This is a story of a team that hit the high note, a community that rallied around them, and a coach who went the extra mile — literally.
The Lyndhurst High School football team won their first New Jersey State Sectional Championship since 1983. Their coach, Rich Tuero, wanted to do something special for the group.
So he enlisted the help of the people in the small Bergen County township and raised over $20,000 to get championship rings for the team. When the rings came in, Tuero was looking forward to presenting them to the players, coaches and administrators of the Golden Bears at some type of banquet or other event.
However, like almost everything else over the past month, the coronavirus pandemic altered his plans.
Coach Tuero then came up with a brilliant idea. On Sunday, he drove to 88 different homes to hand-deliver the rings, all while adhering to social distancing guidelines along the way (even as some players tried to hug him and say thanks). He completed the task in eight hours.
"Delivering the rings on Sunday was one of the greatest experiences I've ever had as a football coach, as a human being in general," Tuero said. "Seeing these kids, the emotions, the parents, the families, the reactions. Knowing that they were happy and hearing all the positive feedback was just one of the greatest experiences of my life."
