By Andy Loigu

The Hackettstown boys, with a 9-3 record, and the Warren Hills girls, at 7-4-1, are enjoying success on the soccer pitch this year.

The Hackettstown Tigers will visit the Vikings of Voorhees on Saturday for a semifinal match in the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex tournament. Game time is 11 a.m.

They earned their way by blanking Pope John 1-0 in the quarterfinals in a home game at Gary Thomas Field. Thomas retired from coaching the program in 2015 after 30 years and 354 wins. Matt DeMartini  took over at the helm and has maintained the Tigers’ winning tradition into his seventh year.

Cam and Chase Reardon. Matt Taenzer and Yasseen Zoklat have been leading the team offensively while Nate Harrison and Andy Kmetz have been the goal keepers.

Meanwhile, Warren Hills lost 5-0 at North Hunterdon in the H/W/S girls tournament in the quarterfinal, but had a nice run in getting there. They won 8-0 over South Hunterdon in the first round and beat nearby rival Hackettstown 2-1 in the round of 16.

Maddie Morgan scored both goals in the win at Tigertown, while Gia Daugenti had an assist and goalie Bree Smith made nine saves.

JOSEPH STEINHARDT SR. TO JOIN HALL

Inducted into the Washington/Warren Hills Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000, Joseph Steinhardt, Sr., now has been chosen to join John Goles as legendary Blue Streaks’ coaches posthumously honored in the Warren County Hall of Fame, which recognizes service and accomplishment in all areas of public life.

As baseball coach for the Blue Streaks from 1936 to 76, Steinhardt’s teams were 494-251 while winning nine state championships and numerous first place finishes in the old Delaware River Conference.

A beloved teacher in the classroom at Washington/Warren Hills High School, he also was a respected football referee at the high school and major college levels. In 1997 he was honored with the Raymie Award by the Hunterdon/Warren Association for significant contributions, which included the task of assigning referees to games throughout the region.

Steinhardt will be inducted into the Warren County Hall of Fame with six others on Nov. 6. For further details, email samir@warren.edu.

LOIGU HONORED

On Sunday afternoon in Toms River, this veteran sportswriter was presented a special achievement award by the Lakewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame Committee for sports journalism in the Ocean County Daily Times, where I worked five decades ago.

In the program booklet for the banquet, the committee wrote that although it may be hard to believe in today’s world, back in the day the only way to obtain an account of a high school sports event was via the local newspaper. I was thanked for “reporting those special moments for the readers, as well as preserving them in print for posterity.”

The publisher, Sam Christopher, was a local historian and community icon. The Lakewood Blue Claws, a Single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, named their press box in his honor. I took the opportunity to thank him, posthumously, for having faith in a fledgling sports journalist and mentoring me. Here’s hoping for the continuation of responsible and credible local journalism and best wishes to the next generation of reporters and editors.

(IW Editor’s Note: CONGRATULATIONS TO ANDY!!!

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Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.