WEST ORANGE, NJ – As a two-star athlete at Seton Hall Prep in the early 1990s, Gary Cordovano got to experience some special thrills in the athletic arena.
In his junior year in 1992, Cordovano played first base and DH for the Pirate baseball team which reached the Greater Newark Tournament finals against Newark East Side. And as a senior in 1993, Cordovano was a defenseman for the SHP hockey team which upset Toms River North in the Gordon Cup championship game at South Mountain Arena.
But for Cordovano, who grew up in Bloomfield, the memorable game came on a beautiful spring day in April of 1993 at Verducci Field.
That day, SHP had a big contest against Morristown, a perennial state power under the coaching of Harry Shatel. It seemed that every season, Morristown was the favorite to win the Iron Division title in the challenging Iron Hills Conference.
Morristown built up a commanding 15-6 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. Few people, if any, thought that SHP could mount a rally in its final at-bat.
But somehow, SHP kept on getting men on base. And when Cordovano blasted a grand slam, SHP was back in the game. The Pirates, coached by Mike Sheppard Jr., ended up scoring 10 runs in the last of the seventh to pull out an incredible 16-15 victory. Everyone at the field was stunned, including Sheppard’s father, Mike Sheppard Sr., a guy who racked up 998 victories at Seton Hall University.
“Yeah, that baseball game 25 years ago was certainly special,” said Cordovano. “I think we were able to stay in the game in the final inning because we got a lot of walks.”
Cordovano, who works in the printing business with his father and two younger brothers, always took pride in his talents as a hitter.
“I think I hit over .400 in my senior season,” said Cordovano, whose favorite Major League player was first baseman Don Mattingly of the Yankees. “I always had the potential to hit the long ball, so in that game against Morristown, I felt relaxed at the plate.”
In the spring of 1993, the headline guy in Essex County was Nutley pitcher Larry Mohs, who led his team to the GNT championship over West Essex. But the SHP game against Morristown was the contest that everyone talked about.
“In 1993, we didn’t have the talent that we had in 1992,” reflected Cordovano. “But there’s no doubt that the comeback win over Morristown helped make it a satisfying year for us. Heck, I think the other time we played that season, they had a great pitching effort against us.”
Cordovano, who says he would have gone to Bloomfield High if the Bengals had a hockey program, enjoyed seeing his brothers play well at SHP. Mike Cordovano’s strong play in goal helped the Pirates reach the 1997 state championship hockey game against Brick at Mennen Arena. And Kevin Cordovano also had success on the diamond, like his other brother.
“Our dad (Gary) grew up in the Bronx with a passion for baseball,” said Cordovano. “So I guess it figured that baseball would be the favorite family sport.”
NOTES – In hockey, Cordovano had great respect for defenseman Brian Leetch of the Rangers… In his junior year, infielder Brian Lindner of Bloomfield was the top baseball player in the county.
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