one through five, one through six, one through nine. Everybody can swing the bat and you saw that today. 14 runs, that’s the way to go.”

Through three games, the St. Joseph (1-2) offense is averaging 8.3 runs per game. These two are set for a rematch on Monday.

Brian Bobal may be reached at bbobal@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X at @BrianBobal.

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After coming off of their 3rd consecutive 1st place win in the TIA Competition in Barnegat on March 22nd, with a score of 83.29, the SPHS Winterguard showed their own community what they’re made of. Friday, March 28th, was a magical evening filled with fun, food, and prizes. The Winterguard dazzled us first with a spectacular performance of their show “Meditations”, showcasing their talent in dance, flag, rifle, and saber choreography. Following that was the tricky tray raffle, which included 27 baskets filled with all kinds of exciting gift cards and handmade items. Complimentary refreshments were also on hand to satisfy both sweet and savory tastes! A great time was had by all, and we hope to see you next year!

Just a couple of days later on March 30th in Somerville, the team competed for the first time in the MAIN (Mid-Atlantic Indoor Network) circuit. Being a more competitive atmosphere with stricter scoring, they definitely held their own, scoring 79.32 against Bridgewater -Raritan HS's 81.31 in the top Scholastic A1 division. Way to go SP!!

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On April 5th, they were back to TIA Competition at Kingsway HS in Woolwich Twp, NJ. Scoring 84.38 against Eastern Regional’s 81.91 awarded them their 4th consecutive TIA 1st place win!

The next competition will be Regionals on April 27th, taking place at Southern Regional HS. Let’s give them a great big shout out and wish them the best!! If you’re looking for something to do that day, come on down and support them! The competition starts at 2pm at Southern Regional HS, 90 Cedar Bridge Rd, Stafford Twp, NJ 08050. Their performance is at 5:41pm, followed by the award ceremony.

Be sure to visit us for all things music that are happening at the HS at www.sphsmusicboosters.org

And don't miss us on social media!!

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Any questions? Email us! info@sphsmusicboosters.com

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ – Through an elective offered at South Plainfield High School, seniors who may be considering a career in education have the opportunity to see, first-hand, what it is like to be a teacher.

Through the Tomorrow’s Teachers class, both classroom and field experiences are offered to students with the goal of helping them make informed decisions regarding careers in education.

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“I think teaching is the best decision I have ever made...it’s all I ever wanted to do, but it is not for everybody,” Sharon McGrath, who has served as instructor for Tomorrow’s Teachers for the past decade, told TAPinto. “... This is the perfect class to help them figure it out.”

To be considered for Tomorrow’s Teachers, a full-year dual-enrollment (for credit) course available exclusively to seniors, students must apply and submit an essay highlighting why they feel teaching is a worthwhile profession. Admission into the class is determined by McGrath with assistance from the guidance department with 13 students currently enrolled for the 2024-2025 school year.

“Each year, approximately 80 percent of students come into the class with thoughts of becoming a teacher and majoring in education, while the rest are not quite sure and may be taking the class to help them figure that out,” McGrath said.

“For some, the class solidifies that a career in education is exactly what they want - it excites them, motivates them - but for others, the class helps them see it may not be for them,” she added.

To help students experience all aspects of teaching, the Tomorrow’s Teachers curriculum is centered around lessons, guest speakers, observations, and in-the-field internships, made possible with support from district schools. Students enrolled have the opportunity to experience, firsthand, different grades and/or subject areas as well as ‘discover, through research, lessons, and practice, issues in education, teaching methodologies, and classroom experiences.’

Through classroom instruction and on-site opportunities, the senior students are able to observe, explore, and utilize effective teaching practices; recognize aspects of human growth and development that relate to learning; and develop and demonstrate leadership, interpersonal, intrapersonal and self-evaluation skills.

“Teaching is really a great profession … It’s a hard job, but also so very rewarding and we want them to be able to see, firsthand, what they are getting into,” McGrath, who has been a teacher in the district for over 30 years, said.

Additionally, through the class, the students are able to gain an understanding of not just school structures, operations, and policies but also the complexities of critical issues in education, the multiple responsibilities and professional roles of teachers, and the diverse career options available in education.

“Our goal is for them to see all the education field has to offer and hopefully return to South Plainfield to pursue their dream of becoming a teacher,” McGrath said.

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SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ - South Plainfield Borough Council's final meeting for April is on Monday at the South Plainfield Municipal Building at 7 p.m. The April 21 meeting has the second reading of three ordinances on the upcoming agenda, including one for providing compensation for part-time South Plainfield employees from 2024 through 2028. Two ordinances are scheduled to have a first reading, including one relating to the municipal budget cost of living allowance. South Plainfield Mayor Matthew Anesh set the public hearing for those two ordinances for May 5 at 7 p.m.

Monday's agenda also has four budget resolutions, with one introducing the 2025 municipal budget. The public hearing for the 2025 budget is set for May 19. A copy of the 2025 municipal budget can be found on the South Plainfield Borough website. Eight resolutions are on the April 21 agenda, including one to authorize the hiring of part-time personnel for the upcoming 2025 Summer Legends Camp. Monday's agenda also has two correspondence items that don't require a vote. There will be an Executive Session with two legal and one personnel item on the agenda. The complete agenda for the April 21 meeting of the South Plainfield Borough Council can be found on the South Plainfield Borough website.

Residents can attend Monday's borough council meeting in person at the South Plainfield Municipal Building at 2480 Plainfield Avenue. The meeting will also be livestreamed. South Plainfield residents can access the meeting live by following the virtual directions on the South Plainfield Borough website. A recorded video of the April 21 meeting will be available for viewing as well on the borough website later in the week.

The South Plainfield Borough Council holds two regularly scheduled meetings each month. May meeting dates for the South Plainfield Borough Council are Monday, May 5 and Monday, May 19.