Even Whippany Park, certainly one of the finest softball teams in New Jersey high school softball history, couldn’t win three straight Group 1 titles, despite putting together an incredible 80-1 record at one point with the all-state pitcher Toni Fortunato tossing 60 shutouts as the Wildcats captured state championships in 1989, ’90 and 92.
Mountain Lakes, which had its own run of softball success, represented the North in winning the 1991 Group 1 state crown.
While Cedar Grove is currently in the midst of seeking to be the first public school to win three consecutive group state titles, it’s interesting to note that when it comes to Group 1, four additional small-school powerhouse softball schools in addition to the memorable Whippany Park teams have also won two straight state titles - Bound Brook in 1994 and ’95, Gloucester City in 2000 and 2001, New Egypt in 2010 and 2011 and Clayton in 2021 and 2022 – but were unable to make it three in a row.
And, it was Cedar Grove that ended Clayton’s attempt for three straight Group 1 titles as the Panthers won the 2023 state championship over the South Jersey school.
Coach Nikki Velardi’s Panthers (23-5), fresh off Friday's (June 6) 10-0 win over Weehawken for the North 2, Group 1 state sectional title, will host North 1 champion Indian Hills in Tuesday's (June 10) Group 1 state semifinals. The state final is slated for Friday, June 13, at Ivy Hill Park in Newark.
Cedar Grove is led by a terrific senior nucleus that includes Division I commits in pitcher Cayce Kavakich (Florida International University), catcher Ava Oeckel (Manhattan) shortstop Gia Fernandez (St. John’s) and second baseman Gabby Florre (Florida Atlantic).
Other key seniors who have also contributed mightily during the last three seasons of much success are first baseman Marina Bryant, third baseman Daniella D’Angelo and outfielder Leah Weinstein.
That group of seven seniors have been the backbone of the back-to-back Group 1 champs in 2023 vs. that strong Clayton program and 2024 over Haddon Heights, also at Kean University.
While Oeckel, Fernandez, Floree and Kavakich continue to produce mega numbers in terms of runs and hit production, Kavakich has also continued to be a 4-year mainstay in the circle, while recording more than 1,000 strikeouts in her illustrious scholastic career.
Perhaps Cedar Grove’s offense is better than any Group 1 softball team in state history? Whippany Park had its share of top players, including Fortunato, Weezy Calderone and Sandy Peltz., but perhaps its lineup wasn't quite as deep as the Panthers? The Wildcats had perfect seasons of 27-0 in 1990 and 29-0 in 1992 as the Morris County school had a 46-game winning streak at one point.
In their run to the 1990 Group 1 title Whippany Park defeated Gloucester City, 4-0, in the state final behind a then sophomore Fortunato’s 2-hitter with 8 strikeouts.
Along with tossing the 60 shutouts with 23 no-hitters and 10 perfect games, the all-time Whippany Park great pitcher who would later go on to pitch at Yale had 728 strikeouts with just 56 walks in 486 innings pitched and the highest batting average against her in a 4-year career for the Wildcats was .113 in 1991.
Whippany Park and Cedar Grove have each captured seven state titles with the Panthers winning their Group 1 championships in 1977, 1979, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2023 and 2024.
Past Panther coaches who have had state tournament and Essex County Tournament success have included the legendary Ray VanderMay and current Mount St. Dominic coach Rob Stern.
