Even before Shawn Bellenger had established himself on the varsity level in any sport at Lyndhurst High School, he had already proven to be a leader. Months before his sophomore season, Bellenger, who at the time had just a handful of snaps on his resume, was named a team captain for football.
“I knew that he was going to be the leader of the team for the next three years after freshman year,” head football coach Rich Tuero said. “The way he carried himself, just as a young man in general, I felt confident.”
From afar, it was a sign Bellenger was not your typical athlete, both on and off the field. The three years that followed, whether it was on the gridiron, hardwood or diamond, further demonstrated that.
By the end of his senior year, Bellenger not only was a team captain in football, basketball and baseball, but an All-NJIC selection in all three sports.
Bellenger’s combination of raw athletic talent, combined with his maturity, intelligence and leadership over all three sports makes him The Jim Hague Observer Male Athlete of the Year for the 2024-2025 school season.
The annual award, which was named in honor of the late sports writer following Hague’s passing in 2023, recognizes one male and female local senior athlete who excelled in multiple. The awards were a staple of Hague’s 20-plus year career as The Observer’s sports writer.
Bellenger continues an incredible run for Lyndhurst boys. He becomes the fourth consecutive Golden Bear and fifth in six years to be named Male Athlete of the Year Overall, Bellenger is the eighth Lyndhurst boy to win the award.
“There were a lot of people that didn’t like that decision (to make him a captain),” Tuero recalled. “But in the end, he made me look good because he proved it. He just has a confidence in himself and he’s so respectful and I knew how much he cared about the game and he’s a team player. Honestly, it’s all him.”
“Being named a captain as a sophomore is unheard of and more than half of the team is all older than me so trying to lead them and trying to push them in the right direction was definitely tough,” Bellenger said. “But it all worked out in the end.”
This year, Bellenger completed 79-of-128 passes for 1,401 yards and 14 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions. He also ran for 426 yards and seven touchdowns on 58 carries to help lead the Golden Bears to a 7-2 record.
For his career, Bellenger, a three-year starter, threw for 3,772 yards and 39 touchdowns while rushing for 983 yards and 12 scores.
“Getting that full experience my sophomore year really helped me out,” said Bellenger. “This year was definitely my best year. Having the experience of two years starting under my belt helped me out so much mentally and physically.”
After the season, Bellenger was named a recipient of the Tri-State Mini Maxwell Award, becoming just the third Lyndhurst player to ever earn the award.
By comparison, Bellenger’s prominence on the basketball court was far more gradual. There, Bellenger started his sophomore season on the JV team before later establishing himself as a varsity contributor a few games later.
After two seasons as a reserve, Bellenger entered his senior season as not only the most experienced member of an incredibly young Lyndhurst team, but as a captain and starter. He responded by setting career highs in points (6.3 per game), rebounds (5.9), assists (2.0) and steals (1.9), while being tasked with guarding the opposing team’s top offensive player most nights.
Success in basketball might not have come as easily for Bellenger as it did in football or baseball, but that doesn’t mean it was any less valuable in his eyes.
“My whole experience with basketball definitely kept me grounded for sure,” said Bellenger. “It definitely showed me how I could work for things in life and in sports and I couldn’t be more thankful for that experience because it’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever been through in all of my high school years.”
“He always did what we needed him to do,” head boy basketball coach Perrin Mosca said. “I could always count on him to not worry about scoring or being the man. He was a role player this year who did a lot more.
“He knew his role perfectly and I always told him I appreciated all he did for the younger kids, especially (freshmen) Avery (Cano) and Filoteo (Mosca). He was able to teach them how to do the right things and be a good player.”
Bellenger continued: “Just leading these younger guys, showing them the ways and even teaching them the right way to carry themselves on and off the court was just an unreal experience and probably my favorite as a captain in all three sports.”
For Bellenger, being a mentor to younger players was nothing new. From a young age, Bellenger felt he had to be a role model for his younger brother, Jayson.
“Having that younger brother and being in that role model spot throughout my whole life was definitely something I took into high school and I used that experience to become a captain and be a role model for all my other teammates,” Bellenger said.
Growing up, Shawn remembers him and his brother making the short walk to Lewandowski Park where they would play catch, and pretend that they were Major Leaguers. Despite the two-year age gap, they also were Little League teammates, as one was always the pitcher and the other catching.
“We thought we were the greatest two players in baseball ever. When we were younger, we thought we were going pro,” Bellenger said. Their father, Butch, now an assistant coach with Lyndhurst, played two years of minor league baseball in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization after a stellar career at now-closed Queen of Peace High School, North Arlington, and later Rider and William Paterson universities.
The two brothers got to share a similar dynamic one more time this spring. Shawn, a two-year starter at second base, shifted over to short as a senior, filling the position left by last year’s Observer Male Athlete of the Year, Anthony Pizzuti. Taking over at second was Jayson.
The two proved to be a dynamic double play tandem for Lyndhurst as it went 17-10 and won the NJIC National Division for the first time since 2019.
“We already had that chemistry down,” said Shawn, who also mentored Jayson, who was the backup QB, during football season. “There was no chemistry to be worked on (this spring). We already had it there and it has been there since the beginning of the year.”
“It was tremendous to see them together,” head baseball coach Pat Auteri said. “You see the brotherly love. You see, at times, the brotherly arguments, but they definitely know each other (on the field) and I think that helped with a great double play tandem.”
Shawn also had a career year at the plate, hitting .392 with 32 runs, 24 RBI, 19 walks, 18 stolen bases and 14 extra-base hits. Bellenger hit .339 during his three years on varsity as he finished with 81 career hits and 82 runs scored.
“Even at a young age, the way he carried himself was wise beyond his years. You saw that even when he came in as a freshman,” Auteri, who for football, serves as the offensive coordinator, said. “I think he was prepared for this. He just is cool, calm, collected in whatever sport it was. To see him grow over the years into the young man that he is, is something special.”
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Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)