NJIC Football
It may have taken a Hail Mary, but football will continue at Queen of Peace.
Just days after the 86-year-old North Arlington high school announced it surpassed a $1 million fundraising goal to keep its doors open, North Jersey Interscholastic Conference executive director Stan Fryczynski was informed Wednesday by Queen of Peace principal John Tonero and coach Scot Weaver that football will take place in the fall.
The Golden Griffins will honor the NJIC schedule, Fryczynski said.
“They informed me of a meeting that took place [Tuesday night] and they said they have 24 bodies for the upcoming season,” Fryczynski said.
“They’re expecting 24 students on the roster and are expecting that number to grow as the summer progresses and the school reopens.
“They seemed fairly confident in the conversation I had with them that the upcoming season would pose no difficulty.”
Queen of Peace, a school that was in financial straits, originally was given a June 30 deadline by the Archdiocese of Newark to raise $1 million or face closure.
That deadline was extended two weeks — with the community needing only $70,000 more — and Tuesday the school announced it had reached its goal to remain open.
“It was reported the school would remain open the other day, but that didn’t necessarily mean all the sports programs would be back,” Fryczynski said.
“They needed another day or two. But there was an agreement in place with the executive committee and [principal] John Tonero that they’d inform us by [today]. They called me a little while ago and let me know they would, in fact, be fielding a varsity football team this season. They’re a green light.”
Queen of Peace finished 4-5 last season and won four of its final five games.
