Snow Bowl X11
In their honor
PBA Locals play with their hearts on their sleeves at Snow Bowl XII
Toms River Local 137 team captain Frank Moschella leads his team to a second-place victory in the Law Enforcement B Division of Snow Bowl XII .
n BY AMBER RAMUNDO n PHOTOS BY ED CARATTINI JR .
The sun beamed across MetLife Stadium , casting shadows of game-time action across the turf . Each NJ State PBA Local at the Snow Bowl played with a certain sense of urgency . Some were there for the love of the game . Others were there for a recreational break from the daily beat . Many were there to win . And they were all there to support Special Olympics New Jersey ( SONJ ).
For Toms River Local 137 , it was all of the above . As the 11 team members stormed the field for the fourth consecutive year , they carried unmistakable team chemistry and a competitive spark . After years of making it to the playoffs , they hoped that this time they ’ d go all the way to the championship game .
“ We ’ re all out here for fun but , of course , everyone wants to win ,” confirmed Local 137 team captain Frank Moschella . “ We ’ re enjoying how that youth comes out of being a kid and wanting to play the game as best you can .”
Local 137 members apply a winning mindset to every competition that they participate in , including the SONJ Plane Pull , where the Local placed first pulling a 93,000-pound plane 12 feet across the runway at Newark Liberty Airport in September .
But behind this team ’ s competitive execution , there is always a cause driving their efforts . At the Snow Bowl , Local 137 ’ s motivation to play their hearts out could be seen by the honor that the players wore on their sleeves .
“ Here we have # 289 in regard to one of our sergeants who recently retired because of his battle with cancer . He was one of the original guys who played on the team ,” Moschella explained as he pointed to his right shoulder , where Local 137 ’ s beloved teammate Tim Sysol ’ s badge number was printed . After Sysol ’ s sickness forced his retirement from the job and the Snow Bowl , the team decided it was important to play for and with him , regardless of his absence on the field .
The left shoulder of the Local 137 gray jerseys showed another honor band that reminded each member of who they were playing for and why they worked so hard . That was for Local 137 member Brett Hansen , who was 28 years old when he passed away on Sept . 29 due to injuries sustained in an off-duty motor vehicle accident .
Hansen was a faithful Giants fan and probably would have reveled at the chance to play at MetLife . So as Local 137 progressed through the tournament and into the playoffs , players carried their brother ’ s spirit through the stadium with Giants ’ players , including long-snapper Zak DeOssie , tight end Rhett Ellison and linebacker B . J . Goodson , looking on from the sidelines .
“ Even though we ’ re a large agency , any loss or anybody who
58 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ APRIL 2018