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Jim Spanarkel went from Hudson Catholic High School to be an All-American player at Duke University. Montclair's interim athletic director Ron Anello (middle photo) has been a top AD and coach in North Jersey for the last 40 years. Spanarkel is seen with his longtime broadcast partner Ian Eagle working a past NCAA Tournament game on CBS and the pair had worked together on Nets telecasts on the YES Network for many years. Spanarkel and Anello will be honored during The Friends of Mercier Sportsman annual Beefsteak dinner Monday, April 15th, at the Highlawn Pavilion in West Orange. (Photos by Jeff Stiefbold and courtesy of Duke University and awfulannouncing.com)

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Montclair’s Anello was a longtime, successful head football coach at West Essex and then Clifton, including guiding the Mustangs to a state sectional playoff championship in 2006. He also served as athletic director at both Wallkill Valley and Ramapo high schools and is currently serving in his second year as the ‘interim’ AD and as one of the assistant football coaches at Montclair High School where he was once an outstanding lineman while playing for legendary coach Butch Fortunato, a Carlesimo Sportsman of the Year award recipient in 1978.

"Ron Anello represents all that we seek to recognize with our Larkin Award honoree in his commitment to youth development, sportsmanship and achievement as coach, athletic director, educator and role model,” said Evans. “Ron is a widely respected coach and administrator in the state of New Jersey, where he won a state football championship at Clifton and coached his teams at Clifton and West Essex to a 93-72-2 record.

“Ron has also been an accomplished award-winning athletics director at Ramapo, Wallkill Valley and he is now back at his alma mater, Montclair High."

Spanarkel teamed with O’Koren to form an incredible 1-2 punch for great Hudson Catholic teams before the former graduated high school in 1975 and the latter in '76 as both embarked on successful college careers in the Atlantic Coast Conference with Spanarkel heading to play for coach Bill Foster at Duke and O'Koren joining legendary coach Dean Smith and the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Combining with other standout underclassmen including center Mike Gminski and forwards Eugene Banks and Kenny Dennard, Spanarkel spearheaded the backcourt for the youthful 1978 Duke Blue Devils who advanced all the way to the NCAA championship game where they fell, 94-88, to a high-powered Kentucky team coached by Joe B. Hall and led by prolific scorer Jack Givens who poured in 41 points in the contest.

An All-American in 1979 and an Academic All-American in both 1978 and ’79, Spanarkel was also Duke’s MVP his final three seasons plus was a team captain as a junior and senior.

A superb all-around athlete, he also played two seasons for Duke’s baseball team.

After the Philadelphia 76ers selected him with the 16th overall pick in the 1979 NBA draft, Spanarkel played in Philly for one season before spending the next four seasons with the Dallas Mavericks and was the team’s leading scorer in the 1980-81 season.

He and wife Janet Martz McPherson have been married since 1982 and have four children: James, Bridget, Stephanie and Andrew.  

Anello has had much success as both a football coach and athletic administrator.  At West Essex he rebuilt a Knights program that had been struggling mightily and guided them to the North 2, Group 3 playoff final in 1994. At Clifton his 2006 N1G4 champs snapped a 33-year title drought for the proud Passaic County gridiron program.

During his time as athletic director at Ramapo High School from 2011 to 2021 he was named as a Bergen County Athletic Director of the Year while overseeing Raiders sports which had been ranked as being part of the No. 1 athletic program in the state for two consecutive school years, 2018-2019and 2019-2020.    

As a player he excelled as a superb lineman at Montclair High and collegiately at Trenton State where he was named the 1980 National Football Foundation, Delaware Valley Chapter’s Collegiate Scholar-Leader Athlete.

Along with numerous local, regional, state and national honors during his fine coaching career, Anello has long served as president of the Essex-Hudson Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame.

Ron and wife Debbie have been married for 38 years and have two children, Gabriel and Brittany.

***

Tickets for The Friends of Mercier Sportsmen Dinner on April 15 are $90. To make a reservation email mercierbeefsteak@gmail.com Zele payments can be made or to use a credit card call John Jerbasi at 973-610-9011. To pay by check make it payable to: ‘Friends of Mercier Sportsmen, Inc. and mail to Jerbasi at 65 Horseneck Road, Denville, N.J. 07834-2828

***

Mercier Club’s Carlesimo Sportsman of the Year & Msgr. Larkin Awards:

2023: Jon “Boog” Sciambi, ESPN
          Larkin Award: Mark Corino
2022:  Lenny Coleman- MLB’s National League President
            Larkin Award: Steve Tober
2019: Matt Loughlin- NJ Devils play by play voice
            Larkin Award: Rich Hansen
2018: Tom Verducci- Sports Illustrated & FOX Baseball
            Larkin Award: Dave Giarrusso
2017: Zack DeOssie- NY Giants long snapper
            Larkin Award: Tom Fleming
2015: John Farrell- manager, Boston Red Sox
            Larkin Award: Ted Fiore
2014: Eric LeGrand- inspirational Rutgers lineman- founder LeGrand Foundation
            Larkin Award: Peter von Hoffmann
2013: Joe Quinlan- St. Peter’s University director of athletics
            Larkin Award: Niall Handley
2012: Harry Carson- NY Giants Hall of Fame linebacker
            Larkin Award: Rich SanFillipo
2011: Jerry Walker- Seton Hall Univ. Hall of Fame, St. Anthony great
           Larkin Award: Michael Sammon
2010: Graig Nettles- NY Yankees third baseman
           Larkin Award: Rick Giancola
2009: Bart Oates- NY Giants Pro Bowl center
           Larkin Award: Ed Lebida
2008: Jerry Izenberg- Star-Ledger columnist
           Larkin Award: Mike Sheppard, Jr.
2007: Anthony Fasano- Notre Dame and NFL tight end
          Larkin Award: Major Jennings
2006: Fred Dwyer- Manhattan College track coach
           Larkin Award: Pat Dyer
2005: Fred Hill- baseball coach Rutgers
           Larkin Award: Fr. Edwin Leahy, OSB
2004: Jack Powers- executive director of NIT
           Larkin Award: Chris Johnson
2003: Carl Banks- NY Giants linebacker
           Larkin Award: Lou Racioppe
2001: Michael Strahan- NY Giants defensive lineman
2000: Rick Cerone- NY Yankees catcher
            Larkin Award: Hugh Moriarty
1999: Terry Shea- Rutgers football coach
           Larkin Award: John Finnegan
1998: Larry Doby- Cleveland Indians baseball Hall of Famer
           Larkin Award: Bob Farrell
1997: Willis Reed- NY Knicks and VP NJ Nets
1996: John MacLean- NJ Devils Stanley Cup champion player
           Larkin Award- Ollie Gelston
1995: Phil Rizzuto- NY Yankees Hall of Famer
1994: Kelly Tripucka- NBA Detroit Pistons, Notre Dame Bloomfield HS
1993: Ottis Anderson- NY Giants running back, Super Bowl MVP
1992: Bob Hurley- St. Anthony Hall of Fame coach
1991: George Young- NY Giants general manager
1990: P.J. Carlesimo- Seton Hall University and NBA coach
1989: Bruce Parker- Montclair High School Hall of Fame coach
1988: Russ Helwig- Essex Fells CC golf pro & NJ state champ
1987: Frank ‘Finn’ Tracey- Seton Hall Prep basketball coach
1986: Frank Tripucka- Denver Broncos, Notre Dame & Bloomfield QB
1985: Bill Raftery- Seton Hall University basketball coach, CBS analyst
1984: John McMullen- owner NJ Devils
1983: Aubrey Lewis- Notre Dame & Montclair football & track great
1982: Msgr. Michael E. Kelly- Seton Hall Prep athletic director
1981: William Horey- Glen Ridge football coach
1980: Gil Gibbs- Montclair High lacrosse and basketball coach
1979: Joe Garvey- Essex Cath. & West Essex basketball coach, IC sports
1978: Butch Fortunato- Montclair High football coach and AD
1977: Howard Finney- Montclair Cobras youth football
1976: Bill Dioguardi- Montclair State athletic director
1975: George Cella- Bloomfield High basketball coach
1974: Peter Carlesimo- NIT chief executive, Fordham AD
1973: Rev. Francis Burla- Immaculate Conception athletic moderator
1972: Angelo Bertelli- Notre Dame Heisman Trophy winner
1971: Yogi Berra- NY Yankees Hall of Fame catcher
1970: Clary Anderson- Montclair High football and baseball coach               

Follow Steve Tober on 'X' (formerly Twitter) @Chattermeister

Montclair's interim athletic director Ron Anello also serves as the line coach for longtime friend Jermain Johnson (on right), who is the Mounties' head gridiron mentor. (SC photo)

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