2022 South Jersey High School Boys Lacrosse Coach of the Year
JC Valore takes a holistic view.
The St. Augustine coach knows, better than most, the calculus of success in New Jersey high school boys lacrosse. He knows this from the South Jersey perspective.
Under Valore, the Hermits finally broke through to become just the second South Jersey program to win an NJSIAA Group title, joining his alma mater Moorestown. St. Augustine beat Delbarton 6-5 to win the Non-Public A championship, easily the strongest, deepest Group in the state.
In a year when Shawnee’s Don Green and Haddonfield’s Damon Legato also led their respective programs to South sectional titles, Valore stood head and shoulders above his peers.
The Renegades beat Moorestown in overtime, then Clearview in a thriller to win the South Group 3 crown. Shawnee lost to Scotch Plains-Fanwood in its final. The Haddons dispatched Caldwell in the South Group 1 final before falling to eventual Tournament of Champions winner Mountain Lakes.
In each case, two of South Jersey’s best programs were derailed by elite North Jersey teams. For many years, St. Augustine suffered the same fate. This season, the Hermits broke through.
Talent had a lot to do with it. St. Augustine began the season as the most talented team in South Jersey.
Preparation plays a role as well. The Hermits practice as hard or harder than any team in the state.
They put in the miles, both literal and figurative. No South Jersey team plays a tougher schedule, made up of the best South Jersey teams, challenges in North Jersey and beyond.
Mostly, though, the Hermits have a championship culture. No player has an insignificant role in the team’s success, from their star players on game day to most inexperienced freshman on a post-practice ball hunt beyond the fence surrounding the stadium. Every player contributes in their own way. Every player takes ownership of the team’s successes and failures.
For creating a framework to bring a state championship to South jersey, Valore has earned the title 2022 Courier Post All-South jersey High School Boys Lacrosse Coach of the Year.
This article originally appeared on Burlington County Times: 2022 South Jersey High School Boys Lacrosse Coach of the Year
