Joe Fussner Award to honor top CAL girls basketball team annually

Beginning with the 2018-19 season, the Cape-Atlantic League girls basketball team that is ranked the highest in the Online 25 will display The Joe Fussner Award, created by Prime Events in honor of the former coach at Stockton University and Atlantic City High School.

Fussner recently retired as head women’s coach at Stockton, compiling a record of 410-282 during his 26 years. He was selected the New Jersey Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, won two NJAC championships and has been the coach during all seven of Stockton’s NCAA tournament berths.

His girls teams at ACHS were 167-18, winning two state titles, four South Jersey championships and seven CAL titles. He also worked as an assistant to Sam Botta during some of Egg Harbor Township’s championship years.

In addition, Fussner had a 145-24 record in six seasons as boys basketball coach at Atlantic City High School, including five Cape-Atlantic League championships.

His won-lost percentages in both boys and girls basketball are the best in CAL history. And his total record was 722-324 during his complete coaching career.

Fussner has been inducted into both the South Jersey Basketball Hall of Fame and the South Jersey Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

The Joe Fussner Award joins other awards created by Prime Events.

There is the Ed Byrnes Memorial Award to the overall sports champion of the CAL. The Billy Schoppy Memorial Awards to the top senior athletes in the CAL. The Boo Pergament Memorial Awards to the most improved basketball players in the league. The Tony Surace Award to the highest ranked CAL football team. The Ken Leary Memorial Award to the highest ranked CAL boys basketball teram. The Frank Campo Humanitarian Award. And the Dave Lewis Memorial MVP Award to the top performer in the Dixie Howell Boys All Star Game.

In addition there are the Slaveski-Thomas Memorial Award to the winner of the Ocean City-Pleasantville football game; the Boyd-Marczyk Memorial Award to the Atlantic City-Holy Spirit football winner; and the Joe Mohr Memorial Award to the winner of the Absegami-Oakcrest football game.