Hudson County's top male scholar/athletes

Here are the profiles of the top scholar-athletes in Hudson County, awarded by the NJSIAA Ruben Gonzalo, Union City Cross country, indoor track, baseball From a very early age, Ruben Gonzalo recognized the importance of getting good grades in school. “Ever since I was just a little thing, I knew that one of the most important things in my life was my schoolwork,” Gonzalo said. “My grades always came first before sports. If I didn’t have good grades, then I would have no sports. My parents made sure of that.” So his mom Vielka and dad Ruben instilled those philosophies in their young son. “It was always that way,” said Gonzalo, one of the busiest student/athletes at Union City High School, competing in three sports. Gonzalo said that he played baseball since he was five years old, but his love for cross country and track and field came later. “I was in eighth grade and I had to take the BEEP test in gym class,” Gonzalo said. “And you had to run from one end of the gym to the other.”

One of the teachers watching Gonzalo run was the school’s Fitness Club coach Manny Hernandez. “He became one of my mentors,” Gonzalo said of Hernandez. “He said that I had potential. He would get on me and tell me to run. Before I knew it, I was in my first cross country race. I didn’t even know that cross country was a sport.” In his first-ever race, Gonzalo wore dress shoes to the meet. “I ran in shoes that I would go out with my friends in,” Gonzalo said. “As we were lining up, I looked side-to-side and saw what they were all wearing. They were all wearing shoes different than mine. Next thing I know, the gun goes off and I just started running. I knew I would never do that again.” After that first race, Gonzalo gained a little confidence. The self assurance then exploded in just his second race. “It was at Darlington (in Bergen County) and I won a gold medal in that race,” Gonzalo said. “I then later won the North Hudson championship as well. I knew that I was enjoying it and I was doing pretty well. I figured that I was probably not going to play baseball anymore.” But that wasn’t the case. As a senior, Gonzalo came back to the diamond and played the outfield for the baseball team. Next month, Gonzalo is headed to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, where he plans to study law and legal studies. He achieved a grade point average of a 4.3 in a 5.0 scale. He either wants to become a lawyer or perhaps join the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Either way, Gonzalo had a brilliant career at Union City, both as an athlete and in the classroom, just like his parents always wanted. Being the top student/athlete in a school the size of Union City is no small achievement. “I like the way that sounds,” Gonzalo said. “I feel that the top student/athletes don’t get much attention.” They certainly do here. Sofian Rahhali, Weehawken Soccer, track and field, tennis Like Gonzalo, Rahhali had a positive influence at home that served as inspiration. “Grades were always important to me, because my parents emphasized that,” said Rahhali, who was born in Boston, but moved to Weehawken with his family at age two. “My parents (father Jay, mother Mamika) put it in my brain at an early age.” By the time Rahhali enrolled at Weehawken High School, he was established as one of the top students in the district. But Rahhali wanted more. So he joined the soccer team, where he instantly became a member of the Indians’ varsity team. He was a striker on the team for four years and helped to lead the Indians to the North Jersey Interscholastic League-Division 2 championship, scoring a team-high 14 goals and adding four assists. The 14-goal total was exactly what Rahhali scored over his previous two seasons combined. Rahhali participated in track and field before this past spring, when he decided to join the tennis team. “I played tennis before when I was younger and I liked the sport,” Rahhali said. “I just thought it would be a great experience for me. I always wanted to give it a shot. I’m glad I stayed with it.”

Rahhali had no idea he was under consideration to become Weehawken’s top scholar/athlete. “Mr. (Nick) DeStefano (the Weehawken athletic director) said that he wanted to talk to me,” Rahhali said. “I thought I was in some sort of trouble. I wondered why did he want to talk to me. When he told me, my mouth was wide open and I was gasping for breath. It was really unexpected.” Rahhali’s fine athletic career has come to an end. That’s because he’s headed to Northwestern University next month, taking his insane 4.655 grade point average and an ungodly score of 1520 on the Scholastic Aptitude Tests. In fact, Rahhali took the SATs on the day before the world shut down due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. “I got a good score, so there was no need to take it again,” Rahhali said. Rahhali plans on majoring in computer science at the Big 10 power from Evanston, Illinois. “I’m honestly not too sure about what I want to do after school,” Rahhali said. “I have an interest in technology and data, so computer science is a good major for me.” Rahhali has yet to visit the campus, which is located right on the outskirts of Chicago. “I’m excited to go there,” Rahhali said. “It’s not out in the middle of nowhere. It’s right near a big city.” Make that the third largest city in the country. Rahhali said that he had an immense amount of pride in being selected as Weehawken’s top scholar/athlete. “Honestly, it’s a huge accomplishment for me,” Rahhali said. “To be recognized for what I’m working hard to do is a nice feeling.” Jason Blanks, Hoboken Football, basketball, baseball Blanks, one of the most versatile performers on this list, having lettered in football, basketball and baseball during his brilliant career, took a lot of pride in being named Hoboken’s top scholar-athlete. “It means a lot to me,” Blanks said. “To get recognized for what I do on the field is one thing, but to get recognized for what I’ve done in the classroom is another. I put a lot of effort in the classroom from my freshman year on. I was able to get mostly As in my classes. I was always a pretty good athlete. I could always find a place on the field, but it was harder without the grades. I think by fifth or sixth grade, I realized what I had to do. I started to like school.”

Blanks’ intelligence enabled him to become the starting quarterback for the Red Wings for the final three years of his career, provided he remained healthy. Blanks had to overcome a series of nagging injuries through his career. But Blanks realized that being the quarterback in an integral Delaware Wing-T offense meant that he had to be a cerebral leader. “I think it definitely helped me,” Blanks said. “I felt like I was always one step ahead of everyone. I had the speed to run well and had the arm to throw. I felt like I needed to outsmart everyone to be one step ahe Blanks carried a 3.3 grade point average in the classroom. He will head to Rowan University next month to begin his football career with the Profs as a defensive back and kick returner Blanks followed in the footsteps of his father, also named Jason, who was a fine quarterback, pitcher in baseball and guard in basketball, earning Hudson Reporter Male Athlete of the Year honors in 2003. Blanks said that he felt blessed to be the recipient of the top student/athlete in Hoboken. “I really stay on the humble side,” Blanks said. “I don’t like to talk about myself a lot. I’m just grateful to receive the recognition for my hard work.” Jordan Hart, Snyder Cross country, track and field When Jordan Hart was a little kid, he had one goal in life. He wanted to become a construction worker. But things changed when Hart started high school. “I really took a liking to science,” Hart said. “Biology became a passion of mine. Much like track and field snuck up on Hart and became another passion. Hart, who attended County Prep, said that track always fascinated him. “I tried football and baseball,” Hart said. “I just didn’t keep interest. I was always trying to find things that intrigued me and I learned that I had the passion to run. Although I was always the slow kid running with my bunch of friends. My passion for running wasn’t awakened until high school. Freshman year, after my first race, I realized that I could be pretty good.” And Hart learned a fast lesson in that first race, which was the 400-meter dash. “I went out like a mad man,” Hart said “And I obviously made a mistake. I died at the end.”

But there was a good thing that took place in that first race. “I was hooked,” Hart said. “It really was a lot of fun. I looked forward to going to practice the next day. I loved being out there with my friends.” Hart was obviously pretty good, qualifying for the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group I meet as a freshman, finishing fourth in the 400-meter dash, crossing the line in an impressive 22.46 seconds. Incredibly, Hart either tied or broke his personal record 49 times in his career. That’s persistence, perseverance and awesome dedication to a sport that he never thought he would be a participant. “I just wanted to keep getting better,” Hart said. “I took a lot of pride in myself. My confidence went through the roof. I don’t get to say that a lot, but I really felt good about the way I was playing. I put in a lot of work and I was seeing the work pay off. My parents (mom Aisha Harper and dad Tashawn Hart) really made sure that I put everything I had into it.” Hart compiled a 3.75 grade point average. His love of science will send him to DeSales University and major in biology with the hope of attending medical school upon graduation from DeSales, which is the former Allentown College. It is a Roman Catholic institution. Hart credits the mentorship of Dr. Jason Elliston, a pediatrician and family friend, who has watched over Hart during his adolescence. “He was definitely a big influence on me,” Hart said of Dr. Elliston. And Hart’s goal? To become a neurosurgeon one day. “Biology has become a passion, much like track,” Hart said. And how did Hart end his high school passion? He competed in the United States NIKE Nationals at the NIKE complex in Eugene, Oregon. Only fitting. William DeIasi, Secaucus Baseball When it came to athletics and academics, DeIasi always had the right approach. “I wanted to keep my GPA (grade point average) high and my ERA low,” DeIasi said. “I always found the time to do my best in both.” That’s an understatement. DeIasi graduated as the salutatorian of the Secaucus Class of 2021, posting a grade point average of an ungodly 4.67 on the 4.0 scale. “I was able to take a lot of AP (advanced placement) classes and a lot of honors classes,” DeIasi said. “That helped me. I think I’ve always been a great student. School has always been my priority. I think my parents (dad William and mom Christine) always wanted me to do well in school, so if something ever happened to me in sports in terms of an injury, I had the education to back it up. My parents have always been a huge influence on me.”

DeIasi developed into a fine pitcher for the Patriots, especially after missing all of his junior year due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. He spent a lot of his free time training and developing his pitching skills with Wladyka Baseball, under the watchful eyes of fellow standout pitcher Jim Wladyka, an All-State hurler out of Rutherford High School during his heyday. DeIasi also took hitting lessons from Mike Mobbs, not ready to give up on being a threat both on the mound and at the plate. “But I learned that you could never have enough pitchers,” DeIasi said. “That’s what I basically focused on coming into this year. I started out with the JV (junior varsity) team and worked my way up to being one of the top pitchers on our staff.” DeIasi’s best performance came against New Milford early in the season, when he fired a two-hitter, striking out 11 in a 10-1 win. DeIasi will now head to Rutgers University in New Brunswick, where he will major in mechanical engineering. He plans on trying to make the Scarlet Knights’ roster as a walk-on. “I’ve sent e-mails to the coaches to see if I can give it a try,” DeIasi said. “I do take pride in my development as a pitcher. I’m very excited to be going to Rutgers. I’ve had a lot of fun playing baseball and I want to continue playing. I wouldn’t change a thing about my career. I’m happy with the way things turned out for me.” Julian Lim, McNair Academic Soccer Before he entered high school, Lim was always a goaltender on the soccer field. But that quickly changed when Lim enrolled at McNair Academic. “I made the transition to center midfield,” Lim said. “I then moved up to striker this year because everyone thought I would be able to score more goals.” As it turned out, Lim was the Cougars’ leading scorer this past season. “I played soccer my whole life,” Lim said. “It’s always been a lot of fun.” However, fate wasn’t too kind in 2016, when Julian’s father, Jourdan, passed away. “My motivation was always internal,” Lim said. “But I pushed myself to the max. I have two younger brothers that I look after. I’ve always bonded well with my brothers, but being the eldest, I had to worry about them. It wasn’t easy. I think it made me mature a lot quicker. At times, it was stressful and I always kept my priorities in check in order to help my brothers. I became a more compassionate person. I think it was almost a miracle that I was able to persevere. I knew that I was not going to become a victim of the streets. I wasn’t going to become completely overwhelmed by the situation.”

Lim said that soccer kept him sane. “Every practice, I wanted to go as hard as I possibly could,” Lim said. “I never worried about burning out. I knew I wanted to go to a good school.” Lim, who carried an average of 101 out of 100 in his classes, is headed to Princeton University in a few weeks, where he will be reunited with Fahd Nasser, who was a member of the same relay team for the indoor track team when Lim was a freshman. Lim will major in economics at Princeton. “It’s like a huge burden has been lifted off of me,” Lim said. “The four-year grind has turned into something good. I’m extremely grateful for the chance.” Lim doesn’t know what the future holds. “I’m still trying to figure that out,” Lim said. “Maybe I can run a start-up company. That would be awesome.” Gabriel Arias, Harrison Soccer Although Gabriel Arias concentrated on one sport, namely soccer, he made sure that he made the most of that sport, as well as his academic standing. “I tended to focus on my soccer,” said Arias, who is headed to Rutgers-Newark in the fall to continue his soccer career. “I was always focused on my education as well, but my parents (mother Isabel Valencia and father Victor Arias) made sure I did my school work. They were always supportive of me, considering how much I loved playing soccer.” Arias was born in the United States, but both of his parents were born in Peru. “I was very happy and excited to tell my parents about this award,” Arias said. Arias believes that his love of soccer helped him become a better student in the classroom. Arias maintained a 3.8 grade point average throughout his days at Harrison. “I think soccer gave me more confidence with my academics,” Arias said. “I had to work harder to keep those grades up when I needed to.” Arias was a standout defender for the famed Harrison Blue Tide soccer program. “I think I was a defender because of my speed,” Arias said. “It helped me get up and down the wing.” Getting the top scholar/athlete award meant a lot to Arias. “I was able to achieve something I always wanted to have,” Arias said. “I always wanted to keep a good balance between soccer and my grades. This let me know I did a good job at both.” Jamiel Lawrence, Lincoln Football One might think that Lawrence got the catchy and loveable nickname of “Oatmeal” because of the natural rhyme that goes with his name. But that would be wrong. “I’ve been called ‘Oatmeal’ ever since I was a little boy, around six or so,” said Lawrence, the highly talented quarterback for the Lincoln football team. “My father was called ‘Oatmeal’ so it just kind of stuck to me.” Yeah, much like lumpy overcooked oatmeal that just sticks to everything, you know, the bowl, the spoon, the stomach. “I just started to get called ‘Oatmeal’ and it was almost like I didn’t even know my own name,” Lawrence said. The other name Lawrence acquired this year? Being the top scholar-athlete in a big school like Lincoln. “I didn’t even know I would be considered for the award, considering a lot of the classes were virtual,” Lawrence said. “It really took a toll on me. I actually was kind of surprised when I heard I got the award. I wanted to get an ‘A’ average in my classes.” He had to settle for A-minus instead.

Lawrence didn’t have to worry about his quarterbacking skills. “I actually loved playing quarterback,” Lawrence said. “I loved being the leader of the team. A lot of the younger kids on the team looked up to me. I liked that everyone was listening to me. I took a lot of pride in it. If I was going to be a leader on the field, then I had to have good grades. I tell the younger guys that they had to work on getting good grades because that’s the only way they could keep playing.” Lawrence is headed to Caldwell University to play sprint football (formerly known as lightweight football) with all the players on the field having to weigh 180 pounds or less. Lawrence will play for legendary coaches Jim Kelly (the head coach and formerly of Nutley and Queen of Peace) and Ken Trimmer, the long-time head coach at Caldwell High School. Lawrence had to work hard on getting down to the 180-pound weight restriction. “By the end of the season, I was up to 240 (pounds),” Lawrence said. “I knew what I was getting into and I knew I had to lose the weight.” Lawrence likes to model himself like Devon Jackson, the successful QB of the Baltimore Ravens, who is a solid runner and passer. He will major in sports management at Caldwell with the hope of working for a professional sports franchise down the road. “I’m really motivated to do well in college,” Lawrence said. “I’m fortunate enough to have friends as teammates there (at least seven players on the Cougars’ roster are Lincoln High graduates) and my family and friends can come to see me play.” As for being the top student-athlete at Lincoln? “It feels great,” Lawrence said. “I don’t even know what to say. It’s just amazing.” Just like having a catchy nickname. Lincoln head coach Robert Hampton calls Lawrence, “the OAT,” in a take-off of the line used a lot these days to immortals like Tom Brady, who is called the GOAT, as in Greatest Of All Time. Lawrence is just the OAT, but it’s a name that fits just fine. Just pass the milk and sugar please.