🥎 GLOUCESTER HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL — 2026 SEASON RECAP

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (CNBNews)(June 4, 2026)–The Gloucester High School softball team continued its tradition of competitiveness in 2026, delivering a season marked by strong pitching, timely hitting, and the kind of team chemistry that has long defined the Lady Lions program.

Senior pitcher Mackenzie “Mac” Turner was the heart and soul of the team. A four‑year varsity starter, Turner finished her career with one of her strongest seasons yet, posting a sub‑3.00 ERA and striking out more than 120 batters. Her leadership in the circle kept Gloucester in nearly every game, and her presence will be missed next spring.

Offensively, the Lions were powered by junior catcher Riley Thompson, who led the team in batting average, RBIs, and extra‑base hits. Thompson’s ability to control the running game behind the plate made her one of the most valuable two‑way players in the conference.

Sophomore infielder Emma Russo emerged as one of the team’s breakout stars, hitting over .350 and playing stellar defense at second base. Freshman outfielder Kayla Jennings also made an immediate impact with her speed and fearless approach at the plate.

The highlight of the season came in a dramatic walk‑off win against a top‑ranked opponent, when Thompson ripped a double into the left‑center gap to score Russo from first. It was the kind of moment that showed the Lions’ resilience and competitive spirit.

With Thompson, Russo, Jennings, and several key underclassmen returning, Gloucester High softball enters 2027 with momentum — and the expectation that they’ll be right back in the hunt for a conference title.

According to Max Sports, Gloucester High couldn’t carry there season success into the playoff game against the Barnegat Bengals. They fell just short of the Bengals , 2-1. The Lions’ defeat on June 4 signaled the end of their 13-game winning streak.

Their overall record for the season was 21-3; 10-0 in Colonial-Liberty

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CNBNEWS MEMORIES: The Original Gloucester City Breakfast Club

William E. Cleary Sr. | Cleary’s Notebook News

THE ORGANIZERS OF THE BREAKFAST CLUB: In 2006, Charlie Pitzo had an idea about getting together once a month with his friends for breakfast at a local restaurant in Gloucester City. The 16 gentlemen above were invited to the first meeting held at the former Jim’s Pizzeria Restaurant, Broadway and Mercer Streets, Gloucester City, to discuss the idea. Charlie’s idea took off, and over the next couple of years, the group grew. At one meeting, they had over 40 people in attendance.

First row: from left to right, Skip Grandizio, Charlie Tourtual, Jack Perscheitti, Howard “Butch” Shaffer, Charlie Pitzo, George Cleary Jr.

Second row: Lonnie Letgus, Ron Raube, Harry Walker, Sam Chew, Harry Blymer.

Back row: Bill Cleary Sr., Ron Raube, Joe Miller, Joe “JukeBox” DiGiacomo, Al DiGiacomo, Stu Rechard.

All of the men were born and raised in either Gloucester City or Brooklawn. The majority graduated from Gloucester High and the others from Gloucester Catholic.

Out of those 16 men, we know for sure that the following have moved on to Gabriel’s Cafe in the sky. They include: Grandizio, Tourtual, Pitzo, George Cleary, Raube, Miller, Walker, Chew, Blymer, Joe and Al DiGiacomo.

Even though Vincie Boy had passed some time ago we could still feel his spirit walking among us that day.

Community Activist Bruce Darrow Charged With Alleged Theft of over $6,000

William E. Cleary Sr. | Cleary’s Notebook News

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (MAY 20, 2026)(CNBNews)—The Gloucester City Police Department has charged longtime community activist Bruce Darrow of Brooklawn with the alleged theft of over $6,000 from the Carmen Paliero Basketball League. According to the press release, Darrow supposedly took the money between September 2016 and March 2026 during the time he was serving as president of the organization. The charge was placed on a summons pending a Central Judicial Processing Court Hearing.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN DURING CENTRAL JUDICIAL PROCESSING?

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John “Rocky” Gianvito, One of Rutgers ‘ Greatest Baseball Players; formerly of Brooklawn

John Gianvito, age 86, passed away on May 1, surrounded by his family at home. He was born on October 24, 1939 in Punxsutawney, PA, and later moved with his family to West Philadelphia, before settling in Brooklawn, NJ. He proudly served his country in the United States military, demonstrating a lifelong commitment to duty and service. Following his military service, he built a long and successful career in administration with the Haddon Township School District,

A graduate of Gloucester High School, he attended Rutgers University–Camden and was later inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame, an honor that reflected his talent, dedication, and athletic achievement.

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Joan Gianvito, of Medford, formerly of Brooklawn

CNBNEWS DIGITAL ARCHIVES:

(CNBNews)(May 4, 2026)–Joan G. Gianvito (nee Lane) passed away peacefully on Monday, January 10, 2022. Born at Cooper Hospital to John A. and Grace M. Lane, Joan was 79 years old. She was a resident of Medford for the past 47 years and a former resident of Brooklawn, NJ

Beloved wife of 58 years to John R. Gianvito. Loving mother of Todd (Nicole) Gianvito, Lori Coffey and Brian (Donna) Gianvito. Cherished grandmother of Nolan Coffey, Ty Gianvito, Brynn Coffey, Ryan Gianvito, Austin Gianvito and Addison Gianvito.

Joan enjoyed trips to the beach, traveling the country and the world with her husband John, spending time with friends, especially spending time with her grandchildren and of course Johnny Mathis.

A gathering of family and friends will be held this Friday, January 14, 2022, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Givnish of Marlton Funeral Home, 398 East Main St., Marlton.
Her funeral service will follow at 1:00 p.m.

Entombment was at Park View Cemetery at Kirby’s Mill, 25 Fostertown Rd., Medford.

Memorial donations may be made to: The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America

To share your fondest memories of Joan, please visit www.givnish.com.

Remembering Al Carelli: A GCHS Alumnus Lost in the 1970 Marshall University Plane Crash

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (April 25, 2026)(CNBNews)—In 2007, Gus Danks—Gloucester Catholic Class of 1963 and a classmate of mine—reached out to tell me about a film he had just seen, We Are Marshall. The movie recounts the devastating 1970 plane crash that claimed the lives of 75 people connected to the Marshall University football program. Among those lost was Al Carelli, (photo) Gloucester Catholic Class of 1961.

According to Wikipedia, We Are Marshall (2006), directed by McG, dramatizes the aftermath of the crash of Southern Airways Flight 932, which killed 37 Marshall football players, five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters, and the five‑member flight crew.

On the night of November 14, 1970, the chartered DC‑9 was returning the team to Huntington, West Virginia, after a 17–14 loss to East Carolina University. Just one mile short of the Tri-State Airport runway, the aircraft clipped trees on a ridge and crashed into a gully, killing everyone on board.

A South Jersey Native on the Rise

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Gloucester City Little League to Induct Inagural Wall of Fame Class April 24

William E. Cleary Sr. | Cleary’s Notebook News

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ(CNBNews)(April 23, 2026)–The Gloucester City Little League (GCLL) will celebrate a major milestone on Friday, April 24, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., when it inducts the inaugural class into its newly created Wall of Fame. The ceremony will take place at the Johnson Boulevard and Nicholson Road complex and will honor five longtime contributors whose dedication shaped the league and the community it serves.

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TIPS AND SNIPPETS: Growing Up In Gcity, Cleanup of Junk Yard? Train Blocks Traffic

By William E. Cleary Sr.

REMEMBERING THE “GOOD OLD DAYS” — Howard “Butch” Shaffer rolled up from Hilton Head, South Carolina, to meet a few of his childhood buddies at the Brooklawn Diner on Thursday, April 2. For a moment, it felt like Gloucester City in the 1940s and ’50s all over again — a town where everyone knew your name, your father’s nickname, and which streetlight you were supposed to be home by.

Back then, our little community ran on corner stores, church bells, and the kind of front‑porch gossip that traveled faster than any newspaper. World War II was winding down, the Korean War was starting up on the other side of the world, and kids like us were more worried about stickball games, jukebox music, and whether we had enough change for a Coke.

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Gloucester Catholic Yearbooks Added to Historical Society Archive

By William E. Cleary Sr.

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (March 25, 2026)(CNBNews)–Doing research we found a treasurer trove of Gloucester Catholic yearbooks posted on the Gloucester City Historical Society’s website. The first known yearbook begins with 1936. The Historical Society has every yearbook except 1937, 1938 & 1943. The Gloucester City Library may have those which the Historical Society does not have.

(photo property of George F. Cleary Jr., 1959 GCHS graduate)

The very first person in the front row is my brother George F. Cleary Jr., next to him is Vernon “Buddy” Myers. The photo is of members of the typing class that graduated in 1959, which was copied from George’s personal yearbook. Our mother, Mazie, insisted that George and I learn how to type. Those lessons paid off throughout my life, as it was a necessary skill for a reporter. George became a Morse code expert in the Army. He was stationed in Frankfort, Germany, during the time the Berlin Wall was being built by the Communists in East Germany. He and the pilot of a small airplane would fly over the Wall; George’s job was to decipher the Morse code messages being transmitted between the enemy. He would type those conversations and submit the information to his superior officer.

The Historical Society released the following remarks about the use of the data: “Below are links to yearbooks that have been digitized to date. The copyright status of these books is unknown. Access is provided for personal use only. These yearbooks may contain personal messages. Should you find anything that may be too personal or hurtful, please let us know, and we will attempt to edit out or omit those pages.

Click Here for Gloucester Catholic Year Books Online

Gloucester Catholic Years Books Flipbook

PDF versions of the Gloucester Catholic Yearbooks can be found below.

https://drive.google.com/embeddedfolderview?id=1B68uIO3FEq-klo9MLbHeRY0DpdzCBLG6#grid

The Gloucester City Historical Society is located at 34 N. King Street, Gloucester City NJ 08030

John W. Dobleman, One of the Founders of the Gloucester City Cyclone Girls Softball Team

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNewsnet

(Gloucester City, NJ)(October 11, 2025)(CNBNews)--John W. Dobleman (photo) died suddenly on October 8, 2015, at the age of 48. A lifelong resident of Gloucester City, NJ, “Square Head”, as he was known, was one of the founders of the Gloucester Cyclones, a traveling softball team for young girls. Asked how he got his nickname, his older brother Ziggy said, “When I first saw him, after he was born, all I could see was his head sticking out of the blanket. I said he had a ‘Square Head’. The nickname stayed with him for the rest of his life.”

A graduate of Gloucester City High School, Class of ’85, John was an outstanding softball player and played for several men’s teams in the area when he was younger.