Led by recently retired head coaches Bill Fisher and Frank Riggitano, the West Jersey Football Coaches Association is bringing back the South Jersey Football Coaches Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
For the first time since 2018, five individuals will be recognized for their contributions to South Jersey high school football. The ceremony is scheduled to take place on Thursday, August, 29 during halftime of the IMG Academy-Bergen Catholic showdown in Ocean City at the annual Battle at the Beach.
The Class of 2024 consists of two head coaches, an assistant, a media member and a distinguished service inductee.
“It was an idea by a lot of former coaches and people in the Adam Taliaferro Foundation to bring it back, and it’s good to bring it back for South Jersey football,” WJFCA president John Emel said. “South Jersey football has lost a few things in recent years, so we felt this was something that we were able to bring back. It’s special to the former inductees, too. To do this as part of the Battle at the Beach, which was something we started to promote South Jersey high school football, makes a lot of sense.”
Members of the Class of 2024 include:
Head coach inductee: Bill Fisher; Triton, Seneca
A head coach for 23 seasons after serving as an assistant at Deptford, Southern, Triton and Delsea, Bill Fisher spent two years as the head coach at Triton before leaving to become the first coach in Seneca history. He stepped down following the 2023 season, posting a 121-117 overall career record. In 21 seasons at Seneca, Fisher went 98-110. The Golden Eagles made 10 NJSIAA postseason appearances and won five division championships. They reached the South Jersey Group 3 final in 2022 and 2023, finishing 10-2 overall each season. Fisher is a Deptford High School graduate.
Head coach inductee: Frank Riggitano, Middle Township
The head coach at Middle Township for 22 seasons, Frank Riggitano stepped down following the 2023 season. The winningest coach in program history, Riggitano had two stints at Middle Township and posted a 111-110 career record. He directed the Panthers to their first-ever NJSIAA postseason appearance in 1994, one of seven during his tenure. During his 36-year career, Riggitano also served as the school’s athletic director for 12 years and six years as principal. Riggitano is a Lower Cape May High School graduate.
Assistant coach inductee: Pat Gallagher, Williamstown
A Williamstown High School graduate, Pat Gallagher returned to his alma mater as a coach in 1999. He would take over as the program’s offensive coordinator in 2005 under longtime coach Frank Fucetola and held that position until serving as the Braves’ interim head coach in 2020. During his tenure as the coordinator, Williamstown went 124-38 overall. The Braves went 12-0 and won the South Jersey Group 5 title in 2012, while playing in back-to-back regional championships in 2018 and 2019.
Media inductee: Phil Anastasia
Currently an adjunct professor in the journalism department at Rowan University, Phil Anastasia spent 41 years as a journalist in the South Jersey/Philadelphia region before retiring in 2021. Anastasia was a beat writer for the Philadelphia Eagles, college reporter, columnist and sports editor at the Courier-Post from 1980-2008. He spent the remaining years of his career as a columnist and high school reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Anastasia won more than 50 sports-writing awards, including eight first-place honors from the New Jersey Press Association. A Gloucester Catholic High School graduate, Anastasia spent time in the professional arena but his true love and passion was covering high school sports.
Distinguished Service inductee: Rich Sharpnack Jr.
A Pitman High School graduate, Rich Sharpnack was a three-sport athlete. He would go on to become a physician’s assistant for a host of Philadelphia’s professional sports teams - including the Eagles - as well as 42 high schools in the Philadelphia and South Jersey areas. Sharpnack was the longtime president of the Touchdown Club of Southern New Jersey, serving in that role from 2006-2022. During his tenure as president, the club grew from 16 schools to over 90 and it was able to honor student-athletes for their accomplishments on and off the field.
“A lot of people we consulted about the induction of this year’s class. There were certainly a lot of deserving candidates,” Emel noted. “What stands out to me is that all five of these individuals have retired since the last class was inducted and their contributions are certainly Hall of Fame worthy. In addition to the other inductees, we felt adding an assistant coach and a member of the media was important in bringing this back.”
Tickets for the three-day Battle at the Beach can be purchased online at www.gofan.co. Search for Battle at the Beach with the WJFCA logo.
The N.J. High School Sports newsletter now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now and be among the first to get all the boys and girls sports you care about, straight to your inbox each weekday. To add your name, click here.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.
Kevin Minnick covers South Jersey football. He can be reached at kminnick@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kminnicksports