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Varsity Soccer Comes to a Close
Varsity Soccer Comes to a Close
By Megan Wysocki
By Megan Wysocki
As the air grows colder, the final goals of the soccer season are being scored. Steinert Varsity Soccer is known for strong players and successful seasons, and the teams this year did everything to continue this legacy. With both boys’ and girls’ varsity soccer completed for the year, now is a good time to look back on exactly what made this cycle so memorable.
Perhaps it was the players? A sports team is truly nothing without its players, and the Steinert athletes are the perfect picture of a unified force. “Spartans on three, family on six”, as the boys’ team says before every game perfectly sums up the friendships found within the varsity teams. Many teammates regard this past season as being great for camaraderie, with the whole group fully functioning as a family. Their friendship is apparent through events like pasta parties or weekly hangouts. As Captain Sal Famularo notes, “The whole team is more family than I’ve ever had on a soccer team.” These relationships off the field certainly continue on the field. It is a driven attitude and teamwork that truly allows this team to succeed. Teamwork lends itself to hard work, of which the varsity teams have no shortage. Working through stress, obstacles, and injury, the girls’ and boys’ varsity teams truly put in 110% of their effort to make this season victorious. As player Sam Marusky notes, “we gave the whole season our all.”
Perhaps it was the game? Both the girls’ and boys’ teams advanced to both the Mercer County Tournament and the NJSIAA Tournament. The girls ended their season in the quarterfinals of the latter tournament, making their final faceoff against Brick Memorial High School. The boys, in a similar fashion, ended their season in the semifinals against Hopewell Valley High School. While neither team scored a state title, their outstanding hard work is nothing to disregard. Steinert Varsity Soccer has a history of playing well in the state tournament, so the teams this year did not disappoint. In addition to the state-level games, Steinert Soccer saw many other memorable in-game moments.
For example, in the boys’ semifinals game against Allentown High School, Captain Liam MacDonald scored a three-goal hat-trick. This Allentown game turned out to be one of the best for the team, with a final score of 5-2. Certainly, you can’t forget their historic win against Neptune High School. This game was tense, ending in 2-2 before overtime. Finally, about three minutes into overtime our fantastic players scored the winning goal, making it a 3-2 win. The girls’ team also saw many successful games this year, with a considerable amount ending in a shutout. The most successful of the season was the 8-0 win against West Windsor-Plainsboro South. Another highly impressive win by the girls was during the NJSIAA tournament when they achieved a 4-1 win against West Windsor-Plainsboro North. During the game, Captain Gemma Goldenbaum made seven impressive saves in goal to secure the game for Steinert. All of the players across both teams worked hard for impressive stats such as these, and the powerful team deserves all of the credit.
Perhaps it was the coaches? Even the best athletes in history require a coach to guide them. With Mr. Hasting leading the girls and Mr. Tessein leading the boys, the teams were able to climb to victory. The player-coach relation appears positive in both ways, and it is likely this attitude that contributes to the success of a team. When players and coaches hold a positive opinion of each other, teamwork and shared efforts are more likely to pay off beneficially. Player Julian Golik says of his coach, “He’s very open, honest and clear. He is great at calling the right plays.” This opinion is shared amongst the teammates, as several other players also held similar viewpoints. And as for how coaches view their players, Hastings said of his team, “They worked very hard every day and ended with a successful season.” In a sport known for harsh competition, it is comforting to see such positive and mutually beneficial player-coach relationships across the board.
No matter the reason, soccer remains a cornerstone of the Steinert community. We are sad to see our seniors leave, but we are excited to see what the next varsity season will bring. See you next year, soccer!
Spartan Football's Season in Review
Spartan Football's Season in Review
By Spartan Sentinel Staff
By Spartan Sentinel Staff
The 2021 Steinert High School Varsity Football team managed three wins in a difficult season where they faced a number of injuries and lots of COVID complications. Despite these challenges, senior Jake Seals set a single-season record for receptions and total reception yards, and the team defeated a talented Jackson Liberty squad in their state consolation game.
Jake Seals was the featured star in the SHS offense this year and didn’t disappoint. His 54 catches were a new school record, and so was his total of 713 yards. Despite being the target of the other team's defensive scheme, Seals put in an astounding record-setting season. His consistency and his work ethic were the keys to his success on the gridiron.
Late in the season, the Spartans faced a tough opponent in Jackson Liberty for their state tournament consolation game. However, the underdogs prevailed in a stunning 28-13 comeback victory. Head coach Mr. Caruso commented on the team’s performance. “The Jackson Liberty game was a great example of the character of this football team. We were playing a tough team and we were down 10-0 at halftime and frankly not playing well at all. However, the leadership on this team help to turn the game completely around and we were able to score 27 points in the second half in a dominating performance. We were balanced on offense with 200 yards rushing and 125 passing and played near shutout defense in the second half.”
At the season’s end, several players were named to the First Team All-Valley Division. Those students were Jake Seals, Jack Lambert, Emmanuel Gason, Aaron Rios, and Zach Gibson.
Steinert Cheer: The True Backbone to Our Fall Sports
Steinert Cheer: The True Backbone to Our Fall Sports
By Grace Pinder
By Grace Pinder
The envisionment of a sports game, whether it is football, basketball, or even wrestling, consists of certain aspects that create the perfect gameday atmosphere. For example, at a football game in mid-November, the brisk fall air combined with the whistling of the referee, and the illuminated scoreboard seems to check all the boxes, but still, something is missing.
The cheerleaders arrive with a sense of optimism no matter where the game seems to be heading, and Steinert Cheer takes this task to the next level. The support provided is unmatched and is just what the football game needs to be enjoyable. But the cheerleaders are not just there to keep the audience entertained with little chants, the work put into this sport is often not looked into and should be valued more seriously. With their season getting a head start in early June, tryouts take place before the previous school year is even over, for them to be in full swing by summertime. Steinert Cheer requires skill, determination, and immense discipline. The support provided at games is what is most often perceived through cheerleading but when it comes to Steinert cheer it's taken to a whole new level. They are constantly working to exceed their skills and expectations from the audience to not only benefit themselves but the audience's enjoyment.
The immense strength and ambition shown through these cheerleaders are unlike any others, and it presents itself not only on the sidelines and competition floor but in the Steinert hallways as well. Steinert cheerleaders are required to be proficient role models and none fail to meet this expectation. Obtaining a varsity jacket in this sport does not just validate the work put in physically but demonstrates a sense of determination and dedication to the sport and its values. They set the bar in every aspect of what you would expect from a good cheerleader both competitively and morally.
In Steinert, you won't just see these girls putting in the work for the sidelines but also their competition season. Much of the physical demand put in throughout their season is towards their competition routine. Within this routine, they are performing elite stunts, advanced tumbling, perfect jumps, and killer sharp dance moves. Steinert cheer took home first place in their division and the CVCs Grand Champion title back in 2019. And they did not fail to make an equally impressive post-covid comeback with their first place win in their division and best stunts award at CVCs this past November.
Steinert Cheer is not just a team within their sport but throughout every aspect of the word and this season has done an amazing job of representing that. They do not just provide immense support for our fellow sports at Steinert but exude the type of work ethic those wish to have. Each and every cheerleader within the program deserves a colossal congratulations on such a notable fall season, making their positive mark on the program as intended.
Field Hockey Season Wrap Up
Field Hockey Season Wrap Up
By Sadie Pattik
By Sadie Pattik
After a condensed season last year due to Covid-19, Steinert’s field hockey team came back in 2021 with hopes of having a semi-normal season to make up for the lost time they had the previous year. The girls started the season with a few rough games but persisted nonetheless. They took their first win against one rival, Nottingham, with the end score being 4-1. Senior Avery Kontura scored two of those goals, with the others scored by sophomore Amber Dewitt and Junior Ceara O’Neal. Junior goalie, Emma Constance, ended with two saves as the Spartans dominated the game and kept the ball away from their goal. The most anticipated game of the season, against Hamilton West, landed the Spartans with another win, with the final score being 3-0. Avery Kontura scored another goal of the season while Senior Jayci Conover scored as well. Amber Dewitt scored with an assist from Kontura leading the Spartans to a win over their hometown rival.
“If there ever was a season where wins and losses say nothing about the team, it is this season,” Coach Heisler says when asked about the season. “Although we fell short in the win column, the team played some of the best field hockey I’ve seen in all my years of coaching here.” That was proven during the Hopewell Valley game in early October. Easily one of the best games the team has played all season, the girls fought hard, despite losing 1-0 within the last minutes of the fourth quarter. “It is difficult to teach the nuances of the game to people who have only been playing for a short period of time, but the growth that the team showed was tremendous.”
The Central Jersey Field Hockey Coaches Association meet every year to discuss the season and to acknowledge some stand-out players that showed hard work and dedication from the preceding season. Steinert’s very own Jayci Conover, Avery Kontura, and Ashley Adamson had honorable mentions, while Ceara O’Neal earned a 2nd team All Start. Jayci and Avery were both invited to play in the Senior Showcase on December 4th, with other Senior players that received 1st team, 2nd team, or honorable mentions.
Despite the losses in the season, the team never let up despite the score. The amount of games that were close in the end, with nearly one point differences, is insurmountable, which goes to show that the players would never give up. Perseverance was a key factor in what made the season so incredible for many and made the games watching worthwhile. Many coaches from other teams have shown praise for the girls and how they kept their own on their toes.
Not only has the team shown excellence on the field, but have also shown excellence in the classroom. Almost the entire varsity team has weighted GPAs of over 3.5, and more with a weighted GPA of over 4.0. Academic excellence, however, isn’t the only way many of the girls have succeeded in school. Many are involved in many extracurriculars, such as Student Government, Key Club, Steinert’s Book Club, and more. The team has gone above and beyond to make sure that their, and others, high school experiences are plentiful. The seniors that have paved the way for many other players are going to be missed incredibly in the proceeding seasons.
Steinert's Cross Country Season Races to its Finish
Steinert's Cross Country Season Races to its Finish
By Riley Yorke
By Riley Yorke
After a year of very limited competition, Steinert’s Cross Country team is back, and more united than ever. This season, our team brought back many traditions and activities that they had to miss last year, like their annual car wash and pasta parties. They also returned to compete at some of their favorite meets, like the Shore Coaches Invitational at the infamous Holmdel Park. Our varsity athletes competed in divisional and sectional races after the conclusion of the CVC’s dual meets.
Leading the 41-person team on the boys’ side were seniors Tyler Kostin and Josh Paredes. Many of our boys achieved personal records this season, like Josh, who shaved nearly a full minute off of his 5k time. Tyler, who ranked first on the team, also finished in twelfth place out of ninety-nine competitors in our team’s sectional race at Thompson Park.
On the girls’ side, senior Emma Yorke came in first place at our school’s dual meet at Mercer County Park after racing against Lawrence, Robbinsville, and West Windsor North. Following her all-season was an especially competitive group of our girls. They pushed themselves and each other at every meet to earn the top spots on the team.
In November, the team hosted its first annual Cross Country Awards Night. Special recognitions included Rookie of the Year, earned by sophomore Caden Frisch and freshman Keira Kildea, and MVP, awarded to Tyler Kostin and Emma Yorke. The team’s last dinner and ceremony served as a teary-eyed goodbye for the seniors who dedicated themselves to this sport, but they can rest assured that they will be leaving the team in good hands. With several talented underclassmen and a promising new group of runners on their way, Steinert’s cross country team may be a force to be reckoned with in years to come.
Music Royalty: A Steinert Marching Unit Field Show
Music Royalty: A Steinert Marching Unit Field Show
By John Larkin
By John Larkin
A staple of America is football, and usually accompanying the sport at high schools and universities around the nation are marching bands. Steinert Highschool is no exception, with an exceptional band. If you were unfortunate enough to not attend any of the varsity football games, or the band competitions like Music in Motion, you will have not seen the band. However, you have most likely seen its members, fellow students, in the hall or on the practice field. Each year the band takes on its theme and songs that correlate with that theme, this year that theme was Music Royalty.
The year's selection of songs consisted of "Don’t Go Breaking My Heart" by Sir Elton John, "It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Don’t Got That Swing" by Duke Ellington, and finally a classic everyone has probably heard at least once in their life, "Bohemian Rhapsody" from Queen. The band started their work on these songs and the marching drill for the show early in summer, learning the music and putting it together with marching and exciting visuals throughout the show. As mentioned earlier, however, the band not only goes to varsity football matches but also to competitions where they tested their mettle against other bands. It was at these competitions where the band was able to showcase their hard work and dedication for a panel of judges for scoring. The season started with a score of 68.3, scoring higher in the next competition with a score of 69. It was in Music in Motion, on the home field, that the Steinert Marching Unit was able to make its greatest improvement to a score of 73.1 and ending the season with a score of 75.
All of these scores are impressive when taking into account that the smaller the band the lower the score. Speaking of the size of the band, it is smaller currently this year than in the past. The full roster of the band is just over 50 and a frighteningly large number, 24, of those members are seniors this year and even more juniors that will be seniors next year. All school clubs, extracurriculars, and sports rely on new students to join to keep going, and the band is no exception. The Marching Unit has a unique structure however in that all of the members participate together, in the same season, in the same band. There is no other activity quite like it that creates a sense of camaraderie amongst the members as friendships are formed that would have otherwise never been born, people who never would have met meet and create a show together. There has never been a time to join the marching unit than for the 2022-2023 season, starting next year. Pick up an instrument and join, all sections of the band will be looking for members next year, all welcoming to new members. Join and support your football team and put on a show that you’ll never forget on the Spartan field!
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