BY JAMES O'HARA

     After a whirlwind year, Wall High School alumnus Andrew Fischer finished up his first pro season with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the high-A farm team of the Milwaukee Brewers and is now currently training at the team’s spring complex in Arizona.
     On the night of July 13, Fischer’s family got the call from the Brewers, selecting the third baseman 20th overall in the Major League Baseball draft. He signed 10 days later for $3.5 million.  
     “It's a testament to a lot of the other work that other people put in to help me out,” Fischer said about how it felt to be the highest-ever draft pick out of Wall.
     “That day was just indescribable,” said Fischer’s father, Wall special education teacher Mr. Brian Fischer. “The feelings that it had for us were just surreal, but it was full of joy and excitement.” 
     In his first 19 Minor League Baseball games, Fischer hit .311, with 23 hits, including his first home run as a professional. He even added an element to his game, stealing eight bases.  
     Fischer grew up in Manchester and moved to Wall right before he started high school. He didn’t play for the varsity baseball team as a freshman and missed out on his sophomore season in 2020 due to the pandemic. But Fischer parlayed just two years of playing varsity to springboard to Duke University in 2023. After one season with the Blue Devils, he transferred to the University of Mississippi and a year later to Tennessee.
     “It was more like ‘Wow, I-really-did-that kind of moments,’” Fischer said of his journey. “I always believed it was possible but, when it actually happened, it hit me.”
     Not only was Fischer drafted, but his Tennessee roommate and former Ole Miss teammate Liam Doyle was selected fifth overall by the St. Louis Cardinals, along with two other Vols’ players before the second round. Additionally, their head coach at Tennessee, Tony Vitello, was just hired as the new manager of the San Francisco Giants, making history as the first college coach hired into Major League Baseball without any professional baseball experience. 
     Ironically, the journey might have gone differently. Mr. Fischer said he was worried that leaving behind a Duke education would be too good to pass up, but he eventually realized that the transfer from the Atlantic Coast Conference to the Southeastern Conference, or SEC, was an important one. 
     “Well at first, I was a little skeptical,” he said,” “but Andrew seemed to always have good instincts for what he needed to do to better himself as a player.’’ 
     After leading Ole Miss in home runs, Fischer entered the transfer portal a second time and went to SEC rival Tennessee where he had a breakout year. He earned first-team All-SEC honors as a Volunteer and set the second-highest single season home run record in program history.
     Getting drafted was the culmination in Fischer’s hard work throughout high school, when he would wake his father to take him to the gym at 4 a.m. He said he feels that drive was an important aspect to achieving his dream.
     “[My father] told me, ‘If you’re disciplined enough to wake up and tell me to drive you, I’ll take you but I’m not setting my alarm to wake you.’ So it was on me. Some mornings I’d oversleep, and he wouldn’t wake me. That accountability taught me a lot — it’s a big reason for my success now.”

By Chris Dailey

     Wall High School’s ice hockey team came into the season with tons of uncertainty and questions about its ability to win games loomed. The Crimson Knights puck crew, against all odds, hoisted a division title and had an amazing season.    
     After star players from the last few years left the program, including the goal-scoring forward Pat Demarnis, who is playing junior hockey, and goaltender Myles McGovern, who is playing for the U.S. National Development team, the Knights were unsure what the future was for them.
    Left with many question marks and big shoes to fill, Wall head coach Mike Dianora had a lot to figure out coming into the 2021-22 season. The younger team mixed with veteran players such as seniors Luca Infozino and Jaxon Hook weren’t seen as a top team coming into the season, however, one underclassman who found his way into a starting position propelled Wall (12-7, 5-1) into the top spot in the Shore Conference Central division.
    Super sophomore Ethan Rotante has quickly established himself as one of the elite goaltenders in the conference and boasted a total of 552 saves and 30.7 saves per game throughout the season. The goalie even managed to tally an assist for the Knights. 
    Rotante has stood head over heels, and the Wall team, which lacked an elite offensive production, was carried by its sensational goaltender.
    “I started off playing well and, since then, I’ve had my ins and outs,” Rotante said. “I worked on cutting any mistakes out of my game.”
       Even Rotante’s teammates, such as sophomore standout defenseman Carter Jolly, know the value that he brings to the team.
       “He was a key factor in our success,” said Jolly about Rotante’s play this year. “When he is on, there’s no one better than him.”
     Wall won the division title and gave the Shore Conference something to be afraid of for the next few years. The superstar between the sticks in Rotante combined with Jolly and freshmen Emmet Auch, Mikey Hoarle and James Byrne, shape up a very exciting team for the future. 
     Rotante, who has been playing hockey nearly his whole life, is ready for their next season after bowing out of states earlier than they hoped for.
     “It was a great season, Rotante said, “it went well. Didn’t go the way we wanted in the end, but that’s just something to work towards next year. We had a great team and kids this year.”
     Rotante will be sure to do everything in his power to bring home a state championship to Wall before his time is up and, if he keeps playing the way he does as a sophomore, it’s likely that could come true before long.

By Zach Lichter
      It’s hard to believe, but the 2020-21 winter sports season ended last week, five weeks into spring.
     The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many of school traditions that make the year special. This year Wall High School’s basketball, competition cheer and bowling seasons were delayed until Jan. 11. The ice hockey and chess seasons started Dec. 14 but, on Jan. 13, the New Jersey  State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) shut down winter sports until Feb. 5 after multiple outbreaks across the state.
     “I believe they wanted to allow for the post holiday ‘uptick’ in cases to die down before starting sports,” said Wall Athletic Director Mr. Thomas Ridoux. “Chess is being conducted virtually, therefore, that wasn't a safety concern. They decided not to move the ice hockey (again) due to the many contractual obligations that existed between schools and ice rinks."
    Winter sports were already a challenge to make sure that the seasons ran smoothly and safely even before they began. Coming into the fall and winter, it was expected the number of COVID cases would increase.
     “The biggest challenge is to maximize mask wearing and social distancing as much as possible, particularly for those who are not immediately involved in intense practice drills and gameplay,” Mr. Ridoux said. “The more we can do that, the less chance that someone who has COVID will spread it to other team members.”
     The other challenge was not having spectators at the games. Initially the NJSIAA did not allow spectators to go to indoor events, which meant that many parents who had seniors on those winter sports teams wouldn’t be able to see their sons and daughters play for the last time. They were able to watch their children play on the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) website. Mr. Ridoux was able to get an NFHS camera installed in the North Gym for events that take place there.
     Along with many of the challenges the NJSIAA had to face, it actually came up with some safe alternatives. In basketball, the officials were going to have a coin toss to see who would get the ball first instead of having a tip off. The officials were not going to come in contact with the ball during the course of the games. Participants in ice hockey wore gloves.
     “The NJSIAA is limiting the amount of meets per team and this year we only have 3-4 meets opposed to 6-7 meets,” said Wall High School senior sprinter Michael Nolan. “This year there are only four racers if you are running a 55-meter sprint and five runners for 200 meters and 400 meters. Usually there are eight racers for a 55-meter sprint and 12 for a 200- and 400-meter run.”
     Overall, it was not the winter sports season people envisioned. But they tired to make the most of the challenging school year. 
​     “My biggest takeaway is that I was able to learn that you may have to work harder at times but the results will speak for themselves,” Nolan said. “This season we had to work harder mentally and physically which made everyone improve.”

By Chris Dailey

     While the wait for winter sports to start has taken a little longer than expected, Wall High School can still bask in the warm glow of a fantastic fall season. In fact, it might be the winningest season Wall has ever had. 
     Winner: a person/thing that wins something. Examples of the word ‘winner’ include the Crimson Knights’ football and boys soccer teams. See also: Wall girls soccer and Wall field hockey. 
     Wall’s football team (7-0) finished as the top team in New Jersey, defeating Donovan Catholic 18-15 in the unofficial Shore Conference championship game. Led by junior Charlie Sasso, who was named the top defensive player in the state, the Knights trailed just once all season before edging the Griffins. 
   Wall’s boys soccer team (17-0) defeated Toms River East to capture the Central East D Group III championship. 
     Wall’s girls soccer (16-1) rode an undefeated streak into the Central East B championship game, coming up short to Rumson 3-2.
     Similarly, Wall’s field hockey team (11-1) advanced all the way to the Central East B semifinals before Ocean Township ended its season by a final of 4-2.

FOOTBALL HAS A YEAR FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS

     In a year hit hard by COVID-19, with daily temperature checks and social distancing during early morning workouts behind Wall High School, the football team was led by a talented squad with many players returning from last year's defeat in the state final. Key players like senior quarterback Logan Peters, West Point commit Casey Larkin and Sasso helped lead the Knights to glory.
     With an undefeated record that speaks for itself, the 2020 Wall football team will forever be remembered in the gym’s rafters.
     Many are wondering though, is there an asterisk on the title?
     Wall wasn’t able to go to states this year due to COVID. Instead, the Knights went all the way to the Shore Conference final, a game which they won thanks to a last second goal-line stop by sophomore Kesuin Sanders.
     Many people may take exception against the 2020 Knights because there were no state playoffs, a true, what if? scenario for Coach Tony Grandinetti’s team.
     On the flip side, Wall had undisputable talent this year. Rutgers’ lacrosse commit and Wall star Peters put on a show again. Right by his side was Larkin who ran for a total of 890 yards with five 100-plus games and 13 TDs. Overall, Larkin scored 30 total varsity TDs with the Knights.
     The biggest thing about the 2020 Wall football team that was different from past years was togetherness, a bond unlike any other.
     “This year's team was different from teams in the past because of the team chemistry” Coach Grandinetti said. “This team had a sense of togetherness unlike any team I have ever been a part of. I think part of it was the pandemic but another was the leadership we had on the team. Everyone had a job on this team and we all worked together to accomplish our goals.”
     Overall, some may look at the team in a negative way, others may look at it as the best football team in Wall’s history. Whichever way that goes, the fact that this team will forever be remembered in the history books of Wall High School’s athletics is undeniable. 

BOYS SOCCER TEAM FINISHES ITS BUSINESS
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     Wall’s boys soccer got T-shirts during the summer with the school logo and five stars above it, representing five championships the Knights won during their history.
     The back of the shirt, however, is what stood out. 
     Unfinished business. 
    Unfinished business was the motto for Wall this year led by Coach Garry Linstra and seniors Phil Lyons, Nico Della Pietro, Jake Pepe, Sean Southwell and Christan Cosenza. 
     Those seniors, mixed in with a talented group of juniors including star goalkeeper Jojo Gisoldi, created yet another force to be reckoned with for the boys soccer team, who made it all the way to the state finals in 2019, losing in a penalty kick shootout.
     2020, however, was different. The players were determined to make up for the loss in the prior year and they did just that.
     On top of that, it was the first year in the history of Wall boys soccer in which the team went undefeated. Not even the teams of the ‘80s that featured eventual Olympians, national title-winning coaches and pro players could even do what the 2020 team did.
     Nobody could come close to the Knights’ soccer team led by Pepe’s goals, Lyons’ dribbling and Gisoldi’s jaw-dropping saves.
     The final match of the season was historic for Wall as it was on the brink of being the first undefeated boys soccer team.
     The Knights were set to make the stat no more. And they did.
     Pepe got a header to put Wall up 1-0, but then Toms River East equalized near the end of the game.
     It felt like a punch in the stomach to Wall, but the team stepped up, determined to finish the business.
     Gisoldi made a leaping save, defying gravity, leaving Isaac Newton in awe.
     Then, the big break came. A foul in Toms River East’s box led to a penalty kick which was calmly converted by centerback Southwell.
     “Winning, of course, is a great feeling,” said Gisoldi, “but doing something that’s never been done before is surreal. We joked about going undefeated during preseason not thinking that it would realistically happen, but seeing how far we got from then to now is crazy.”
     At the end of the day, the 2020 Wall boys soccer team will forever go down in history as one of the best to ever step on the pitch and the facts are there to show for it.
​     In fact, the fall of 2020 was as close to a perfect sports season Wall High School has ever had. 

By Chris Dailey
Special correspondent to The Crimson Courier

    The football bleachers filled up in a flash as Wall High School got ready to take on St. John Vianney on Fri., Oct. 18, for Homecoming. Pink shirts flooded the stands for the annual pink-out game as the Crimson Knights ran onto the field before a dominant 41-14 victory.
    Wall opened up the game with a squib kick that showed an aggressive game plan. Coming off a huge 34-7 win against Brick, the Knights were looking to extend an undefeated season.
    “Everyone doubted us before the game, but we stepped up and started making some plays,” said Wall junior quarterback Logan Peters, whose performance saw him add to his offensive statistics for 11 total touchdowns to that point on the season.
     After quickly stopping the St. John Vianney offense, Peters and the Wall offense showed what they could do. He found a hole and took off for a 43-yard run, setting the tone for what was to come. 
Wall dominated on offense while Peters along with junior running back Casey Larkin and sophomore wideout Matt Dollive all scrambled for multiple first downs. The Knights lit up the scoreboard and senior Matt DeSarno did his part with 5-yard touchdown run. 
      After a scoreless second quarter, the third quarter saw Wall outscore St. John Vianney 13-0, including a 51-yard touchdown run by DeSarno and an interception by the athletic Peters. 
Wall attempted another squib kick that proved to be successful. That set up a Larkin touchdown. The student section was loud and rowdy from the opening whistle all the way to the end, acting as the 12th man for the Knights. They had outscored their opponents by a margin of 224-68 through their contest with St. John Vianney.
   Despite many saying they couldn’t do it, Wall remained undefeated into the NJSIAA playoffs. 
  “I think we played great as a team,” Wall head coach Tony Grandinetti said. “I always talk about the three phases: offense, defense, and special teams, all three units showed up tonight and it was a great team victory.” 
Coach Grandinetti has been turning the program around since he stepped into the head coaching role in 2017. He has developed a core of young players that has helped Wall maintain a top spot in the Shore Conference. 
Two notable examples are Dollive and classmate Charlie Sasso, who are performing like seniors. Dollive helped move the chains when Wall needed a first down and was a vital piece of the offense. Sasso ripped apart the St. John Vianney offensive line. 
  Wall hosts Lacey in the Central Jersey Group III semifinals Fri., Nov. 15, when the Knights hope to extend their season past the Thanksgiving showdown against Manasquan, which will also be played at home, Nov. 28.

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