Mourning Bob O'Connor

To The Roselle Catholic Community,

We are very sad to report the passing of someone who was very dear to the community of  Roselle Catholic High School, Mr. Bob O'Connor. Mr. O'Connor served Roselle Catholic for 43 years in many different roles and made a difference in so many lives. He is someone who will always be remembered and missed by the students, faculty, and staff, that he was so good to during his time at Roselle Catholic.

The information for Bob's wake and funeral is listed below, if you would like to pay your respects to Mr. O'Connor and his family.

Please remember to keep Bob, his family, friends and all the people that cared about him in your prayers.    

The wake for Bob O'Connor will be at Higgins and Bonner Funeral Home in Westfield, NJ on Friday, March 8th, from 4pm to 8pm.

The Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday March 9th, at St. Joseph's Church in Roselle at 9am.

Tyara McQueen Chooses St Peter's University

Tyara McQueen, who helped propel Roselle Catholic High School’s girls’ basketball team to a Union County Tournament championship in 2018, will continue her academic and basketball career at St. Peter’s University. 

A three-year starter for the Lions, McQueen averaged 13.1 points and 4.5 assists per game, including six a piece in wins over Rumson-Fair Haven and West Orange. A co-captain (with fellow seniors Victoria Jacobs and Princess Moise), McQueen helped the Lions go 22-5 and finish in the top 25 of NJ.com’s season-ending, statewide rankings. 

Defense was also a calling card for McQueen and she finished the year with 2.5 steals per game, including one to in the final seconds to help secure Roselle Catholic’s 55-52 victory against The Patrick School in the UCT final at Kean University on Feb. 24. 

McQueen was the Union County Player of the Year, according to NJ.com. 

A National Honor Society member, McQueen will play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) for Marc Mitchell, who was hired at St. Peter’s in March after spending the last last nine seasons as head coach at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham in Madison, New Jersey where he won six straight conference titles and claimed a Division III undefeated national championship.

“I chose St. Peter’s because it’s close to home and has pretty much all I was look for in a school,” McQueen said. “And I like the coaching staff.” 

Last fall, McQueen led all Union County soccer players with 25 goals. She completed her soccer career as the No. 2 all-time goal scorer in program history. 

McQueen earned Union County Conference All-Sky recognition in soccer and All-Watchung honors in basketball.

McQueen’s sister, Tyffani McQueen, who helped Roselle Catholic win the 2014 UCT title, will be a senior at Marymount University, a Top 20 Division 3 women’s basketball program in Arlington, Va. 

On Feb. 24, at just about the same time Tyara McQueen and RC secured the UCT title, Tyffani McQueen and Marymount pulled out a last-second, 61-60, victory against Christopher Newport in the Capital Athletic Conference championship game. Marymount and McQueen, who assisted on the game-winning shot, made its third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. 

Victoria Jacobs, Tyara McQueen’s RC teammate and fellow co-captain, Victoria Jacobs, will attend and play basketball at Centenary University in Hackettstown. Jacobs, who played the entire season with an injured shoulder, received All-Watchung recognition from the division coaches.

RCGBB's Meant To Be

The Roselle Catholic High School girls’ basketball team concluded the 2017-18 campaign with its traditional season-ending spaghetti dinner in the RC cafeteria.

The affair included a delicious meal, scrumptious cake (provided by Pinho’s Bakery) and the presentation of awards and championship jackets and T-shirts recognizing the Lions’ Union County Tournament title. 

The season-ending gathering also included a surprise appearance from up-and-coming country music duo October Rose. 

RC won its sixth county championship, all since 2003. It was the program’s fourth UCT title this decade (2010, 2011, 2014).

In what’s turned into a tradition, and a highlight, at the spaghetti dinner, RC girls basketball alumnus Jacqueline Biddulph (RC ’05) re-wrote the lyrics of a popular sing to commemorate the Lions’ championship season. 

Biddulph picked the popular song “Meant to Be” record by Bebe Rexha featuring country music duo Florida Georgia Line. “Meant to Be” peaked at number two on the “Billboard Hot 100” and reached number one on the “Hot Country Songs” chart. 

On May 7th, October Rose – Leanne Weiss and Derek Allan – traveled to Pine Street and Raritan Road and performed a six-song set, including two versions of “Meant to Be,” one with the original lyrics and one personalized for the RC girls basketball team’s season. By the end of Biddulph’s RC version of “Meant to Be,” all in attendance were clapping or singing along with October Rose. 

October Rose (www.octoberrosemusic.com) also delivered a strong performance of their debut single, “Heartbreak Song.” The duo recently released its debut EP, “All In,” which features six songs, including the motivational title track. 

With their unmistakable chemistry and a contagious, rock-infused sound, October Rose is looking at a bright future. The duo will perform at Clark on June 15(Paragon Tap and Table). 

Following its very well-received performance, October Rose posed for a photo with the girls’ basketball team and congratulated the Lions on their successful season. 

Jacqueline Biddulph was a member of the 2005 RC girls’ basketball team that won the NJSIAA’s North Jersey Parochial A championship, the only sectional title in program history. 

Biddulph was also a manager for the RC baseball team, which won the ’05 Union County Tournament. She’s the younger sister of fellow RC alums Catherine Biddulph (RC ’99), who played basketball at RC and was a varsity assistant coach for many seasons, and Andrew Biddulph (RC ’02), who played baseball for the Lions and was a scorekeeper for the girls’ basketball program. 

The Biddulph’s father, Rich, is a public address announcer in The Lions’ Den during basketball season. He was Valedictorian of Roselle Catholic’s Class of 1977.

Why the State Budget Matters to Our Families - Act Now

Your support is worth over $3.8 million in nonpublic school funding.

The Governor's Fiscal Year 2019 Budget cuts funding for nonpublic school programs.

These losses directly affect our children's health and safety and mean that we will have to do more with less or go without next year. Meanwhile, public school aid has been increased by $283MM.

Your voice can and will make a difference in the budget! Click below to contact your legislator.

Mastering Adele, Beyonce, Bruno Mars & Taylor Swift: Remembering Tom Coyne One Year After His Death

Billboard remembers RC alum Tom Coyne '72 on the anniversary of his death.

We Are The Champions!

The Roselle Catholic Boys Basketball team has completed the clean sweep of championships this season.  The team’s storybook year concluded this past Sunday with a 61-54 win over Don Bosco Prep in the Tournament of Champions Championship Game in Trenton.   The Lions compiled a 29-4 record for the season, going undefeated in the state of New Jersey, and winning 15 games against teams currently ranked in the NJ.com Top 20, 9 of which came against top 10 teams.  

In the TOC Final, the team continued to excel in their team-style play with multiple members contributing in big ways throughout the game.  McDonald’s All-American Senior Nazreon Reid led the way with 22 points and 5 rebounds and 2 blocks, but when foul trouble forced him to the bench for critical minutes in the middle of the second half, the team stepped up to ensure the victory.  Senior Alanzo Frink who has had a tremendous year, and remarkable state playoff run, came alive with 7 points in the final minutes of the game on his way to a total 16 to go with 4 boards on the day, while Juniors Josh Pierre-Louis and Kahlil Whitney chipped in with 8 and 6 respectively, and Whitney grabbed 6 key rebounds as well.  Senior Ithiel Horton also provided 6 points while Senior Jason Battle scored 3, but it was his 3 big steals late in the game which sparked the Lions offense in the final quarter to help propel the Lions to a 12 point lead in the final minute of play.

The team’s chemistry was evident from the opening tip of their game vs Newark Westside on a snowy December night for opening day, and continued throughout the season until they were hoisting the two portions of the TOC Championship trophy (a trophy which had broken before being handed out).  Highlights of the season included back-to-back out of state victories against strong programs like Gray Collegiate Academy (SC) and Smyrna (DE), snapping Smyrna’s 25-game win streak dating back from last season. Capturing the Union County Conference Watchung Division Championship after going undefeated in league play, including a last minute comeback victory at the final seconds against Patrick School (#12) in the Tom Richel Memorial Hoopfest.  The thrilling game in the Metro Classic vs Montverde (FL) when the team came the closest of anyone this season to knock off the #1 team in the nation, losing by 1 point at the buzzer. The Lions captured the program’s first ever Union County Tournament Championship, defeating Patrick School (#12) for the 3rd time of the season, just 2 hours after the Lady Lions captured their own Union County Tournament title on the same court defeating the Lady Celtics.  The Lions then ran the gamut for the NJSIAA Non-Public North B Section (arguably the most difficult section in the State Tournament containing 7 top 20 NJ teams) defeating Koinonia, Christ the King, Montclair Immaculate (#7), and Gill St. Bernard’s (#4) for the State Sectional Championship.  The team then came from the brink of heartbreak to thrilling elation when Ithiel Horton assisted on the alley-oop to Naz Reid with 6.3 seconds left to give the Lions the 2 point victory over Ranney Prep (#2) for their 4th State Championship in 6 years.  The Tournament of Champions saw the Lions tested by a strong Nottingham (#16) team on their way to the final game vs Don Bosco Prep (#3).  

Congratulations to the players and coaching staff on a remarkable season, and a big thank you to all the students, faculty, administration, board members, alumni, and RC community for their support.  A special thank you to all those who donated to help send the 2 buses filled with RC students to the TOC Finals on Sunday. The Lions’ Pride is strong.

GO LIONS!!   

Edwin Engleton Honored

The Roselle community came together on Jan. 15 to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Roselle Catholic senior Edwin Engleton was one of three students recognized with a “Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Award,” which was presented by Keyanna Jones-Lovett, president elect of the Roselle/Roselle Park Rotary Club, during a service in the Abraham Clark High School auditorium.

The plaque Edwin received states: “You emulate the timeless values of MLK: courage, truth, unconditional love, compassion, dignity, humility and service to others. It is through this spirit and empowering leadership that unites us and gives hope for a future of social justice and equality.” 

Edwin was joined by his parents, Godmother and Roselle Catholic Campus Minister and senior religion teacher Tim Hagan at the event, which began in the cafeteria with breakfast prepared by Abraham Clark’s Culinary Arts Department. 

“Edwin is one of the most selfless people I know,” said Hagan, who graduated from RC in 2003. “He is very involved with many services activities through Roselle Catholic’s campus ministry program. He is a regular at our Bridges program, a homeless outreach organization, and with Bernice’s Place, an afterschool program run by the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless. 

“On top of that, he is ready, at the drop of a hat, to jump in to anything that will help out: unloading a truck of donated bicycles; transporting Christmas gifts and cleaning up after a gift boutique for the Coalition; or peer counseling. If that isn’t enough, he packs up dozens of bags of toiletries and face cloths to distribute to people without homes. He made over 70 for our New Year’s Eve Bridges run, and will make the bags frequently for distributions outside of the regular school trips.”

Keynote speaker Diane Mathis, a local community activist and long-time Roselle resident, spoke about the legacy of Dr. King and his life’s journey. Students from Abraham Clark and Roselle Park High School joined Engleton in being recognized at the event on MLK Day. 

Lions Reign Supreme

Roselle Catholic had plenty to celebrate Saturday evening after both the Varsity Girls
and Varsity Boys Basketball teams took home some hardware for defeating Patrick
School in the UCT Finals to win the Union County Championship trophy. This marks
a 6 th UCT Championship for the Girls program, and the 1 st ever in Roselle Catholic
Boys Basketball history. The scene at Kean was electric, and a big thank you to all
students, parents, faculty, alumni, and friends who came out to show that Lions’
Pride.

In the first match-up of the day, the Lady Lions jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, and
controlled the game throughout. Despite surges from the Patrick School team, RC
held their composure and were able to hold on for the big victory. Sophomore
Taniya Hanner led all scorers with 15 points on her way to a double-double after
racking up 13 rebounds. Victoria Jacobs hit 2 critical 3 pointers in the contest on
her way to 11 points, with Tyara McQueen and Kayla Haywood each adding 10 and
Jenissa Encarnacion providing 9 points of her own. The balanced scoring helped
propel the Lady Lions past the NJ #18 Celtics in the contest. “We want to play where
we share the ball and everyone is a threat,” Coach Joe Skrec stated. Coach Skrec,
recently named as an inductee this year into NJSCA Hall of Fame, knows what it
takes to be a champion, having guided the Lions to all 6 of their Union County
Tournament Championships. The team now sets their sights on the NJSIAA State
Tournament, set to begin this Tuesday evening at 6PM in the Lions Den as the Lady
Lions face Doane Academy.

After the post-game honoring of the team with their championship trophy and
individual medals, it was the boys’ turn. The Lions fell behind in the first quarter,
but amped up their game in the 2 nd quarter and never looked back, outscoring
Patrick School 18-8 in that second quarter. Junior Kahlil Whitney led the way for
the Lions with his 19 points and Senior Ithiel Horton provided 18, with both of them
providing sparks to the team’s offense throughout the contest through multiple
thunderous dunks for Whitney and four 3-pointers from Horton. Alanzo Frink
netted 13 points and Jason Battle hit for 9, Josh Pierre-Louis added 5 and Naz Reid
scored 4 to go along with 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Ithiel Horton exclaimed, “There
are alumni from the ‘70s and ‘80s here who have never won this. We didn’t just do
this for us; we did it for them.” The long drought without a UCT Title is over. Now
the team is gearing up for a run in the NJSIAA State Tournament. Their first round
game vs Koinonia is Tuesday evening at 8PM in the Lions Den, following the girls.

The Boys game will air on Verizon Fios Tuesday at 7:30PM and the Girls will air Wednesday at 7:30PM

Lady Lions Basketball Team Deck The RC Halls With Another Championship

The Roselle Catholic Girls Basketball team ended 2017 on a very high note, and continued through the new year with that success.  After beginning the Winter season with big Union County Conference victories over Westfield and Cranford, the team entered the annual RC Holiday Tournament.  The Lady Lions took an early lead in the opening game vs Matawan and never looked back.  After defeating the Huskies, the RC team faced another tough opponent in a strong West Orange HS team.  Despite trailing for the first three quarters of play, the Lady Lions kept their poise and were able to hold West Orange to only 5 points in the 4th quarter, on their way to the win over West Orange and the Holiday Tournament Championship.  Victoria Jacobs led the team with 15 points and Tyara McQueen provided 10 on their way to being named to the All Tournament Team. All Tournament MVP Taniya Hanner added 9 points and 12 boards, while Nina Worthey netted 7 and Jenissa Encarnacion added 3.  The Junior Lady Lions also defeated Matawan in the opening round of the Holiday Tournament to earn their spot in the Championship game, but fell to a strong West Orange JV Girls squad, earning the tournament runner-up position.

The Lady Lions were quickly put to the test in the new year, facing last season’s top team Patrick School.  After multiple lead changes throughout the first quarter, the Lady Lions took the lead once and for all at the beginning of the 2nd quarter, and held on for the win, claiming their spot as the current top team in Union County.  The team then took the court at Hardwood Arena on the campus of Kean University to face Oak Knoll in the SFIC Classic.  The team once again fought hard  to come back after trailing for most of the game.  After holding Oak Knoll to only 3 points in the 3rd quarter and cutting their lead down to 2, the team outscored Oak Knoll in the 4th quarter to add another win to their total.  The Lady Lions then continued to tear through Union County winning division games vs Union and New Providence.   

The well-balanced attack of the Lady Lions makes them very difficult to defend, and makes them a fun and exciting team to watch.  Led by Seniors Tyara McQueen and Victoria Jacobs, the RC girls continue to impress on the court.  McQueen is averaging 14.1 points per game and leads the team with 20 3-pointers for the 9 game season, making her deadly from beyond the arc.  Jacobs has hit many crucial shots, including a big 3 in the comeback win over Oak Knoll.  Junior Taniya Hanner leads the team with 17 points per game to go with her 9.7 rebounds per game.  Hanner’s play in the middle both offensively and defensively has caught the eye of many and helped her emerge as one of the top players in the state.  The guard playmaking of Junior Jenissa Encarnacion has helped create many transition points for the Lady Lions, providing a number of key assists, while also knocking down big long-range shots.  Encarnacion hit a major 3-pointer which helped the team pull away in the 3rd quarter against Patrick School..  Sophomore Nina Worthey has also come up big for RC after returning from a pre-season injury which sidelined her for the team’s opening games.  Worthey has come up with critical blocks and rebounds to help a number of defensive stops during the team’s big games.  The team is rounded out by great play coming off the bench from Sophomores Janelle McNeill and Kayla Haywood along with Senior Princess Moise.

The Lady Lions remain unbeaten in the state of New Jersey, suffering only the most recent loss in their game against Loomis Chaffee Charter (CT) in the Say Yes to Success Event, despite cutting the lead down to just 3 with under a minute left of play.  The team’s upcoming schedule can be found below.  For the most up-to-date and complete schedule, check out https://www.rosellecatholic.org/athletics-calendar-varsity-girls-basketball.  

Tuesday, January 16 vs Westfield.  7:00 PM

Thursday, January 18 @ Cranford.  7:00 PM

Saturday, January 20 @ Governor Livingston. 1:00 PM

Tuesday, January 23 vs Rahway.  7:00 PM

GO LIONS!!

New Jersey's #1 Team

Roselle Catholic Lions Boys Basketball, NJ’s #1 Team

The Roselle Catholic Boys Basketball team is off to a great start one month into the 2017-18 season.  From the opening tip-off in the Lions Den vs Newark Westside HS on Dec 15th, the team has hit the ground running.

The team has already racked up big in state victories over Gill St. Bernards (Ranked #3 in NJ) in the Metro Holiday Classic and St. Marys (ranked #11 in NJ) in the SFIC Classic at Kean.  The Lions picked up very big national victories over Smyrna (DE) and Gray Collegiate Academy (SC) in the Slam Dunk To The Beach in Delaware over the holiday break as well.  In the first month of action, the team remains unbeaten against Jersey opponents, and have only obtained losses this season to Imhotep Charter (PA) (ranked #23 in the nation by MaxPreps) and Oak Ridge (FL) (ranked #17 in the nation by MaxPreps) in the Spalding HoopHall Classic in  Springfield, Massachusetts this past weekend.

Led by Senior Nax Reid, the Lions are looking primed to make big runs in both the Union County Tournament and NJSIAA State Tournament this year.  Reid was recently featured during a segment on the show Sports Stars of Tomorrow  which aired on ABC.  You can catch that feature at http://www.sportsstarsoftomorrow.com/articles/detail/National/Profile/Naz-Reid---Roselle-Catholic-Forward---HighlightsInterview---Sports-Stars-of-Tomorrow.  Naz currently averages 16.8 points per game along with 9 rebounds per game for RC.  He has certainly proved why he is a top rated national player, and will be playing for the LSU Tigers next year.

Along  with Reid, seniors Alanzo Frink and Ithiel Horton were recently 3 of only 9 NJ boys basketball players nominated for the coveted spots to be named a McDonald’s All-American.  Horton, already committed to the University of Delaware, has added a spark to Roselle Catholic since transferring over to the Lions after the closing of St. Anthony’s this past summer.  Frink continues to impress as well on the defensive end, and has helped offensively in many key situations.  Senior Jason Battle’s guard play has helped pace the offense, and poses a strong outside threat from beyond the arc.  Junior Kahlil Whitney, a top ranked national player for the Class of 2019, is a versatile player who helps run the floor offensively as well as create a disturbance defensively.  Josh-Pierre Louis, a junior, runs the point for the team, helping to create the action.  Colby Rogers and Cliff Omoruyi help round out the team, both having a strong presence inside, and Rogers being a strong shooting threat for the team.

The Junior Varsity team has also had a successful start, amassing victories throughout Union County and beyond.  Most notably, the JV team picked up the Championship trophy at the Keith Benovengo Memorial Holiday Tournament at Scotch Plains, with big victories over Roselle and Union Catholic.  The Freshman team defeated Oratory Prep in their Christmas Tournament before being edged by St. Marys in the Championship Game, earning runner-up status.  All levels of Lions Boys Basketball have a lot more excitement ahead this season.

While the team continues to travel around the country, you can enjoy many of the team’s games from the comfort of your own home.  Many of the RC Lions Boys Basketball games are streamed on their very own site, at http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/schools/roselle-catholic-high-school-roselle-nj.   You can purchase a monthly, seasonal, or yearly subscription to catch all the action.

Full schedule can be found at https://www.rosellecatholic.org/athletics-calendar-varsity-boys-basketball.