NUTLEY, NJ – It has been five years since the Third Half Club of Nutley has inducted a class into its Athletic Hall of Fame. This year the committee is proud to announce the following well deserving Nutley Raiders to the 2017 Hall of Fame.
Albert “Albie” Hallam Class of 1961 Football, Basketball, Baseball
Sam Battaglia Class of 1964 Football
John Monaco Class of 1981 Wrestling (New Jersey State Champ)
Dawn Marie DeRose Class of 1983 Soccer, Basketball, Softball
Andy Joyner Class of 1984 Baseball, Basketball
Alan Branigan Class of 1993 Soccer
Donald Sellari Class of 1993 Football, Track
Kim DiVincenzo Class of 1999 Basketball, Softball
1992 State Championship Softball Team
The 2017 HOF Class is going to be honored at a dinner on Thursday, October 12, 2017 at The Chandelier in Belleville at 7 p.m., followed by the induction Saturday morning October 14, 2017 prior to the Nutley Homecoming Football game against Orange High School.
This will be the 10th induction since the inaugural class in 1988.
Stephen Searle, Third Half Club Vice President and Hall of Fame Committee Chairman, is excited about this year’s class and is looking forward to a memorable night. “We are happy to announce this year’s class, and we are looking forward to a fantastic Hall of Fame/Homecoming weekend!”
Ticket information is as follows:
The event starts sharply at 7:00 pm and should end approximately 10:30 pm. Tickets are $80.00 per person. If you wish to attend, please contact:
Jackie Searle: [email protected] – 973 699 7780
If you have any questions, you may call or email the following committee people:
Jackie Searle……. [email protected] – 973 699 7780
Stephen Searle……. [email protected] – 973 699 6471
Joe Piro…….. [email protected] – 973 661 8849
Albert “Albie” Hallam – Class of 1961 Football, Basketball, Baseball
Albie Hallam was a three-sport athlete for the Raiders, who earned nine varsity letters. A member of the 8-1 state championship football team in 1960, where he led the Raiders in scoring, Hallam garnered All County and All State honors. Albie was also a National Honor Society member and Rotary Scholar. Hallam went on to Gettysburg College, where he played both baseball and football, earning five collegiate letters. He is a United States Marine, who served honorably in Vietnam from 1967-1968. Albie and his wife Angela have been married for 49 years. The couple resides in Montclair, and have two children, Ryan and Christy
Dawn Marie DeRose Class of 1983 Soccer, Basketball, Softball
Dawn DeRose was a three-sport athlete for the Raiders, earning 10 varsity letters. She was a three-year varsity starter in softball and basketball and played on the first female soccer team at Nutley, in 1979. She was named as the NHS Female Athlete of the year in 1983, and earned All-Area and All-County honors in softball. Former Director of Athletics Tom Galluci described her as, “pound-for-pound, one of the best athletes to ever come out of NHS.”
A 1988 graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she played three sports, Dawn began her collegiate career as a scholarship softball player at the University of South Carolina, where she played under Lou Piel. In 1985 she earned the Gamecocks’ Coaches Award for work ethic, spirit, and attitude. Dawn played semi-professional softball for the New Jersey Blue Jays, and won a Class A National Championship in 1992. She is currently married to LoLa Ann Sadlik and lives in Philadelphia.
Kongoza “Alan” Branigan Class of 1993 Soccer
Alan was a four-year letter winner for the Raiders, in soccer, and one of the best soccer players to ever wear a Raiders uniform. He earned four varsity letters, as well as All –Area, All-Conference, All-County and All-State accolades. He was selected as a member of the NJ Select All-State team, the Region One Olympic Development team, and played for Rutgers University. While at Rutgers, he was named the Atlantic 10 Freshman Player of the Year and earned freshman All –American Honors. In 1995 and 1996, he earned a spot on the Big East All Conference team, and in his senior year, received All American Honors. Drafted in 1997 by the MLS, Alan was named to the All-Time Carolina Dynamo roster. Alan resides in Nutley, and is the head boys’ soccer coach for the Caldwell High School Chiefs.
John Monaco Class of 1981 Wrestling
John Monaco is the only wrestler in Nutley’s 55-year history to stand atop the podium at the NJSIAA State Championships. In 1981, as a junior, John won the 158-pound state title. In addition to this incredible accomplishment, John was a member of the 1980 District 7 championship team, and won the District 7 title at 141 pounds. John took second at Region 2 that same year, and qualified for the state tournament, where he was eliminated in the first round. The following year, in the 158-pound weight class, John won the District 7 title, the Region 2 title, and the State Title. The following year, John moved to Clifton, and went undefeated in his senior year and won his second NJSIAA title. John was a three-time Division 3 National Champion for Montclair State University, and in 1985 earned NCAA All American honors. John is a member of Montclair State’s Athletic Hall of Fame, and was named to the Star-Ledger’s All-Century team.
Donald Sellari Class of 1993
Don Sellari earned 5 varsity letters in track and football for the Raiders and was the cornerstone of Nutley’s only Football State Sectional Championship Team in 1992. A 1st Team All-Conference, Area, County and State Selection, Don also received honorable mention honors on the All –American Team. He rushed for over 2000 yards in his career averaging 7.1 yards per carry and scored 28 touchdowns. In the 1992 Sectional Championship game, he rushed for 131 yards on 13 carries. Upon graduation, Don attended Rutgers University and extended his playing career. He graduated with a degree in exercise science and masters in special education. Don has taught special education for over 15 years and is the owner and operator of Beyond Potential Athletic Development Academy. Doan has also been the Strength and Conditioning Coach for Nutley High School since 2006. He currently resides in North Caldwell with his wife Jill and his son Dante.
Andy Joyner Class of 1984 Baseball Basketball
Andy Joyner will always be remembered as one of Nutley’s finest baseball pitchers. He was a three-year starter for the Raiders, earning All-Conference, All-Area, All-County and All-State honors, in both his junior and senior years. During his three years on the mound, Andy racked up 24 varsity wins, and in his senior year pitched 33 1/3 varsity innings without giving up a walk. Andy continued his pitching career at Fairleigh Dickinson University, on scholarship. While there, he helped them win an ECAC Metro League Championship, went 15-4, and was named to the All-ECAC Metro League Conference in 1988. Andy went on to play eight seasons of semi pro baseball in the Metropolitan League. Andy is an accomplished baseball umpire, on both the youth and high school level. A long-time resident of Nutley, he currently resides in Bloomfield.
Kimberly DiVincenzo Class of 1999 Basketball, Softball
Kim has left a legacy in Nutley as one of the finest and most accomplished female athletes of her time. A four-year starter in both basketball and softball, Kim earned eight varsity letters. On the basketball court, she was the all-time leading scorer with 1,602 points, from 1999-2016. She was an All-NNJIL selection from 1996-1999, an All-Area choice from 1996-1999 and All-Quad Town Selection from 1996-1999. She earned All-County honors from 1997-1999, and was a first team All Group 3 selection in her senior year. On the diamond, she was a four-year All-Conference selection, as well as a three year All-County selection and a three year All-State honoree. In 1999, the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association named her to the All-Region Team. She was named NHS’s Outstanding Female Athlete in 1999, was a recipient of the Brian Piccolo Award and the Men of Essex Award. Kim currently resides in West Caldwell with her husband and two children.
Sam Battaglia Class of 1964 Football
“Big Sam” Battaglia was a man amongst boys for the Raiders, in the early part of the 1960s. A three-year starter in football, when sophomores rarely saw the field, Big Sam was a force to be reckoned with in the trenches. Playing both the offensive and defensive line, Battaglia was an All-County and All-State selection for the Raiders. Tom Perrota, a Hall of Fame sports writer, once wrote that, “Sam Battaglia belongs with all of the great Maroon Raider defensemen!” However, don’t let his tenacious reputation fool you. Sam was voted by his peers in 1963, as NHS’s friendliest boy of the senior class. Upon completion of his senior year, Big Sam was offered scholarships to Clemson, Wisconsin, Iowa, Miami, Arizona and Arizona State. Wanting to stay close to his family, Sam declined those offers, including an invitation to the University of Notre Dame, and accepted a full scholarship to the University of Maryland. Sam would complete his playing career and graduate with a degree in Business. After graduation, he returned to his hometown, where he has served both his family and community as a 12-year member of the Nutley Board of Education. He also completed one term for the Board of Commissioners, and served on the First Cerebral Palsy of New Jersey for 42 years, where he currently sits as President. Sam was named to the Nutley Sun’s All-Football Dream Team in 1985. Sam has been married to his wife Kathy for over 40 years. They have two children, Kristen and Joseph, and still call Nutley their home.
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