Rally High School Sports
Accused QB is held off league all-star team
Glassboro star Justin Breaker is facing rape charges.
by By Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
Senior Justin Breaker was the leading vote-getter as the Tri-County Conference Classic Division's all-star quarterback, but after being charged with raping a 15-year-old girl, the honor is on "hold," said Clearview athletic director Greg Horton, who serves as the conference's vice president.
Breaker, 19, was one of three young men accused of taking part in an April 1 gang rape of a Salem County girl in a Pittsgrove apartment, according to the Salem County Prosecutor's Office. Breaker was indicted on Nov. 28, three days before he sparked Glassboro to a 24-7 win over Paulsboro in the South Jersey Group 1 final.
With the 6-foot, 185-pound Breaker playing a leading role, Glassboro went 12-0 this season.
In the list of Tri-County football all-stars that was released, Penns Grove's Jon Coppage was the first-team quarterback. Gloucester's Steve Goad was the second-team selection and Pennsville's Ryan Karr received "honorable mention."
Breaker, who threw 19 touchdown passes and just five interceptions, was not on the first or second team, or on honorable mention.
Fifteen Glassboro players were selected to the all-star squad.
The coaches named Breaker the league's top quarterback before the incident became public, but the all-star team must be approved by the conference athletic directors before it is official. At Thursday's athletic directors' meeting, Glassboro athletic director Jeff Cusack made a motion to "table" Breaker's all-star selection, Horton said.
"He wanted to table it . . . pending the results of the legal problem," Horton said yesterday. "He [Breaker] can always go back on the all-star team. It's easier to add someone than it is to take them off. It's a tough predicament we're all in."
Breaker attended Schalick last year (he threw 20 TD passes for the 9-1 Cougars) before transferring to Glassboro in September. He was suspended from Glassboro High School on Wednesday and will attend the Gloucester County Alternative School in Deptford until his case is resolved, said a spokeswoman from Glassboro's school district.
Breaker had been expected to be a key member of Glassboro's basketball team. Last year, he averaged 11.9 points per game for Schalick.
Breaker attended Glassboro basketball practices on Monday and Tuesday before being suspended from school.
Glassboro basketball coach Russ Winsett met with Glassboro's players Thursday and asked them "not to gossip" about the situation and to "be supportive for Timmy."
Timmy Breaker, a junior who is Justin Breaker's younger brother, is expected to be Glassboro's starting point guard.
A person familiar with the situation said Justin Breaker didn't learn about the rape charges until he was shown a copy of a newspaper story on Monday.
"I showed him the story and asked him what was up with it," said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. "He said the case had been dropped and he hadn't heard about it for months."
If convicted, Justin Breaker could face 20 years in prison.
The Breaker brothers grew up in Glassboro. Justin attended Glassboro as a freshman and was the seventh man on the Bulldogs' varsity basketball team.
Before the football season started this year, one of the Bulldogs' players, Ralph Carr, said it was "almost like getting a birthday present" when the Breakers returned to Glassboro.
Less than four months later, an internal investigation is being conducted by Glassboro's school superintendent to determine "what was known when" about the indictment, according to a published report.
Published Dec. 9, 2007
By Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer