Bloomfield High’s Dominic Oramas heads the ball as Glen Ridge’s Chris Harris defends during the Bengals’ 3-0 win this season.
BLOOMFIELD – Under first-year head coach Mike Aiello, the Bloomfield High School varsity boys’ soccer team achieved a great amount of success this season.
And without a doubt, the team’s success can be attributed to the play by a handful of Bengals.
The following BHS players have earned Worrall Media All-Area honors: Gabe Crespo, Dominic Oramas, Brian Rennie, Jonathan Ricca, and Ivan Figueroa.
For certain, one player who helped make this a special season for BHS was senior sensation Gabe Crespo, a center midfielder who finished with six goals and 26 assists.
“The kid is a special player,” said the coach on the senior star. “Gabe scored six goals but could have scored more. He is such a great playmaker. He was so unselfish, and for most of the season he led the state in assists, which is an amazing accomplishment. When he steps onto a soccer field, he is the most skilled player 95 percent of the time. He knows what’s going to happen before it happens and he;s the smartest guy on the field.”
For his efforts, Aiello said Crespo was awarded with first team All-Super Essex Conference and All-Essex County honors while also being invited to the all-state banquet, where more awards could be in store for the soon-to-be-graduate, who is still undecided on where he will attend college in the fall.
“He hasn’t made a decision yet but he can easily play collegiately and possibly even professionally,” Aiello said.
Similarly, senior center back Dominic Oramas also had a memorable year for the team.
“Just like Gabe, Dominic is also a four-year starter, and overall Dominic was our lock-down defender; so skilled and he also read the game tremendously,” said the coach, noting Oramas earned first-team all-conference and all-county and was also invited to the all-state banquet.
Another player who had a strong year for Bloomfield was senior center back Brian Rennie, who earned second-team all conference recognition.
“Brian is a very good defender. He is a very big threat in the air and he could throw the ball a mile,” said Aiello of Rennie, who recorded three game-winning goals this year.
Along with the three aforementioned players, the coach said Jonathan Ricca, a defensive midfielder, also played a key role for the team as the fourth senior captain.
“Jonathan was such a hard worker. He has quick feet and he is such a competitor,” said Aiello. “He wasn’t the biggest kid, but he always played like he did, and because of that, he also played up on set plays and wound up scoring three or four goals for us this year.”
Aiello will miss his four senior captains. “There was just something about those four kids that you can’t put into words,” he said.
Another player who made a significant contribution to the team was senior forward Ivan Figueroa, who tied Crespo and one other player for first on the team in goals scored with six.
“Ivan is a very fast player and he is very good on the ball. He had a great games versus Verona with two quick goals that set the tone for us in what was a big game for our team,” said Aiello. “Plus, it was nice that he worked really well with Gabe.”
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