Sports

En Garde: Fencing Team's "Point" is A-"Bout" Success

Members of the fencing team intently watch a bout

Anna Hansard reconciles with her opponent after a bout

Colby Parker competes against a fellow fencer in the Morgan Invitational

Rifle Team Targets Success

Rifle team member Francesco D'Aria gets ready to shoot

Dan Lenox aims his rifle

Members of the rifle team practice different types of shots

Hockey Team Skates Their Way to the Playoffs

Assistant Captain Bryce Montabana handles the puck

Joey Salzano anticipates a shot on goal

Alex Porto looks to score

NHHS Wrestlers "Pin" for the Win

Tyler DiMauro looks to close out his opponent

Ty Ellis gets ready to wrestle

The wrestling team poses for a picture after one of their matches

Wrestling in the Midst of Another Successful Season

Assistant Coach Katie Moore highlights some of the best moments this season

Assistant Wrestling Coach Katie Moore has been working alongside Head Coach Peter Tsperkas and Assistant Coach Chris DeBlock for the past two seasons. The team has seen success in the past, and continues to see success this season. When asked about the teams highlights, Coach Moore had many things to say. The teams record this year was 20-7 and they notched many top finishes. They took home first place Arigoni Cup and third place at the Rodney Smith Tournament. The team also had many wrestlers individually place at tournaments. Jace Iammuno and Hayden Minns each had an individual win, Eli Ellis, Joe Carbone, and Johnny Williston all had a 3rd place finish, and Anthony Purchio and Ashton Manacchio both had a fourth place finish. Behind each great team is a reason for their success. When asked about the reasons for their success, Coach Moore said, "These successes that we are having are due to the hard work of the athletes. It helps that the students want to get better each day and are trying to make history for North Haven Wrestling. Also all of the coaches have lots of knowledge. We all wrestled in college and have coached elsewhere before coming to North Haven. We are all like a family. We push each other when needed but also pick each other up when needed."

And the Winner Is...

Johnny Williston Makes History As North Haven's First Ever Wrestling State Champion

Since the interview with Assistant Coach Moore, the wrestling team competed in the Class M State Wrestling Championships. The championships took place at North Haven High School, which was an honor for the school to host. The Nighthawks placed 6th overall and had 6 All-State Wrestlers. These wrestlers were Anthony Purchio, Ashton Manacchio, Hayden Minns, Jace Iamunno Johnny Williston, and Joe Carbone. A special congratulations also goes out to Johnny Williston who was the State Champion for the 190 lbs weight group. Williston became the first ever State Champion in North Haven Wrestling History! Congratulations to the whole team on their achievements!

Senior Jace Iamunno placed 2nd at 150 lbs

Sophomore Ashton Manacchio placed 5th at 126 lbs

Junior Anthony Purchio placed 5th at 106 lbs

Senior Joe Carbone placed 6th at 285 lbs

Junior Hayden Minns placed 5th at 138 lbs

Sophomore Johnny Williston placed 1st at 190 lbs

New York City Marathon Becomes Community Building Event

Thousands of runners create bonds of friendship while raising money for NYC

By: Amalia Morizio

The New York City marathon is a highly anticipated event for not only New York residents or runners, but for people across the entire country. The first New York City marathon took place in September of 1970 and has continued to be a tradition for New York every single fall since. Runners from across the globe train and need to have a qualifying time in order to compete in this marathon as well. Another common way to be able to compete in this marathon is to run in various road races in New York for an easy entry. Either way, the New York City Marathon is a highly celebrated event that is anticipated every year.

In 2024, more than 50,000 runners competed in the race. This 26.2 mile course runs through five different boroughs of New York. Throughout the course, fans will line up to support runners with signs and water for motivation as well. Looking closer at the 2024 race, the results were extremely impressive. For the women’s race, Sheila Chepkirui from Kenya won overall with a time of 2 hours 24 minutes and 35 seconds. Chepkirui beat the defending champion’s time, Hellen Obiri, by 15 seconds from the previous year. Hellen Obiri is also from Kenya. For the men's race, Abdi Nageeye from the Netherlands won overall with a time of 2 hours 7 minutes and 39 seconds. Nageeye beat the 2022 champion, Evans Chebet, by six seconds as well.

Although winning the New York City marathon is a massive honor and accomplishment in and of itself, a lot of people don’t know that there is a larger prize. For the first place winners of the men and women's race, they each receive $100,000 in prize money. For second to ninth place winners they receive $60,000 all the way through to the tenth place winners who win $2,000. Although many people focus on the men and women’s running races, there is a different division that not many people know about. The wheelchair division of the New York City marathon allows wheelchair users to compete in the event and also gives them the opportunity to win prize money. For the first place finishers of the wheelchair division, they receive $35,000. On top of that, if competitors break the course record, they will receive an extra $50,000 as well. Many people are surprised by the large amount of money that is given to the winners of the marathon. However, the New York City marathon brings in a very large amount of money for the city itself. A study in 2019 found that the New York City marathon generated around $427 million dollars for the city.

It’s clear that this event is a massive economic benefit for the city. But more importantly, this marathon brings together the city and people of New York. Even though New York is a huge city, this marathon works to create a close knit community among the competitors and the spectators. Even for people who don’t run themselves, the New York City marathon has worked to create a supportive and united city and will continue to do so in the future.

The Boxing Battle The World Anticipated: Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson

The suspension and trash-talk finally comes to an end in one entertaining match-up

By: Colin Studley

On November 15, 2024, popular streaming service Netflix live-streamed a boxing match between social media influencer, actor and professional boxer Jake Paul and retired professional boxer Mike Tyson. Here are the full details of the event:

On March 7, 2024 Netflix partnered with Most Valuable Promotions to announce that they were going to be streaming a live event headlined by Jake Paul facing former undisputed champion Mike Tyson on July 20, 2024. It would be hosted at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Just under one month later on April 2, Mike Tyson confirmed that it would be an exhibition bout, meaning that it would not be part of a competition, it would instead be for the sole purpose of showing off the abilities of the fighters. But one week later, Paul announced that they would be submitting a request to the Texas Combative Sports Program for the bout to be sanctioned as professional, meaning that it would be fought for a bid that is divided between the boxers as it says in their contract. On April 29, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations approved the request.

Unfortunately, on May 31, Netflix announced that the fight would have to be postponed due to Tyson suffering an ulcer flare up while boarding a plane. Jake Paul then went to X (formerly known as Twitter) to call out his fellow social-media-star-turned boxer friend, KSI to replace Tyson in the fight. KSI declined the offer due to scheduling conflicts, stating that he had a bout in August. On June 7, Netflix confirmed the fight to be rescheduled for November 15.

The ruleset for the fight was altered slightly, with the bout having eight, two-minute rounds, similar to the amateur masters boxing rules. They would both be wearing 14 ounce gloves as opposed to the regular 16 ounces and no headgear was present.

In round one they both entered in a slightly unconventional stance, but they both seemed to be doing fine with both fighters throwing punches at each other. But by round two, 58-year-old Tyson was already getting tired out. He was showing signs of fatigue and started to look physically exhausted throughout the rest of the fight. At the end of the last round, Paul bowed down to Tyson to show his respect.

Paul won by unanimous decision as there were no knockouts, but Tyson stated afterwards that he would not be retiring from fighting and even called out Jake Paul’s older brother Logan who also happens to be a social-media-influencer-turned boxer. Logan Paul responded with, “I’d kill you Mike” and that was the end.

Eagles Soar on Super Bowl Sunday

The Philadelphia Eagles came into Super Bowl XIV (59) looking to dampen the Kansas City Chiefs bid for a third Super Bowl in a row. They did just that. They took an early and commanding lead at halftime, leading 24-0. This was highlighted by Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean, who intercepted Patrick Mahomes and returned it for a touchdown on his birthday. The Eagles continued to stretch their lead, making the score 27-0 early in the second half. The final score was 40-22 in favor of the Eagles.

A Look Back at the NFL Playoffs

How did we reach the big game?

By: Matt Campbell

The 2025 NFL playoffs have been a showcase of thrilling performances and unexpected wins, and losses, setting the stage for an exciting end to the 2024-25 NFL season. Here’s a detailed recap of the Wild Card and Divisional Rounds:

Wild Card Round:

Saturday, January 11, 2025:

• Houston Texans 32, Los Angeles Chargers 12: In their first-ever postseason meeting, the Texans had a slow start, leading just 10–6 at halftime. The second half saw Houston capitalize on Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert’s three interceptions. A notable moment was D’Angelo Ross’s blocked extra point return for a defensive two-point conversion, the first in NFL postseason history.

• Baltimore Ravens 28, Pittsburgh Steelers 14: Meeting for the fifth time in postseason history, the Ravens secured their first home playoff win against the Steelers. Baltimore dominated early, leading 21–0 at halftime, highlighted by Derrick Henry’s 186 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Ravens’ defense held strong, limiting the Steelers’ comeback attempts.

Sunday, January 12, 2025:

• Buffalo Bills 31, Denver Broncos 7: The Bills offensive power was on full display with quarterback Josh Allen leading multiple scoring drives. The defense stifled the Broncos, allowing only one touchdown, and secured their spot in the Divisional Round.

• Philadelphia Eagles 22, Green Bay Packers 10: The Eagles’ offense and strong defense proved too much for the Packers. Key plays included a touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts and a crucial interception by the defense, propelling Philadelphia into the Divisional Round.

• Washington Commanders 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20: In a closely contested game, the Commanders edged out the Buccaneers. A late-game field goal sealed the victory, marking Washington’s advancement in the playoffs.

Monday, January 13, 2025:

• Los Angeles Rams 27, Minnesota Vikings 9: Relocated to Arizona due to wildfires in Los Angeles, the Rams dominated defensively, sacking Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold nine times, tying a playoff record. The offense capitalized on turnovers, securing a comfortable win.

Divisional Round

Saturday, January 18, 2025:

• Kansas City Chiefs 23, Houston Texans 14: The Chiefs continued their pursuit of a third consecutive title with a solid win over the Texans.

• Washington Commanders 45, Detroit Lions 31: The Commanders delivered a stunning upset over the top-seeded Lions, earning their first trip to the NFC Championship in 33 years. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels led the way with 299 passing yards and two touchdowns, adding 51 rushing yards without a turnover.

Sunday, January 19, 2025:

• Philadelphia Eagles 28, Los Angeles Rams 22: The Eagles advanced by overcoming the Rams in a competitive matchup.

• Buffalo Bills 27, Baltimore Ravens 25: In a thrilling encounter, the Bills narrowly triumphed over the Ravens due to multiple crucial turnovers, setting up a highly anticipated AFC Championship against the Chiefs.

Conference Championship Round

Sunday, January 26, 2025:

• Kansas City Chiefs 32, Buffalo Bills 29: The Chiefs narrowly move on to the Super Bowl in another classic game between AFC rivals.

• Philadelphia Eagles 55, Washington Commanders 23: The Eagles take down the Commanders, continuing to dominate the 2025 playoffs.

Phoenix Takes a Look at The 2024 World Series

Was this year's World Series one for the ages?

By: James Sagnella

On October 25, 2024, the world series commenced. The two teams facing off were the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees. Both teams were the top seed in their respective divisions, and everyone expected the series to be full of action and suspense.

The first game was fairly anticlimactic for the first few innings. Neither team scored a run until the Dodgers scored at the bottom of the fifth. The Yankees came back with two runs in the top of the sixth, giving them a 2-1 lead. With another run scored in the bottom of the eighth and no runs in the ninth, it was 2-2 going to extra innings. New York scored in the top of the tenth, which forced LA to do something special. Then, in the bottom of the tenth inning, with the bases loaded, Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam to win. This made the first game a historic one, as this was the first walk off grand slam in world series history.

Game two was a little less suspenseful than game one. Putting up four runs in the first three innings, LA presented a challenge that New York couldn’t seem to overcome. With home runs by Tommy Edman, Teoscar Hernández, and Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers won the second game 4-2.

Game three, like the first two games, was all Dodgers. With another home run by Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers were winning 4-0 going into the bottom of the ninth. Although Alex Verdugo was able to hit a two run home run, the Yankees lost game three 4-2.

The fourth game was the highest scoring game yet. In the top of the first, Freddie Freeman hit yet another two run homer, giving the Dodgers the 2-0 lead. New York came back with a run in the bottom of the second to make it 2-1. Then, in the bottom of the third, Anthony Volpe hit a grand slam, which made the score 5-2. LA scored two more runs in the top of the fifth, and New York scored again in the bottom of the sixth. The score was 4-6 Yankees going into the eighth inning, still doable for the Dodgers. However, a three run homer by Gleyber Torres helped the Yankees score five runs in the bottom of the eighth and put the game away.

The Yankees had a chance to make history if they could pull off the win in the world series. No baseball team has ever come back from being down 3-0 in the world series, in fact, no team has ever even forced a game six.

In game five, the Yankees put up five runs in the first three innings, leading 5-0. However, many compounded errors by the Yankees in the top of the fifth allowed LA to score five runs and tie the game. New York scored again in the bottom of the sixth, but LA put up two runs in the eighth which sealed the deal.

All in all, this world series was very historic. Freddie Freeman set a record for being the only one to hit a home run in six consecutive world series games (going back to last year's world series). The Dodgers proved to the world that they are the dominant power in major league baseball.

Lebron and Bronny Become the First Father-Son Duo in NBA History

Will Bronny be as good as his father?

By: Will Sagnella

Lebron James has always been one of the most talented players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). So talented, in fact, that he is considered by many to be one of the greatest players of all time. One of the reasons for this is his continued dominance over his very long career. A career so long that James is now playing alongside his oldest son.

Lebron James Jr., also known as “Bronny”, is a 20 year old rookie drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers; the same team Lebron plays for. When the Lakers drafted Bronny with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, it made him and Lebron the first ever father-son duo to play in the NBA.

Like every young athlete, Bronny dreamed of becoming a professional. But unlike many young athletes, Bronny was able to make his dream a reality. Attention first started to pour down on Lebron’s oldest son when a skills video of a 9 year Bronny went viral. After seeing this video, many people started to discuss the potential Bronny had as a player. Fast forward a few years and Bronny is playing for AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) teams, trying to take his game to the next level: college. With a lot of hard work Bronny was able to step up to the next level when he committed to play for the University of Southern California. Bronny played point guard for the Trojans until 2023 when he graduated and entered the NBA draft.

On the other side of the duo, Lebron had the vision of playing with his son. Back in 2020, Lebron was interviewed about his future. Quickly the conversation turned to Bronny, who was 16 at the time. Lebron said that whatever the future held would not only be about himself. Even though Bronny was still young, Lebron knew he would be ready for the NBA soon.

As if Lebron could see into the future, his vision came true when the Lakers drafted Bronny in January of 2024. Just a few weeks into the current season, the duo stepped on the court for the first time in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. This fulfilled the dream many years in the making. In fact, Lebron has wanted to play with Bronny in the NBA before 2020. Another interview in 2018 let audiences know that Lebron would consider it his greatest achievement to play alongside Bronny.

Not missing a beat, Bronny was able to score his first points in the NBA in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Late in the 4th quarter, Bronny hit a mid range jump shot to give him his first NBA bucket. In some ways, it was a special place to score his first points, as it was against the Cavaliers; the team Lebron helped to win their first NBA Championship.

Bronny’s fast start will have to wait, as he sustained an injury and was assigned to the Lakers G-Leauge team. The G-League is the stepping stone to the NBA. Either way, Lebron and Bronny still made history as the first father-son duo to play at the same time in the NBA. The next few years will be interesting to watch to see what each of their careers look like: Lebron nearing the end and Bronny just beginning.

Athletic Department Recognized as Exemplary Athletic Program

"Caps" off to AD Steve Blumenthal

North Haven Public Schools and North Haven Athletics was recently recognized as one of the very few schools and athletic programs in the nation (4% of the nation’s schools have received this award), and only the second in Connecticut, as an Exemplary Athletic Program through the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association’s (NIAAA) Quality Program Assessment. Athletic Director, Mr. Steven Blumenthal, is proud of his efforts in showing the NIAAA that the North Haven Athletic Department is doing everything possible to support and showcase its student-athletes.

Blumenthal says, "It was a team effort as many people from the North Haven District helped the North Haven Athletic Department to earn the distinction of Exemplary Quality Program Assessment status, only the second athletic department in the state to do so."

NHHS Winter Sports Captains Attend SCC Captains Council

On November 10, our Winter sports captains attended the SCC Winter Captains Council. The student-athletes discussed problems solving and leadership, and were put to the test to come up with solutions to common sports-related issues.

Boys ice hockey captain Bryce Mastriano attended the council

Boys Basketball Captains Jonathan Kauhl, Peter Alexandro, and Ibrahim Davila stand by their head coach and Junior Nathan Eggerling.

Pictured from left to right are the NHHS Girls Track Captains: Amalia Morizio, Daniella Rapuano, Andrea August, Grace DeNardis

Girls Basketball Captain Oliva Ball (center) is honored and presented with flowers on her senior night. Ball is surrounded by family and her head coach (far left).

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