MHS Athletics Teams Have Fabulous Fall Season

MHS Athletics Teams Have Fabulous Fall Season
Posted on 11/23/2020
During this unprecedented season, Montclair High School's athletics teams proved to be resilient and successful.

This weekend, Boys' and Girls' soccer finished their undefeated seasons winning the New Jersey Northeast Group 4 championships.

"This season has meant so much to these players and families," said Athletic Director Patrick Scarpello. "To see the camaraderie, smiles, laughs, hard work, determination, skill, ability, and resilience on both the Boys' and Girls' side of our soccer programs has brought so much joy and entertainment to our families, friends, and community."

Read more from Scarpello about the season for each team. 

Cross Country
SEC Championship
Boys' and Girls' teams won the SEC divisional title (2nd time in program history).

Oscar Counsell won the SEC boys individual title (1st time in program history).

The girls' win was historic as well, bringing home the SEC title for the third year straight and sweeping the top twenty places ( 2-9-10-13-14-16-17)

State Sectionals
At the state level both teams finished 2nd overall, which is historic in itself due to the fact that this is the first time that both teams simultaneously finished this high. The top 5 athletes on both teams finished in the top 20 places. Another accomplishment was Oscar Counsell's 5th place finish at state sectionals. Not only did he bring home the boys first individual SEC title but this finish is the first time we have had an individual finish in the top 5 in the state section.

Boys' Team Record
Regular Season: 8-1
Championship Record: 18-1
Overall: 26-2

boys cross country

Girls' Team Record
Regular Season: 9-0
Championship Record: 14-1
Overall: 23-1

girls cross country

Girls' Tennis
The team finished the season with a final record of 3-5. The team lost in the semi-finals of the state tournament in a good match against top seeded Ridgewood, ranked 8th in NJ and competed for the first year ever in the top American division against perennially strong teams, admirably winning some individual matches.

A great mix of senior leaders and young talent comprised the team including freshman Chloe Jordan and sophomore Alana Flynn - in two of the three singles spots. Senior 1st doubles team of Eve Friend and Lily McDonald had the best record on the team, beating MKA and Livingston, perennial powers. Senior Maddie Schanen finished her career playing 1st singles for three years.

Girls' Soccer
MHS Girls' Soccer went undefeated, with a 13-0-1 record.  A dynamic preseason was kicked off with a scrimmage versus Ridgewood. This game turned out to be a forerunner of the Sectional semi-final. Tight games versus MKA and Mount St. Dominic were emblematic of the girls’ character trait of never giving up. A last gasp winner from an unlikely source (Meg Braley) is etched in the mind of everyone as the team celebrated wildly clinching another rivalry win. Patience versus MSD was crucial as we remained tied at half time running out 2-0 winners. Glen Ridge on the road was another tight game with GR clawing a goal back from a 2-0 deficit and keeping the game tight throughout. Rivalry wins are particularly sweet and this is another game well celebrated by the team. Some bigger score lines against Milburn and Columbia were punctuated with more tight games as Newark Academy proved worthy opponents and were tough to dispatch. A 3-2 win saw the girls’ home with a tense finish.  Playing a top ranked team like Scotch Plains was a thrill and 80+10 minutes of soccer could not separate us but the girls felt great about the result knowing that they had given their all in a wonderful game of soccer. 

girls soccer

Opening States with a big win was fun as Sylvie Wurmser, Zoe Torpey and Stella Tapia all scored their first goals of the season. 

Claire Manning scored over 50 goals in her high school career.

Field Hockey
Field Hockey lost to Millburn 5-4 in the regional semi-finals and finished with an overall record of 9-3-1.

field hockey

Boys' Soccer
Like so many parts of our lives, this season has been like no other. I am so proud of the student athletes in our Boys' Soccer Program from the Freshman (11-1), JV (6-3-0), and Varsity (14-0-1). The success we have had on the field is one thing, but seeing these players mature throughout the season has been so gratifying. Even with all the success so far, there have been ups and downs. What I'm most proud of is how we’ve handled the turbulence and adversity. At one point in the season, although we were winning, there was frustration and we weren't finding as much joy as we should have, playing the game we love. The captains expressed their concerns to me in a very mature way. They were able to sum up the feelings that their teammates were having and relayed them to me, which took a lot of courage. After reflecting on these concerns, we got the team together before practice so we could communicate to figure out how to make this season enjoyable for everyone, while still having structure and accountability. I told them about my non-negotiables and what I needed from them. They gave me feedback on areas that needed more flexibility. The players also had the space and time to express what this program means to them and why they were here. I then left so the players could have their time to talk as a team.  Through sport, these tough situations give us opportunities to help create young adults who can communicate, respect and care for each other, and problem solve. To be witness to 30 young men express themselves and be vulnerable made me so proud. After about 45 minutes of the players' meeting, the players came to the field and we have been a different team since then. 

boys soccer

This team has accomplished so much. It started in the summer when people were quarantined. The seniors set up Zoom groups, Freshmen to Seniors, and did Zoom workouts three times a week with each other. When I saw the leadership and the dedication during this time, I knew we could have something special.  As the season kept getting pushed back, players were training on their own and making sure to stay fit. When we were finally able to have those first distanced practices and I saw the fitness level of the players, the coaching staff and I were impressed because it reflected on the hard work and dedication that they put in despite the Covid quarantine restrictions. Not only are the players student athletes, they are also conscientious citizens who wanted to stand up for racial justice. They organized a fundraiser after the death of George Floyd and raised $7,101 for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. We have beaten four top 20 teams in the state. We have scored 47 goals while conceded 6 goals in 13 games, playing in one of the best conferences in the state. We finished first in the top division (American) of the SEC with 5-0-1 record. We had two stellar come back wins against 2 top 20 teams, the most recent being down 0-2 vs Kearney in the State Semi-Final and coming back to win 4-2. The team plays beautiful soccer passing the ball unselfishly, setting up various players to find the back of the net. There are six players with four or more goals which displays the talent across the board on the team. 

Football

football team

The team is currently 4-4. We have been devastated by injury but have played well considering. We played 3 top 20 opponents at the time of our game. Every team we have played has been 500 or above at the time of our game. Our kids have been resilient. If we get the next two games in we will be one of a handful of teams to play nine games this season, due to the hard work of Central Office administration, school administration, our coaching staff, the players and their families. 
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