Scholars Dinner to honor ND coach Clancy, assemblyman DeAngelo
Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo is basically a soccer guy, so he must be pretty darn distinguished to be receiving the highest honor possible from a football organization. Notre Dame High coach Sean Clancy, on the other hand, is football through and through.
DeAngelo and Clancy are two of the adult honorees at the 58th Annual George Wah Scholar-Leader-Athlete Awards Dinner, which will be held 4 p.m. Sunday, Mar. 8 at the Princeton Marriott. The event, which honors players from one youth league, 22 high schools and two colleges — along with nine adults who have made an impact on the area in and out of football — is sponsored by the Delaware Valley Chapter National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.
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DeAngelo is receiving the prestigious Robert F. Casciola Distinguished American Award, while Clancy will get the Hank Johns Coach Award.
The 21 high school scholar-athletes who will be honored and receive a $1,000 scholarship are Chris McCrea (Allentown), Michael Abelowitz (Ewing), Jacob Darby (Hamilton West), Kyle Reiss (Hightstown), Chris Hollander (Hopewell), Matthew Kildea (Lawrence), Quentin Autry (Notre Dame), Louis Pasculli (Nottingham), Fredrick Otte (Princeton), Connor Fitzsimmons (Robbinsville), Matthew Lambert (Steinert), Jazzir Merricks (Trenton), Major Wilbur (West Windsor-Plainsboro), Ian Franzoni (Hun), Claude J. Vilfort (Lawrenceville), Lucas Johnson (Peddie), Ricky Eng (Pennington), Ryan Blanchard (Bordentown), Lucas Johnson (Peddie), Jayson Zane Emery (Florence), John Devine (New Egypt) and Dylan Farina (North Hunterdon).
Other adult award-winners are Heather Anderson, President and CEO of Special Olympics New Jersey (George O’Gorman Contribution to Amateur Football) Eugene Ferguson (Jack Millard Officials), Brian Caloiaro of the Northern Burlington
Junior Greyhounds (Contribution to Youth Football), Casey Mann (Eunice Kennedy Shriver Champion), Michael “Sid” Holcombe (Tony Persichilli Meritorious Service) and Brian DeAngelo (Nick Gusz Good Guy).
Princeton University’s Andrew Griffin will receive the Judge Arthur Lane Scholar-Leader-Athlete, and The College of New Jersey’s Erik Graham gets the Earl H. Dean ScholarLeader Athlete. Kole Briehler of the Hopewell Valley Youth Football Organization is the chapter’s Little Scholar winner.
DeAngelo is serving his seventh term in the New Jersey General Assembly since first elected in 2007. He serves as Deputy Speaker; chairman of the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee; vice-chairman of the Assembly Military and Veterans Committee; member of the Assembly Appropriations Committee; and member of the New Jersey Council on Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs.
He has authored numerous laws to aid veterans, prevent fraud in the unemployment insurance system, protect military bases and nearby businesses and crack down on road rage and auto insurance fraud. He has also established the Silver Alert system for missing individuals.
A 1983 Steinert grad, DeAngelo served on the Hamilton Township Council, including one term as president. While there he pushed for the creation of Pedophile-Free Zones in Hamilton, worked to reform local government by banning nepotism in hiring, and requiring developers to disclose campaign contributions.
The lifelong Hamiltonian is also president of the Mercer County Building
Trades and serves as a member of Hamilton’s Planning Board. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Mercer County ARC, the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Hamilton Elks Club #2262 and the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh. He is also President and youth soccer coach for the Hamilton Wildcats and Hibernian Athletic Association, and is a strong supporter of Dan Donigan’s Hibos PDA program.
In a career filled with honors, DeAngelo’s most impressive were being named Legislator of the Year by the New Jersey Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), New Jersey State Police Fraternal Association of New Jersey, the Library Association of New Jersey, and receiving the Legislative Leadership award from the New Jersey Association of Community Providers.
Speaking of honor’s Clancy’s is well deserved. The Princeton native got late notice that he was being elevated from assistant coach to interim head coach, and proceeded to guide the Irish to a 10-1 record, their second straight WJFL Capitol Division title, and an impressive playoff run against two of the state’s top teams.
He was given the permanent head coaching job after the season ended.
“I believe that coach Clancy has earned this opportunity based not only on this year’s success but on his years as a loyal assistant coach in the program as well.” Athletic Director Rich Roche said after removing Clancy’s interim tag. “Sean’s philosophy fits the mission of the school. He has successfully incorporated the academic and spiritual life of the players into the daily operation of the football program.”
A former restaurant owner, Clancy shifted to education at Notre Dame 15 years ago, where he has taught social studies, served as a summer programs principal, school counselor and college counselor. He served on the staff of Lawrenceville’s 2010 MAPL Champions, and also coached JV girls basketball and freshman boys basketball with the Big Red. Clancy has been on the ND staff for the past eight years, the first seven as an Associate Head Coach under Chappy Moore and Marc Lordi.