By: Darren Cooper – Record Sports Columnist

CEDAR GROVE – Faith Camilleri had a once-in-a-lifetime day, her team is making sectional championships look almost ordinary.

Camilleri had a grand slam, a three-run double and a whopping nine RBI as Immaculate Conception downed Newark Academy 16-3 in five innings to earn its seventh straight North Non-Public B sectional title at Panther Park in Cedar Grove.

The game was shifted to Cedar Grove early Thursday afternoon from Montclair State.

The Blue Wolves will face Wildwood Catholic for the Non-Public B title this weekend at Kean. A return trip to the Tournament of Champions will be at stake.

The theme for the Blue Wolves Thursday was to relax. After just scraping by Morris Catholic in the semifinals 3-2, Blue Wolves coach Jeff Horohonich encouraged his team to be cool and have fun Thursday.

“One day this may all end, so you should enjoy this,” Horohonich said. “You’re getting to do things 90 percent of the kids in New Jersey don’t ever do. So be grateful that you’re able to do this.”

The Blue Wolves appeared to take that advice to heart, wearing rally “cups” in the dugout on their ears and cheering incessantly.

“Today we came and said let’s play like we can, like IC can,” said junior pitcher Caylee English. “We were energetic in the first inning. I think our energy was much better.”

Camilleri, a sophomore from Hasbrouck Heights, got the offense rolling with a three-run double in the first inning. She belted a grand slam in the third as part of a seven-run outburst and then a two-run triple in the fourth.

“I was just looking for a pitch to drive, maybe a ground ball up the middle,” said Camilleri of her home run. “Maybe a single. I wasn’t trying to hit a home run, but just hit it fair. I wanted to put it somewhere where some runs could score.”

Horohonich has now won a combined 22 sectional titles over his tenures at Immaculate Heart Academy and Immaculate Conception.

“Both places are special, they really are,” said Horohonich, who is also the career leader in wins for softball in North Jersey. “As I have gotten older, I think I appreciate more. I have been so blessed to have awesome kids and awesome parents at both.”

But Horohonich is also aware that playing, and winning, in Non-Public B, the state’s smallest classification for non-public schools, doesn’t generate a lot of respect. However, he points out that he always tries to make the regular season schedule as tough as he can.

“My phone is always on if anybody wants to play, we’ll play,” said Horohonich. “We are not afraid of competition. I tell the girls we aren’t going 34-0, but we prepare for the end of May into June and that’s it.”

People also do seem to forget that Immaculate Conception went all the way to the Tournament of Champions final last year, losing at the end to Immaculate Heart Academy. The Blue Wolves also have a win this season over Indian Hills, who’s in the Group 3 state final, and were tied with Ramsey late in the game in the Bergen County final.

“Everyone doubts us because we are Non-Public B,” said English. “Last year we made it pretty far and made a name for ourselves and we’re continuing that this year.”

“We can 100 percent play,” said Camilleri. “I think we can compete with the top teams around. We have faced some top teams and we have held our own.”