Long-running Wildwood Catholic alumni soccer game takes on new meaning as tribute to former longtime iconic coach

Posted: November 30th 2025

The Wildwood Catholic alumni soccer game has been renamed as a tribute to former head coach Gerry MacFarlane.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

Andy Weis was watching a Syracuse University football game airing on the television at the Anglesea Pub in North Wildwood with a handful of Wildwood Catholic High School graduates after the small group of them played in the first Crusader Alumni Soccer Game on Thanksgiving weekend in 1998.

Sitting on a wobbly barstool, Weis grew frustrated with his seat and kicked the bottom of it. The brass portion of the stool’s footrest broke off.

Little did Weis know he began a tradition that stands to this day.

That brass piece of a broken barstool became an enduring symbol of the alumni game, eventually turning into “The Scottish Boot” trophy awarded to the Most Valuable Player of each year’s contest.

For this year’s alumni game, however, the makeshift nearly 30-year-old trophy took a backseat to more poignant and meaningful business as the event was officially renamed as the Gerald MacFarlane Memorial Alumni Soccer Game in memory of the former Crusader coach and Scotland native who passed away earlier this year at age 87.

“It’s the least we could do,” said Weiss, a 1987 graduate of Wildwood Catholic who now resides in Somers Point. “Gerry brought us all together, so we always want to honor him and the tradition at Wildwood Catholic. … It’s unbelievable how lucky we were to have him.”

Andy Weis holds the "Scottish Boot" trophy, annually given to the MVP of the alumni game. The trophy was created partly with a piece of a broken barstool.

MacFarlane was the driving force in establishing a successful soccer program at Wildwood Catholic. He coached the school’s initial club program for three seasons in the late 1970s, then returned to lead the varsity program from 1985 through 2002. He registered a career record of 230-82-41 and led the Crusaders to 10 division or conference titles within the Cape-Atlantic League, including the overall championship in 1996. He also guided Wildwood Catholic to eight South Jersey title games, winning four (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998), and to the program’s lone state championship in 1998.

“He completely transformed the program,” said Charlie Vogdes, a 1986 graduate of Wildwood Catholic who helped organize this year’s alumni game. “Before he came, soccer was kind of something to do to get a varsity letter. But then when he got here, you started seeing some good travel players come to Wildwood Catholic. In his first year full-time coaching, we won the CAL (National Conference), back when it was only two conferences and we beat some really good teams. That was all Gerry. He transformed the program.”cFarlane was the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1997 and was later inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame in 2000. He also entered the South Jersey Coaches Hall of Fame in 2003 and was inducted into the inaugural class of the Wildwood Catholic Academy Hall of Fame last year.

“Gerry’s impact will last forever,” Weis said. “He founded soccer at Wildwood Catholic, basically. It was there, but once he came in he just made such an impact. The whole county, really, should give credit to Gerry for what he did for soccer in this area. Yeah, there were a lot of other guys, but Gerry was a driving force behind developing soccer in Cape May County.”

That first alumni game in 1998 was organized by Weis, Vogdes and Vogdes’ younger brother, Brad. It drew just eight players, one of whom – MacFarlane’s son, Kevin – was actually a graduate of Middle Township. But the contest eventually morphed into an event that has included as many as more than 30 former Crusader players coming together on the Saturday after Thanksgiving for a friendly game, terrific camaraderie and what has developed into what is usually a legendary after party at a local watering hole. The game has been held every year since its inception, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Well, nobody wants to get hurt, so we had no problem staying six feet away from one another,” former Wildwood Catholic player and later coach Jim Lushok joked about the 2020 alumni game.

For years, MacFarlane never missed an alumni game. He’d bring his guitar to the after party and lead his former players and the younger alumni of the program in singalongs of familiar songs while sipping Drambuie, his adult beverage of choice.

GERRY MACFARLANE

“The alumni game was always more about (MacFarlane) and more about everyone getting together after the game than it was actually playing in it,” said Charlie Vogdes. “It’s always been a family with Wildwood Catholic soccer. We’re all disciples of Gerry.”

Close to 20 former Wildwood Catholic players turned out for this year’s alumni game, which is played at the school’s usual home soccer field at 80th Street in Stone Harbor. Since MacFarlane’s coaching tenure ended in 2002, most of the participating players in recent alumni games did not get to experience his tutelage as a head coach. But MacFarlane still had a massive impact on many of the young men who played at Wildwood Catholic long after his coaching tenure ended.

“He was always at every home game,” Charlie Vogdes said, “and he’d always talk to the boys, giving them a little advice to take with them after the games.”

The younger players are well aware of MacFarlane’s influence on the program.

“Everything we ever did in the program was in his honor,” said 2017 Wildwood Catholic graduate Anthony Zampirri, a former standout goalkeeper for the Crusaders. “The culture has so much tradition. Every single one of us played for our school and for the community. This (alumni game) was always like (a tribute to MacFarlane) but now to have it in his name means a lot. He’s always on our minds.”

Wildwood Catholic’s succession of coaches has also been influenced by MacFarlane. His longtime assistant, George Salvesen, took over after MacFarlane’s retirement. Later, former MacFarlane players Mike Saioni and Lushok became head coaches. Current Wildwood Catholic coach Tommy Bolle, who played under Saioni, was present at Saturday’s game.

“It all goes back to Gerry,” Weis said. “Whoever coaches here will always be in his shadow. Gerry made it hit home that we were all like brothers. We had each other’s backs on the field and off the field. It’s still like that.”

This year’s after party was held at the Icona Resort located a block away from the field. The participants were joined by other Wildwood Catholic graduates, their spouses, other family members and many friends of the school and the program. Members of the MacFarlane family were also on hand.

Weis and the Vogdes brothers were the only Wildwood Catholic graduates who participated in Saturday’s game to have played under MacFarlane. Lushok served as the referee. At some point, the alumni game will be left to a younger generation.

“Things happen, people grow up, they move away, they have their own kids playing in soccer tournaments this weekend, so it’s harder for the older guys to get here,” Charlie Vogdes said. “But it’s good to see this game get a youth movement going now. Hopefully, one of these younger guys takes control of it instead of us old guys organizing it.”

But no matter who takes over the organization of the Gerald MacFarlane Memorial Alumni Soccer Game, there’s no doubt it will always be held as a tribute to the former iconic coach and man.

Close to 20 former Wildwood Catholic soccer players participated in this year's alumni game, which has been held annually since 1998. The contest was officially renamed as the Gerald MacFarlane Memorial Alumni Soccer Game after the former successful coach's death earlier this year.