NJ High School Athlete of the Week [10/7]

NJ high school sports have returned!

NJ101.5 is doing something very special this year to honor those special athletes who excel in any given week in their respective sport. And YOU help determine the weekly winner! It’s time to cast your vote for this week’s NJ101.5 High School Athlete of the Week.

Credit - iStock - 92267491[/caption]Here’s how it the voting works: Each week, we have a new group of NJ student-athletes who have shined for their respective teams. You can cast your vote for your favorite athlete. Voting ends on Friday at NOON. Find out the winner when they are announced on NJ1015.com at 2pm. Each weekly winner will get a plaque and at the end of the school year we’ll honor all our winners with a very special awards banquet.

Here are this week’s athletes:

Football - Jonathan Hillman, Sr., RB, St. Peter’s Prep

The Rutgers recruit had 192 yards rushing on 24 carries and also had a 60-yard touchdown catch with 1:53 left in the fourth quarter for the game-winning score as St. Peter’s Prep knocked off Bergen Catholic 25-18 in a showdown of non-public powers.

Football – Justin Iaione, Jr., RB, Warren Hills

Iaione erupted for a school-record 331 yards rushing and five touchdowns, including 237 yards rushing in the first half, to lead Warren Hills to a 41-35 shootout win over Hillside.

Girls Cross Country – Briana Gess, Fr., Haddonfield

In her first major high school competitions, Gess won the Championship Division race at the prestigious Shore Coaches Invitational at Holmdel Park in a time of 18:36, 11 seconds better than the second-place finisher. Haddonfield also took second as a team in the Championship Division.

Girls Soccer - Daria Ortega, Soph., F, Fair Lawn

Ortega’s golden goal in overtime gave Fair Lawn a 3-2 comeback win over New Milford in the Bergen County Tournament first round for Fair Lawn’s first BCT win in recent memory in their first appearance in the tournament since 2009.

Field Hockey - Izzy Mendez, Soph., F, Montclair Kimberley

Mendez’s goal with 2:51 left in overtime sent Montclair Kimberley to a 2-1 win over Montclair in a match-up of two of the top 20 teams in the state. The goal also put Montclair Kimberley into the championship game of the Essex County Tournament for the first time since 2009. Mendez was a soccer player until deciding to come out for the field hockey team for the first time this year.