Ocean City High School has won the Ed Byrnes Memorial for the fifth time in the last seven years and the 21st time since Prime Events and Schoppy Inc. created it in 1990.

The all-sports award was renamed in memory of Ed Byrnes, the longtime athletics director and football coach at Holy Spirit, after he died suddenly in February, 1996. He was president of the CAL for six years and had just won his 100th football game four months before his death.

This year, the Raiders built a lead in the fall with dominant efforts in boys and girls cross country and a CAL championship in girls soccer. OCHS won both CAL and South Jersey championships with both cross country teams.

A South Jersey title in boys basketball maintained the Ocean City lead through the winter and spring championships in boys and girls track and boys and girls lacrosse clinched the award.

Ocean City has won 21 Ed Byrnes Awards, including five ties and 16 outright wins. They tied with Mainland in 2018, Middle Township in 2012, Holy Spirit in 2009, St. Augustine in 2001 and Vineland in 1998.

The Raiders finished 2024-25 with 23 points in the scoring system used to determine the winner. That system 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 two championships – one each in two different sports – will get a higher score than if it won two championships in the same sport.
Points are only awarded for sports in which the CAL determines a champion.

This year, St. Augustine was second with 13 points, followed by Wildwood Catholic (10), Middle Township (9) and Mainland (8).

OTHER 2024-25 LEADERS –
Public School – Ocean City
Non-Public – St. Augustine
Group 4 – Egg Harbor Township
Group 3 – Ocean City
Group 2 – Middle Township
Non-Public B – Wildwood Catholic
Atlantic County – St. Augustine
Cape May County – Ocean City
Cumberland County – Millville
Cunniff Big Five – Wildwood Catholic
Boys Sports – St. Augustine
Girls Sports – Ocean City
Fall Sports – Ocean City
Winter Sports – Middle Township
Spring Sports – Cedar Creek

PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS –
2023-24 Mainland
2022-23 Ocean City
2021-22 Mainland
2020-21 Ocean City
2019-20 Ocean City
2018-19 Ocean City
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)
99-2000 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

Over the last couple decades, awards like The Ed Byrnes Award were presented at an annual celebration of the CAL on the Ocean City Music Pier. But circumstances forced the cancellation of that event this year and all Prime Events awards, including the Byrnes Award, are being distributed through the CAL’s 22 athletics directors.

Tomorrow the two seniors who won the Billy Schoppy Awards as the top athletes in the Cape-Atlantic League’s Class of 2025 will be announced.

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