WJFCA to honor Class of 2024 for South Jersey Football Coaches Hall of Fame in August

Tom McGurk, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
The West Jersey Football Coaches Association will honor the Class of 2024 for the South Jersey Football Coaches Hall of Fame on August 29.
The West Jersey Football Coaches Association will honor the Class of 2024 for the South Jersey Football Coaches Hall of Fame on August 29.

The West Jersey Football Coaches Association will recognize the Class of 2024 for the South Jersey Football Coaches Hall of Fame on Aug. 29.

The members to be inducted are coaches Bill Fisher and Frank Riggitano, assistant coach Pat Gallagher, media member Phil Anastasia and distinguished service inductee Rich Sharpnack, Jr.

The five men will be honored during halftime of the inaugural Hall of Fame game at the Battle at the Beach between national powerhouse IMG Academy and New Jersey Non-Public power Bergen Catholic. The game is tentatively scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on Aug. 29 at Ocean City’s Carey Field.

It’s the first time the induction ceremony will take place since 2018.

More: Battle at the Beach unveils final schedule for football showcase event in August

“It was an idea by a lot of former coaches and people in the Adam Taliaferro Foundation to bring it back, and it’s good to bring it back for South Jersey football,” West Jersey Football Coaches Association president John Emel said in a press release. “South Jersey football has lost a few things in recent years, so we felt this was something we were able to bring back. It’s special to the former inductees too. To do this as part of the Battle at the Beach, which was something we started to promote South Jersey football, makes a lot of sense.”

The inductees are:

Seneca football coach Bill Fisher clutches the game ball following a 13-6 win over Cherokee on Thanksgiving, Nov. 23, 2023. It was the final game for Fisher, who started the program in 2003.
Seneca football coach Bill Fisher clutches the game ball following a 13-6 win over Cherokee on Thanksgiving, Nov. 23, 2023. It was the final game for Fisher, who started the program in 2003.

Bill Fisher

  • Head coach for 23 seasons at Triton (2 seasons) and Seneca (21 seasons). Was an assistant coach at Deptford, Southern, Triton and Delsea.

  • Was the first head coach in Seneca history and compiled a 98-110 record with five division championships and 10 postseason berths during his tenure.

  • Led the Golden Eagles to back-to-back 10-2 records, which included two trips to the sectional final each of the last two seasons. He stepped down after last season.

  • Graduate of Deptford High School.

Middle Township High School football coach Frank Riggitano instructs his players prior to the Central Jersey Group 2 quarterfinal football playoff game between Haddonfield and Middle Twp. played at Haddonfield Memorial High School on Friday, November 5, 2021. Haddonfield defeated Middle Twp, 34-7.
Middle Township High School football coach Frank Riggitano instructs his players prior to the Central Jersey Group 2 quarterfinal football playoff game between Haddonfield and Middle Twp. played at Haddonfield Memorial High School on Friday, November 5, 2021. Haddonfield defeated Middle Twp, 34-7.

Frank Riggitano

  • Head coach for 22 seasons at Middle Township, including two different stints with the Panthers.

  • Recorded a 111-110 career record, the most wins by a head coach in the program’s history. He stepped down following the 2023 season.

  • Led Middle Township to seven postseason appearances, including the program’s first-ever in 1994.

  • Served as Middle Township’s athletic director for 12 years and six more years as principal.

  • Graduate of Lower Cape May High School.

Williamstown football coach Pat Gallagher looks on during the first half of the football game between Williamstown and Millville, on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020.
Williamstown football coach Pat Gallagher looks on during the first half of the football game between Williamstown and Millville, on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020.

Pat Gallagher

  • A Williamstown High School graduate, Gallagher returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in 1999.

  • Became the offensive coordinator for Williamstown under head coach Frank Fucetola from 2005-2019 before he was the interim head coach in 2020.

  • Williamstown went 124-38 during Gallagher’s tenure as offensive coordinator. The stretch included a 12-0 record and South Jersey Group 5 championship in 2012 along with two more sectional titles (2018 and 2019) and a regional title (2019).

Phil Anastasia

  • Journalist in the South Jersey/Philadelphia region for 41 years before retiring in 2021.

  • Worked as a reporter, columnist and sports editor at the Courier-Post from 1980-2008. He finished his career covering South Jersey sports at the Philadelphia Inquirer.

  • Won more than 50 awards for his sports writing, including eight first-place honors from the New Jersey Press Association.

  • Currently works as an adjunct professor in the journalism department at Rowan University.

  • Graduate of Gloucester Catholic High School.

Rich Sharpnack, Jr.

  • A physician’s assistant for several professional teams in Philadelphia, including the Eagles, as well as 42 high schools in the South Jersey and Philadelphia area.

  • President of the Touchdown Club of Southern New Jersey from 2006-2022. The organization grew from 16 schools to over 90 during his tenure, honoring student-athletes for their accomplishments on and off the field.

  • Graduate of Pitman High School where he was a three-sport athlete.

Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: South Jersey Football Coaches Hall of Fame to honor Class of 2024 inductees

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