NJ BOYS SOCCER 2009: Londono is Prep Player of the…
Player of the year: Add Bonny Londono to the list of great St. Benedict’s Prep players who have helped the Newark school keep up its amazing string of state titles.
This fall, Londono, a 5-11, 185-pound senior midfielder, totaled four goals and three assists to help St. Benedict’s (17-2) win its 21st straight Prep A state title.
“Everyone on the team worked hard to show what we were made of,” said Londono. “We were able to rebound when we lost and close the season strong.”
St. Benedict’s coach Rick Jacobs, who now owns a 519-27-13 record in 25 years, was quick to praise Londono.
“Bonny was as good a player as we’ve had on the field over the last two years,” said Jacobs. “His commitment to his teammates and playing for St. Benedict’s Prep was evident every single time he stepped on the field.”
Londono will now continue to play in New Jersey as he has given a verbal commitment to play at Rutgers next season.
“My time at St. Benedict’s has been great,” said Londono. “I’ve learned so much here. I just hope I can continue to improve and help out at Rutgers like I have here.”
Coaches of the year: Pennington co-coaches Kevin Murphy and Ed Gauss guided their squad to a 16-5 mark and a berth in the Prep A title game, where it bowed to St. Benedict’s, 3-2. Pennington had won the Prep B crown last year.
Pennington was led by junior Kyle Roach (22 goals, eight assists), who spent his first two seasons at Notre Dame. Other standouts included junior forward Chandler Fraser-Pauls (nine, 10), senior midfielder Billy Hawkey (seven, four), junior midfielder Oliver Murphy (eight, five) junior forward Nathan Bruccoleri (11, eight), senior backs Dean Psomaras and James Ehret and senior goalie John Ricketti.
“We dug ourselves a hole going down, 3-0, to a team like St. Benedict’s in the final,” said Murphy. “But I’m proud of the way the team didn’t quit and kept fighting.”
Team of the year: Once again, St. Benedict’s Prep earns this award.
The Newark school, a national power, went 17-2 and earned its 21st straight Prep A title - and 23rd overall — when it defeated Pennington, 3-2, on Nov. 8.
St. Benedict’s suffered a rare two-game losing streak in mid-October when it lost at Rancocas Valley (2-1) and Lower Merion of Pennsylvania, (3-2).
But veteran head coach Rick Jacobs was able to rally his team to finish the season with a seven-game winning streak, outscoring its opponents, 22-4, in the process.
The top players for St. Benedict’s this fall included: senior midfielders Bonny Londono (four, three) and Larry Serrano (two, three), junior backs Clint Caso (six, three) and Bryan Gallego, senior backs Leo Casas (two, six) and Michael Stalker, junior midfielders Noah Sadaoui (two, six), Beau Gordon (four, two) and Nusa Sackoon (five, four), senior forwards Branko Dugalic (five, two) and Sammy Adjei (six, one) and senior goalie Chris Lands (11 shutouts).
“To have thought that we could put 21 teams on the field that would play for a state championship and have them do that 21 times is huge,” said Jacobs. “You never look at those things in the big picture because its always about the next year. But its pretty amazing.”
