Parsippany High Winter Sports Season Recap

With the winter sports season over, it's time to take a look at a few of Parsippany High School's most impressive teams of 2010-11:

Girls Basketball: The Parsippany girls and head coach Mark Gnapp came into the season with high expectations, returning all but one player from its 2009-10 roster.

At the end of the year, the Gnapp-guided Red Hawks answered the call, finishing the year with a 15-8 record, while also making an impressive run to the semifinals of the North 2, Group II tournament.

Parsippany, which averaged 46 points per game this season, stopped Lincoln High and Rutherford High in the first two rounds of the sectional tournament before , 58-53.

Outstanding Competitors: The Lady Red Hawks saw three players surpass the 200-point mark this season as seniors Kayla Picinich and Kelsey Principe, along with sophomore Ashley Burroughs led Parsippany in scoring.

Wrestling: The members of the Parsippany wrestling team knew they had their work cut out for them this season after graduating a number of quality competitors from a successful 2009-10 campaign. But even with the flux, the Red Hawks saw themselves in contention for an Independence Division title on the regular season’s last day.

With head coach Fred Piotrowsky leading the troops, Parsippany fought to an 8-15 record, as the Red Hawks dropped a  on the final day of the regular season, just narrowly missing a chance for a division title.

Outstanding Competitor: 189-pounder Patrick Fales finished his senior campaign compiling an impressive 26-10 record, including a trip to the Region 3 Tournament.

In the regions, Fales rebounded from a quarterfinal-round loss to Roselle Park’s Connor Gabriel by stopping Westfield’s Kieran Cline with a second period pin in the consolation quarterfinals, before falling to Elizabeth’s Maurice McCullers, 8-5, ending his season.

Boys Basketball: Heading into the season, first-year head coach Daryl Palmieri knew the Parsippany boys were going to need a little time to feel comfortable in their new scheme.

And after a tough start that saw Parsippany win only two of its first nine games, the Red Hawks—who averaged just under 49 points per game this year—began to produce as they finished the year with a 10-win season, including a six-game winning streak to close out the regular season.

Parsippany, however, saw its season end in the first round of the North 2, Group II tournament, falling to Newark Central, 75-35.

Outstanding Competitors:  Seniors Mike Ross and Mustafa Haruna led Parsippany in scoring this season, each averaging 12 points per game.

Ross also led the Red Hawks in assists per game (3) and steals per game (2), while averaging 5.1 rebounds per game.