Ocean City High School edged Mainland Regional for the Ed Byrnes Memorial All-Sports Award for 2018-19. The two schools had tied for the award the previous year and almost were tied again.
It marked the seventh straight school year in which the Raiders have either won or shared the award, a first in the 29 years the award has been presented. It was the 17th time overall Ocean City has won or shared the award. In addition to last year’s tie, OCHS edged Mainland by just one point in 2016-17.
Ocean City got off to a great start in the fall with South Jersey championships in field hockey and both boys girls cross country. State titles in bots swimming and girls basketball by Mainland tightened things up. OCHS also added Cape-Atlantic League titles in boys soccer, girls tennis, boys basketball, girls basketball and both boys and girls lacrosse.
The all-sports award was created by Prime Events and Schoppy Inc. in 1991. It was renamed in memory of Byrnes, the longtime athletics director and football coach at Holy Spirit, after he died in February, 1996. Byrnes was president of the CAL for six years and had just won his 100th football victory three months before his death.
The system used to determine a school’s final score in the competition awards points for championships won – both CAL and NJSIAA – with bonuses for the number of different sports in which they were won. Under this system, which rewards a sports program’s versatility, a school that wins one championship in each of two different sports will get a higher score than if it won two championships in the same sport. Only sports in which the CAL crowns a champion are considered.
Among 2018-19 highlights:
- Ocean City has been first or tied for first in Cape May County in 21 of the last 22 years
- St. Augustine had won Atlantic County eight times in the previous 14 years before Mainland won the last two years.
- Middle Township has been tops in the Coast Big Five for eight of the last nine years.
- St. Augustine had the highest score in boys sports for the 18th time in the last 21 years.
- Ocean City was first in girls sports for the ninth straight year and 20th time in the award’s 29 years.
ED BYRNES MEMORIAL ALL-SPORTS RANKINGS
2018-19 OVERALL POINT LEADERS
1. Ocean City 25
1. Mainland 23
3. St. Augustine 16
4. Buena 11
5. Egg Harbor Township 9
5. Middle Township 9
PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS
- 2017-18 Mainland/Ocean City (tie)
- 2016-17 Ocean City
- 2015-16 Ocean City
- 2014-15 Ocean City
- 2013-14 Ocean City
- 2012-13 Ocean City
- 2011-12 Middle Township/Ocean City (tie)
- 2010-11 St. Augustine
- 2009-10 Holy Spirit
- 2008-09 Holy Spirit/Ocean City (tie)
- 2007-08 St. Augustine
- 2006-07 Ocean City
- 2005-06 Ocean City
- 2004-05 St. Augustine
- 2003-04 St. Augustine
- 2002-03 Mainland
- 2001-02 Mainland
- 2000-01 Ocean City/St. Augustine (tie)
- 1999-2000 Absegami
- 1998-99 Ocean City
- 1997-98 Ocean City/Vineland (tie)
- 1996-97 Mainland
- 1995-96 Mainland
- 1994-95 Ocean City
- 1993-94 Ocean City
- 1992-93 Ocean City
- 1991-92 Mainland
- 1990-91 Mainland
OTHER 2018-19 LEADERS
- Public School Ocean City
- Non-Public St. Augustine
- Group 4 Egg Harbor Township
- Group 3 Ocean City
- Group 2 Middle Township
- Group 1 Buena
- Non-Public B Holy Spirit
- Atlantic County Mainland
- Cape May County Ocean City
- Cumberland County Millville
- Coast Big Five Middle Township
- Boys Sports St. Augustine
- Girls Sports Ocean City
- Fall Sports Ocean City
- Winter Sports Mainland
- Spring Sports St. Augustine
Tom Williams Sports 