Wednesday, June 15, 2022
The Observer | www.theobserver.com
Sports & Recreation
2020 North Arlington Sports Hall of Fame class inducted after COVID-19 delay
Photo courtesy of Joe Spaccavento
From left to right: Ronnie Parmakis, coach Mark Colyer, Mike Wendell, coach John Galante, Vinnie Esposito, Michael Kraft, coach Tommy Bannon, Eddie Campbell.
By Jason Bernstein jason@theoserver.com
After a two-year wait, North Arlington was able to induct its 2020 Hall of Fame class in a May 5 ceremony at the San Carlo Restaurant in Lyndhurst. Twelve former standout student-athletes, the 1996 BCSL National cochampion football team and the-late former Mayor Joseph P. Bianci were all inducted. The ceremony normally takes place every three years, but this was the first one since 2017. “It was with great satisfaction Joe Spaccavento and I were able to combat the time and effects of waiting through the Covid pandemic to finally conduct the awards for the Hall of Fame Class of 2020,” said Dan DiGuglielmo, co-president of the North Arlington High School Hall of Fame Committee. “Joe and I never let go of the communications and contacts necessary hoping to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. Conduction
this time was a very proud, historic moment for all. “Viking heritage is a sacred value to the many players and award-winning athletes that graduated from the school.” According to DiGuglielmo, there are plans for a new large display that will list the more than 200 inductees since the Hall of Fame was first established in 1980. Here are the inductees who were formally inducted in May’s ceremony. Tony Adamoli (1966): A three-sport standout, Adamoli was an All-Group 1 and AllNorth Jersey selection in both baseball and football. Adamoli, who also was a letter winner in basketball at North Arlington, went on to play football and baseball at Montclair State. Bruce Gardner (1972): Gardner was a star center of the Vikings’ North 1, Group 1 sectional title boys’ basketball team. North Arlington went 21-3 as a team and individually, he earned Second Team, All-Bergen
County and an All-State Honorable Mention honors. Billy Warnock (1989): Warnock was a two-way standout on both sides of the ball and a three-year starter at tight end and defensive tackle. A Coach’s Award recipient for both football and basketball, Warnock went on to play football at Dixie College in Utah. Brian Marshall (1998): Marshall never tried track before getting to North Arlington High School. The one-time baseball player, instead, became one of the most decorated throwers in school history. He was a First Team, All-Bergen County selection in the shotput as a junior and was also a multitime All-County selection in the javelin and discus. Margarette Abdelkadoos (Carlson) (2001): A letterwinner in volleyball, basketball and track. As an outside hitter she led the Vikings to the 2000 BCSL See HALL OF FAME, Page 10
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Belleville’s Terence Folkes takes part in Phil Simms North-South Classic on the field at tight end as a freshman and becoming a starter at the position as a Terence Folkes’ football sophomore. career nearly ended before Folkes became a starter he even arrived at Belleville on both ends of the ball High School. his junior season, but truly A basketball player blossomed as one of the growing up, Folkes’ first most versatile players in the foray into football as an Super Football Conference eighth-grader ended after as a senior. just a handful of weeks due This fall, he had 68 tackles, to a knee injury. 10 for loss, and four sacks on Now, in his final days as a defense while seeing time student at Belleville, he got at defensive end, tackle and the chance to be on the field middle linebacker. That with some of the best players versatility carried over to in the state. the offensive side of the ball, Folkes, a 6-foot-2, where he lined up at tight 235-pound defensive end, end, receiver, running back concluded his high school and even one game at tackle career in the Phil Simms NJ due to an injury on the line. North/South High School Overall, he ran for 156 All-Star Football Classic, yards and four touchdowns Sunday, June 12, at Kean while also catching seven University. passes for 146 yards and two Folkes is one of two local more TDs. players who competed for “He was a guy who did it the North squad, joining all for us,” Antab said. “He Bloomfield linebacker Jaden did everything that we asked Adkins. of him on both sides of the “Basketball was my first ball — offense and defense. love and in eighth-grade, He would line up wherever I decided to try (football) we asked him to, he was very out. I ended up not playing versatile.” a full season due to a knee Folkes will continue injury,” Folkes said. “But I his playing career at spoke to Coach (Jermain) Lackawanna, a junior Johnson and he told me to college located in Scranton, give it another shot. I did, Pennsylvania, that produces and it eventually became several Division I football something I fell in love players each year. While with. I enjoyed being out Folkes said his position there all four years with my won’t be determined until he teammates, my staff and arrives on campus, his future everyone.” is most likely at defensive “Four years ago we saw end, the position he has him as a freshman and we worked the most at prospect really knew that he could camps and showcases. be a really special player,” “I think he has put out new Belleville head coach some really great film Brian Antab, who was the of what he can do at the defensive coordinator the defensive end position. He’s past four years, said. “He put really pretty well developed in the work to make sure as a pass rusher and with that came true.” his hand in the dirt,” Antab Despite his relative said. “Once he gets more inexperience, Folkes quickly made his mark on the See FOOTBALL, Page 11 Buccaneers team, getting By Jason Bernstein
jason@theobserver.com
