The final action of the school year by Cape-Atlantic League teams has been completed and, when the smoke cleared, Ocean City High School had won the Ed Byrnes Memorial All-Sports Award for 2016-17. It marked the sixth straight school year in which the Raiders have either won or shared the award, a first in the 27 years the award has been presented. It was the 15th time overall Ocean City has won or shared the award.
But Mainland Regional, which has won the award six times, was just a point behind the Raiders.
Ocean City got off to another great start in the fall with a state championship in field hockey and conference titles in boys and girls soccer and boys cross country. Among other highlights, the Raiders won South Jersey championships in girls swimming, girls basketball and golf.
Among Mainland’s highlights were a state championship in boys swimming and South Jersey titles in boys soccer and boys and girls tennis.
The all-sports award was created by Prime Events and Schoppy Inc. in 1991. It was renamed in memory of Byrnes, the longtime athletics director and football coach at Holy Spirit, after he died in February, 1996. Byrnes was president of the CAL for six years and had just won his 100th football victory three months before his death.
The system used to determine a school’s final score in the competition awards points for championships won – both CAL and NJSIAA – with bonuses for the number of different sports in which they were won. Under this system, which rewards a sports program’s versatility, a school that wins one championship in each of two different sports will get a higher score than if it won two championships in the same sport. Only sports in which the CAL crowns a champion are considered.
Among 2016-17 highlights:
- Ocean City won top honors in the American Conference for the sixth straight year and eighth time in nine years.
- Middle Township led the National Conference for the sixth time in seven years.
- Ocean City has been first or tied for first in Cape May County in 19 of the last 20 years.
- St. Augustine won Atlantic County for the eighth time in the last 14 years.
- Middle Township was tops in the Coast Big Five for the seventh straight year.
- St. Augustine had the highest score in boys sports for the 16th time in the last 19 years.
- Ocean City was first in girls sports for the seventh straight year and 18th time in the award’s 27 years.
- Middle Township has now been best in the Coast Big Five in nine of the last 10 years.
- Ocean City’s score (26) equals its all-time highest in 1999.
- Mainland’s score (25) is its highest since it set the all-time record (32) in 2003.
- Wildwood Catholic’s score (11) was its highest since 2003.
ED BYRNES MEMORIAL ALL-SPORTS RANKINGS
2016-17 OVERALL POINT LEADERS
- Ocean City 26
- Mainland 25
- St. Augustine 14
- Middle Township 13
- Egg Harbor Township 12
PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS
2015-16 Ocean City
2014-15 Ocean City
2013-14 Ocean City
2012-13 Ocean City
2011-12 Middle Township/Ocean City (tie)
2010-11 St. Augustine
2009-10 Holy Spirit
2008-09 Holy Spirit/Ocean City (tie)
2007-08 St. Augustine
2006-07 Ocean City
2005-06 Ocean City
2004-05 St. Augustine
2003-04 St. Augustine
2002-03 Mainland
2001-02 Mainland
2000-01 Ocean City/St. Augustine (tie)
1999-2000 Absegami
1998-99 Ocean City
1997-98 Ocean City/Vineland (tie)
1996-97 Mainland
1995-96 Mainland
1994-95 Ocean City
1993-94 Ocean City
1992-93 Ocean City
1991-92 Mainland
1990-91 Mainland
