Darren Cooper

Sports Columnist at The Record (Bergen County)

Articles

One of Bergen County's top softball aces also controls the pitch as a drum major

1 week ago | northjersey.com | Darren Cooper

Not everyone can say they’ve played Disney World and played at Disney World. But such is the claim of Paramus senior softball pitcher Miranda Rivera, perhaps North Jersey’s lone drum major/trombone player and pitching ace. The 17-year old has stepped down Main Street USA with the Spartan Marching Band and a few hours later pitched for the Spartan softball team on a trip to Orlando. It’s a symphony of sports, academics and music.
Maritime festival features music, art in Madisonville

1 week ago | nola.com | Darren Cooper

The Maritime Music and Arts Festival brings a Jazz Fest vibe to the northshore with six different bands of all genres playing all day long. This year’s festival rocks out on May 10 in Madisonville Pine Street Park starting at noon, with the first band, Rhythm Brothers, beginning at 1 p.m. Tickets are $20. “We want to grow this all the way to the riverfront,” said Lori Marcus, festival coordinator.
VOTE for the North Jersey Softball Player of the Week for April 28-May 4

1 week ago | northjersey.com | Darren Cooper

After another fun week of the high school softball season, it's time to look back on the best performances. Read about the players who stood out last week and let us know who you think should be the North Jersey Player of the Week in the poll at the bottom of this page. Voting closes at 5 p.m. Thursday. Sumaya Ali, Wayne ValleyDon’t look now, here come the Indians. Wayne Valley has won four in a row and advanced to the county semifinals.
She's the Real MVP: The unsung heroes of North Jersey softball in 2025

2 weeks ago | northjersey.com | Darren Cooper

These are the North Jersey softball players who don’t have multi-star recruiting ratings, but they’re the ones who get the job done. They play out of position, or any position. They use their voices to inspire and use their will to win. We asked North Jersey softball coaches for their Real MVPs, the ones you won’t find on top of a statistical leaderboard but are the players that everyone on their team responds to.
Softball: 2025 Bergen County Tournament bracket, scores, schedule

2 weeks ago | northjersey.com | Darren Cooper

Immaculate Heart Academy’s quest for a historic fourth straight Bergen County softball title will start from the top spot in the 40-team field. Ramsey, Paramus Catholic and Old Tappan round out the top four seeds. The three seed for Paramus Catholic is the school’s highest seeding since 2004, a year it reached the county final. For the sixth straight time, the Blue Eagles are the top seed in the Bergen County Tournament. They have won three straight county titles.
WFAN talk-show host gaining new perspective as flag football coach

2 weeks ago | northjersey.com | Darren Cooper

OAKLAND − The Indian Hills girls flag football team is probably the only one in North Jersey to be discussed on a sports radio talk show. It’s not because the Braves are championship contenders. At least not yet. They're still winless after a tough 13-12 loss to Fair Lawn last week. And it’s not because sophomore quarterback Julia DiMasi looks like a budding star.
Softball: North Jersey Top 10 rankings provide snapshot of possible county seeds

2 weeks ago | northjersey.com | Darren Cooper

Monday is the seeding meeting for the 51st Bergen County Tournament. I will not be selecting the 51 greatest players in Bergen County history to mark the honor. I did that already. I expect the top four seeds − remember the format has changed − to mirror the North Jersey Top 25 rankings. I am curious to see what the committee decides on a few teams. River Dell has a crazy resume. The Golden Hawks now have wins over Ramsey and Indian Hills, but they have a losing record overall.
VOTE for the North Jersey Softball Player of the Week for April 21-27

2 weeks ago | northjersey.com | Darren Cooper

After another exciting week of the high school softball season, it's time to look back on the best performances. Read about the players who stood out last week and let us know who you think should be the North Jersey Player of the Week in the poll at the bottom of this page. Voting closes at 5 p.m. Thursday. Kylie Allmendinger, Passaic ValleyThe freshman kept the Hornets unbeaten with three outstanding performances.
Softball: After two weeks, elite teams emerge in North Jersey Top 25 rankings

1 month ago | northjersey.com | Darren Cooper

Mother Nature has not done softball teams any favors in North Jersey so far. We've seen entire days washed out by the rain and cold, including a 1 vs. 2 match-up between Immaculate Heart and Old Tappan. My Top 25 rankings stays relatively intact from last week. We just haven’t had many games. No wonder everyone goes to Florida. Three new teams joined the party this week. The big surprise last week was River Dell, which upset Ramsey.
VOTE for the North Jersey Softball Player of the Week for April 7-13

1 month ago | northjersey.com | Darren Cooper

After another fun week of the high school football season, it's time to look back on the best performances. Read about the players who stood out last week and let us know who you think should be the North Jersey Player of the Week in the poll at the bottom of this page. Voting closes at 5 p.m. Thursday. Kyla Berger, Glen RockThe junior did it on offense and in the circle for Glen Rock in a pair of important wins. Against St. Mary, she went 3-3 with a double and scattered six hits.