Former RFH head football coach Bryan Batchler, seen here working out with college players at Red Bank’s Count Basie Fields in June. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
Ousted Rumson-Fair Haven Regional football coach Bryan Batchler has resigned as a teacher in a secret settlement with the school, redbankgreen has learned.
In a statement issued Thursday, the school’s board of education said it had accepted Batchler’s resignation on August 9.
Former R-FH head football coach Bryan Batchler at Tuesday’s board meeting. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
Five months after former Rumson-Fair Haven Regional football coach Bryan Batchler was cleared of criminal wrongdoing over alleged inappropriate contact with a student, several dozen supporters demanded Tuesday night that he be reinstated.
Batchler, who has been on paid administrative leave from teaching for eight months and was stripped of his coaching job in February, told redbankgreen that Superintendent Pete Righi is now trying to oust him, via a tenure-revocation case, from the job he’s held since 2008. More →
Former R-FH head football coach Bryan Batchler. (Photo courtesy of Shore Sports Zone. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
Ousted Rumson-Fair Haven football coach Bryan Batchler has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing for what his attorney said were allegations of an inappropriate relationship with student.
“The evidence was insufficient to support criminal charges,”acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said in a prepared statement reported by the Asbury Park Press Wednesday. “However, we referred the matter to the New Jersey Department of Education Investigations Unit for any administrative investigation or other action within their jurisdiction to conduct.”
“Essentially, Coach Batchler was falsely accused of criminal conduct and the prosecutor’s office didn’t even find that there was probable cause to believe that any criminal conduct was committed,” Batchler’s attorney, Mitch Ansell, said in a statement.
New head football coach Jerry Schulte at Tuesday’s R-FH board of ed meeting, where his appointment was approved. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
[Correction: This post has been updated to correct an error regarding Coach Schulte’s prior jobs. ]
By JOHN T. WARD
Without so much as a murmur from the sparse audience, Rumson-Fair Haven Regional’s board of education named a new football coach Tuesday night — while remaining mum on the ouster of the last one.
Jerry Schulte, who spent the last decade running the defense for the high-achieving Bulldogs, was chosen by the board to replace Bryan Batchler, who was put on administrative leave in December for unexplained reasons and was later removed as coach.
Former Rumson-Fair Haven Regional head football coach Bryan Batchler led the team to its third straight state sectional football championship in December. (Image courtesy of Shore Sports Zone)
By JOHN T. WARD
Six weeks after he was put on leave for undisclosed reasons, Bryan Batchler is expected to be replaced as head football coach at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional, redbankgreen has learned.
Batchler, who led the Bulldogs to their third consecutive state sectional title with a win over Red Bank Regional on December 5, was placed on leave by Superintendent Pete Righi just nine days later. Righi has repeatedly declined to say what prompted the suspension or provide any details about the situation, citing the confidentiality of a personnel matter.
Now, however, the school needs to find a coach for the upcoming season, Righi said in a prepared statement Tuesday.
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional Coach Bryan Batchler celebrates with his team after they won their third straight state sectional football championship earlier this month. (Image courtesy of Shore Sports Zone)
By JOHN T. WARD
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional football coach Bryan Batchler has been placed on administrative leave from his job, redbankgreen has learned.
Batchler, who led the Bulldogs to their third consecutive state sectional title with a win over Red Bank Regional on December 5, was placed on leave by Superintendent Pete Righi on December 14, Righi confirmed Wednesday morning. Righi declined to say what prompted the suspension or provide any details about the situation.
The action “involves personnel matters and is therefore confidential,” Righi said.
Press release from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School
During the January 20 meeting of the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional Board of Education, RFH freshman Jack Velcamp was presented with the 2014 “Unsung Hero” Award from the Jersey Shore Chapter of the New Jersey Football Officials Association (NJFOA).
NJFOA Shore Chapter Member Dennis Heard presented Jack with the award, which was created in 2005 to honor football players and students who demonstrate dedication in the face of adversity. The annual honor is funded by the Manasquan Elks.
The son of Marianne and Joe Velcamp of Rumson, Jack has a form of dwarfism known as Achondroplasia that prevents him from participating in the game of football. Nonetheless, he has made positive contributions to the RFH program – first as a waterboy, and now as head of sideline operations. He also works with the RFH basketball program and Head Coach Chris Champeau.
How do you top an 11-1 season that ended with a NJSIAA Group II State Championship? After the best football campaign in school history, the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional Bulldogs are starting anew, having lost 32 players to graduation. But the roster still boasts running back Charlie Volker, who steamrolled to more than 2,100 yards and 27 TDs last year, and under Coach Bryan Batchler, the theme this year is “stay hungry.”
Rich Chrampanis’ new video-based website Shore Sports Zone pops in on a Bulldogs practice for this season preview. And stay tuned for a redbankgreen-Sports Zone collaboration starting in September. (Video courtesy of Shore Sports Zone .)
Rumson-Fair Haven High School junior Frank Delaney, manager of the school’s football team and recipient of this year’s “Unsung Hero” award from the Shore Chapter of the New Jersey Football Officials Association (NJFOA), is congratulated by RFH Superintendent Peter Righi.
Press release from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School
Over 100 Rumson-Haven Regional High School students were recently honored by the school’s Board of Education for outstanding academic achievement, as well as unprecedented athletic success.
Proud parents and other supporters were in attendance during the ceremony that took place on the evening of January 7 in the RFH auditorium, where the students were presented with certificates and praised for their hard work, both in the classroom and on the turf.
Three students attained perfect scores on Sections of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and SAT II, and four fall sports teams — football, girls’ cross country, girls’ field hockey, and girls’ soccer — attained state titles. In addition, the football team student manager received the school’s first “Unsung Hero Award” award from the Shore Chapter of the New Jersey Football Officials Association.
RFH senior Matt Sheehan achieved a milestone for RFH by receiving the school’s first perfect score of 800 on the U.S. History Sub-Section of the SAT II.
Senior Tucker Briggs attained a perfect score of 800 on the Math Section of the SAT and RFH senior Nick Hawke received a perfect score of 800 on the SAT Writing Section.
The gridiron Bulldogs of Rumson-Fair Haven captured their second sectional championship in four years, with a 14-6 victory over Weequahic High School in post-season play.
Press release from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School
In front of a packed stadium at Kean University in Union, the Rumson-Fair Haven High School football team defeated Weequahic High School with a score of 14-6 to capture the NJSIAA Group II State Championship for the second time in four years.
The RFH Bulldogs were also named the Central A Public Champions in the Shore Conference, and finished the season with an overall record of 11-1.
Former RFH head football coach Bryan Batchler, seen here working out with college players at Red Bank’s Count Basie Fields in June. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
