Last Wednesday was a great day for the Lyndhurst High School football program.
Sure, the Golden Bears had their fair share of great days last fall, when they won the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference playoff championship, when they won their first NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group II state championship in 36 years and when they celebrated the 11 wins they enjoyed during the championship season with a victory parade straight through the heart of town last December.
Those were all great days, great moments, great memories galore.
But perhaps the finest of the moments was the final straw for the Golden Bears, when two of their stars, two All-Bergen County standouts, signed documents that will orchestrate the next steps of their young lives.
All-State running back Piotr Partyla, the state’s rushing champion, signed a document that gave him preferred walk-on status at Rutgers University, with the chance of earning a spot on the Scarlet Knights’ roster and eventually becoming a scholarship player.
And two-way tackle James Blake, an All-Bergen County First Team selection like his teammate Partyla, signed a binding national letter of intent with NCAA Division II Franklin Pierce College of New Hampshire.
Lyndhurst has sent a number of products into the world of college football; most notably Monmouth All-American running back Petey Guerriero.
But it was a rare day to enjoy two scholarship performers off to the next level on the same day. Thus the reason for the banners and balloons and backdrops and school officials.
“It’s really just an honor,” said Lyndhurst head football coach Rich Tuero, who has also enjoyed his amount of honors and accolades this past year. “I’m proud of these kids. I think it’s the first time we’ve had something like this, a small school like Lyndhurst. It’s just a great story. It’s a testament to their hard work and dedication.”
Partyla spoke recently about giving his verbal commitment to old and new head coach Greg Schiano, himself a Bergen County native.
“It means my new journey starts today,” said Partyla, who rushed for 2,300-plus yards and scored 36 touchdowns for the state champions. “I have to work even harder now. It’s really pretty crazy.”
Partyla had previously given a verbal commitment to Northern Illinois University, but when Schiano and Rutgers came calling (with assistant coaches Nunzio Campanile and Augie Hoffman), Partyla changed his mind.
“God has a plan for me,” Partyla said. “This is something special and it really hit me today. I always dreamed of playing for Rutgers and here it is. It feels great.”
Blake was certain that his fate was going to be at some NCAA Division III school, paying a ton in tuition and fees.
But Franklin Pierce took notice of Blake late in the recruiting process.
“They showed interest in me,” said Blake, who earned All-Bergen County and All-State Group II honors as a nose guard. “I had no idea where the school was. But they thought I was the right choice for them. I looked up the school, went for a visit and loved it.”
Blake said that the trip to New Hampshire was a chance of a lifetime.
“The school has a nice atmosphere,” Blake said. “It’s really nice. I knew that if I waited just a little longer, I would find the right home and the right level of football.”
Blake was introduced to the coaches and the players at Franklin Pierce during his visit last month.
“The players made me feel right at home,” said Blake, who plans on majoring in criminal justice and owns an impressive 3.7 grade point average and a score of 1,060 in the Scholastic Aptitude Tests.
Blake said that he hopes to become a police officer some day.
“I’m happy with it all,” said Blake, who joined the wrestling team for the first time this winter and has been holding his own, learning the sport. “I think it will put me in good shape for the football season.”
Unlike Partyla, who had a college scholarship in his mind since childhood, Blake never considered himself as a college prospect until last year.
“I guess I had a pretty good junior year and I started to put in the work,” Blake said. “The progression I had on the field was amazing and the option became there. It’s amazing. College football can be daunting, but I’m getting the chance to play the game I love.”
Blake believes that the Golden Bears’ great season helped his chances of securing a scholarship, albeit a partial plan.
“I believe that 100 percent,” Blake said. “The exposure we received for winning the state championship put us on the map and played a big part.”
“He was getting tons of (NCAA) Division III interest,” Tuero said. “Then a couple of D-IIs came in and Franklin Pierce was very interested. He went for the visit and the next day, he took it. It’s a great package for him. It all worked out well for him. He’s such a great story. He grew so much as a player and became such a dependable player.”
Partyla has decided to run track this spring for coach Tom Shoebridge, who has elected to forego a planned retirement to coach the Golden Bears again.
“It’s definitely going to help me get in shape,” said Partyla, who is a regular training at FASST with trainers Ryan Marshall and Paul Johnsen. “I know I have to be ready to play right away.”
Partyla had a day like Wednesday always in his sights.
“When I was younger, I always wanted to go to the NFL,” Partyla said. “I still think I’m an underdog, so I have to keep working. I’m not going to stop now. I’m ready to prove myself once again. I’m the underdog again and I love being the underdog.”
Partyla said that he was happy for his teammate.
“James has been working so hard and he really wasn’t getting any love from the colleges,” Partyla said. “It definitely helped a lot that we had such a good year. I think it showed that we’re competitors and won a state championship. We both worked hard.”
Tuero said that Partyla will be a rousing success with the Scarlet Knights.
“I’m betting on Piotr Partyla,” Tuero said. “He knows how to make the most of his talent.”
Needless to say, it was a great day. The parents had glowing smiles. So did the school administrator and coaches in attendance. It was a day for little old Lyndhurst to stick out their respective chests and be proud. Two of their best, two from the state champs, are moving on – which is the way it should be.
CAPTION
From left, Piotr Partyla (Rutgers), head coach Rich Tuero and James Blake (Franklin Pierce) sign their letters of intent for their respective colleges at Lyndhurst High School last week. Photo by Jim Hague
Learn more about the writer ...
Jim Hague | Observer Sports Writer
Sports Writer Jim Hague was with The Observer for 20+ years — and his name is one of the most recognizable in all of sports journalism. The St. Peter’s Prep and Marquette alum kicked off his journalism career post Marquette at the Daily Record, where he remained until 1985. Following shorts stints at two other newspapers, in September 1986, he joined the now-closed Hudson Dispatch, where he remained until 1991, when its doors were finally shut.
It was during his tenure at The Dispatch that Hague’s name and reputation as one of country’s hardest-working sports reporters grew. He won several New Jersey Press Association and North Jersey Press Club Awards in that timeframe.
In 1991, he became a columnist for The Hudson Reporter chain of newspapers — and he remains with them to this day.
In addition to his work at The Observer and The Hudson Reporter, Hague is also an Associated Press stringer, where he covers Seton Hall University men’s basketball, New York Red Bulls soccer and occasionally, New Jersey Devils hockey.
He’s also doing work at The Morristown Daily Record, the very newspaper where his journalism career began.
During his career, he also worked for Dorf Feature Services, which provided material for the Star-Ledger. While there, he covered the New York Knicks and the New Jersey Nets.
Hague is also known for his announcing work — and he’s done PA work for Rutgers Newark and NJIT.
Hague is the author of the book “Braddock: The Rise of the Cinderella Man.”