Late Observer sports reporter and Kearny man James F. “Jim” Hague is one of 16 who will be inducted into the 2026 Hudson County Sports Hall of Fame later this year.
Hudson County Executive Craig Guy announced the inductees, honoring a class of athletes and coaches whose achievements span generations and multiple sports, including football, soccer, basketball, softball, cross country, track and field, wrestling and baseball.
This year’s class includes four women, recognizing outstanding female athletes and coaches whose contributions helped shape the competitive landscape across Hudson County high schools, collegiate, and post-collegiate sports programs.
“Hudson County has a proud and deeply rooted sports tradition, and this year’s Hall of Fame class reflects the very best of it,” Guy said. “These 16 inductees, athletes and coaches alike, exemplify dedication, perseverance and excellence. They not only achieved greatness in their respective sports, but they also inspired generations of young athletes across our communities.”
The 27th Annual Hudson County Sports Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony at Saint Peter’s University Duncan Family Sky Room on the 6th floor of the McMahon Student Center, 47 Glenwood Ave., Jersey City, is set for Thursday, Oct. 8.
Hague began his sports-writing career with the Hudson Dispatch. He covered many professional sports, but was most noted for knowing almost every athlete to ever put on a uniform in Hudson County and other towns he covered.
He came to The Observer in 2002 and retired a year before his untimely death June 11, 2023, aged 62. He left behind his wife, Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mary Costello.
He was proud of his Jersey City roots, including places like St. Paul’s Greenville and St. Peter’s Prep. After his Prep graduation in 1979, he went on to study journalism at Marquette University in Milwaukee, before returning to Hudson County. But he also treasured his adopted Kearny home.
The 2026 inductees also include:
- Ernie Beler – Bayonne
- Gary Danback – Bayonne
- Lisa M. Rovatsos – Bayonne
- Wayne Zitt – Guttenberg
- Ralph Eusebio – Hoboken
- Kimberly Hudock – Hoboken
- Alberico De Pierro – Jersey City
- Shelton Gibbs – Jersey City
- Robert Hampton (Elnardo Webster Award Recipient) – Jersey City
- Leigh Ann Murduca – Jersey City
- Doris Nicholson – Jersey City
- Lawrence R. Schiner – Jersey City
- Czar Wiley – North Bergen
- Eugene Napoleon – West New York
- Team: 1966 West New York American Little League – West New York
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.