Wrestling: The Wildcats are 11-13 on the season and took part in four matches this past week. The Wildcats first started up against Marlboro at their place on Wednesday, February 11th. Starting at 165, the Wildcats got out ahead early, with Layton Goggins at 165 winning via Decision (3-0) and Hans Francis at 175 winning via 1:22 Pin (9-0). Marlboro responded by taking 190 (Isaiah Elijah loss via Pin) and 215 (Ben Wilson loss via Pin) to knock the Wildcats down 9-12. The Wildcats and Marlboro went back and forth for nearly the rest of the way, with the Wildcats taking 285, 106, 120, and 132 (Infinite McLeod win via 0:31 Pin, Daniel Platti win via 0:59 Pin, Michael Kirk win via Major Decision, and Wyatt Pharo win via 1:13 Pin). However, Marlboro took 113 and 126 (Leo Reilly loss via Decision and Connor Quigley loss via Pin) to still keep the match close 31-21 Wildcats lead. The good times unfortunately ended for the Wildcats as Marlboro went on to snag the last four matches of the bout, taking 138, 144, 150, and 157 (Adam Ahmed loss via Major Decision, Brody Rawa loss via Decision, Robert Krawiec loss via Tech Fall, and Owen Taylor loss via Tech Fall) to ultimately hand the Wildcats the loss, 31-38. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 10-11. This loss also drops the Wildcats to 1-3 against the F-Division, a place they’re likely headed next year considering their immediate success in the G-Division.

A few days later, the Wildcats hosted a Quad on Saturday, February 14th, bringing Oakcrest, Toms River North, and Ocean City. Starting off, the Wildcats took on Oakcrest and led off at 215. The Wildcats jumped out immediately and traded the first four bouts, with the Wildcats taking 215 and 106 (Ben Wilson win via Forfeit and Daniel Platti win via Pin) and Oakcrest taking 285 and 113 (Forfeit at 285 and Leo Reilly loss via Pin) to be tied up 12-12. The Wildcats finally put their foot on the gas after this stretch, as the Wildcats took 120 with a Michael Kirk win via Pin, 126 with a Connor Quigley win via Pin, and 132 with a Wyatt Pharo pin to give the Wildcats a 30-12 lead. Oakcrest responded with a win at 138 (Adam Ahmed loss via Pin) to close in 30-18, but the Wildcats further bolstered their lead as they took 144 with an Brody Rawa win via Major Decision and took 150 with an Owen Taylor win via Major Decision to lead 38-18. Oakcrest snagged one final bout at 157 (Layton Goggins loss via Major Decision) but the Wildcats put Oakcrest to bed, taking the final three bouts; at 165 Hans Francis won via Pin, at 175  John Jackson won via Forfeit, and at 190 Isaiah Elijah won via Forfeit. The Wildcats ultimately won 56-22, this win improved the Wildcats to 11-11 on the season.

Next, the Wildcats took on Toms River North, starting at 190, TRN set the tone quick, snagging 190, 215, and 285 (Isaiah Elijah loss via Decision, Ben Wilson loss via Pin, 285 Forfeit) to knock the Wildcats down 0-15 to start. Despite the rough start, the Wildcats responded in kind, taking the next three bouts afterwards (106, 113, 120) with Leo Reilly winning via Forfeit at 106, Daniel Platti winning via Pin at 113, and Michael Kirk winning via Pin at 120 to give the lead back to the Wildcats 18-15. TRN grabbed 126 with a Connor Quigley loss via Decision, but the Wildcats once again responded at 132 with a Wyatt Pharo win via Pin to keep the Wildcats’ lead 24-18. TRN responded yet again with wins at 138 and 144 (Adam Ahmed loss via Tech Fall and 144 Forfeit) to bring the Wildcats back down 24-29. The Wildcats kept it tight with a win at 150 with a Brody Rawa win via Decision (27-29). Unfortunately for the Wildcats, TRN took 157 and 165 (Owen Taylor loss via Pin and Layton Goggins loss via Pin) to close the door on the Wildcats’ hopes, and although the Wildcats won 175 with a Hans Francis pin, the Wildcats lost 33-41. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 11-12 on the season, and 1-4 against F-Division opponents.

Lastly, the Wildcats took on Ocean City in the last bout of the day, starting at 285 with Ben Wilson losing by Pin. At 106, Daniel Platti immediately responded with a 0:17 win by Pin of his own to equalize the score 6-6. Ocean City snagged 113 with a Leo Reilly loss via Pin and the Wildcats immediately responded again with a 120 win by Forfeit for Michael Kirk. Alas, Ocean City went on a little run, as they took 126, 132, and 138, defeating Connor Quigley via Pin, claiming a Forfeit, and defeated Adam Ahmed via Pin, all these losses created a gap 12-30 for the Wildcats. The Wildcats broke up Ocean City’s run at 144 with Brody Rawa’s win via Pin to close in 18-30, but Ocean City kept up the pressure as they took 150 and 157, defeating Owen Taylor via Decision and claiming a Forfeit to lead 18-39. The Wildcats had a final chance with a win at 165 via Hans Francis Decision to close 21-39, but Ocean City took the last three remaining bouts at 175, 190, and 215 with a John Jackson loss via Pin and two Forfeits. The Wildcats ultimately lost 21-57 and this loss dropped the Wildcats to 11-13 on the season. The Wildcats look to halt the skid, albeit are going to be against one of the hardest opponents all year against state-ranked Delsea at their place on Monday, February 16th as apart of the first round of the South Jersey Group 3 Team Tournament.

Boys Basketball: The Wildcats are 15-7 on the season and are 7-1 in the C-South. The Wildcats took part in three matches this past week, starting with a match against Marlboro at their place on Tuesday, February 10th. The Wildcats were unfortunately narrowly outmatched through all four quarters, as the Wildcats dropped the first and second quarters 10-19 and 13-23 to be down 23-42 at the half. Exiting the half, the Wildcats brought a contentious third quarter, narrowly falling 13-19, but the fourth quarter saw the flame die out for the Wildcats, as the Cats dropped the final quarter 2-17 to ultimately lose 38-78. The Wildcats were led by Josh Barongo’s 15 PTS and 7 REBs. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 14-6.

Next, on Friday, February 13th, the Wildcats hosted New Egypt as a part of the Shore Conference Coaches Cup, the final C-South opponent in their way before being able to challenge Brick Township for the C-South title. The Wildcats were in for a tough one, as the Wildcats were down 11-12 in the first, and 8-13 in the second to be down 19-25. Fortunately, the Wildcats locked New Egypt down, winning the third quarter 11-3, and put New Egypt to rest with a 13-12 fourth quarter. The Wildcats were led by Josh Barongo’s 10 PTS ,12 REBs, 4 STLs double double. This win improved the Wildcats to 15-6 and 7-1 in the C-South, setting the stage for a battle against Brick Township for the C-South title…but that’s not till Friday, February 20th.

Lastly, the Wildcats took on Toms River South at their place one day later. The Wildcats saw themselves outmatched early, as the Wildcats dropped the first quarter 9-19 and 6-9 in the second to be down 15-28. The Wildcats battled back to take the third quarter 14-10, but unfortunately lost the fourth quarter 9-13 to ultimately lose 38-51. The Wildcats were led by Josh Barongo’s 10 PTS and 8 REBs. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 15-7 on the season. The Wildcats look to advance towards the Shore Conference Coaches Cup crown against St. John Vianney on Monday, February 16th and ultimately look ahead towards Brick Township on Friday, February 20th to decide the C-South at HOME.

Girls Basketball: The Ladycats are 5-18 on the season and took part in two matches this past week. The Ladycats first took on Long Branch at their place on Monday, February 9th. The Ladycats were unfortunately outmatched early as the Ladycats lost the first quarter 4-14 and 6-8 in the second quarter to be down 10-22 at the half. Exiting the half, the Ladycats were unable to close the gap, as they dropped the third quarter 6-11 and the fourth 2-5 to ultimately lose 18-38. The Ladycats were led by Rory Krier’s 8 PTS, 5 REBs, and 7 STLs. This loss dropped the Ladycats to 5-17 on the season.

Next, two days later on Wednesday, the Ladycats once against traveled to Long Branch in the first round of the Shore Conference Coaches Cup. Once again, the Ladycats saw themselves outmatched against Long Branch, as they lost the first quarter 2-11 and the second 5-12 to be down 7-23 at the half. Exiting the half, the Ladycats found the hot hand, but it still wasn’t enough to eclipse Long Branch, as the Ladycats dropped the third quarter 8-12 and the fourth 7-11 to ultimately lose 22-47. The Ladycats were led by Rory Krier’s 10 PTS and Ava Plant’s 11 REBs. This loss dropped the Ladycats to 5-18 on the season, they look to get back on course against Cedar Creek at their place on Tuesday, February 17th.

Winter Track: The Wildcats took part in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 2 meet in Toms River. The Wildcats saw Heaven Copes and Katie Dillinger place 3rd in their events (Shot Put and High Jump), Summer Sprague took 4th in the 3200m Run, Peyton Auermuller took 5th in the 800m Run, and Holly Lucas took 6th in Shot Put. All of the Wildcats mentioned have advanced to Group States next week on Saturday, February 21st at the Bennett Center in Toms River.

Boys Bowling: The Wildcats are 0-15 on the season and took part in no matches this past week. Their next match is on Friday, February 20th against Toms River South at their place.

Girls Bowling: The Ladycats are 6-8 on the season and took part in no matches this past week. Their next match is on Thursday, February 19th against Central Regional at their place.

Pinelands Wrestling: The Wildcats are 10-10 on the season and have completed the quest for the G-Division title going a perfect 5-0 for the second year in a row in regards to divisional matchups. This back-to-back title is the first time the Wildcats have claimed two in a row since the 1993-1994 season in the then B-South under the legendary coach Bill Savage. In route to the final step of the ladder, the Wildcats traveled to Point Pleasant Beach on Wednesday, February 4th at their place. This match would determine whether the Wildcats would claim sole ownership of the G-Division or potentially have to share it with someone else. The matchup started at 106, with Leo Reilly winning via 0:53 second Pin (6-0), followed by 113 with Daniel Platti winning via 1:42 Pin (12-0), and 120 with Michael Kirk winning via 1:29 Pin (18-0). The run by the Wildcats paused with a forfeit at 126 (18-6), but the Wildcats immediately resumed their wins with Wyatt Pharo at 132 winning via Forfeit (24-6), Adam Ahmed at 138 winning via 0:41 second Pin (30-6), and Brody Rawa at 144 winning via 4:28 minute Pin (36-6). Another pause at 150 with PPB winning over Owen Taylor via decision (36-9), however, with Owen Taylor only losing via Decision, the Wildcats secured their victory over PPB and ensured they’d win their first G-Division title. Keeping their foot on the gas, the Wildcats secured 157 and 165 with Layton Goggins and Hans Francis winning their respective matches via 1:13 minute Pin and 3:58 minute Pin (48-9). PPB stole the remaining four bouts (175, 190, 215, and 285) with a Pin, Tech Fall, Pin, and a forfeit to make the score seem a much tighter 48-32, but the Wildcats were in the driver’s seat all match. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 8-9 and a perfect 5-0 in the G-Division to claim their first back-to-back title since the 1993-1994 season.

After attaining their G-Division crown, the Wildcats looked to travel to New Egypt to take part in a Quad match against Red Bank Regional, Overbrook, and New Egypt. First, the Wildcats took on Red Bank Regional. Starting at 138, Adam Ahmed got the ball rolling with a 1:31 minute Pin (6-0), however RBR struck back fast, as they took 144, 150, , and 165 via Tech Fall, Decision, Tech Fall, and Pin (6-19) to throw the Wildcats down a deep hole they now needed to climb out of. At 175, the Wildcats mounted the charge, as Hans Francis won via 1:49 minute Pin (12-19). RBR just kept smacking the Wildcats back down the base of the mountain however, as they took 190, 215, and 285 via Pin, Pin, and Decision (12-34), despite the arduous gap, the gap could still be cleared though. The Wildcats mounted their final desperate climb as Leo Reilly at 106 won via 0:33 second Pin (18-34) and Daniel Platti at 113 won via 0:55 second Pin (24-34). Alas, despite the incredible climb, the Wildcats fell at 120 via Pin (18-40) to make the match out of reach, and despite Michael Kirk at 126 winning via 1:38 minute Pin and Wyatt Pharo at 132 winning via 3:44 minute Pin, the gap was just slightly too large, as the Wildcats fell 36-40. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 8-10, however, they sought to get their getback immediately against Overbrook.

Overbrook’s roster was not filled out, but that did not mean the Wildcats had immediately free sledding, starting at 132, Wyatt Pharo won via Forfeit, Adam Ahmed at 138 won via Pin, Brody Rawa at 144 won via Pin, Owen Taylor at 150 won via Forfeit, Layton Goggins at 157 won via Forfeit, and Hans Francis at 165 won via Major Decision, all this winning gave the Wildcats an already massive 34-0 lead. Overbrook did respond however, as Overbrook took 190, 215, and 285 all via Pin to bring the lead within a far less comfortable 34-18, but this three match steal didn’t set a shift in the rhythm as the Wildcats took 106, 113, 120, and 126 all via Forfeit (Leo Reilly, Daniel Platti, Michael Kirk, Connor Quigley). The Wildcats would go to win 58-18 and improve their record to 9-10.

Lastly, the Wildcats took on the host, New Egypt. Starting at 126, New Egypt struck first with a win via Pin (0-6). The Wildcats returned the favor and more as at 132, Wyatt Pharo won via 1:02 minute Pin (6-6), Adam Ahmed at 138 won via Decision (9-6), and Brody Rawa at 144 won via 3:55 minute Pin (15-6). New Egypt matched the Wildcats’ rush with wins at 150, 157, and 165 via Pin, Decision, and Pin to push the Wildcats back down 15-21. The Wildcats however did not take this shove, as Hans Francis at 175 won via Forfeit and Isaiah Elijah won via Decision at 190 to lead again 24-21. New Egypt snagged 215 via Pin to lead again 24-27, however that would be the last time they see themselves in first. Infinite McLeod at 285 won via 0:12 second Pin, Evan Boyd at 106 in his first varsity match won via Tech Fall in 4:00 minutes, Daniel Platti at 113 won via Tech Fall in 3:56 minutes, and Michael Kirk at 120 won via Pin in 3:35 minutes. This rush back gave the Wildcats a 46-27 lead to close out their dueling. This win improved the Wildcats record to 10-10, and the Wildcats are likely going to compete for the South Jersey Group 3 title as the 7th or 8th seed! The Wildcats next look to keep the .500 record as they travel to Marlboro on Wednesday, February 11th.

Pinelands Boys Basketball: The Wildcats are 14-5 on the season and are 7-1 in the C-South. The Wildcats took part in four matches this past week, and started off the week against C-South rival Lacey on Monday, February 2nd at their place. The high scoring affair saw the Wildcats lead the first quarter 19-13 and 13-11 in the second quarter to lead 32-24 at the half. The already tight high scoring affair continued as the Wildcats took the third quarter 13-11 and finally closed out the contentious bout with a 19-10 to win 67-51. The Wildcats were led by Cayden Lucas with 17 PTS and 4 STLs. Chris Husni also put up 16 PTS, 5 REBs, 9 ASTs, and 5 STLs. Rex Kline also added 13 PTS and Tyler Garcia put up 12 PTS and 7 REBs. This win improved the Wildcats record to 12-4 and 5-1 in the C-South.

The Wildcats next took on Manchester Township only one day later at home. The Wildcats set the tone immediately with a 16-5 first quarter and a 14-7 second quarter to lead 30-12 at the half. Manchester turned up heavy as they narrowly lost the third quarter 16-18 and then won the final quarter 12-8, but the Wildcats kept the lead large enough to win 56-40. The Wildcats were led by Cayden Lucas with 15 PTS, Chris Husni’s 12 PTS, 6 REBs, 5 ASTs, and 4 STLs, and Josh Barongo’s 8 PTS, 11 REBs, and 4 ASTs. This win improved the Wildcats record to 13-4 and 6-1 in the C-South.

Next, the Wildcats took on New Egypt on Friday, February 6th at their place. The Wildcats started out cold, dropping the first quarter 5-9 and the second quarter 9-16 to be down 14-25 at the half. Coming out of the half, the Wildcats defrosted almost immediately, as they outscored New Egypt 14-6 in the third quarter and 22-9 in the fourth quarter to win 50-40. The Wildcats were led by Chris Husni with 14 PTS and Tyler Garcia with 12 PTS. This win improved the Wildcats record to 14-4 and 7-1 in the C-South.

Lastly, the Wildcats traveled to Matawan a day later at their place. The Wildcats started cold again as they dropped the first quarter 6-18 but immediately gained life anew with a 21-11 second quarter to be down 27-29 at the half. Exiting the half, the Wildcats tied Matawan 13-13 in the third, but lost to Matawan in the fourth, dropping the final quarter 10-18 to ultimately lose 50-60. The Wildcats were led by Chris Husni with 15 PTS and Cayden Lucas with 11 PTS. This loss dropped the Wildcats record to 14-5, the Wildcats hope to get back on track against Toms River South at their place on Saturday, February 14th.

Pinelands Girls Basketball: The Ladycats are 5-16 on the season and are 2-8 in the C-South division. The Ladycats took part in four matches this past week and first traveled to Brick Memorial on Monday, February 2nd. The Ladycats fell 7-10 in the first quarter, but alas the Wildcats were held scoreless in the second quarter (0-8) to be down 7-18 at the half. Exiting the half, Brick Memorial maintained its lights-out defense, as the Ladycats were held scoreless for another quarter, 0-11, the Ladycats however flipped the script and scored 4-0 in the fourth quarter, alas, they lost 11-29. The Ladycats were led by Ava Plant’s 2 PTS and 9 REBs. This loss dropped the Ladycats to 5-13 and 2-6 in the C-South.

The Ladycats next took on Central Regional at their place a day later. The Ladycats once again were overpowered, as the Ladycats were outscored 4-8 in the first quarter and 2-10 in the second quarter to be down 6-18 in the half. Exiting the half, it was a similar story for the Ladycats, as despite the increased firepower, the Ladycats still dropped the third quarter 7-12 and lost the fourth quarter 10-14 to ultimately lose 23-44. The Ladycats were led by Isabella Cooper’s 12 PTS and 4 REBs. This loss dropped the Ladycats to 5-14 and 2-7 in the C-South.

Next, the Ladycats took on New Egypt at home on Friday, February 6th. New Egypt’s scoring was not included, but the Ladycats put up 6 in the first, 7 in the second, 6 in the third, and 9 in the fourth to ultimately lose 28-33. The Ladycats were led by Rory Krier with 11 PTS and 7 REBs. This loss dropped the Ladycats to 5-15 and 2-8 in the C-South. Shoutout Dave Biggy.

Lastly, the Ladycats took on Matawan at home a day later. The Ladycats cold starts persisted, as the Ladycats dropped the first quarter 2-6 and dropped the second quarter 2-9 to be down 4-15 at the half. The Ladycats rebounded to merely lose the third quarter 10-11 but fell to Matawan in the fourth quarter 6-11 to ultimately lose 20-37. The Ladycats were led by Ava Plant with 5 PTS and 17 REBs. The Ladycats next look to get a game back against Long Branch at their place on Monday, February 9th.

Pinelands Winter Track: The Wildcats took part in the Shore Conference Championships on February 3rd, and the results I was able to see was that Katie Dillinger took 1st place in the High Jump and Trevor Barchetto placed 4th in the Pole Vault. The rest of the team took part in The Varsity Classic with Peyton Auermuller taking 8th place in the 800M Run. The Wildcats look to place yet again at the NJSIAA Sectional Meet on February 15th.

Pinelands Boys Bowling: The Wildcats are 0-15 on the season and took on one opponent this past week. The Wildcats traveled to Toms River North and lost 0-3. The Wildcats were led by Chris Rider’s MATCH HIGH 226 and also led the team in game average, being 179.33. The Wildcats look to finish the season strong as they take on Central Regional on February 13th at their place in the penultimate match of the season.

Pinelands Girls Bowling: The Ladycats are 6-7 on the season and are 4-4 in the B-South. The Ladycats won a close one 3-0, narrowly edging out Toms River North by narrowly over 20 points in the third game (535-516). The Ladycats were led by Annmarie Curcione’s team high game of 156 and team high average of 126.67. The Ladycats look to battle Brick Township at their place on Tuesday, February 10th in the first round of the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 2 Tournament!

Pinelands Wrestling: The Wildcats are 7-9 on the season, and remain in the driver’s seat for the G-Division at 4-0. The Wildcats had a busy week this week, taking part in four bouts this past week, with the first being a key G-Division matchup and Senior Night at home against Manchester on Wednesday, January 28th. The match began at 190, that saw Isaiah Elijah lose via Decision (0-3), at 215 Ben Wilson lost via Pin (0-9), at 285 Infinite McLeod lost via Fall after an incredibly back-and-forth match (0-15). This slate of matches seemed to create what could become a disastrous skid for the Wildcats, but they made sure to plant their foot onto the gas pedal the rest of the way, as the Wildcats went on to win eight straight! The scoring began with 106’s Leo Reilly who won via Pin (6-15), at 113 Daniel Platti won via Pin (12-15), at 120 Connor Quigley won via Forfeit (18-15), at 126 Michael Kirk won via Tech Fall (23-15), at 132 Wyatt Pharo won via Pin (29-15), at 138 Adam Ahmed won with a last second Pin at 5:57 (35-15), at 144 Brody Rawa won via Pin (41-15). This victory by Rawa secured the Wildcats the victory, but the fight did not end. At 150, Owen Taylor won via Major Decision (45-15). The eight bout streak ended for the Wildcats, but all that meant was a back-and-forth, as Layton Goggins lost via decision at 157 (45-18), Hans Francis won at 165 via Major Decision (49-18), and lastly, John Jackson lost via Major Decision to close the bout out with a Wildcats win 49-22. This win improved the Wildcats record to 6-7 and 4-0 in the G-Division. This victory ensured the Wildcats will at least tie for the G-Division title, but they can ensure they leave with the hardware with them if they beat Point Beach on Wednesday, February 4th at their place.

Next, on Saturday, January 31st, the Wildcats took part in a Quad at #11 ranked Toms River East. The Wildcats to open the Quad battled against Toms River South.  The Wildcats started out well at 144 with Brody Rawa’s victory via Decision to start 3-0. However, despite the good start, Toms River South turned on the jets, and ensured the Wildcats could not close in, as Toms River South took 150 (Owen Taylor loss via Pin), 157 (Layton Goggins loss via Pin), 165 (Hans Francis loss via Decision), 175 (John Jackson loss via Pin), 190 (Isaiah Elijah loss via Tech Fall), 215 (Ben Wilson loss via Pin), and 285 (Infinite McLeod loss via Pin). This tear by Toms River South had them lead 38-3, ensuring the Wildcats could not storm back even if they won the remaining bouts. At 106 Leo Reilly won via contentious 11-9 Decision, but Toms River South took the next three bouts; 113 (forfeit), 120 (Connor Quigley loss via Pin), and 126 (Hunter Larsen loss via Pin). The Wildcats made sure to not lose on the sourest of notes however, as the Wildcats took 132 (Wyatt Pharo win via Pin) and 138 (Adam Ahmed win via Pin). This 18-56 loss dropped the Wildcats to 6-8.

After their match against TRS, the Wildcats took on former B-South rival Lakewood. Starting at 150, Owen Taylor won via quick Pin. Lakewood took 157 (Layton Goggins loss via Pin). At 165 Hans Francis won via quick Pin to give the Wildcats the lead 12-6. However, Lakewood started to put their foot on the gas, as they took the next three bouts all of which were via Pin (175, 190, 215) to lead 12-24. The Wildcats flipped the script on Lakewood however, as Infinite McLeod won with a 14 second Pin at 285, Daniel Platti won via Forfeit at 106, Leo Reilly won via Decision at 113, and Connor Quigley won via Pin at 120. Lakewood took 126 with a Hunter Larsen loss via Pin, but the Wildcats kept Lakewood down, as they took the next three bouts with Wyatt Pharo winning via quick Pin at 132, Adam Ahmed winning via Pin at 138, and Brody Rawa winning via Pin at 144. This 51-30 victory improved the Wildcats record to 7-8.

Lastly, the Wildcats took on the host, #11 ranked Toms River East. Although the Wildcats battled, Toms River East retained control all match. Starting at 138, East won against Adam Ahmed via Pin. At 144 Brody Rawa won via Decision, Hans Francis won at 165 via Major Decision, Ben Wilson won at 215 via Forfeit, and Wyatt Pharo won at 132 via Tech Fall. At the end of this week, Wyatt Pharo, Brody Rawa, and Daniel Platti went undefeated through the stretch, as Pharo and Rawa went 4-0 and Platti went 3-0. The Wildcats lost 18-55 and this loss dropped the Wildcats to 7-9, despite the almost demoralizing loss, the Wildcats look to get back on track against their final step in the ladder to claim the G-Division title against Point Beach at their place on Wednesday, February 4th.

NOTE FOR BASKETBALL: I intend to use splits in next week’s issue. Instead of listing each stat individually, such as; 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block, I will use 10 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK.

Pinelands Boys Basketball: The Wildcats are 11-4 on the season and are 4-1 in the C-South. The Wildcats took part in two matches this past week, with one of the C-South and another of the C-North. First, the Wildcats took on Lakewood on Thursday, January 29th at home. The Wildcats immediately set the tone for how this match would go, as they led an incredible 21-2 at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was a tad slower, but retained the Wildcats’ dominance, as the Wildcats won the second quarter 15-4 to lead 36-6 at the half. The Wildcats kept up in the third, leading 15-6 to lead 51-10, and let their starters rest in the fourth as they lost the final quarter 4-12. The Wildcats were led by Chris Husni with 16 points, three assists, and four steals. The Wildcats won 55-23 to improve to 11-3 on the season and 4-1 in the C-South.

Lastly, the Wildcats took on Shore Regional on Saturday, January 31st at their place. Alas, the domination of Lakewood didn’t travel with the Wildcats to Shore, as Shore outscored the Wildcats 7-16 in the first quarter and 9-13 in the second quarter to be down 16-29 entering the half. The Wildcats battled to narrowly lose the third quarter 11-15, but the magic ran dry in the fourth, as the Wildcats lost 8-22 to end the game. The Wildcats were led by Rex Kline with nine points and Josh Barongo’s six rebounds. This 35-66 loss dropped the Wildcats to 11-4 on the season and look to get back on track against C-South rival Lacey at their place on Monday, February 2nd.

Pinelands Girls Basketball: The Ladycats are 5-12 on the season and are 2-5 in the C-South. The Ladycats hoped to end their four match skid against C-South rival Lakewood at their place on Wednesday, January 28th. The Ladycats immediately set the tone against Lakewood as did the Boys, as the Ladycats outscored Lakewood 17-2 in the first quarter and 8-2 in the second quarter to lead 25-4 entering the half. Lakewood battled back exiting the half to tie the Ladycats 7-7 in the third quarter, but the Ladycats responded by holding Lakewood scoreless in the final quarter to win 5-0. The Ladycats were led by Ava Plant’s nine points, 11 rebounds, and two steals. This 37-11 win improved the Ladycats record to 4-12 and to 2-5 in the C-South division.

Lastly, the Ladycats took on Oakcrest at home on Saturday, January 31st. Quarter-by-Quarter data was not provided for this match, but the Ladycats won 34-29 and were led by Ava Plant with 13 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and five blocks. Rory Krier also recorded five steals and Brooke Budd recorded 11 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. This 34-29 victory improved the Ladycats to 5-12 on the season and has now started a mini win-streak, the Ladycats look to keep the good times rolling with their next match against Brick Memorial in a C-South divisional matchup at their place on Monday, February 2nd. 

Pinelands Winter Track: The Wildcats took part in no matches this week and have been prepping themselves for their next meet at the Armory in New York City on Tuesday, February 3rd.

Pinelands Boys Bowling: The Wildcats are 0-14 on the season and took part in one match this past week. The Wildcats took on Brick Memorial at their place on Friday, January 30th. The Wildcats lost 0-3 and were led by Chris Rider’s high game of 194 and team-high average of 168. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 0-14 on the season and hope to get back on track against Central Regional at their place on Friday, February 13th.

Pinelands Girls Bowling: The Ladycats are 5-7 on the season and remain 4-4 in the B-South, putting them 3rd of six teams. The Ladycats took part in one match this past week against Brick Memorial on Friday, January 30th. The Ladycats lost 0-3 and were led by Leah Schmidt’s team-game high of 156 and were led by Annmarie Curcione’s team-high average of 130.33. This loss dropped the Ladycats to 5-7 on the season and hope to stop the two match skid against Central Regional at their place on Thursday, February 19th.

Pinelands Wrestling: The Wildcats are 5-7 on the season and 3-0 in the G-Division.  The Wildcats took part in only one event this past week, that being the Shore Conference Tournament on Saturday, January 24th at Lakewood. First, Daniel Platti, ranked #12 out of 16 wrestlers in the 106 bracket, defeated his first round opponent, #5 ranked Julian Fortunato via 9-5 Decision. He then went on to lose his second round matchup against #4 ranked Justin Jani via 6-15 Major Decision. As a result, he dropped down to the losers’ bracket, and defeated #9 ranked Carson Taylor via 5-3 Decision, he then lost against #3 ranked Riley Correal via 0-14 Major Decision. His final stop on the very eventful day was in the 5th place match, where he lost to #6 ranked Luke Eberhard via Medical Forfeit. Daniel Platti finished 6th place in the Shore Conference Tournament, earning the Wildcats their first medal on the day. Next was 132, where #5 ranked Wyatt Pharo took on #12 ranked John Markowski, Wyatt won via Pin. Wyatt then took on #4 ranked Gage Grant, and lost via Fall. Unfortunately, Wyatt was one-and-done in Losers, as he lost his first round losers bout to #8 ranked Colin Barone via 2-10 Major Decision. Wyatt did not place. Next was 138, where #15 Adam Ahmed took on #2 ranked Tucker Pazinko and lost via 3-18 Tech Fall. Alas, he too went one-and-done on the day, as against #10 ranked Isaiah Heilala, he lost via Pin, ending his day without a medal. Next was 157, where #15 ranked Layton Goggins took on #2 ranked Matthew Anderson and lost via 0-15 Tech Fall. Bumped down to Losers, he took on #7 ranked Justin Farina, and lost via Pin, ending his day without a medal. Lastly for the Wildcats was 165, where #11 ranked Hans Francis took on #6 ranked Ray Purrelli and lost via Pin. Down in Losers, he took on #14 ranked Nico Cordova and lost via Pin, ending his day without a medal. The Wildcats saw one medaler, in 6th place Daniel Platti, and ended the day 28th out of 39 teams. The Wildcats next look to defend the Dome against G-Division opponent Manchester, where our Wildcats’ senior night will take place on Wednesday, January 28th.

Pinelands Boys Basketball: The Wildcats are 10-3 on the season and are third in the C-South at 3-1. The Wildcats first took on C-South Divisional opponent New Egypt at Home on Tuesday, January 20th, to celebrate the Cats’ Senior Night. The first quarter saw New Egypt lead 9-4, setting a frightening tone that the Wildcats may fall at home…HOWEVER, the Wildcats merely hunkered down and locked in, shots started to rain down for the Wildcats, as they outscored New Egypt 17-4 in the second quarter to lead 21-13 entering the half. Coming out, the Wildcats, motivated by the screaming fans, outpaced New Egypt 13-6 in the third, and 19-8 in the fourth to send New Egypt home, winning 53-27. Tyler Garcia and Chris Husni led the way for the Wildcats, as Garcia recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Chris Husni added 14 points of his own. This win improved the Wildcats to 9-2 on the season, and 3-0 in the C-South. 

They next traveled to Brick Township on Thursday, January 22nd, in another key C-South divisional matchup. The first quarter told the story of just how competitive this matchup would become for the Wildcats, as they barely led 14-12 at the end of the first. Brick Township started to put their foot on the gas, as they outscored the Wildcats 17-5 in the second quarter to lead 29-17 at the half. Coming out of the half, the Wildcats flipped the table on Brick Township, as they outscored Brick Township 18-6 in the third, but alas, the Wildcats failed to complete the charge, as Brick Township outscored the hard-charging Wildcats 14-11 to win via a game winner…53-51. The Wildcats, though they fought valiantly, could not complete the charge, they were led by Donny Johnston with 14 points, six rebounds, and 5 points. Tyler Garcia put up 11 points and four steals. This loss drops the Wildcats to 9-3 on the season, and 3-1 in the C-South, and now fall behind Brick Township in the C-South standings as a result of this loss.

Lastly, the Wildcats traveled to Henry Hudson on Saturday, January 24th, a non Divisional matchup. This game started high-scoring out of the gate, and kept such a pace the entire game, as the Wildcats narrowly led 14-11 in the first, and 13-11 in the second to lead 27-22 at the half. Both the Wildcats and Henry Hudson shot incredibly, as the Wildcats were narrowly down 18-23 through the third to create a cataclysmic fourth quarter with the Wildcats sitting tied 45-45. The Wildcats made sure to close out this meteor shower with a victory, as the Wildcats won the final quarter 17-11. The Wildcats had four double digit scorers, with Chris Husni (10), Donny Johnston (12), Tyler Garcia (15), and Cayden Lucas with a whopping 22 points! This win improved the Wildcats to 10-3 on the season. The Wildcats next look to defend the Dome against Lakewood on Thursday, January 29th.

Pinelands Girls Basketball: The Ladycats are 3-12 on the season and are 1-5 in the C-South. The Ladycats first took on New Egypt at their place on Tuesday, January 20th, the Ladycats saw themselves down early, with a 4-9 first quarter deficit. The Ladycats were unable to rally, and finished the second quarter 2-10, to be down 6-19 entering the half. Coming out of the half, though the Ladycats put up 6, New Egypt put up 9, and New Egypt closed it out with a 6-3 fourth quarter. The Ladycats were led by Brooke Budd with six points, but both Rory Krier and Ava Plant put up 10 rebounds in the loss. This loss dropped the Ladycats to 3-10 and 1-4 in the C-South.

Next, the Ladycats took on Donovan Catholic at home on Friday, January 23rd. The Ladycats weren’t able to find their footing against Donovan, as Donovan outscored the Ladycats through all four quarters, leading 15-8, 12-4, 15-7, and 10-6 to win the match 52-25 against the Ladycats. The Ladycats were led by Ava Plant who recorded nine points and seven rebounds in the loss. This loss dropped the Ladycats to 3-11 and 1-5 in the C-South.

Lastly, the Ladycats traveled to Henry Hudson on Saturday, January 24th in a non-divisional matchup. The Ladycats were again outmatched in the first two quarters, as the Ladycats were outscored 3-11 and 2-5 in a far-more defensive second quarter to be down 5-16 entering the half. Coming out of the half, the Ladycats were absolutely blazing, as they outscored Henry Hudson 15-9 in the third quarter to bring the gap down to 20-25, alas, Henry Hudson snuffed out the flame the Ladycats burned bright with, as Henry Hudson won the final quarter 9-5 to see the Ladycats fall via score of 20-34. The Ladycats were led by Brooke Budd with seven points. This loss drops the Ladycats to 3-12 on the season. The Ladycats next look towards Lakewood, where they’ll play at their place on Wednesday, January 28th.

Pinelands Winter Track: The Wildcats took part in the Ocean County Championships at “The Bubble” in Toms River on Thursday January 22nd. The Wildcats saw quite a few medalers once again, with Katie Dillinger finishing 1st in High Jump, Trevor Barchetto finishing 2nd in Pole Vault, Ethan DeLucia finishing 2nd in the 1600m Run, Summer Sprague finishing 5th in the 3200m Run, Jakob Rocheskey finishing 6th in the 55m Hurdles, Anthony Bonds finishing 6th in the Long Jump, Shamira Clifton finishing 6th in the High Jump, Heaven Copes finishing 6th in the Shot Put, and Peyton Auermuller finishing 7th in the 800m Run. The Wildcats next look to travel to the Armory in New York City on Tuesday, February 3rd.

Pinelands Boys Bowling: The Wildcats are 0-12 on the season and took part in two matches this past week. They first traveled to Southern on Tuesday, January 20th. The Wildcats were swept by Southern 0-3, but Chris Rider put up a monster high game of 212, and averaged 196 for the Wildcats in the loss. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 0-11 on the season.

The Wildcats next traveled to Ocean Lanes in Lakewood to take on Toms River East. The Wildcats were once again swept 0-3. The Wildcats were led by Chris Rider who had a team-leading high game of 168 in the second game, and led in team average with a 150. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 0-12 on the season. The Wildcats next take aim against Brick Memorial at their place on Friday, January 30th.

Pinelands Girls Bowling: The Ladycats are 5-6 on the season and remain 4-4 in the B-South division. The Ladycats first took on Southern at their place on Tuesday, January 20th. The Ladycats were swept by Southern 0-3. The Ladycats were led by Annmarie Curcione with a team high game of 149 and a team high average of 132. This loss dropped the Ladycats to 4-5 on the season. 

The Ladycats next took on Toms River East at our home bowling alley on Thursday, January 22nd. The Ladycats got back on the wins column, with a sweep of their own against Toms River East to win 3-0. The Ladycats were led by Leah Schmidt who recorded both the team high game and team high average (154 and 132.33 respectively). This win improved the Ladycats record to 5-5 on the season.

The Ladycats lastly took on Brick Township at their place on Friday, January 23rd. Brick Township swept the Ladycats 0-3. The Ladycats were led by Annmarie Curcione with her team high game of 162 and tied with Leah Schmidt for the team high average with a 121.33. This loss dropped the Ladycats to 5-6 on the season, and they hope to right the ship before the end of the season against Brick Memorial at their place on Friday, January 30th.

Pinelands Wrestling: The Wildcats are 5-7 on the season, and remain 1st in the G-Division at 3-0. The Wildcats first battled Manasquan in their first home match of the season on Wednesday. Manasquan unfortunately set the tone early and kept pouring it on. To begin, matches started at 138, where Adam Ahmed lost via Pin (0-6), at 144 Brody Rawa lost via Pin (0-12), at 150 Owen Taylor lost by Tech Fall (0-17), at 157 Layton Goggins lost via Tech Fall (0-22). The Wildcats got their first of only three wins on the night with Hans Francis’ win via Tech Fall at 165 (5-22). The Wildcats then had to give up three straight forfeits (5-40), before letting up an incredibly contentious 5-6 decision at 285 with Infinite Mcleod nearly having his kid pinned on two separate occasions (5-43). Daniel Platti put the Wildcats back in the wins column with a win via forfeit at 106 (11-43), but Manasquan went on to pin Leo Reilly (113, 11-49), Connor Quigley (120, 11-55), and Michael Kirk (126, 11-61). #8 ranked (according to shoreconferencewrestling.com) Wyatt Pharo in one of the premier matches of the night took on his Buc Classic rival #7 ranked (according to shoreconferencewrestling.com) Donovan Harvard in the last bout. This match holds special history, as #8 ranked Pharo lost to #7 ranked Harvard at the Buc Classic in the championship match. Wyatt and Donovan were even in the first period, before Wyatt launched his assault, he went on to dominate the second period, and win via Pin in 3:10. The Wildcats ultimately lost this bout 17-61, but it was not without its contentious matches. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 3-6 on the season.

The Wildcats next match was on Saturday, January 17th, where they hosted a home quad against Barnegat, Manalapan, and Monmouth, whom they wrestled in that order. They first took on Barnegat, where Barnegat struck first with a win via Pin against Connor Quigley at 120 (0-6). However, the pendulum swung in the Wildcats’ favor for the rest of the bout, as the Wildcats went on a four match run, with Michael Kirk at 126 winning by pin (6-6), Wyatt Pharo at 132 winning by pin (12-6), Adam Ahmed at 138 winning by Tech Fall (17-6), and Brody Rawa at 144 winning by forfeit (23-6). The Wildcats and Barnegat would go on to trade the rest of the way, as Barnegat beat Owen Taylor at 150 via Major Decision and beat Paxton Riivald at 157 via Pin to bring the match to 23-16. The Wildcats then reassumed their cushion with Layton Goggins’ Pin at 165, as well as Hans Francis’ win via Pin at 175 (35-16). Barnegat once again took two, as they defeated Isaiah Elijah at 190 via Pin, and defeated Ben Wilson at 215 via Pin (35-28). At 285, with the potentially momentum-swinging bout on the line, Infinite McLeod made sure to get his getback from Wednesday’s bout, as he won via Pin in 43 seconds to ensure Barnegat could not complete their comeback (41-28). Daniel Platti at 106 won via Major Decision and Leo Reilly won via Fall to close out the Wildcats’ first bout. The Wildcats won by a final score of 51-28, this win improved the Wildcats’ record to 4-6.

Next in the triple was Manalapan, they struck first and set the tone for the match. With matchups starting at 126, Manalapan took five straight, as Hunter Larsen at 126 lost via Pin (0-5), 132 was a Forfeit (0-11), Wyatt Pharo at 138 lost via major decision (0-15), Brody Rawa at 144 lost via Tech Fall (0-20), and Owen Taylor lost at 150 via decision (0-23). The Wildcats began to mount a mini-comeback, with Layton Goggins’ win via Pin at 157 and Hans Francis’ win via Pin at 165 (12-23), but Manalapan struck back with three straight pins of their own. John Jackson at 175 lost via Pin, Isaiah Elijah at 190 lost via Pin, and Ben Wilson lost via Pin at 215 (12-41). Although these losses already sealed the victory for Manalapan, the Wildcats refused to quit, as Infinite McLeod at 285 won via Forfeit (18-41), Daniel Platti at 106 won via Pin (24-41), and although Leo Reilly at 113 lost via Tech Fall (24-46), Michael Kirk at 120 won via Pin to close out the match with a Wildcats loss 30-47 (Manalapan earned an extra point). This loss dropped the Wildcats to 4-7.

Last, the Wildcats took on their G-Division opponent Monmouth, and instantly set the tone. The Wildcats made sure Monmouth didn’t even have a fighting chance, as they took the first NINE bouts! Matchups started at 113, where Daniel Platti won via Major Decision, Michael Kirk at 120 won via Pin, Connor Quigley at 126 won via Major Decision, Wyatt Pharo at 132 won via Pin, Adam Ahmed at 138 won via Decision, Brody Rawa at 144 won via Pin, Owen Taylor at 150 won via Pin, Layton Goggins at 157 won via Pin, and Hans Francis at 165 won via Pin. The Wildcats led 47-0! Monmouth finally put a dampener on the Wildcats’ hot streak however, with four straight wins of their own, as John Jackson at 175 lost via Tech Fall, Isaiah Elijah at 190 lost via Pin, Ben Wilson at 215 lost via Pin, and Infinite McLeod at 285 lost via Pin (47-23). At 106, Leo Reilly made sure to send them home, as he won via Tech Fall to give the Wildcats the commanding victory of 52-23. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 5-7, and improved their G-Division record to 3-0. The Wildcats next look to defend the Dome against G-Division opponent Manchester, where our Wildcats’ senior night will take place on Wednesday, January 28th.

Pinelands Boys Basketball: The Wildcats are 8-2 on the season, and sit atop the C-South with a 2-0 record. The Wildcats took part in three matches this past week, starting with an away game at Lakewood on Monday, January 12th. The Wildcats stormed out of the gate early, as they led 20-3 after the first quarter, and continued pouring it on as they built on their lead, winning the second quarter 13-9 (33-12) to enter the half. Out of the half, the Wildcats kept their lead, but Lakewood was now starting to mount a charge of their own, as the Wildcats won the third quarter 18-10 (51-22). Although Lakewood exploded in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats managed to stave off a potential collapse, as even though Lakewood won the fourth quarter 17-5, the Wildcats secured the victory with all their points accumulated through the first three quarters. Cayden Lucas led the way with 16 points, and the Wildcats came away with 15 team steals. This win improved their record to 6-2, and improved their C-South record to 1-0.

On Thursday, January 15th, the Wildcats traveled to Manchester, in which it appeared to be contentious out of the gate, as the Wildcats narrowly defeated Manchester in the first quarter to lead 13-10. In the second quarter, it appeared the Wildcats found their rhythm, as they outscored Manchester 17-6 to lead 30-16 to enter the half. Despite the supposed security, Manchester managed to narrowly defeat the Wildcats to take the third quarter 11-10, but the Wildcats made sure to shut down any potential comebacks, as they won the fourth quarter 22-15. Cayden Lucas led the way again with 20 points in this high scoring bout, and Josh Barongo recorded 13 points and 17 rebounds. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 7-2, and improved their C-South record to 2-0.

Last, the Wildcats hosted Pilgrim Academy on Saturday, January 17th. The Wildcats set the tone immediately, as they outscored Pilgrim 15-4 in the first, and 14-4 in the second to lead 29-8 at the half. Pilgrim started to really battle against the Wildcats, as they tied the Wildcats in the third quarter 8-8 (37-16), and even outscored the Wildcats 12-10 in the fourth (47-28), but it was too little too late. Josh Barongo led the way with 11 points and 7 rebounds. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 8-2. The Wildcats next look to defend the Dome against G-Division opponent New Egypt, where our Wildcats’ senior night will take place on Tuesday, January 20th.

Pinelands Girls Basketball: The Ladycats are 3-9 on the season and are 1-3 in the C-South. The Ladycats took part in three matches this past week, starting with a home game against Lakewood on Monday, January 12th. The Ladycats set the tone with a commanding 12-2 first quarter, and a lukewarm 8-5 second quarter to lead 20-7 entering the half. Coming out, the Ladycats had the hot hand, as they outscored Lakewood 18-4 to effectively seal the game away, and for good measure, the Ladycats won the final quarter 4-2 to win 42-13. Ava Plant recorded 14 points, and Rory Krier recorded 11 points and 9 steals. This win improved the Ladycats’ record to 2-8 and improved their C-South division record to 1-2.

Next, on Wednesday, January 14th, the Ladycats traveled to Asbury Park. The Ladycats immediately set the tone in this match as well, as they outscored Asbury Park 21-11 in the first and 8-4 in the second to lead 29-15 entering the half. Coming out of the half, the Ladycats kept pouring it on, as they outscored Asbury Park 14-8 in the third, and although they lost the fourth quarter 4-8, the win was locked up. Ava Plant recorded 21 points and 8 rebounds in the victory. This win improves the Ladycats’ record to 3-8.

Last, the Ladycats hosted C-South opponent Central Regional. Alas, the Ladycats hot streak got put out, as Ladycats fell to Central in the first by a score of 3-19 and the second by a score of 2-16 to be down 5-35 entering the half. The Ladycats halted Central’s scoring, but couldn’t mount much scoring of their own either, as they tied the third quarter 4-4, and lost the fourth 3-7 to ultimately lose by a score of 12-46. Ava Plant led the way with 3 points and 7 rebounds and Chelsea Marion recorded 4 steals. This loss drops the Ladycats’ record to 3-9 and 1-3 in the C-South. They next look towards taking on New Egypt at their place in a C-South divisional matchup on Tuesday, January 20th.

Pinelands Winter Track: The Wildcats took part in the Midwinter Classic at “The Bubble” in Toms River. The Wildcats saw ten total placers, with Summer Sprague (1600m Run), Peyton Auermuller (800m Run), and Trevor Barchetto (Pole Vault) all taking first place. Jacob Rochesky (55m Hurdles), Jayden Villa (55m Dash), and Immadel Clifton (400m Dash) took third place. Holly Lucas (Shot Put) and Shamira Clifton (High Jump) took fourth place. Drew Becker (Freshman Hurdles) took fifth and Ethan DeLuca (1600m Run) took sixth place to round out the finishers. The Wildcats finished 5th out of 20 teams, and just continue stacking on individual medals. It’s now crunch time however, as the team looks towards the championship-portion of the season, as they take aim on the Ocean County Championships on January 22nd, 2026 at “The Bubble”.

Pinelands Boys Bowling: The Wildcats are 0-10 on the season and took part in one match this past week. The Wildcats traveled to Point Boro’s home bowling alley on Monday, January 12th. The Wildcats got blown out early, losing the first game 581-776, but the Wildcats weren’t able to muster up a sudden charge, as they dropped the second game 608-1,007, and the final game 587-946 to lose to Point Boro 0-3. Raphael Gomez and Chris Rider posted a 159 high-game for the Wildcats and Chris Rider posted the best average, with a 146.67. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 0-10, and seek to get one on the wins column against Southern on Tuesday, January 20th at their place.

Pinelands Girls Bowling: The Ladycats are 4-4 on the season and are 4-4 in the B-South division. The Ladycats hosted Point Boro and made sure to set the tone immediately. The Ladycats won the first game 598-487. One could assume a commanding victory was coming, but Point Boro stormed back with a far-closer 563-541. The Ladycats began to enter a skid, but thankfully, Point Boro slowed down just enough as the Ladycats won the final game 536-520 to win 3-0. The Ladycats were led by Madison Seidenfaden’s high-game of 149, and were led in average by Annmarie Curcione with a 121.67. The Ladycats next take aim against Southern at their place on Tuesday, January 20th.

Pinelands Wrestling: The Wildcats are 3-5 on the season, and sit first in the G-Division now at 2-0. First, the Wildcats traveled to Freehold Township on January 7th for their second G-Division matchup. The match started at 138, and saw the Wildcats jump out ahead early, with Wyatt Pharo scoring a tech fall at 138 (5-0), Adam Ahmed winning by fall at 144 (11-0), Brody Rawa scoring a last-minute fall at 5:56 at 150 (17-0), and Owen Taylor winning by fall at 157 (23-0). The Wildcats dropped 165 via fall (23-6), but punched back with Hans Francis winning by tech fall at 175 (28-6). Freehold Township started to get hot near the tail-end, as they won 190 via fall (28-12), 215 via fall (28-18), and 285 via fall (28-24). Despite this dangerous skid, the Wildcats gathered their bearings, as Leo Reilly won via fall at 106 (34-24), and Daniel Platti won via fall at 113 (40-24). Freehold Township attempted to mount a comeback, as they won via fall at 120 (40-30), but the Wildcats made sure to keep the win in their court, as Michael Kirk won via fall at 126 (46-30), and although Freehold won at 132 via decision, the win for the Wildcats was secured, as they won 46-33. This win improves the Wildcats to 3-5, and makes them 2-0 in the G-Division.

On Saturday, January 10th, the Wildcats took part in the Buc Classic at Red Bank Regional, a tournament the Wildcats always compete hard in. The Buc Classic seven total placers, with the Wildcats earning medals in 106, 113, 120, 132, 138, 144, and 165. Michael Kirk took first place in the tournament at 120, he won via fall in 2:39. Daniel Platti at 106 and Wyatt Pharo at 132 took second place, Hans Francis at 165 took fourth place, and Leo Reilly (113), Adam Ahmed (138), and Brody Rawa (144) took fifth place. The team success the Wildcats enjoyed lent them a 3rd Place Finish as a team out of 18 teams. The Wildcats next take aim at Manasquan at HOME on Wednesday, January 14th.

Pinelands Boys Basketball: The Wildcats are 5-2 on the young season, and only played in one match this past week. The Wildcats played Lacey at home in a key C-South matchup. The first quarter set the tone for how this match will go, as Pinelands narrowly led Lacey at the end of the first 12-10. In the second quarter, the Wildcats and Lacey split, both scoring eight to make Pinelands’ lead 20-18 at the half. Coming out of the half, the Wildcats put on a defensive masterclass, as they outscored Lacey 12-4 to extend their lead to 32-22. In the final quarter, Lacey attempted to mount a charge, as all of their shots seemed to find the net, as Lacey brought it within six, but it was too little too late as the Wildcats scored 12 to Lacey’s 16. The Wildcats won by a final score of 44-38. Chris Husni led the way for scoring and assists, as he put up a game-high 16 points and five assists. Donny Johnston led the way with a game-high nine rebounds and two steals. Tyler Garcia also recorded a game-high two blocks. The Wildcats are quickly developing into quite the under-the-radar force, and I’m eager to see their continued success going forwards. The Wildcats next take aim against Lakewood at their place on Monday January 12th in a key C-South matchup.

Pinelands Girls Basketball: The Ladycats are 1-8 and 0-2 in C-South divisional play. The Ladycats had three matches this past week, and kicked off the week with a match against Lacey at home on January 5th. The game got out of hand quickly for the Ladycats as the Ladycats were down 4-11, and then 5-24 by the half. The Ladycats rallied to take the third quarter 10-7 to attempt to close the gap (15-31), but Lacey only kept their foot on the gas and outscored the Ladycats 20-7. The Ladycats lost by a final score of 22-51, and dropped to 1-6. Rory Krier led the way in scoring for the Ladycats with six points, two assists, and a game-high six steals. Ava Plant also recorded 10 rebounds.

One day later, on January 6th, the Ladycats traveled to Donovan Catholic. The Ladycats started out strong, as they led 10-8 at the end of the first quarter, but Donovan Catholic turned on the jets for the rest of the game, as they outscored the Ladycats 24-6 in the second quarter to make the score 16-32 at the half. Coming out of the half, Donovan Catholic kept their foot to the floor as they outscored the Ladycats 17-5 in the third quarter, and 9-3 in the fourth. Ultimately, the Ladycats fell to Donovan Catholic 24-58 and dropped to 1-7. Rory Krier led the way with 10 points, and a game-high five steals. Rory also tied for the lead in rebounds, with 4, with that being shared with Chelsea Marlon.

Lastly, three days later on January 9th, the Ladycats took on Brick Memorial at home. Brick Memorial got out to an early lead in the low scoring affair. In the first quarter, the Ladycats were down 3-10, they rallied back slightly to tie Brick Memorial for the second quarter, with both teams scoring 5 (8-15). Out of the half, the Ladycats looked on fire, outscoring Brick 11-3 to make it 19-18, the Ladycats’ first lead. Despite the rally, Brick Memorial completely flipped the game-script, as they held the Ladycats scoreless while putting up 18 of their own, ultimately the Ladycats lost by a score of 19-37 and dropped to 1-8. Isabella Cooper led the way in points with seven, and Ava Plant put up yet another 10+ rebound performance, with a game-high 11. The Ladycats now take aim towards Lakewood at HOME on Monday, January 12th in a C-South matchup.

Pinelands Winter Track: The Wildcats took part in a match at the Atlantic City Armory on Tuesday January 6th. This match served as a practice setup for the Wildcats to stay warm for their match on Monday January 12th to take on the Mid Winter Classic at the Toms River “Bubble”.

Pinelands Boys Bowling: No games were played at this time. Their next match is a B-South divisional match away at Point Pleasant Boro on Monday January 12th

Pinelands Girls Bowling: The Ladycats are 3-4 on the season, and took on Lacey at their place in a B-South divisional matchup. The Ladycats set the tone immediately, as they outscored Lacey in the first game 518-402, headlined by Fran Marto’s 121 first game. The second game told the same story, as the Ladycats outscored Lacey 525-411 with Fran Marto again turning on the jets, scoring a 148 high game across both teams. The third game told the same story, as the Ladycats outscored Lacey 487-397, headlined by Madison Seidenfaden’s 128 to close it out. The Ladyacts next take aim against Brick Township at their place on Friday, January 23rd. 

Happy New Year and good day to all, my name is Anthony Fuscellaro, I’m a senior, and I’m proud to be writing for the Wildcat Wyld and its first issue. I seek to turn this into a weekly series, which can live up to the incredible “The Cat Attack” that our school already has.

Pinelands Wrestling: The Wildcats are currently 2-5 on the season and sit first in the G-division at 1-0 with their 35-30 win over Keansburg back on December 20th. The Wildcats traveled to Cinnaminson High School and took part in The Pirate Duals this past Saturday. The Wildcats went 1-2 on the day, sophomore Connor Quigley, junior Daniel Platti, and senior Wyatt Pharo all went 3-0 through the duals. Their first match was against Voorhess High School, the Wildcats jumped out to a 12-0 lead after two forfeits, but relinquished that big lead right back to fall 12-12 after a forfeit and sophomore Infinite McLeod losing via pin at 285. Junior Daniel Platti gave the Wildcats the lead 18-12 after he pinned his opponent at 106, however Voorhees struck back after they pinned freshman Leo Reilly at 113, equalizing the score at 18-18. Sophomore Connor Quigley won via forfeit at 120 to give the Wildcats the lead back 24-18, and the Wildcats never looked back, going on to win their next three matches, with sophomore Michael Kirk tech-falling his opponent at 126, senior Wyatt Pharo pinning his opponent at 132, and junior Adam Ahmed pinning his opponent at 138 as well, making the score 37-18. Voorhees struck back with a tech-fall and a pin of their own, against juniors Brody Rawa (144) and Owen Taylor (150) respectively, making the score a much tighter 37-29, but the Wildcats made sure to put their foot back on the gas, as junior Layton Goggins won by forfeit at 157 to advance the score out of reach completely, and junior Hans Francis poured it on with a tech-fall at 165 to make the final score 52-29, Wildcats win!
After that, the Wildcats took on Cinnaminson High School, the Wildcats found themselves in a hole early, as they were down 0-12 after sophomore Isaiah Elijah was pinned at 190, and the Wildcats gave up a forfeit at 215, however, this lit a fire in the Wildcats as they went on to win their next six straight matches, with sophomore Infinite McLeod opening the scoring window with a pin at 285, freshman Leo Reilly won via injury timeout at 106, junior Daniel Platti won via pin at 113, sophomore Connor Quigley won via major decision at 120, sophomore Michael Kirk won via pin at 126, and senior Wyatt Pharo won via forfeit at 132, with the Wildcats leading 34-12! However, that’s where the Wildcats hot streak came to an end, as Cinnaminson struck back with a vengeance, going on to win the final six matches. Junior Adam Ahmed was pinned at 138, sophomore Robert Krawiec was pinned at 144, juniors Brody Rawa (150) and Owen Taylor (157) were tech-falled, junior Layton Goggins was pinned at 165, and junior Hans Francis was tech-falled at 175, the Wildcats lost 34-45.

Lastly, the Wildcats took on Cumberland Regional, the Wildcats opened with a loss at 215 as sophomore Isaiah Elijah was pinned to go down 0-6, the Wildcats struck back with a pin at 285 by sophomore Infinite McLeod to equalize the score at 6-6, followed by a major decision at 106 by junior Daniel Platti to give the Wildcats the lead 10-6. Cumberland Regional and the Wildcats continued to trade the lead, with Cumberland scoring a pin on freshman Leo Reilly at 113 (10-12), then sophomore Connor Quigley won via pin at 120 (16-12), then Cumberland tech-falled sophomore Michael Kirk at 126 (16-17). This back-and-forth finally ended with the Wildcats going on a small run, with senior Wyatt Pharo winning via pin at 132 (22-17), followed by a win via pin by junior Adam Ahmed at 138 (28-17), and a decision victory by junior Brody Rawa at 144 (31-17). The Wildcats would enter a skid following this hot-streak, as Cumberland would defeat juniors Owen Taylor via pin at 150 (31-23) and Layton Goggins via pin at 157 (31-29). Junior Hans Francis would bring the Wildcats back out to a more comfortable lead with a tech-fall at 165 (36-17), but the Wildcats would go on to drop their final two matches via pin and ultimately lose 36-41.

The Wildcats program clearly demonstrates immense heart, the team is not simply rolling over against tough talent, and continues to fight despite the odds stacked against them every single match. They look ahead to their next matchup against Freehold Township at home, a divisional matchup.

Pinelands Boys Basketball: The Wildcats are currently 4-2, mimicking their start of the season from last year in which they also started out 4-2. The Wildcats took part in two matches over this past week, both of which were a part of the Jack DuBois Holiday Tournament at Shore Regional. First, on December 29th, the Wildcats took on Asbury Park in the semi-finals match, the first quarter immediately set the tone for the Wildcats, as they led 11-5 by its end. The second quarter became a lot closer, with the Wildcats leading 23-13 by the half. Coming out of the half, the Wildcats were lights out shooting, as they outscored Asbury Park 21-7 in the third quarter to lead 44-20 by the start of the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter was the only quarter the Wildcats did not ‘win’ the quarter, as the Wildcats dropped that quarter 6-9. The Wildcats ultimately went on to win this match by a final score of 50-29 which raised the Wildcats to 4-1. In this game, the Wildcats were led by senior Josh Barongo, who led the team with 9 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Donny Johnston led the team with 3 assists and tied for the lead in steals and blocks (one and two respectively) with Josh Barongo.

Next, on New Years Eve, the Wildcats took on Shore Regional in the Championship match of the tournament. The Wildcats opened the first quarter in a highly competitive bout out of the gate, with the first quarter ending with the Wildcats narrowly ahead, leading 12-11 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, both teams slowed down their scoring, with neither passing ten points, however, the Wildcats were outscored by Shore in this quarter, with the Wildcats down 16-19. After halftime, both teams knocked the lights out, as both scored over 13 points in this quarter, the Wildcats ‘won’ this quarter, scoring 16 to Shore’s 14, the Wildcats were now down 32-33. In the fourth quarter, neither team wanted to lose, as both scored over 12 points in this quarter, the Wildcats once again ‘won’ this quarter, scoring 14 to Shore’s 13, this left the final score at 46-46, sending the Wildcats into their first overtime match of the relatively young season. Though both teams battled, Shore outscored the Wildcats 10-5 to wrap up OT, the Wildcats lose 51-56 in OT, dropping the Wildcats record to 4-2. The Wildcats were led in scoring by junior Chris Husni with 17 points, followed by junior Tyler Garcia with 14 points. The Wildcats leading rebounder was senior Josh Barongo with eight, the leading assister was Josh Barongo as well as Chris Husni, both with four. Senior Josh Barongo also leads the team in steals and blocks (two and one respectively). Despite the loss, this match clearly demonstrates how tough this Wildcats squad is, they will not go down without a hard fight. The Wildcats leaders are Chris Husni with 13 points per game, Josh Barongo with 11 rebounds per game, 2.3 assists per game, 0.8 blocks per game, and Donny Johnston with 1.5 steals per game. The Wildcats next take aim against Lacey at home on January 6th.

Pinelands Girls Basketball: The Ladycats are 1-5 in the young season and are currently treading through thick waters. The Ladycats took part in three matches this past week, two of which were a part of the first ever Lady Wildcat Classic. First, on December 29th, the Ladycats took on Lakewood in the first round of the Lady Wildcat Classic. The Ladycats ran away with this game in only the first quarter as the Ladycats outscored Lakewood 17-1 in the first. The Ladycats threw merely a piece of ice in their fire, as they ‘cooled’ to score only 12-3 in the second, entering the half the Ladycats led 29-4. Coming out of the gate, the Ladycats cooled a tad bit more, outscoring Lakewood 10-6 in the third quarter, and finally closed out the game with a 12-9 fourth quarter to ultimately earn their first win of the season via score of 51-19, of which improved the Ladycats record to 1-3.

Next, one day later on December 30th, the Ladycats took on Seneca in the final round of the Lady Wildcat Classic. As opposed to the Ladycats’ white-hot start against Lakewood, the Ladycats faced the inverse of that, falling far behind Seneca in the first quarter down 3-16. The Ladycats rallied back defensively as the second quarter saw Seneca lead by only four, as the Ladycats fell 5-22. Coming out of the half, Seneca turned back on their flame, as they ‘won’ the third quarter 14-2 against the Ladycats, and closed out the game with a fourth quarter win 7-2 as well. The Ladycats lost by a final score of 9-43, this loss drops the Ladycats to 1-4.

Lastly, on January 3rd of the new year, the Ladycats traveled to Ocean Township. The Ladycats opened the first quarter with deep contention against Ocean Township, as the Ladycats dropped the first quarter down 7-9. The second quarter saw Ocean Township start to burn hotter, as they won the second quarter 16-8, the Ladycats saw themselves down 15-25 entering halftime. Coming out of the half, the Ladycats were held scoreless in the third quarter, as they dropped a 0-13 third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Ladycats attempted to mount a comeback as they held Ocean Township to merely a single point, but it was not enough, as although the Ladycats won the fourth quarter 7-1, the Ladycats ultimately fell to Ocean Township by a score of 22-39. Though the season has had its ups and downs, it is clear the Ladycats operate on a scrappy basis, they will fight and claw where they can. The Ladycats leaders are sophomore Rory Krier with 8.2 points per game, 3.5 assists per game, and 3.5 blocks per game. Sophomore Ava Plant leads in rebounds, with 9.3 per game and 1.2 blocks per game. The Ladycats next take aim against Lacey at home on January 5th.

Pinelands Winter Track: The Wildcats took part in the Merli Invitational on December 27th at “The Bubble” in Toms River. The Wildcats took first place overall in the Small Group Division with both the Boys and Girls earning first overall. The Wildcats had eight first place medalists, with seniors Katie Dillinger (High Jump and Long Jump), Holly Lucas (Shot Put), and Jayden Vila (55m Dash) and juniors Anthony Bonds (Long Jump), Jacob Rochesky (55m Hurdles), and sophomore Kyrie Baggett (55m Dash) all earning medals. Senior Trevor Barchetto also attained first place in Pole Vault and broke the indoor school record with a 13’0” vault. The Wildcats otherwise had six second place medalists, four third place medalists, and seven 4th-6th place medalists as well.

Pinelands Boys Bowling: The Wildcats are 0-8 on the season entering the break. The Wildcats have seen tough sledding to this halfway mark of the season, as they have not scored a single point in their matches except their latest match where they fell by a score of 0.5-2.5 against Barnegat on December 18th. The Wildcats are led by senior Jacob Laufgas who has the highest average per game of 106, and also has scored the highest game for the Wildcats with a 182. The next match for the Wildcats will be on January 12th at Point Pleasant Boro.

Pinelands Girls Bowling: The Ladycats are 2-4 on the entering the break. The Ladycats have been a team of twos, they started out falling by a score of 0-3 in their first two matches to be 0-2, they then won their next two matches by a score of 3-0 to stabilize at 2-2, and then dropped their next two matches by a score of 0-3 to fall 2-4. The Ladycats are led by senior Annmarie Curcione who’s averaging 119.47 per game, and also holds the high game for the squad at a 167. The next match for the Ladycats will be on January 23rd against Brick Township at their place.

This recap will be focused on how the Winter sports teams performed in the 2024-2025 season.

Pinelands Wrestling: The Wildcats went 13-11, their first winning season since 2009-2010’s season. The Wildcats also went a perfect 6-0 in their division to claim their now tenth division title, which bookended a 22 year divisional title drought for the program. The program was highlighted by senior Jacob Greenberg, who finished with a record of 32-6, won the Golden Eagle Classic tournament at 165, and was ranked #10 in the Shore Conference by ShoreConferenceWrestling.com. He, along with seven other seniors graduated, but the young core for the Wildcats remains powerful.

Pinelands Boys Basketball: The Wildcats went 13-12, their first winning season since the 2018-2019 season. The program was highlighted by senior Ty Kline, who averaged 17 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.2 steals, and 0.4 blocks. He led the team in all statistical categories except blocks, in which senior Braden Fence had 11 blocks to Kline’s 10. The program lost seven seniors to graduation, but the Wildcats wield a large pool of juniors to now expose into the lineups.

Pinelands Girls Basketball: The Ladycats went 5-18, their highest win total since the 2019-2020 season, in which they earned 7 wins. The Ladycats wielded a three-headed monster of freshmen in Rory Krier, Isabella Cooper, and Ava Plant; they led the Ladycats in all statistical categories except assists, which was led by senior Gabby Loporto. The Ladycats lost four seniors to graduation, but the Ladycats wield an exceptionally deep underclassmen roster, the future’s bright for the program.

Pinelands Winter Track: 2nd at Merli Invitational, The Wildcats placed 2nd at the Merli Invitational, and broke three indoor school records. Junior Katie Dillinger broke the school record in high jump with a jump of 5’4”. Junior Trevor Barchetto broke the school record for pole vault, reaching a height of 12’0”. Senior Hannah Theuret broke the school record for the 55m dash, with a time of 7.84 seconds, breaking the record she set last year. Junior Katie Dillinger went on to advance to the NJSIAA Meet of Champions, in which she placed 13th overall, with her best attempt ranking among the top 10 highest in the state. The Wildcats lost a plethora of athletes, in which the Wildcats lost 4 boys and 8 girls to graduation, despite the loss, the Wildcats have an insanely powerful wealth of talent, the future is overwhelmingly bright for the program.

Pinelands Boys Bowling: The Wildcats went 5-12-1, their highest win total since the 2019-2020 season. The program was highlighted by senior Roman Desiato, who averaged a team high 167.14 game average. Fellow senior Jacob Moore (need to ask if he’s a senior or not), led the team in a total score, with a 630 high game, as well as knocking down the most pins (8,573) in 18 games played. The Wildcats lost six seniors to graduation, but to seek to rebound with their underclassmen.

Pinelands Girls Bowling: The Ladycats went 7-9 on the season, early in the season they rebounded from an 0-3 start to be 4-4 by the midseason mark. The Ladycats were led by the three-headed monster of seniors in Norah Pear, Molly Cogar, and Gillian Halford, of whom played the most games, and led the Ladycats in all statistical categories. Along with them three, the Ladycats lost six seniors total, but possess a young core to stay after it.