Sports roundup: Pope John wins H/W/S title
SPARTA. Top-seeded boys lacrosse team wins tri-county championship for the third time in five years.
Sparta /
| 12 May 2025 | 12:05
Pope John's Olivia Zywicki is on the move with the ball in the game against Lenape Valley on May 1. She scored one goal. The Lions lost, 8-7. (Photos by George Leroy Hunter)
Sparta's Joshua Tolentino (27) leaps toward the ball in the game against J.P. Stevens on Friday, May 9. The Spartans lost, 2-0.
Pope John players defend their goal post from an incoming Lenape Valley player.
Lenape Valley players defend their goal from an incoming Pope John player.
Pope John's Olivia Zywicki carries the ball while covered by Lenape Valley's Addison Coles. Zywicki scored one goal.
Pope John's Jordyn Smith scored two goals.
Pope John's Serena Lorenzo scored two goals.
Pope John's Lilly Gang scored one goal.
Sparta's Diandre Carr intercepts the ball above the net.
The J.P. Stevens Hawks battle the Spartans.
Sparta's George Tsamadias (5) performs a ‘set’ maneuver.
Sparta's Joshua Tolentino (27) in the midst of a serve.
Sparta's Aiden Foy is about to execute a serve.
Hunter Parrillo collected four goals, an assist and four ground balls; Sam Conetta added three goals, two assists and four ground balls; and Mikey Ramirez had two goals, an assist and won 19-of-21 face-offs to power the top-seeded Pope John XXIII Regional High School boys lacrosse team to a 13-4 victory over third-seeded Voorhees in the championship game of the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament on Saturday afternoon, May 10 at Lenape Valley Regional High School in Stanhope.
The H/W/S title is the third in five seasons for the Lions, who are ranked 19th in the state and have won eight straight games this spring.
Ramirez was named the tournament MVP for the second time in three seasons.
Pope John (14-1) held a slim 5-3 lead after three periods before exploding for eight goals in the final stanza.
The Lions also received two goals, an assist and seven ground balls from Travis Heller and a goal, three assists and four ground balls from Jack Gallucci. In addition, Brody Pilek scored and Daniel O’Leary made 10 saves in net.
Here’s how other Sparta-based teams fared recently:
Sparta girls lacrosse
Moira Sweeney scored three times, Joey Roque connected twice, and Uma Kowalski added a goal and an assist as second-seeded Sparta High School dropped a 13-6 decision to top-seeded Hunterdon Central in the championship game of the H/W/S Tournament on May 10 at Lenape Valley.
The title was the sixth straight for Hunterdon Central, which is ranked No. 10 in the state. Sparta (10-3) was seeking its first tri-county crown since it won its only one in 2018.
Kowalski has 67 goals and 17 assists this season, with Sweeney adding 42 goals and 14 assists.
Sparta will play at Madison at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 15.
Sparta baseball
The sixth-seeded Spartans plated 14 runs but bowed to 11th-seeded Warren Hills in the second round of the H/W/S Tournament at home May 2.
Sparta (8-7) held a 14-10 lead before Warren Hills struck for eight runs in the top of the seventh.
Branden Woletz was 1-for-3 with a walk, four RBI and a run; Dylan Furtado went 1-for-4 with a walk, two RBI and a run; Kayden Daly was 2-for-2 with a walk and three runs; Shane Hoover was 2-for-5 with a triple, an RBI and a run; and Braden Schappert added a walk, a single, a double, an RBI and two runs to fuel Sparta’s 13-hit attack.
Sparta will play at West Essex at 4:15 p.m. May 15.
Sparta softball
Sparta, the 13th seed, made a great run in the H/W/S Tournament but saw its bid for its first championship come to an end in the semifinal round with a 5-1 loss to top-seeded Hunterdon Central there May 10.
Kiernan Moore singled and scored on a double by Abigail Connors in the third inning as Sparta took a 1-0 lead before Hunterdon Central scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Alexis Arpino was 2-for-3 with a double for the Spartans (5-9).
Sparta boys lacrosse
Jace Stiansen had two goals and an assist; Matt Ciarelli also scored twice; Danny Westervelt and Lucas Brown each scored a goal; and Jake Alliegro made 18 saves as fourth-seeded Sparta bowed to top-seeded Pope John in the semifinal round of the H/W/S Tournament there May 6.
Sparta fell to 6-7 with the setback. The team is scheduled to play at Roxbury at 4 p.m. May 15.
Sparta boys golf
Calvin Kirchner tied for fourth by shooting a 75 and John Ferraro shot a 79 to tie for 13th to lead Sparta to a fourth-place team finish at the H/W/S Tournament on May 8 at Farmstead Golf and Country Club in Lafayette.
Ryan Grycuk shot an 81 and Matt Sturchio carded a 93 to add to Sparta’s total of 328 strokes. North Hunterdon won the event with 313 strokes.
Outdoor track
Le-Shem Little won the 100-meter dash in 10.97 and the 200-meter dash in 22.58 and was third in the 400-meter dash in 51.71 to lead the Sparta boys at the H/W/S Championships on May 1 at Wallkill Valley Regional High School in Hamburg.
Isabella Frattura won the javelin event with an effort of 134-10 and was fourth in the high jump along with teammate Miliana Dobbs with leaps of 4-10. Frattura also was ninth in the long jump with a leap of 14-9.5.
Celia Rossettini was sixth in the 3,200-meter run in 12:10.02, followed by Ava Barone, who was ninth in 12:55.93.
Little was named MVP of the track events, with Frattura being named MVP of the field events.