Fall 2021 Department Report
VINELAND - The 2021 Fall season has concluded for RCSJ-Cumberland Dukes Athletics, so let's take a quick look at the season highlights
Mens Soccer
It was a true rebuilding year for Dukes Mens Soccer that included a roster overhaul due to graduation and students accepting scholarships at various colleges throughout the country. Not to mention a coaching change in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rebuild was needed. There could not be a better coach to lead the Dukes through this period than first-year head coach Charlie Flowe. Navigating a difficult recruiting period, Coach Flowe led the Dukes into a season of growth. Jaden Martinez sparkled for the Dukes as their starting goalkeeper as he kept Cumberland in every match they played this season. Manny Mertis and Christian Lewis managed the midfield and wings for Cumberland while Dom Guglielmi and Noel Gamez handled the back line.
Cumberland is poised to return and compete for a postseason berth next season with a strong returning core.
Womens Soccer
If you ask a member of the Womens Soccer program on how their season went, they may view it as a season where they fell short. A core led by all-time leading scorer Kendra Stipes supplemented by highly touted goalkeeper Shannon Kelly, the Dukes came in with high expectations. In the eyes of many, however, they fulfilled those expectations. Newcomers Kelsey Andres and Cristal Arroyo turned in terrific performances for the Dukes aided by the defense of Becca Cox, Paige Dooley, and Sydney King. Dual athletes Alicia Serrano and Gianna Demarco provided much energy in the midfield for the Dukes.
Look for the Dukes to return once again with high expectations in 2022.
Cross Country
Growth was the theme for the Dukes Cross Country program. Cumberland entered the season with one returning runner and two newcomers. Veteran Damien Grooms provided leadership for the Dukes while first-year runners Diego Velazquez-Cruz and Ezriela Chaniz-Rico entered NJCAA competition for the first time in their careers. Chaniz-Rico battled injury for most of the season but placed 13th at her first Region XIX Championship Meet.
Golf
Golf has returned to the RCSJ-Cumberland campus for the first time in decades. They recently announced the hiring of Mike Brosh and there is much excitement surrounding the program heading into their first season. More to follow.
Baseball
Head Coach Marco Carolla has announced the official hiring of two assistant coaches - Marco Rios and Darren Fischer. Both coaches are well-known in the south jersey area and bring with them outstanding resumes. Rios, a 2017 Cumberland graduate, was a member of the 2017 Region XIX Championship team that placed 3rd at the NJCAA DIII World Series. He would go on to win a South Atlantic Conference title for Lincoln Memorial University (TN) before graduating in 2019. Fischer was a member of the 2008 Senior League World Series Championship team for North Cumberland LL and a member of the 2011 Big League World Series for the team representing District 3 of NJ. Fischer, who will serve as the team's pitching coach, was selected twice in the MLB Draft - first in 2010 by the Tampa Bay Rays and a second time in 2013 by the Los Angeles Angels after pitching for the College of Central Florida.
Department Outlook
"This was a time of growth for our Athletic Department. Coming out of the toughest period of the pandemic, we just wanted our teams to be active and enjoying themselves again and I think we achieved that this fall. Now our coaching staffs will have a normal recruiting period and we look forward to each of our teams competing full tilt once again next fall."
- Jonathan Dijamco, Director of Athletics