Somewhere Ed Byrnes is smiling.

For the first time, the award that bears the likeness and carries the name of the late Holy Spirit athletics director and Cape-Atlantic League president will be displayed at the school he loved.

Holy Spirit tied Ocean City for the 19th annual Ed Byrnes Memorial All-Sports Award as the CAL all-sports champion. It was the third time the award has been shared by two teams. And St. Augustine Prep, which had won three of the previous five years, finished a close third.

The all-sports award was created by Prime Events and William Schoppy Inc. in 1991. It was renamed in memory of Byrnes, the longtime athletics director and football coach at Holy Spirit, after he died in February, 1996. Byrnes was president of the CAL for six years and had just won his 100th football victory three months before his death.

The system used to determine a school’s final score in the competition awards points for championships won – both CAL and NJSIAA – with bonuses for the number of different sports in which they were won. Under this system, which rewards a sports program’s versatility, a school that wins one championship in each of two different sports will get a higher score than if it won two championships in the same sport.

During 2008-09, Holy Spirit won South Jersey titles in boys swimming, girls cross country, girls tennis and girls swimming. The Spartans were the overall CAL champions in boys basketball. Other HSHS sports to produce championships included baseball, field hockey and girls basketball.

Ocean City was South Jersey champion in boys cross country, field hockey and girls basketball. Other teams from OCHS to win championships were boys soccer, boys tennis, girls soccer, girls tennis and girls lacrosse.

Among 2008-09 highlights:
* Holy Spirit ended St. Augustine Prep’s streak of being the best in the National Conference for 10 straight years.
* Egg Harbor Township was the top school in Division One of the American Conference for the first time in the 19 years.
* Nobody but Ocean City or Mainland has been best in Division Two of the American Conference. The Mustangs were best 11 times, Ocean City has been best eight times.
* Sacred Heart was tops in Division Two of the National Conference for a third straight year.
* Ocean City has been first (or tied for first) in Cape May County for 12 straight years.
* Middle Township, repeat winner among Coast Big Five schools, has now been best in that group eight times, one less than Wildwood Catholic.
* Holy Spirit and Cape May Tech both had their highest scores ever.
* Ocean City was first in fall sports for the sixth straight year and 11th time in 12 years.

Complete lists of The Ed Byrnes Award winners throughout the years are available online through Cape-AtlanticLeague.com.


ED BYRNES MEMORIAL ALL-SPORTS RANKINGS

2008-09 OVERALL POINT LEADERS

1. Holy Spirit (tie)		24
1. Ocean City (tie)		24
3. St. Augustine		22
4. Egg Harbor Township	        14
5. Sacred Heart			11


PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS
2007-08	St. Augustine
2006-07	Ocean City
2005-06	Ocean City
2004-05	St. Augustine
2003-04	St. Augustine
2002-03	Mainland
2001-02	Mainland
2000-01	Ocean City/St. Augustine (tie)
1999-2000 Absegami
1998-99	Ocean City
1997-98	Ocean City/Vineland (tie)
1996-97	Mainland
1995-96	Mainland
1994-95	Ocean City
1993-94	Ocean City
1992-93	Ocean City
1991-92	Mainland
1990-91	Mainland


OTHER 2008-09 LEADERS
American Conference	Ocean City
National Conference	Holy Spirit
American One		Egg Harbor Township
American Two		Ocean City
National One		Holy Spirit
National Two		Sacred Heart
Atlantic County		Holy Spirit
Cape May County	        Ocean City
Cumberland County	Sacred Heart
Coast Big Five		Middle Township
Boys Sports		St. Augustine Prep
Girls Sports		Ocean City
fall Sports		Ocean City
Winter Sports		Holy Spirit
Spring Sports		St. Augustine