Spring sports round out their 2023 seasons
Illustrations by Thomas Zak
Spring sports round out their 2023 seasons with room for improvement next year.
Golf looks to swing away their season in 2024
The West Essex Golf team ended their season with a record of 15-9, finishing second in their division under new coach Dean Ratajczak.
By defeating teams and exhibiting great team chemistry, they were able to improve from last year’s record of 6-11.
Coming off this memorable season, Coach Ratajczak said, “the highlight of our season was definitely the close margin of victory over Montclair High School,” winning by one stroke due to Corey Resnick’s hole-in-one.
The team intends to continue their success into next season. —Ava Belli ’26
Track intends to keep strong team bonds next year
The spring track & field team has completed another impressive season ending with most of the team at sectionals.
Leo Palescandolo placed sixth at Sectionals for Javelin and will be moving onto Groups.
“The coaches are proud of everyone’s efforts this season, and we wish Leo continued success,” spring track coach Anthony Lambo said. —Sophie Herman ’25
Baseball slides into next season ready to improve
Although their season ended in the first round of the state tournament, the Baseball Knights finished 16-9-1. The team dynamic brought the players close together and had them working toward a common goal of not playing just for personal success, but for the betterment of the entire team.
The passion and drive on and off the field allowed the team to shine against tough opponents by keeping up their strong offense and defense through each inning.
The Baseball Knights are already looking ahead to an even more successful season next year. —Chloe Berger ’24
Softball knocks their season far out of the park
The Softball Knights had their most successful season since 2018-19, finishing with 20 wins and capturing first place in the SEC Liberty Division. The girls won one game in the Essex County Tournament against Glen Ridge and one in the NJSIAA state tournament against Old Tappan.
The team featured several all conference players, including the 1st teamers: Senior captains Olivia Simonetti and Courney Turanick, junior captain Angelina Gencarelli and sophomore Briana Gillen. Junior Francesca Loffredo and sophomore Ashley Suhey made the 2nd team, while senior captain Bella Hiter and freshman Gabriella Sia were honorable mentions. —JJ Rella ’24
Esports levels up, finishing with almost perfect record
This spring season, the Esports Knights dominated in Valorant, claiming first place in the Super Essex conference. The team finished 8-1 with 16 points, 2 wins and 3 points more than Ramapo who claimed second place.
In the Spring Championship Playoff Bracket, the Knights were the No. 1 seed in all of New Jersey for Valorant. After sweeping Hunterdon Central High School 2-0, the Knights fell to Wayne Valley in the second round, putting an end to their terrific season. —JJ Rella ’24
Boys Volleyball serves up a chance at redemption
The Volleyball Knights took a step back from their strong 2022 season, finishing 9-12 before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs this year.
Senior captain Logan Morrello led the Knights with 212 kills. Sophomore Chris Critchett rose to the challenge as well with 36 blocks.
Head coach Bryan McNaught looks to get back to dominance next season, although he will have some shoes to fill for five seniors. —Ryan Conway ’24
Boys Tennis season ends with state tournament success
Although Boys Tennis finished 8-12, they shocked several during the course of the season.
West Essex beat Seton Hall Prep in the first round of the Essex County Tournament and upset South Plainfield in the state tournament before falling in the semifinals. Junior Eric Scalici and Senior captain Abhi Challa were both Liberty Division 1st Team Selections for this season. —Ryan Conway ’24
Girls Lacrosse three-peats the Essex County Tournament
Girls Lacrosse has been consistent over the past years with their success. Continuing their winning streak of winning the Essex County Championship, the girls have managed to win their third title in a row this season.
The Knights moved into the state tournament semifinals with a win against Sparta, but fell to Mendham. After a devastating loss, the girls lacrosse team finished 13-6 and intend to enter next season with a new sense of redemption. —Sophia Sisco ’25
Boys Lacrosse continues to write their success stories
The Boys Lacrosse team tried returning with the same successes they achieved last season.
With youth spread across the team, the boys intended to help the underclassmen fit the team dynamic.
The team finished off their season with a record of 11-10. Losing in a tough game of the North Group 2 State Championship against Summit, the team will look to bounce back next spring. —Sophia Sisco ’25
