the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Saddle River NJ, the Saddle River Day girls basketball team cemented its dominance by securing its ninth consecutive Bergen County championship last Wednesday. However, their post-game celebration has sparked a heated debate over alleged damage to Fair Lawn High School’s facilities.
Celebration Gone Too Far?
According to Bergen County Women Coaches Association (BCWCA) officials, the locker room and an adjacent classroom were damaged during the team’s celebration. The reported issues included:
- Broken glass from apple-cider champagne bottles
- Warped desks and floors due to moisture buildup
- A damaged Mimio smart whiteboard
- Light fixtures drenched in cider
BCWCA President Nicole Pacciani expressed disappointment over the incident, stating:
“Schools allow us to use their facilities for free. Demonstrating a lack of respect for their property is a serious matter.”
Saddle River Day AD Responds: “Blown Out of Proportion”
Saddle River Day Athletic Director PJ Petrow dismissed claims of significant damage, asserting that the incident was exaggerated:
“While the team celebrated their ninth straight title with apple cider, two bottles broke on the classroom floor. While the coach and others were cleaning up, the tournament director insisted they leave the building.”
Petrow also revealed that he offered to return and complete the cleanup, but his offer was declined.
Tournament Officials Stay Silent
Mike Weaver, the tournament director and a Fair Lawn middle school principal, declined to comment. As a Pascack Valley Regional High School District board member and former coach, his silence has only fueled speculation.
Was There Real Damage?
Petrow stands by his claim that reports of significant damage are misleading:
“The floors and desks may have been sticky from cider, but any claim of costly damage is grossly exaggerated. It’s unfortunate that what should be a proud moment for our team has been overshadowed by this.”
Final Thoughts
While the Saddle River Day team’s achievement is historic, the fallout from their locker room celebration has led to a contentious debate. Was this a simple misunderstanding, or should the team be held accountable?
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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OK, give the school the cleaning bill then give me a damn break, all sudden fail when I was worrying about that, you kidding me have you taken a ride around Fairlawn lately? It’s disgusting. Litter all over town, especially by all the business sections the crime is out of control. Has anyone inspected parking lots throughout the town with litter from the health department are you kidding me. That town sucks. Go take a look for yourself and you will see.
Fair lawn police thought you were garbage from Paterson that’ s why they harassed you. Stop whining about it.
SRD is a nasty gang…not sure why are allowed to recruit players all over the state.
Huh’ it’s a private school. They can do whatever they like.
Why is it important to have a winning basketball team…?
Are these hoopsters on scholarship ?
No wonder the tuition is so expensive ($43K).
They didn’t bring sparkling cider to drink it. It was brought to spray over each other and make a mess and it’s not their facility. Poor choice by the coaches. Ninth consecutive championship? Act like you’ve been there before.
Have you seen the litter in the Ridgewood Ghetto lately? The vermin that move their from Park Slope still think they live in Brooklyn.
What would happen if the event was at SRD and another team celebrated in the same fashion? Would it be ok?
Yes it’s unfortunate that some kids will not learn to be accountable for their actions.
I rather live in Glenrock or Ridgewood any day of the week then Fairlawn. What’s so good about it
were they real girls?