To put it simply, Howell High School was good at sports this past spring. Five different Howell varsity teams found success.
They were Howell’s baseball, softball, boys’ lacrosse, girls’ lacrosse and boys’ volleyball squads.
A rundown of all five campaigns is below.
Howell baseball
The Howell baseball team finished 12-11 and reached the NJSIAA South Jersey, Group 4 sectional tournament quarterfinals, falling to Cherry Hill High School East, 5-2, on May 24 in Cherry Hill.
Starting pitchers Bryan Bernard and Ryan Bearse sparked the Rebels all spring. Both were seniors though, so they won’t be back in 2020.
Howell softball
The Howell softball team may have been the best Rebel club of the 2019 spring campaign. These Rebels finished 18-5, won the Shore Conference’s A North Division and advanced to the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 4 sectional tournament semifinals, losing at Hightstown High School, 2-0, on May 23. Hightstown went on to win the Group 4 state championship.
A lineup full of great hitters, Julia Canal, Jessica Cancel, Victoria Fama, Maddy Lowry, Emily Maciolek, Kristina Pelano and Alexis Post, powered a squad that scored over seven runs per game. Lowry, who doubled as Howell’s pitcher, was the only non senior in that group. She was a sophomore and should be back for two more seasons.
Howell boys’ lacrosse
In boys’ lacrosse, Howell went 11-8 and got all the way to the NJSIAA South Jersey, Group 4 sectional tournament quarterfinals, falling to Cherokee High School, 15-1, on May 18 in Marlton.
Three Howell players, James Fay, Jared Badillo and Vaughn Meehan, scored 20 or more goals in 2019. Another, Logan Dennison, led the Rebels with 33 assists.
Badillo was the only senior in that dynamic group. The rest are on track to return in 2020, meaning the Rebels should be good again.
Howell girls’ lacrosse
This team was almost as successful as the Howell softball squad, going 11-6, winning the Shore Conference’s A North Division and reaching the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 4 sectional tournament semifinals, bowing out to Princeton High School, 21-4, on May 21 in Princeton.
Howell standouts Olivia Manghisi and Danielle Crimeni formed one of the best duos in central New Jersey. Manghisi recorded 64 goals and 22 assists in 2019. Crimeni added 40 goals and 10 assists. Four other players, Jilian Dee, Molly Askin, Brielle Ebner and Hope Knitowski, also scored double digit goals.
Only Askin and Knitowski will be back next year. Both were juniors this past spring.
Howell boys’ volleyball
In the only indoor sport of the spring, Howell thrived. The volleyball Rebels finished 17-4, won the Shore Conference’s A North Division and advanced to the NJSIAA Central Jersey Tournament quarterfinals, dropping a 2-0 road decision to Old Bridge High School on May 23. Old Bridge went on to win both the Central Jersey championship and the NJSIAA State Championship.
Aleksei Roschko, Nick Hornung and Jack DiGirolamo all finished with more than 100 kills for Howell. Justin Smith posted 450 assists.
All those players were seniors in 2019, so the Rebels will have to replace them in 2020.
