GRUBHUB CEO, 1997 BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM INDUCTED INTO NBTHS HALL OF FAME

by: Colin Davis

Original article link:  https://www.northbrunswickraid...

Hard work pays off, dreams come true, the bad times don’t last forever, but the North Brunswick Raiders do.” That’s what John Cipot said in his NBTHS Hall of Fame speech today in the auditorium in front of his fellow inductees and current students. Cipot was only one of a handful of inductees into the NBTHS Hall of Fame on Friday as the entire 1997 GMC title-winning basketball team was inducted. Among the names were Steve Senior, the Assistant General Manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Raheem Byrom, a current coach at NBTHS, Ed Breheney, the current Head Coach of the Boys Varsity team, Mark Zielinski, an assistant principal here and the Head Coach of the Girls Basketball team, and Manchester United, Everton, and USMNT legend, Tim Howard.

That legendary squad wasn’t the only individuals who were honored on Friday. Adam DeWitt, Chuck Gaspari, and Stan Williston all got a chance to hold the spotlight, and their contribution to society and NBTHS can’t be understated.

Adam DeWitt, the current CEO of GrubHub, attended NBTHS and graduated as the valedictorian for the Class of 1990. He was a part of the National Honor Society, a 4-year member of the Varsity Tennis, and captained them in his Senior year. He eventually graduated from Dartmouth 4 years later and rose to CEO position in 2011.

Chuck Gaspari is the founder, president, and CEO of G&G Sports Entertainment Group Inc., a firm that provides business development and consulting services to sports and entertainment industry professionals. Before founding G&G, he consulted then VP George H.W. Bush as he coordinated logistics, protocol, and security for Bush’s foreign and domestic events. When he was a student at NBTHS, Gaspari was a part of the National Honor Society, student government, and Model UN. He also was a student-athlete for NBTHS, playing on the football, track, basketball, and baseball teams.

Stan Williston was hired in 1974 to both teach and coach soccer and nailed down the position for 33 years. Those 33 brought NBTHS 32 winning seasons in a row, a record that still stands today in GMC play. His tenure at NBTHS included roles as educator, coach, winter and spring athletic sports manager, and dean of students. The rebuilt soccer field at the school was named in honor of his achievements and the personal care that he brought to our school.

Ed Breheney described the run that the 1997 Boys Basketball squad made back in the day as “the work of the good lord” and thanked that same lord for putting those players in his gym that year. One of his main scouting criteria is a student’s ability to play multiple sports. That still holds true to this day, and it played a big part in his team in ‘97. His two captains, Cipot and Howard, were both dual-sport athletes. Cipot played Football and Basketball, while Howard played basketball and wait for it… soccer. Even the current team today features many players that double or even triple up in their athletic duties.

Raheem Byrom spoke extensively about how North Brunswick’s system provides so much for everyone, not just athletes. Byrom started his basketball career in New Brunswick, but early on, he knew he needed a change. He made that change in 1997 and joined the NBTHS basketball team. He described himself as someone who didn’t know anyone at the beginning of the season and ended the season as someone with another family. He credited it to the power of “PMA, Positive Mental Attitude.” That attitude helped bring the town a title and Byrom a family that he calls his home now.

Tim Howard is a man who needs no introduction. The greatest Goalkeeper in USMNT history, one of if not the most famous graduates of NBTHS, but most importantly, to the school, at least a fantastic captain for the 1997 basketball team. Basketball is something that Howard has always viewed as his “first love.” He said, “Even when I was at my highs in Soccer or anywhere in my career, Basketball was always my first love, and it’ll always hold a special place in my heart along with the family here that I made in this building.” Howard noted how the school has changed a lot over the past 25 years, but one thing that hasn’t changed is his “love for the town of North Brunswick.” “It’s almost as if time stood still. Obviously, the building is different, but the feeling is still the same, and it feels great to be back.”

Congratulations to all of our inductees, and we at NBTHS can’t wait for the next round of inductions.