The sports scene was bustling on Staten Island in 2009 -- from a group of youngsters making a magical ride to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.; to Wagner College product Andrew Bailey being named American League Rookie of the Year for his pitching efforts with the Oakland Athletics; to St. Peter's HS grad Nicky Anosike earning a spot in the WNBA All-Star Game.
And that was just for starters.
Prince's Bay resident Jason Marquis signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Washington Nationals after winning 15 games for the Colorado Rockies and earning his first MLB All-Star selection.
Moore Catholic product Kyle McAlarney capped his Notre Dame basketball career with 1,352 points before testing the professional waters. New Dorp basketball coach Tony Rafaniello retired after 28 seasons. Rafaniello, the winningest hoops coach in Island history, wasn't retired long, however, as he jumped over to Moore Catholic.
As usual, high school sports were at the core of Staten Island's athletic scene.
Curtis defeated Tottenville in an all-Island Public School Athletic League city football championship game.
McKee/Staten Island Tech won the PSAL girls' city soccer championship in the spring, then had to return quickly to defend the crown after a controversial PSAL decision to move the sport to the fall. The Sea Gulls fell in the semifinals.
Curtis won the Island's first public school boys' city basketball title, taking the Class A crown in March. Tottenville won its sixth straight city softball championship.
A group of local products kept us busy during the NCAA basketball tournament, with Missouri guard Zaire Taylor, a former Curtis HS star, leading the Tigers into the Elite Eight.
Closer to home, Wagner College welcomed ex-Moore Catholic standout Nick Doscher to its football program and the former minor-league catcher led the rejuvenated Seahawks to a 6-5 record and was named the Northeast Conference's Offensive Rookie of the Year and an All-NEC first-team quarterback.
As usual, there was no shortage of significant news in 2009. The following list of Top 10 stories was determined by Advance reporters and editors.
1) SOUTH SHORE NATIONAL MAKES LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES
The 12-year-old boys of summer who captured Staten Island's attention in 2009 was the team from South Shore National, which made it to the U.S. semifinals of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.
Behind pitchers Angelo Navetta, Vincent Quinn and Mike Rapaglia and plenty of power bats, SSN blew through the district, sectional, state and regional tournaments without a loss. After winning their opening game of pool play behind Navetta, SSN fell to Georgia, but Rapaglia's effort staved off elimination with an 8-3 win over Iowa.
In the U.S. semifinals, however, their dream season ended with a 4-1 loss to Texas,which included three double plays turned by the Texas defense, "a rarity in Little League," coach Mike Zaccariello said then.
SSN was given a rousing welcome home, including a parade, a Modell's shopping spree, dinners at many local restaurants and keys to the city issued by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
And then? They went back to school.
2) MARQUIS AND BAILEY HAVE BIG YEARS IN BIG LEAGUES
Tottenville product Jason Marquis was named to the National League All-Star team and Wagner College product Andrew Bailey landed on the American League team.
The 31-year-old Marquis compiled a 15-13 record and 4.04 earned run average in Colorado. This month, he signed with Washington after testing the free-agent waters.
There was quite a bit of speculation that the Staten Islander would find a home with either the Mets or Yankees.
"There was definite interest," Marquis said, "but no offers were made."
Bailey's rise from obscure minor-leaguer to the major-league spotlight was remarkable. The 25-year-old Voorhees, N.J., native made Oakland's roster out of spring training, then compiled a 6-3 record with 26 saves and a 1.84 ERA. He converted 21 straight save opportunities from June 17 to the end of the season.
Bailey was selected by Oakland in the sixth round of the 2006 draft after his third season at Wagner.
3) ANOSIKE MAKES WNBA ALL-STAR TEAM
Minnesota Lynx center Nicky Anosike's basketball career has been one for the Staten Island record books.
The 2003 and 2004 Jaques Award winner from St. Peter's HS added to her impressive resume by playing in the WNBA All-Star Game in July.
Anosike averaged 13.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game for Minnesota. The 6-foot-3 center led her team in five statistical categories.
Anosike had arthroscopic surgery on her right knee in the final weeks of the WNBA season. She began her pro career after starting on two NCAA championship teams at Tennessee.
4) CURTIS BEATS TOTTENVILLE IN ALL-ISLAND PSAL FOOTBALL FINAL
In the PSAL football semifinals, there were two Island teams: Curtis and Tottenville. Both were underdogs -- the Warriors to No. 1 Fort Hamilton and the Pirates to No. 2 Erasmus -- but both won, setting up an all-Island PSAL football city title game, the third ever.
And it was Curtis emerging with its fifth PSAL title this season (1998, '99, 2002, '07, '09) with a 16-10 victory over Tottenville at Midwood HS on Nov. 28.
Curtis trailed 10-8 in the fourth quarter when senior James Timmins burst through the line to block a punt, which was recovered by Tottenville in its own end zone for a game-tying safety.
Curtis had struggled all game with its offense, but the big play came from Jevon Gardner -- a backup at the start of the year who filled in incredibly for injured star Shaquan Coles in the playoffs.
Gardner's 48-yard touchdown run up the left sideline in the fourth quarter ended up making the difference.
"This team always played together," Curtis coach Peter Gambardella told the Advance after the game. "We experienced a lot of injuries and some adversity along the way, but we always stuck together."
5) HS GIRLS' SOCCER: MSIT WINS; SPORT MOVES TO FALL
McKee/Staten Island Tech sent out legendary soccer coach Tony DiMaggio with a PSAL city title in the final girls' spring soccer season.
And they did it with plenty of drama -- beating Beacon 2-1 on penalty kicks by Kristen Markoe and Melissa Ramhold after playing to a scoreless tie. MSIT goalie Jessica Cheung made one save after another to seal the title.
But DiMaggio's 21st season as Sea Gulls coach would also be the final season of girls' spring soccer, as the PSAL announced that it will move the season to the fall after a lawsuit was brought by the New York Civil Liberties Union on behalf of three of the league's players nearly 2,000 players.
With a crowded sports schedule already in the fall the PSAL had 168 total soccer forfeits around the city.
6) GIBERSON MAKES A SPLASH
As far as scholastic swimming seasons go, one would be hard pressed to accomplish more than Sara Giberson did in 2009.
The Tottenville senior dominated the PSAL Open Championships in 2009 by winning the 200 freestyle while breaking her own city record (1:50.17), and the 200 individual medley (2:06.59).
She qualified for the New York State meet in both events, broke the state record in the 200 free with an impressive 1:48.23, then won the state 200 individual medley in 2:02.11.
Giberson, a Junior Olympic qualifier, was also named the PSAL's Francine Schnarr Award winner, which goes to the most outstanding student-athlete swimmer at the Open Championships. She has announced she will attend Stanford in the fall.
7) MAVS LOSE A TEAMMATE
Moore Catholic lost a friend and teammate when junior Johnny Ray, 16, was killed in a car accident on Oct. 24, just after the Mavericks had won their homecoming game.
A talented baseball shortstop and football return man, he was remembered as an incredible athlete and "a special, special kid," by football coach Greg Rocco.
Ray was driving unlicensed on a rainy night when police and witnesses said his vehicle skidded off the road and into a utility pole.
The shining moment of his football season was on Oct. 3 when he accounted for 184 all-purpose yards, including an 80-yard kick return for a TD in a 16-14 win over Long Island Lutheran. Ray also made two catches for 62 yards, one of which was a touchdown.
Rocco called that "his best game," and remarked: "I don't know where we'd be without him this year."
Moore Catholic, which left the CHSFL to play an independent schedule this season, returned to the field two weeks later and posted an 18-6 victory, honoring their teammate before and after the game.
They finished the season undefeated.
8) CURTIS HOOPS WINS 'A' TITLE
There's always a little bit of disappointment when a PSAL basketball team doesn't win the Island division and misses the top-tier Class AA playoffs.
Curtis finished second on the Island, but got full benefit out of its spot in the Class A playoffs, becoming the first PSAL Island boys' team to win a city title in any class.
First-year coach Rich Buckheit's Warriors pounded Sheepshead Bay in the first round, then won tough games with FDR and Telecommunications.
In the semis, Curtis topped New Dorp before claiming the title and a State Federation tourney berth with 56-43 win over Westinghouse on March 22. The Warriors' balanced attack was topped by Corey McVey's 11 points, while standout center Halil Kanacevic, now at Hofstra, went for 17 rebounds, eight blocks and six assists. The Warriors lost in the Federation semis, 67-42, to Long Island Lutheran.
McKee/Staten Island Tech took the AA berth in 2009 and lost in the quarterfinals, nearly upsetting powerful JFK.
9) DOSCHER BRINGS SPARK TO SEAHAWKS
Freshman quarterback Nick Doscher's arrival at Wagner College prompted an offensive switch to a spread formation -- and the Seahawks responded with a winning record and a Northeast Conference-best 30.8 points per game.
Doscher decided to leave professional baseball after four summers in Kansas City's farm system, and he quickly changed the face of Wagner's football program.
He led the team in both passing yards (1,330) and rushing yards (769) while completing 58 percent of his passes and accounting for 21 touchdowns (13 rushing, eight passing). Doscher was named NEC Rookie of the Week five times during the regular season.
Junior special teams standout Frantz Placide and junior punter Kyle Muir also were first-team All-NEC selections.
10) BABY BOMBERS ROLL TO NY-PENN TITLE
The Staten Island Yankees rolled to their fifth New York-Penn League championship in their 11th year of existence.
The Baby Bombers rode dominating pitching to a 47-29 record, including winning streaks of 10 and 13 games, and then swept the Brooklyn Cyclones in a best-of-three semifinal series to reach the finals. They then rallied for a 5-2 road win over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in the third and deciding game of the championship series.
Adam Warren and Sean Black were the team's pitching stars, while slugger Neil Medchill blasted a franchise-record 14 home runs during the 76-game Class A season.
Ex-big league catcher Josh Paul had a successful managerial debut.
The Yankees also were a success in other areas, selling a club-record 206,000 tickets to 38 regular-season home games. The team sold out 26 of the 38 games at the 7,171-seat Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George, said club president Joe Ricciutti.
"It was a very, very strong season," said Ricciutti. "We offer great value and family entertainment."
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Advance staff writer Jim Waggoner contributed to this report