Boys Volleyball: The Wildcats are 13-5 on the season and are 6-2 in the B-South division. The Wildcats took part in three matches this past week, starting off with an important B-South matchup against Manchester at home on Monday, April 27th. The always tough Manchester gave the Wildcats a run through both sets but the Wildcats came out with the victory at home 25-20, 25-20. Aidan Courtney recorded 15 kills and Max Taurgrasso recorded 10 digs in the victory. This victory improved the Wildcats’ record to 12-4 and 6-1 in the B-South division.

Two days later, the Wildcats went against familiar foe Barnegat to determine the division, if the Wildcats win, they claim the division for the first time in 7 years, if Barnegat wins, the Wildcats must begrudgingly share the title with their rival for the fourth year in a row. Try as the Wildcats might, Barnegat grabbed the first set in a contentious 22-25 victory. Coming into the second set, the Wildcats knew what had to be done and working alongside the roars of the crowd…Barnegat was just too strong, defeating the Wildcats in the second set 18-25. In the tough loss, the Wildcats now have to share the B-South title for the fourth-straight year, Aidan Courtney recorded eight kills, Cayden Lucas recorded seven kills and 11 digs, and Josh Barongo recorded nine kills and two blocks in the loss. This loss drops the Wildcats’ record to 12-5 on the season and they wrap up their divisional play 6-2 on the year with a share of the B-South title.

To close out the week, two days later, the Wildcats traveled to Marlboro in the hopes for a bounceback game. Marlboro gave the Wildcats no quarter, threatening the Wildcats all of the first set, fortunately the Wildcats pulled through with a 25-22 first set victory. Marlboro’s firepower slowed down and the Wildcats pulled away with a 25-13 second set victory to win the matchup. Aidan Courtney recorded 11 kills and Cayden Lucas recorded 12 kills and 14 digs in the victory. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 13-5 on the season. The Wildcats next look to prepare the ramp-up for tournament play against Middletown South at their place on Monday, May 4th.

Baseball: The Wildcats are 5-8 on the season and are 3-6 in the C-South division. The Wildcats took part in one match this past week, hosting Brick Township on Wednesday, April 29th. Starting out, the Wildcats and Brick went back and forth, with the Wildcats up 3-2 through two innings. The Wildcats put up three runs in the fourth and coasted the rest of the way to defeat Brick Township 6-5. Nico Ramos went 2-3 at the plate with two triples in the victory. This win improves the Wildcats’ record to 5-8 on the season. The Wildcats look to go on a run against Shore at their place on Monday, May 4th.

Softball: The Ladycats are 7-10 on the season and are 3-6 in the Freedom division. The Ladycats took part in two matches this past week, starting with a home game against Jackson Township on Wednesday, April 29th. Jackson Township struck first, leading the Ladycats 4-1 through the middle of the third inning, but the Ladycats’ bats came alive, putting up five runs in the bottom of the third as well as six in the bottom of the sixth to defeat Jackson Township 10-5. Jozlyn Peterson went 2-3 at the plate as well as Alannah Lydon, Kendall Falduto went 2-2 at the plate, and pitcher Rory Krier struck out nine batters in the victory. This win improves the Ladycats’ record to 7-9 on the season and 3-6 in the Freedom division. 

Two days after that, the Ladycats hosted powerhouse Toms River East, out of the gate, Toms River East ran away with it, putting up a monstrous seven runs in the first inning to lead 7-0 through the middle of the first. Try as the Ladycats might to close, that first inning beatdown was too tall a mountain to climb, the Ladycats ultimately fell by a score of 6-12. Brielle Hartley went 3-4 at the plate and pitcher Rory Krier struck out six batters in the loss. This loss drops the Ladycats’ record to 7-10 on the season, the Ladycats look to get back on track against Freehold Township at home on Tuesday, May 5th.

Lacrosse: The Ladycats are 2-7 on the season and took part in two matches this past week, starting with a duel at St. Rose on Tuesday, April 27th. St. Rose unfortunately had the Ladycats number all match, putting up 12 points through the first two quarters to lead against the Ladycats 12-5, St. Rose entered damage control mode to close out the game, defeating the Ladycats 8-17. Ava Plant and Geneva Bright both put up four goals and goalie Madison Lowry recorded 18 saves in the loss. This loss drops the Ladycats’ record to 2-6 on the season.

Two days later, the Ladycats traveled to Oakcrest, Oakcrest’s powerful defense beared down on the Ladycats, as Oakcrest led 9-1 through the half. Oakcrest continued to pour it on, ultimately defeating the Ladycats by a score of 2-16. Ava Blase and Ava Gialloreto were the only two scorers for the Ladycats and goalie Madison Lowry recorded 10 saves in the loss. The Ladycats hope to see their fortunes change against Point Pleasant Beach on Monday, May 4th at home.

Flag Football: The Ladycats are 6-1 on the season and are 6-1 in the South division. The Ladycats took part in one match this past week, an away game at Manasquan on Monday, April 27th. The Ladycats got out ahead early, putting up 20 points in the first quarter and seven more in the second to lead 27-0 at the half. Exiting the half, both team’s defenses locked it all down, with neither team scoring the rest of the way, Ladycats win 27-0. QB Heidi Cyphert threw three touchdown passes in the victory, with Madison Fontanes catching two of those passes, finishing with a 7-80-2 statline, Bree McCorry also caught a touchdown, recording a 4-68-1 statline. On defense, Jayla Kline recorded two sacks and an interception, Shaley Bennett recorded an interception, and Julianne Platti recorded two sacks in the victory. This dominant shutout win improves the Ladycats’ record to 6-1 on the season and 6-1 in the South division. The Ladycats look to close out their season positively and with a share of the South division title against rival Barnegat at home on Thursday, May 7th.

Boys Tennis: The Wildcats have entered a hot streak, the Wildcats are 7-3 on the season and 6-2 in the Constitution division after starting out 1-3 in mid-April. The Wildcats took part in two matches this past week, starting with a duel against rival Barnegat at home on Tuesday, April 28th. All five Wildcats won handily, defeating Barnegat with little contention 5-0. This victory improves the Wildcats’ record to 6-3 on the season and 5-2 in the Constitution division.

Three days later, the Wildcats traveled to Point Boro against the strongest team in the Constitution division. The Wildcats would not see themselves denied at all, as the Wildcats took each of the first three matches into tiebreaking scenarios, with the Wildcats coming out victorious in each (Wyatt Pharo 1st Singles, Ryan Kelley 2nd Singles, Liam Fisher 3rd Singles) to immediately earn the victory. The Wildcats dropped 1st Doubles and 2nd Doubles, but the victory was already secured, defeating Point Boro 3-2. This incredible win improved the Wildcats’ record to 7-3 on the season and 6-2 in the Constitution division. The Wildcats hope to add their seventh win to their streak against Central Regional at their place on Monday, May 4th.

Boys Golf: The Wildcats are 0-14 on the season and took part in their final match of the regular season against Toms River North at their place on Monday, April 27th. The Wildcats unfortunately fell by a score of 183-164, with the Wildcats’ top finisher being Jackson Dever who tied for 2nd with a 41 on a 36 course par. This loss drops the Wildcats’ record to 0-14 and ends their season.

Girls Golf: The Ladycats are 9-0 on the season and are 7-0 in the A-South to take home the A-South title. The Ladycats had an overwhelmingly busy week, taking part in a tournament, a tri, and a quad match. First off, the Ladycats took part in the Shore Conference Tournament on Monday, April 27th, the Ladycats finished 4th as a team, with Morgan Tyhanic and Mia Martinez tying with an 81 on a 73 course par, a great showing against some of the best teams in the state.

Next, the Ladycats hosted Central and Jackson Township in a tri match one day later. The Ladycats took first and second through both matches, as Morgan Tyhanic and Mia Martinez scored a 39 on a 36 course par to tie for 1st. The Ladycats defeated both teams 194-211 (Central) and 194-225 (Jackson Twp). These dominant victories improve the Ladycats’ record to 6-0 on the season and 5-0 in the A-South.

Lastly, one day after that, the Ladycats hosted Southern, Toms River North, and Toms River East in a key A-South matchup. The Ladycats claimed first and second place as well as third in two of the three matches of the quad as Morgan Tyhanic scored a 33 on a 36 course par, Mia Martinez scored a 41 on a 36 course par, and Isabella Cooper scored a 53. The Ladycats defeated all three opponents by scores of 186-201 (Southern), 186-242 (TRN), and 186-249 (TRE). These wins improve the Ladycats’ record to 9-0 on the season and 7-0 in the A-South. The Ladycats have wrapped up the regular season, and next look to the NJSIAA SJ Group B Tournament on Monday, May 4th.

Spring Track: On Friday, May 1st, the Wildcats traveled to Southern Regional to take part in the Ocean County Relays. The Wildcats showed out immediately on the big stage, with the Wildcats taking top six positions in seven events, with 21 Wildcats taking home medals in the relay events. The team of Sam Kilasi, RJ Clark, Ethan Lubaczewski, and Peyton Auermuller took 2nd in the Boys Sprint Medley Relay, the team of Adam Ahmed, Christian Londrigan, and Jacob Rocheskey took 3rd in the Boys 400m Hurdles Relay, the duo of Katie Dillinger and Shamira Chilton took 3rd in the Girls High Jump Relay, the team of Camryn Popek, RJ Clark, and Anthony Bonds took 4th in the Boys Long Jump Relay, the team of Holly Lucas, Mackenzie Mathis, and Rhoda Ofori took 5th in the Girls Discus Relay, and the duo of Trevor Barchetto and Jace Smerdon took 6th in the Boys Pole Vault Relay. Although the Wildcats did not snag any first place medals, the Wildcats did take home an even greater accomplishment…the team of Peyton Auermuller, Ethan DeLucia, Andrew Schiattarella, and Simon Villanueva broke the school record for the Boys 4x1600m Relay, finishing the event in a blazing 20:15.34, ultimately finishing 4th in the loaded event. The Wildcats next will travel to Jackson Township to take part in the Bill Bruno Ocean County Championships running from May 5th to May 7th.

Boys Volleyball: The Wildcats are 11-4 and 5-1 in the B-South and remain firmly in first place for the B-South. The Wildcats took part in a whopping five matches this past week, starting with a duel against divisional rival Lacey at their place on Monday, April 20th. The tone was set immediately, with the Wildcats narrowly maintaining a lead all throughout the first set, snagging it 25-21. Lacey and the Wildcats continued to battle, trading the lead back and forth through the second, but unfortunately however, the Wildcats fell behind and dropped the second set 23-25. In the last set, try as the Wildcats did, Lacey outmatched the Wildcats, causing them to drop the third set 19-25. Aidan Courtney recorded 14 kills, Cayden Lucas recorded 10 kills, Josh Barongo recorded eight kills, and R.J. McKinson recorded eight kills in the loss. This loss dropped the Wildcats’ to 8-3 on the season and 3-1 in the B-South division.

Two days later, the Wildcats traveled to Kingsway in a marquee matchup against two strong opponents. The Wildcats were caught sleeping in the first set, losing it 9-25. The Wildcats woke up in the second with a 25-22 victory but dropped the third set 19-25. Since this match was played best of five, the Wildcats saw their hopes reinvigorated with a 25-22 fourth set victory to tie it up 2-2. In a final set played to 15, the Wildcats and Kingsway kept it close, but alas, the Wildcats saw their steam run just short of the finish line, dropping the fifth set 12-15. Aidan Courtney (17), Cayden Lucas (12), R.J. McKinson (11), and Josh Barongo recorded 10 or more kills in the close loss. This loss dropped the Wildcats’ record to 8-4 on the season.

Two days after that, on Friday, April 24th, the Wildcats traveled to Lakewood to battle them in a doubleheader. Through the first match, the Wildcats maintained a relatively close but secure lead, snagging both sets 25-14, 25-21. This great return-to-form victory saw Aidan Courtney record 12 kills and Josh Barongo record nine kills a piece. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 9-4 on the season and 4-1 in the B-South division.

Immediately after, the Wildcats took on Lakewood for the second part of the doubleheader. The Wildcats held the lead and outran Lakewood even further than last time, beating down on Lakewood 25-17, 25-9. Aidan Courtney recorded 13 kills and Josh Barongo recorded nine kills once again in the great win. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 10-4 on the season and 5-1 in the B-South division.

Lastly, one day later, the Wildcats hosted Sterling in another marquee matchup against two strong opponents. The Wildcats did not let the powerhouse in Sterling shake their conviction through the first as Kingsway had, defeating Sterling in the first set 25-12. Sterling rallied back hard against the Wildcats, but the roar of the Wildcats ensured they could not fall on this day, defeating a hard-charging Sterling 25-23 and securing the victory outright with a clean 25-14 victory in the third set to win 3-0. Josh Barongo recorded 13 kills and Aidan Courtney recorded 11 kills in the victory. This great win improved the Wildcats’ record to 11-4 on the season. The Wildcats look to keep the momentum up against Manchester at home on Monday, April 27th.

Baseball: The Wildcats are 4-8 on the season and 3-6 in the C-South division. The Wildcats took part in three matches this past week, starting with their rematch against St. Rose on Monday, April 20th at home. Try as the Wildcats might, they were overmatched immediately, as St. Rose put up 3 unanswered runs through the first three innings and only continued to pour it on, ultimately defeating the Wildcats 3-14. Unfortunately nobody was able to break through, with the Wildcats notching only four hits and six fielding errors in the loss. This loss dropped the Wildcats’ record to 2-6 on the season and 2-6 in the C-South division.

Two days later, the Wildcats hosted New Egypt in a much-needed rebound matchup. Both the Wildcats and New Egypt started out early, with the Wildcats leading 3-2 through the first inning, before dropping a monster four unanswered runs in the second to lead 7-2. New Egypt and the Wildcats continued to battle back and forth, with both sides tacking on more runs, but by the end of the seventh, the Wildcats emerged victorious, winning 9-6. Tyler Dean went 3-4 at the plate with two RBIs and one triple. Ethan Kuna also recorded a triple in the much-needed victory. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 3-6 on the season and 3-6 in the C-South division.

Lastly, two days after that, the #14 seeded Wildcats took on the #3 seeded Point Pleasant Beach in the first round of the Ocean County Tournament. The Wildcats were unable to muster up any sort of rhythm and fell to PPB 1-8. Sawyer Hodgdon went 3-3 at the plate with two doubles and a single. This loss dropped the Wildcats’ record to 3-7 on the season. They look to get back to winning against Brick Township on Wednesday, April 29th at home.

Softball: The Ladycats are 6-9 on the season and are 2-6 in the Freedom division. The Ladycats took on four opponents this past week, starting with an away match at Central on Tuesday, April 21st. Despite being down 0-3 through four innings against Central, the Ladycats saw their bats light aflame, putting up five runs in a do-or-die seventh inning to ultimately win 7-5. Cassie Gould went 3-3 at the plate and Kendall Falduto hit a homerun in the victory. Pitcher Rory Krier also recorded nine strikeouts in the win. This win improved the Ladycats’ record to 5-7 on the season and 2-5 in the Freedom division.

Two days after that, the Ladycats traveled to state powerhouse Donovan Catholic. The Ladycats did put up one run to lead 1-0 at the middle of the first inning, but Donovan Catholic shut the Ladycats down the rest of the way, ultimately knocking the Ladycats out by a score of 1-10. Cassie Gould and Madison Wilbert went 2-3 at the plate with two singles. This loss dropped the Ladycats’ record to 5-8 on the season and 2-6 in the Freedom division.

One day after that, the Ladycats hosted Wall. Wall struck first, leading 1-0 through the middle of the first, but that was the last time Wall would see the lead the rest of the way, as the Ladycats put up four to lead 4-1 through the first inning. The rest of the way, the Ladycats continued to pour it on to ultimately win 15-6 in dominating fashion. Jozlyn Peterson went 3-4 at the plate with five RBIs, Kendall Falduto went 3-4 at the plate with a homerun and six RBIs, and pitcher Rory Krier went 3-3 at the plate as well as recorded seven strikeouts from the pitcher’s mound. This dominant win improved the Ladycats’ record to 6-8 on the season.

Lastly, one day after that, the Ladycats hosted Freehold Borough. The two teams were tied up through three innings at 2-2, but Freehold Borough found their footing and left the Ladycats in the dust, ultimately defeating the Ladycats 3-8. Rory Krier recorded seven strikeouts in the loss. This loss dropped the Ladycats’ record to 6-9 on the season. The Ladycats look to find their way back to winning against Jackson Township on Wednesday, April 29th at home.

Lacrosse: The Ladycats are 2-5 on the season and took part in three matches this past week, starting with a home match and the Ladycats’ senior night against Manchester on Monday, April 20th. Coming off a two-game losing streak, one could assume the Ladycats may feel demoralized, but that was not the case on this day. Through two quarters, the Ladycats were up 7-2 and poured it on a little extra to ultimately win 9-4. Ava Plant recorded five goals and Ava Gialloreto recorded three goals in the victory. Goalie Madison Lowry also recorded 10 saves. This great win on senior night improved the Ladycats’ record to 2-3 on the season.

Three days later, the Ladycats hosted Donovan Catholic, through a relatively low-scoring first quarter that saw the Ladycats down 2-3, Donovan’s sticks found the net, massively pulling away from the Ladycats to ultimately defeat them 8-20. Ava Plant recorded four goals, Ava Gialloreto recorded two goals, and Geneva Bright recorded two goals in the loss. Goalie Madison Lowry recorded nine saves. This loss dropped the Ladycats’ record to 2-4 on the season.

Lastly, the Ladycats hosted Middletown North one day later. A scoreless first quarter could have lured one into a sense of a low-scoring, defensively-oriented affair, but Middletown North progressively found their footing to put up eight unanswered goals to defeat the Ladycats 0-8. Goalie Madison Lowry recorded 13 saves in the loss. This loss dropped the Ladycats’ record to 2-5 on the season. The Ladycats hope to rewrite their fortunes against St. Rose on Tuesday, April 28th at their place.

Flag Football: The Ladycats are 5-1 on the season and are 5-1 in the South division. The Ladycats took part in two matches this past week, starting with a home match against Manchester on Tuesday, April 21st. The Ladycats dominated utterly throughout, defeating Manchester 49-0 in a dominant blowout victory. QB Heidi Cyphert recorded six touchdown passes, with Brianna McCorry securing two of those touchdowns, Madison Fontanes, Kayla Harris, Kassidy Minor, and Kadince Plaia snagged the other four touchdown grabs. RB Jayla Kline also scored a rushing TD. Julianne Platti recorded two sacks on defense as well. This dominant win improved the Ladycats’ record to 5-0 on the season and 5-0 in the South division.

Three days later, the Ladycats traveled to Central in an important South division matchup. The Ladycats saw themselves down early, down 0-7 through the first quarter. The Ladycats would find the endzone in the second quarter to tie it up 7-7, and although both teams scored in the fourth, Central completed their 1-pt conversion whilst the Ladycats failed, ultimately defeating the then undefeated Ladycats by a score of 13-14. QB Heidi Cyphert recorded two TD passes and two INTs, Brianna McCorry and Jayla Kline caught the two touchdown passes. Jayla Kline recorded five sacks, with Julianne Platti also notching two sacks in the loss. This loss dropped the Ladycats’ record to 5-1 on the season and 5-1 in the South division. The Ladycats hope to put this loss behind them with a matchup against Manasquan in a key South division matchup on Monday, April 27th at their place.

Boys Golf: The Wildcats are 0-13 on the season and took part in two matches this past week. Starting off against Jackson Township at home on Tuesday, April 21st. The Wildcats unfortunately saw themselves outmatched with top end talent, with the Wildcats only notching two top five players to Jackson Township’s three (Dan Platti and Cole Dever both tying for third) with a 42 on a 36 course par to ultimately lose 177-166. This loss dropped the Wildcats’ record to 0-12 on the season.

Two days after that, the Wildcats traveled to Brick Memorial and with nearly zero data reported, the Wildcats fell to Brick Memorial by a score of 173-166. I can only view Dan Platti’s score of a 41, though I do not know the course par, or how he finished amongst his competitors and teammates. This loss dropped the Wildcats’ record to 0-13 on the season. I cannot see if the Wildcats are taking part in any other matches this week, but if they do, I hope they get a win.

Girls Golf: The Ladycats are 4-0 on the season and are 3-0 in the A-South division. The Ladycats did not take part in any matches this past week, but will take on the Shore Conference Tournament on Monday, April 27th at the Charleston Springs Golf Course.

Spring Track: The Wildcats took part in two events this past week. Both occurring on the same day, being Monday, April 21st…the Wildcats traveled to Southern to take part in the Fast Times at Southern High meet for the boys, whilst the Ladycats traveled to Lakewood to take part in the Shore Conference B-South Girls Championship meet. Starting with the boys, the Wildcats saw seven top-five finishers, with three top-two finishers, being Peyton Auermuller taking 2nd in the 800m run, Trevor Barchetto taking 1st in the Pole Vault, and Xavier Jones taking 1st in the High Jump. The Wildcats once again always find a way to the victory pedestal.

On the same day, the Ladycats also saw seven top-five finishers, with two top-two finishers, those being Katie Dillinger taking 1st in the High Jump and Holly Lucas taking 2nd in the Discus Throw. The Ladycats as well, always find a way to the victory pedestal and for good reason, there’s far too great of talent on the roster to ever see them left off it! The Wildcats/Ladycats look next to secure more hardware at the Ocean County Relay Championships at Southern on Friday, May 1st.

Boys Volleyball: The Wildcats are 8-2 on the season and 3-0 in the B-South division. The Wildcats took part in four matches this past week, starting with Wall at their place on Monday, April 13th. The Wildcats took care of business against Wall, defeating them 25-14, 25-11. Cayden Lucas recorded six kills and Max Taurgrosso recorded eight digs. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 6-1 on the season.

Next, one day later, the Wildcats hosted Triton. Triton gave the Wildcats a scare at home, nearly snagging the first set, but the Wildcats hunkered down and were unwavered, winning the first set 25-20. Triton attempted a rally and very nearly surmounted the mountain that was the Wildcats, but the Wildcats refused to lose with the Wildcat crowd at their backs, snagging the second set 27-25. This contested win saw Josh Barongo record 11 kills and Aiden Courtney recorded seven digs. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 7-1 on the season.

One day after that, the Wildcats hosted state-ranked squad St. John Vianney. The Wildcats battled with the state superpower, but unfortunately dropped the first set 24-26. The Wildcats attempted to battle back in the second set, but they ran out of steam, dropping the second set 18-25. Although the Wildcats fell to SJV, this proved just how powerful the Wildcats’ squad truly is. Cayden Lucas recorded seven kills and Max Taurgrosso recorded eight digs. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 7-2 on the season.

Two days later, on Friday, April 17th, the Wildcats traveled to Holmdel to round out their busy week. The Wildcats took care of business against Holmdel, sending them packing with wins of 25-18, 25-15. Aiden Courtney (11), Cayden Lucas (8), and Josh Barongo all recorded seven or more kills and Max Taurgrosso recorded eight digs. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 8-2 on the season, they look to keep the good times rolling against Lacey at their place on Monday, April 20th.

Baseball: The Wildcats are 3-6 on the season and 2-5 in the C-South division. The Wildcats took part in four matches this past week, starting with Manchester at their place on Monday, April 13th. The low scoring affair saw the Wildcats net only one run, scoring in the third inning to tie it up 1-1, but Manchester added another run in the fourth to close the door on the Wildcats, falling to Manchester 1-2. The Wildcats recorded only three hits with Tyler Dean scoring the RBI single in the third. This loss dropped the Wildcats’ record to 1-5 on the season and 1-4 in the C-South.

Next, two days later, the Wildcats hosted Manchester, rather than let their skid define them, the Wildcats would not be denied again. Scoring four in the second inning, the Wildcats kept Manchester at a far distance the entire game, adding on another run to match Manchester’s only run in the sixth to win 5-1. This win saw Tyler Dean and Chris Husni record one and two RBIs respectively on their singles. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 2-5 on the season and 2-4 in the C-South.

Two days after that, the Wildcats traveled to St. Rose, out of the gate immediately, both the Wildcats and St. Rose added runs, with the Wildcats scoring one and St. Rose scoring two at the end of the first. This back-and-forth affair continued but unfortunately saw the Wildcats fall to St. Rose 2-4. Paul Dunn and Tyler Dean recorded one double and Jacob Haywood recorded five strikeouts in four innings. This loss dropped the Wildcats’ record to 2-6 on the season and 2-5 in the C-South.

To round out the busy week, hosted Keansburg on Saturday, April 18th. The Wildcats administered a sustained attack on Keansburg the entire game, eventually mercy-ruling them in five innings 15-3. The Wildcats recorded 16 hits, Tyler Dean and Chris Husni both were perfect at the plate with three or more at-bats. This dominant win improves the Wildcats’ record to 3-6 on the season, they seek to maintain their momentum in a rematch against St. Rose at home on Monday, April 20th.

Softball: The Ladycats are 4-7 on the season and 1-5 in the Freedom division. The Ladycats took part in an insane five matches this past week, starting off against Jackson Township at their place on Monday, April 13th. The Ladycats struck first with a great five runs through the first three innings, unfortunately however, Jackson Township stormed back, putting up five in the seventh inning to ultimately defeat the Ladycats 10-11. In four at-bats, Jozlyn Peterson recorded three hits. This loss dropped the Ladycats’ record to 2-5 on the season and 1-4 in the Freedom division.

Two days later, the Ladycats traveled to Point Pleasant Boro and this time saw the inverse of what happened against Jackson Township, being down 0-4 through the first three innings. Though the Ladycats mounted a comeback, it came too little too late, falling by a score of 7-8. This game was a fair bit more demoralizing for the Ladycats as they put up two runs in the seventh but could not score just one more to enter extras. This loss dropped the Ladycats’ record to 2-6 on the season and 1-5 in the Freedom division.

Two days after that, the Ladycats hosted Toms River South, in a much needed bounce-back game, the Ladycats saw their prayers answered. Falling 0-2 at the end of the first, the Ladycats blew up to score 20 runs, as well as an eight bomb through the fifth to ultimately win 20-10 against Toms River South. This win was a much-need for the Ladycats and their morale. This win improved the Ladycats’ record to 3-6 on the season.

Last, came the Ocean County Tournament at Jackson Adventure on Saturday, April 18th. First, was the #9 seeded Ladycats VS #8 seed Toms River North. Nor the Ladycats or TRN scored through the first four innings, but entering the fifth, the Ladycats put up four and put up three more in the sixth, pulling away from TRN to win 7-3. Jozlyn Peterson recorded four hits in four at-bats and pitcher Rory Krier recorded 12 strikeouts. This win improved the Ladycats’ record to 4-6 on the season.

The Ladycats faced one more opponent on that Saturday, #1 seeded Barnegat. The Ladycats put up two in the fourth inning to lead 2-1 but Barnegat responded with two more of their own in the bottom of the fifth and the Ladycats were unable to reel them back in, falling by a score of 2-3. Rory Krier recorded five strikeouts in the loss. This loss dropped the Ladycats’ record to 4-7 on the season, the Ladycats look to return to form against Central at their place on Tuesday, April 21st.

Tennis: The Wildcats are 2-3 on the season and 1-2 in the Constitution division, the Wildcats took part in two matches this past week, starting with hosting Point Pleasant Boro on Wednesday, April 15th. The Wildcats found minimal success beyond winning 2nd Singles handily and a narrow loss in the third set 2nd Doubles, losing 1-4. This loss dropped the Wildcats’ record to 1-3 on the season and 1-2 in the Constitution division.

One day later, the Wildcats hosted Donovan Catholic and got a much needed return to form, although 1st Singles took a loss in the third set, every other Wildcat easily handled what Donovan Catholic threw at them, ultimately winning 4-1. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 2-3 on the season. The Wildcats look to keep the good times rolling against Lacey on Wednesday, April 22nd at their place.

Lacrosse: The Ladycats are 1-3 on the season and took part in two matches this past week, starting with Ranney at their place on Tuesday, April 14th. The Ladycats saw themselves outpaced early, as through the first two quarters, the Ladycats were outscored 2-8 and despite slowing Ranney down and snagging the third and fourth quarters, the Ladycats ultimately lost 6-10 despite their comeback efforts. Ava Plant scored four goals and Ava Blase scored two. This loss dropped the Ladycats’ record to 1-2 on the season.

Next, the Ladycats hosted Neptune on Friday, April 17th. The Ladycats outpaced Neptune, leading 4-2 at the half, but Neptune unfortunately pushed on the gas pedal to defeat the Ladycats 6-7. Ava Plant recorded three goals and Ava Gialloreto recorded two goals, goalie Madison Lowry recorded nine saves in the loss. This loss dropped the Ladycats’ record to 1-3 on the season. The Ladycats look to change their spirits against Manchester Township on Monday, April 20th at home.

Flag Football: The Ladycats are 4-0 on the season and are 2-0 in the South division, the Ladycats took part in two matches this past week, starting with a home match against New Egypt on Monday, April 13th. In a contested bout, the Ladycats led 12-6 in the first and started to slightly pull away, scoring 7 unanswered in the second quarter and minimizing the damage to ultimately win 19-12. Quarterback Heidi Cyphert recorded two passing touchdowns in the win, RB Jayla Kline recorded 107 yards on 6 carries and a touchdown, Heidi Cyphert also recorded an interception on defense. This win improved the Ladycats’ record to 3-0 on the season and 3-0 in the South division.

Next, the Ladycats hosted Howell three days later. The Ladycats took care of business, shutting out Howell in a blowout 19-0. QB Heidi Cyphert recorded three touchdown passes in the win. The Ladycats look to keep the good times rolling against Manchester on Tuesday, April 21st.

Boys Golf: The Wildcats are 0-11 on the season and took part in a quad and a tournament this past week. Starting off with the quad at home on Tuesday, April 14th, the Wildcats saw tough sledding, with Peyton Simoncini being the Wildcats’ only top five finisher, scoring a 42 on a 36 course par. Simoncini tied for 2nd or better through the quad, but unfortunately, the Wildcats lost by scores of 184-163 (against Central), 184-183 (Manchester), 184-183 (Brick Township), and 184-171 (Toms River North). All these losses dropped the Wildcats’ record to 0-11 on the season.

One day later, the Wildcats took part in the Ocean County Tournament, the Wildcats unfortunately placed last of the 15 participants. The Wildcats’ best placer was 63rd placer Jackson Dever with a 105 of a 72 course par. The Wildcats look to right their wrongs against Jackson Township on Tuesday, April 21st.

Girls Golf: The Ladycats are 4-0 on the season and 3-0 in the A-South division. The Ladycats took part in two matches this past week, one tournament and one duel. First, the Ladycats took part in the Ocean County Tournament on Monday, April 13th. The Ladycats won the tournament! Taking 1st place by two points over Southern. Morgan Tyhanic scored 74 on a 71 course par to place 1st, Mia Martinez also scored an 81 to take third overall. The team effort ended up with the Ladycats taking home the trophy!

Three days later, the Ladycats traveled to Donovan Catholic. The Ladycats won with a dominant showing, defeating Donovan Catholic 200-223. Mia Martinez scored a 36 on a 36 course par (awesome!) and Morgan Tyhanic scored a 40. This win improved the Ladycats’ record to 4-0 on the season. I cannot see when the Ladycats will next play, but I am certain, they’re a scary good squad no matter who they’re up against.

Spring Track: On Tuesday, April 14th, the Wildcats team traveled to Barnegat, taking part in the B-South Divisional Championships. The Wildcats competed well throughout and saw many Wildcats earn personal bests through their specific events. Five Wildcats placed in the top three at the B-South Divisional Championships, being Jakob Rocheskey finishing 2nd with a personal best at the 110m Hurdles, Peyton Auermuller finishing 2nd with a personal best at the 400m Hurdles, Monty Carter finishing 2nd with a personal best at the Javelin Throw, Xavier Jones finishing 3rd at the High Jump, Trevor Barchetto finishing 2nd at the Pole Vault, and Rj Clark finishing 3rd at the Long Jump. Despite no Wildcats placing 1st, the Wildcats were all over the place amongst the top five placers in each event; as out of 16 events, the Wildcats had a top five placer in 10/16! The Wildcats earned themselves a nice bit of hardware at the B-South Divisional Championships and will next travel to Southern on Tuesday, April 21st for Southern’s “Fast Times at Southern High” event.

Boys Volleyball: The Wildcats are 5-1 on the season and are 3-0 in the B-South division. The Wildcats took part in four matches this past week, starting off with a Tri against Egg Harbor Township and Lenape at home on Tuesday, April 7th. A clash of two undefeated teams, the first set immediately set the stage. An entertaining back-and-forth that went to a deuce (win by two) but alas, the Wildcats got the short end of the stick, losing the first set 26-28. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, their rally was cut short, falling to EHT in the second set 22-25. This loss dropped the Wildcats’ record to 2-1 on the season.

Immediately after, the Wildcats took on Lenape and immediately saw their fortunes shift towards the skies. Through the first set, the Wildcats grabbed the first, winning 25-19 and kept the heat on, snagging the second 25-20. R.J. McKinson recorded four blocks in the victory. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 3-1 on the season.

Two days later, the Wildcats hosted rival Lacey in what often becomes an always contentious match. Despite the home field advantage, Lacey struck first, defeating the Wildcats in the first set, 22-25. Rather than let this stealing of the first set demoralize the Wildcats, this only cranked the intensity up to eleven, as the Wildcats grabbed the second set 25-16 and beat up on Lacey even harder, taking the third set 25-14. This dominant turnaround serves as a pretty great representation of the Wildcats as a team, never count them out. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 4-1 on the season and 2-0 in the B-South.

Lastly, one day after that, the Wildcats traveled to our greatest rival, Barnegat. Last season, these two were in a dogfight for the B-South title which resulted in the two begrudgingly sharing it. The Wildcats struck first, taking the first set 25-19, however, Barnegat started to enact a turnaround of their own, defeating the Wildcats in the second set 22-25. In the end though, the Wildcats would not let themselves be denied, taking the third set 25-22, R.J. McKinson once again recorded four blocks in the victory. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 5-1 on the season and 3-0 in the B-South, which currently places them 1st in the division by a wide margin (next closest B-South hopeful is 2-2). The Wildcats look to keep the good times rolling on Monday, April 13th against Wall at their place.

Baseball: The Wildcats are 1-4 on the season and are 1-3 in the C-South division. The Wildcats took part in two matches this past week, both being against rival Barnegat. First, on Tuesday, April 7th, the Wildcats traveled to Barnegat. Unfortunately (though I cannot see the inning-by-inning data), the Wildcats fell to Barnegat with a loss, losing 2-6. This loss dropped the Wildcats’ record to 1-3 on the season and 1-2 in the C-South division.

Next, two days after that, the Wildcats hosted Barnegat. Barnegat struck first, scoring three in the first inning and with that outpouring at the start, the Wildcats were forced to play catch up. Through seven innings, the Wildcats were able to grab three runs of their own, but Barnegat put on an extra two, ending the Wildcats’ hopes with a loss, 3-5. This loss dropped the Wildcats’ record to 1-4 on the season and 1-3 in the C-South. The Wildcats hope to see their fortunes change against Manchester at their place on Monday, April 13th.

Softball: The Ladyacts are 2-4 on the season and are 1-3 in the Freedom division. The Ladycats took part in four matches this past week, starting with hosting Donovan Catholic on Tuesday, April 7th. Unfortunately, the Wildcats saw themselves down five runs after the first inning, and unfortunately were unable to halt Donovan Catholic’s offense, or produce any offense of their own, losing 0-11 in a blowout/shutout. This loss dropped the Ladycats to 1-2 on the season and 1-2 in the Freedom division.

Two days after that, the Ladycats hosted Southern but unfortunately saw nearly a mirror image from their match against Donovan Catholic. Being down three through the first and never finding any success throughout the rest of the match, ultimately losing 0-11. This loss dropped the Ladycats to 1-3 on the season and 1-3 in the Freedom division.

One day after that, the Ladycats traveled to rival Barnegat in a contentious matchup. Through four innings, the Ladycats held the lead 1-0. Despite the low-scoring affair and the shutdown pitching performances from both sides, Barnegat put up two in the fifth and two in the sixth to knock the Ladycats down 1-4. Unfortunately for the Ladycats, they were unable to tack on any more runs and lost 1-4, despite pitcher Rory Krier’s eight strikeout performance. This loss dropped the Ladycats to 1-4 on the season and 1-4 in the Freedom division.

To round out the crazy-packed week, the Ladycats, in desperate need of a rally, saw their prayers answered against Lacey at home, one day after their battle against Barnegat. Though Lacey put up two at the top of the first, the Ladycats responded with four of their own. Before the Ladycats even let it be a match, the Ladycats put up ten in the bottom of the second to lead 14-2. Through the rest of the match, no team put up runs except the Ladycats in the bottom of the fourth with three more runs. In a much needed turnaround the Ladycats won 17-2 in an absolutely dominating fashion. This win improved the Ladycats’ record to 2-4 on the season. The Ladyacts hope to ride this momentum against Jackson Township at their place on Monday, April 13th.

Tennis: The Wildcats are 1-2 on the season and are 1-1 in the Constitution division. The Wildcats took part in two matches this past week, starting with a matchup at Middle Township on Tuesday, April 7th. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they were beaten 0-5 without any matchups being close besides 2nd Doubles. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 1-1 on the season.

Next, three days later, the Wildcats traveled to Southern in a marquee Constitution division matchup. The Wildcats grabbed 2nd Singles after a tough 1st Singles loss to tie it up 1-1. Unfortunately, Southern grabbed 3rd Singles and 1st Doubles to secure their victory, however the Wildcats did still grab 2nd Doubles through three sets. Alas, the Wildcats lost 2-3 in the end, this loss dropped the Wildcats’ record to 1-2 on the season and 1-1 in the Constitution division. The Wildcats look to get back in the winning column on Wednesday, April 15th at home against Point Pleasant Boro.

Lacrosse: The Ladycats are 1-1 on the season and are 0-1 in the Independence division. The Ladycats did not play in any matches this past week and will face Ranney on Tuesday, April 14th at their place.

Flag Football: The Ladycats are 2-0 on the season and 2-0 in the South division. The Ladycats took part in one match this past week, against Brick Township at home on Tuesday, April 7th. The Ladycats immediately got out to a big lead, scoring 20 unanswered points on Brick Township through the first quarter with Bree McCorry scoring two touchdowns from QB Heidi Cyphert and a 10-yard run from Jayla Kline. The Ladycats slowed their scoring down, but held Brick Township scoreless through the remaining three quarters to win in a shutout/blowout, 32-0. Alongside Kline’s TD run, Kline recorded 3 sacks, 10 tackles, and one interception. This win improved the Ladycats’ record to 2-0 on the season and 2-0 in the South division. The Ladycats look to keep the good times rolling against New Egypt at home on Monday, April 13th.

Boys Golf: The Wildcats are 0-7 on the season and took part in no matches this past week. The Wildcats look to right the ship against Toms River North at home on Tuesday, April 14th.

Girls Golf: The Ladycats are 3-0 on the season and 3-0 in the A-South division. Though there are no games currently scheduled, I’m still sure wherever else the Ladycats compete, they’re sure to be in contention to win every time.

Spring Track: The Wildcats enjoyed their spring break and did not compete in any meets this past week. The Wildcats will get back to it later this week at an unknown date.

Boys Volleyball: Apologies for not writing about their season in the past week’s issue. In the 2024-2025 season, the Wildcats went 20-9 on the season and 11-1 in the B-South, tying for a share of the title with rival Barnegat. The Wildcats unfortunately were defeated by St. Joseph Metuchen in the semifinals of the NJSIAA SJG2 tournament. The Wildcats also lost seniors Matt Davis, Zach Kay, Jordan Barlett, Ian Leeds, Heath Nelson, and Cooper Sobon to graduation, but the Wildcats roster has a plethora of young talent that I wholly believe will carry the torch for this current season. My prediction for their season is 21-8.

Now, to the past week’s actual recap…

The Wildcats are 2-0 on the season and are 1-0 in the B-South division. First, the Wildcats took on Manchester Regional at their place on Tuesday, March 31st. The Wildcats maintained control for the entire match, outscoring Manchester 25-14 in the first and 25-17 in the second to win 2-0. Senior Josh Barongo recorded four blocks. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 1-0 on the season and 1-0 in the B-South division.

Three days after, the Wildcats hosted their first home game of the season against Mainland, though the Wildcats saw tougher sledding, the Wildcats would handle Mainland, outscoring them 25-16 in the first and 25-23 in the second to win 2-0. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 2-0 on the season and look to keep the good times rolling against Egg Harbor at home on Tuesday, April 7th.

Baseball: The Wildcats are 1-2 on the season and 1-1 in the C-South division. To start the season off, the Wildcats took on Lacey at home on March 30th. Out of the gate, the Wildcats immediately got on the board, scoring one run in the first inning. Although the Wildcats were held scoreless in the 2nd and 3rd inning, the Wildcats got back on the board with one run scored in the 4th and 5th inning. The Wildcats and Lacey remained stuck in a dead-heat for the remaining innings, and saw themselves entering extras. Despite the ironman that was entering extras in the first game of the season, the Wildcats did not waver, with freshman Sawyer Hodgdon scoring the walkoff single to give the Wildcats their first win of the young season. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 1-0 and 1-0 in the C-South division.

Two days later, the Wildcats traveled to Lacey to finish the series, unfortunately, Lacey outran the Wildcats and the Wildcats lost 0-7. Unfortunately, I cannot see any inning-by-inning data. This loss dropped the Wildcats’ record to 1-1 and 1-1 in the C-South division.

Lastly, two days after that, the Wildcats traveled to the BlueClaws stadium to take on Southern in the Doc Cranmer Classic. The two squads started out 0-0 through the first inning, but Southern found their footing and poured on 14 unanswered runs through the next four to mercy the Wildcats. The Wildcats were unfortunately completely overmatched in this contest and failed to record any runs during the slump, ultimately losing 0-14. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 1-2 on the season. The Wildcats next look towards a battle against their rival Barnegat at their place on Tuesday, April 7th.

Softball: The Ladycats are 1-1 on the season and are 1-1 in the Freedom division. The Ladycats started off their season against Point Boro at home and set the tone immediately, scoring 5 runs in the first inning to lead 5-2. The Ladycats and PPB continued to go back and forth, but the Wildcats secured their victory after the fifth inning, scoring five runs unanswered to lead 13-7 and would ultimately go on to win 16-8 against PPB, recording 13 hits as a team. This win improved the Ladycats’ record to 1-0 on the season and 1-0 in the Freedom division.

Two days later, the Ladycats hosted Central Regional. Starting out, the Ladycats saw themselves down 3-5 through the second inning, but saw themselves get caught looking as Central poured on nine runs to the Wildcats four to be down 7-14. The Ladycats were forced to play catchup, but they had gone too little too late, ultimately losing 13-17 against Central, recording 13 hits once again as a team. This loss dropped the Ladycats’ record to 1-1 on the season and 1-1 in the Freedom division. The Ladycats look to move past this tough loss against Donovan Catholic on Tuesday, April 7th.

Tennis: Apologies for not writing on the Tennis team last season in the past week’s issue. In the 2024-2025 season, the Wildcats went 11-7 and were 5-2  in the Constitution division. Ultimately, the Wildcats advanced to the second round of the NJSIAA SJG2 before falling to Haddonfield 0-5. The Wildcats saw a majority of the varsity roster to graduation, losing 1st Singles starter Ty Kline, 2nd Singles starter Brady Fence, 1st Doubles starter Kai Santa Cruz, and 2nd Doubles starter Ryan Dunaj to graduation. The Wildcats unfortunately lost a lot of top-end talent to graduation this past season, but I wholly believe that the damage should be relatively minimal. My prediction for their season is 9-9.

Now, to the past week’s actual recap…

The Wildcats are 1-0 on the season and are 1-0 in the Constitution division. The Wildcats opened the season against Brick Township at home on Wednesday, April 1st. In 1st Singles, the Wildcats lost in OT, in 2nd Singles, the Wildcats won 2-0, in 3rd Singles, the Wildcats won 2-0, in 1st Doubles the Wildcats lost in OT, and with the deciding game falling to 2nd Doubles, the Wildcats never wavered, winning 2-0. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 1-0 on the season and 1-0 in the Constitution division. The Wildcats look to keep the good times going against Middle Township on Tuesday, April 7th.

Lacrosse: The Ladycats are 1-1 on the season and are 0-1 in the Independence division. The Ladycats opened the season against Long Branch at their place on Tuesday, March 31st. Unfortunately, the Ladycats were overmatched all game, ultimately losing 1-13. This tough loss dropped the Ladycats’ record to 0-1 on the season and 0-1 in the Independence division.

Two days later, the Ladycats traveled to Monmouth and completely shook off the rust that was the last game. In the first quarter, the Ladycats held Monmouth scoreless; as well as scoring one of their own to lead 1-0. The Ladycats and Monmouth continued to trade goals back and forth but the Wildcats got the last laugh in the end, repeating their showing of the first quarter, holding Monmouth scoreless in the fourth whilst scoring one to ultimately win 6-4. Notably, sophomore Ava Plant scored four goals and goalie senior Madison Lowry saved 12 shots. This win improved the Ladycats’ record to 1-1 on the season. The Ladycats look to keep the great times rolling against Ranney at their place on Tuesday, April 14th.

Flag Football: Apologies for not writing on the Ladycats past season in last week’s issue. The Ladycats in the 2024-2025 season went 9-2 and 5-1 in the South division, notching a share of the South division title. This is the 2nd (at least) share of a division title for the Ladycats in two years of the program’s existence, as well as being ranked statewide. The Ladycats were upset by Brick Memorial early in the season, but otherwise, went spotless all the way to the Shore Conference Tournament’s final round, falling to Rumson-Fair Haven 12-18. The Ladycats unfortunately lost seniors RB Avery Pritsch, DEF Kadync Keller, RB Mackenzi Laney, and QB Tori Beamer to graduation. The Ladycats have an incredibly diverse and loaded roster, and I am absolutely positive they’ll likely claim the South division title once again. My prediction for their season is 9-2.

 Now, to the past week’s actual recap…

The Ladycats are 1-0 on the season and 1-0 in the South division. The Ladycats took on St. Rose at home on Tuesday, March 31st…unfortunately, I can see zero data of the game, but the Ladycats shut out St. Rose 21-0. This win improved the Ladycats’ record to 1-0 and 1-0 in the South division. The Ladycats look to keep the good times rolling against Brick Township on Tuesday, April 7th at home.

Boys Golf: The Wildcats are 0-7 on the season and took part in three matches this past week. Starting off against Central Regional on Tuesday, March 31st, the Wildcats saw themselves overmatched throughout, with only Jackson Devers scoring in the top 5, scoring a 43 on the 36 course par. The Wildcats would ultimately lose 187-167, this loss dropped the Wildcats to 0-6 on the season. As this match was going on, the Wildcats were also battling against Donovan Catholic, unfortunately, it's the same story, as only Jackson Dever scored in the top 5, scoring a 43 on the 36 course par. The Wildcats would ultimately lose 187-170, this loss dropped the Wildcats to 0-7 on the season. Lastly, during the two day Wildcat Invitational, the Wildcats unfortunately saw themselves not scoring, with their best finisher being Dan Platti’s 91 on a 72 course par, finishing tied for 34th. The Wildcats look to notch a win in their column against Toms River North on Tuesday, April 14th at home.

Girls Golf: The Ladycats are 3-0 on the season and are 3-0 in the A-South, the Ladycats only took part in the Lady Wildcat Tournament on Wednesday, April 1st. The Ladycats won the tournament with a 398, being the only team scoring under a 410. The Ladycats saw two top five finishers, of whom claimed 1st and 2nd! Those being Mia Martinez’s 79 and Morgan Tyhanic’s 80 on the 72 course par. The Ladycats don’t have any other matches that I can view, but I’m sure whatever they venture to next, there’ll be great success.

Spring Track: The Wildcats squad took on Brick Township and Point Beach on Thursday, April 2nd. The Wildcats ultimately saw 37 total medalers. I am unfortunately unable to see more data, as well as if the Wildcats won the meet or not, but I believe they have. I am unable to see the rest of the squad’s calendar, but I am sure wherever they go next, they’ll be taking home plenty of hardware.

Congratulations to Wyatt Pharo (Wrestling) and Katie Dillinger (Winter Track) for earning Pinelands Athlete of the Month honors for the month of February.

Wrestling saw Daniel Platti, Michael Kirk, Wyatt Pharo, Adam Ahmed, Brody Rawa, and Hans Francis as part of the 2026 All-Division Team for the G-Division. Congratulations to Coach Adelizzi for earning 2026 G-Division Coach of the Year Honors.

Boys Basketball saw Chris Husni and Josh Barongo earn 1st Team All C-South honors Cayden Lucas earned 2nd Team All C-South honors. Coach Fred Johnson earned C-South Coach of the Year.

Girls Basketball saw Ava Plant earn 2nd Team All C-South honors and Rory Krier earn 3rd Team All C-South honors.

Boys Volleyball: The team has yet to play and will be fielding two seniors this year. This year has a plethora of juniors this year and may very well be the beginning of the team's "win now" mode. This team certainly is a powerhouse out in the B-South and I highly doubt the team regresses much, if at all. Though I do not have scrimmage data, I wholly believe this team will be actively in the mix for snatching another B-South division title this year. The season is upon us! The Wildcats will open against Manchester at their place on Tuesday, March 31st!

Baseball: The team has yet to play and will be fielding eight seniors this year. This year may very well be the “win now” team with how many seniors there are this season, but I wholly believe that this team will be competitive and tough. Though I do not have scrimmage data, after speaking to player Tyler Dean, he stated that the team is competitive and has hung with teams far stronger than them compared to being blown out years past. The season is upon us! The Wildcats will open at home against Lacey on Monday, March 30th!

Softball: The team has yet to play and will be fielding four seniors this year. This year offers far more flexibility in the “win now” category considering more than half of the roster aren’t seniors, I also wholly believe this team will be competitive and tough. I have no scrimmage data, but I assume the team has done well through them. The season is upon us! The Ladycats will open at home against Point Boro on Monday, March 30th!

Lacrosse: The team has yet to play and will be fielding four seniors this year. This year offers a lot of flexibility, although their four seniors have been staples of the program every single year, especially senior Madison Lowry, who currently serves as the team's only varsity goalie. I however believe this team will be strong, they’ve been strong in years past; and have a swath of young talent. The season is upon us! The Ladycats will open at Long Branch on Tuesday, March 31st!

Golf: The Wildcats are 0-5 on the season and 0-1 in the Woods Division. The Wildcats took part in one match this past week against Barnegat at home on Tuesday, March 24th. The Wildcats unfortunately lost 196-183. The Wildcats saw someone (can’t see the data) place 3rd with a 46 at 36 course par, as well as Jackson Dever, Brody Rawa, and Logan Dryoff all tied for 4th with a 50. Yet another close loss, but I believe my message from last week rings true, these Wildcats are starting to find their grooves. The Wildcats next will take part in the In-Season Tournament on Tuesday, March 31st.

Spring Track: The squad has yet to take part in any matches yet, but I still wholly believe they’re going to notch a plethora of medals and likely see a few Division champs along the way. The season is upon us! The Wildcats will open away against Brick and Point Beach on Thursday, April 2nd.

Congratulations to Wyatt Pharo (Wrestling) and Katie Dillinger (Winter Track) for earning Pinelands Athlete of the Month honors for the month of February.

Wrestling saw Daniel Platti, Michael Kirk, Wyatt Pharo, Adam Ahmed, Brody Rawa, and Hans Francis as part of the 2026 All-Division Team for the G-Division. Congratulations to Coach Adelizzi for earning 2026 G-Division Coach of the Year Honors.

Boys Basketball saw Chris Husni and Josh Barongo earn 1st Team All C-South honors Cayden Lucas earned 2nd Team All C-South honors. Coach Fred Johnson earned C-South Coach of the Year.

Girls Basketball saw Ava Plant earn 2nd Team All C-South honors and Rory Krier earn 3rd Team All C-South honors.

Boys Volleyball: The team has yet to play and will be fielding two seniors this year. This year has a plethora of juniors this year and may very well be the beginning of the team's "win now" mode. This team certainly is a powerhouse out in the B-South and I highly doubt the team regresses much, if at all. Though I do not have scrimmage data, I wholly believe this team will be actively in the mix for snatching another B-South division title this year.
My official prediction for their record is 19-10 (Did a bit more digging compared to last week).

Baseball: The team has yet to play and will be fielding eight seniors this year. This year may very well be the “win now” team with how many seniors there are this season, but I wholly believe that this team will be competitive and tough. Though I do not have scrimmage data, after speaking to player Tyler Dean, he stated that the team is competitive and has hung with teams far stronger than them compared to being blown out years past. 

My official prediction for their record is: 8-14.

Softball: The team has yet to play and will be fielding four seniors this year. This year offers far more flexibility in the “win now” category considering more than half of the roster aren’t seniors, I also wholly believe this team will be competitive and tough. I have no scrimmage data, but I assume the team has done well through them. 

My official prediction for their record is (assuming they play 23 games again): 16-7.

Lacrosse: The team has yet to play and will be fielding four seniors this year. This year offers a lot of flexibility, although their four seniors have been staples of the program every single year, especially senior Madison Lowry, who currently serves as the team's only varsity goalie. I however believe this team will be strong, they’ve been strong in years past; and have a swath of young talent. 

My official prediction for their record is (assuming they play 14 games again): 5-9.

Golf: The Wildcats are 0-4 on the season and are 0-1 in the Woods Division. The Wildcats took part in four matches this past week, unfortunately losing all of them. First, the Wildcats saw Cedar Creek come to their place on Tuesday, March 17th as part of a Quad match (along with Brick Memorial and Southern). The Wildcats lost 216-181 and unfortunately only saw one golfer in the top five, that being junior Jackson Dever, who scored a 51 at the 36 course par. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 0-1 on the season.

Next, the Wildcats took on Brick Memorial but unfortunately lost 216-193 and saw only one golfer in the top five, that being Jackson Dever, who scored a 51 yet again. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 0-2 on the season and 0-1 in the Woods division.

Lastly, the Wildcats took on Southern but unfortunately lost 216-159, the Wildcats top finisher was 7th place Jackson Dever who scored a 51. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 0-3 on the season.

The Wildcats took part in a fourth match this past week, that being against Lacey at their place on Thursday, March 19th, the Wildcats narrowly lost 184-180. At a 36 course par, junior Brody Rawa placed in 2nd with a 44, junior Cole Dever also tied for 3rd with a 46. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 0-4 on the season. These losses are tough, but its evident the Wildcats have nearly found their footing and hopefully by next week, they’ll have notched one in the wins column. The Wildcats look next to battle against rival Barnegat at their place on Tuesday, March 24th.

Spring Track: The squad has yet to take part in any matches yet, but I still wholly believe they’re going to notch a plethora of medals and likely see a few Division champs along the way.

All Winter Sports have wrapped up now. In quite the eventful season, we saw two Division champs. One went back to back (Wrestling) for the first time in twenty years and the other earned their first division title since this school’s inception (Boys Basketball). Make sure to check out last week’s article to see how each team’s final recap looks and I will update each following Wyld article with honors for players/coaches, which I’m sure there’ll be plenty of.

So, this week’s article will be a Spring Sports Recap from last season to see where we are now.

Congratulations to Wyatt Pharo (Wrestling) and Katie Dillinger (Winter Track) for earning Pinelands Athlete of the Month honors for the month of February.

Boys Basketball saw Chris Husni and Josh Barongo earn 1st Team All C-South honors Cayden Lucas earned 2nd Team All C-South honors. Coach Fred Johnson earned C-South Coach of the Year.

Girls Basketball saw Ava Plant earn 2nd Team All C-South honors and Rory Krier earn 3rd Team All C-South honors.

Boys Volleyball: Last season, the Wildcats went 20-8 and 11-1 in the B-South division. The Wildcats tied with Barnegat for a share of the B-South title this past year. The Wildcats were a powerhouse team all season long, but unfortunately saw their run end at the hands of St. Joseph (Metuchen) in the semifinals of the SJG2 tournament. The Wildcats were led by senior Matt Davis with 257 kills and 191 digs, junior Josh Barongo notched 50 blocks and 33 aces, and senior Zach Key notched 505 assists and 124 service points. The Wildcats lost six seniors to graduation but there is a massive crop of young talent for the Wildcats and I wholly believe that they will be right back in that B-South title mix.

My official prediction for their record (say they play 29 games again) is: 21-8.

Baseball: Last season, the Wildcats went 4-16 and 2-10 in the C-South division. The Wildcats saw tough sledding pretty much all season, but last year was infinitely better than the year prior, where the Wildcats went 0-18. The Wildcats were led by seniors Nathan Sofield and Logan Hammer. In 53 plate appearances, Sofield batted .396, scoring 21 hits, 10 RBIs, 6 doubles, 1 home run, and 13 stolen bases. He attained the school record for stolen bases in a career at the conclusion of his senior season. Fellow senior Logan Hammer, in 55 plate appearances, batted .309, scoring 17 hits, 9 RBIs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, and 4 stolen bases. Pitching wise, the Wildcats were led by junior Ethan Kuna who in 34.2 innings pitched registered 15 strikeouts and a team-leading 3.23 ERA. Fellow junior Landon Seidenfaden in 38 innings pitched registered 28 strikeouts. The Wildcats saw seniors Nathan Sofield, Logan Hammer, Xavier Clayton, and TJ Nugent all be lost to graduation, leaving a majority of the team’s heavy hitters off the squad for this season. Despite these heavy losses, I believe the Wildcats will still be plenty capable of playing some great games come April and May. 

My official prediction for their record is: 8-14.

Softball: Last season, the Ladycats went 18-5 and 9-1 in the B-South division, winning them their first B-South title since the legendary 2013-2014 season where the Ladycats went 27-4 and shared the B-South crown with Donovan Catholic. The Ladycats fielded a plethora of talent this past season, with five batters in the lineup batting over .300 (Kendall Falduto (.411), Cassie Gould (.400), Elianna Meola (.322), Hannah Theuret (.395), and Madison Wilbert (.306) and two batting .400 or better (Kendall Falduto and Cassie Gould). The Ladycats’ star pitcher was Elianna Meola, who in 155 innings pitched, recorded 125 strikeouts and a 3.07 ERA. This superstar team jumped out to a 9-0 record to start the year but alas brought home no hardware beyond the B-South title. The Wildcats lost seniors Elianna Meola and Hannah Theuret, so there does now become a major question at pitcher, as only freshman Rory Krier otherwise threw pitches (pitching three innings and recording 3 strikeouts), but otherwise, the very young core of the Ladycats should remain strong.

My official prediction for their record is (assuming they play 23 games again): 16-7.

Lacrosse: Last season, the Ladycats went 6-8 and 3-5 in the Independence Division. Though the season didn’t go perfectly as the Ladycats intended, this season was infinitely better than the year before it, as they went 0-12 that year. The Ladycats were led far and away by Olivia Shertenlieb, who scored 32 goals, outscoring the next closest Ladycat by 17. Fellow senior Olivia Nilsen also scored 15 goals. In goal, the Ladycats were commanded by junior Madison Lowry who saved 91 goals in 13 games. Saving 7 potential goals per game. The Wildcats saw Alyssa Brown, Emily Lawrie, Gabby Loporto, Norah Maleski, AnnaMarie Manger, Emily Marousis, Olivia Nilsen, Olivia Shertenlieb, and Kaitlyn Siino to graduation. A major part of the Lacrosse squad is moving on which might spell tough sledding ahead for the Ladycats.

My official prediction for their record is (assuming they play 14 games again): 5-9.

Golf: Last season, the Wildcats went 11-7 and 7-6 in the B-South. The Wildcats started out 7-2, but massively skidded to limp across the finish line 11-7. The Wildcats often saw Mia Martinez, Morgan Tyhanic, and Jillian Becker atop their scorecards, alas since every course is different, I can’t provide proper stats. However, some Wildcats did take home some hardware. In the Girls Shore Conference Tournament, the Wildcats saw Mia Martinez finish 4th and Morgan Tyhanic take 5th. Furthermore, in the Carl Arena Tournament, as a team the Wildcats finished in 2nd place, and Mia Martinez took home 3rd place out of 61 golfers. The Wildcats saw Jillian Becker, Julia Maxwell, Shane Gordon, and Jaimin Parkinson to graduation, but otherwise the heavy hitters for the Wildcats are still intact.

My official prediction for their record is (assuming they play 18 games again): 12-6.

Spring Track: The Wildcats saw a plethora of medal winners across all sorts of events last season, and saw plenty of PR earners along that route as well. The Wildcats lost a multitude of seniors to graduation this year, but I wholly believe that the team will rebound beautifully.

My official prediction for their season is plenty of medal winners.

Wrestling: The Wildcats finished their season at 13-16 and as G-Division champions. The Wildcats saw two entries into Region 8’s at Williamstown after a wrestler at 106 lbs. dropped out, adding Daniel Platti as the #6 seed. Daniel Platti unfortunately lost at Wrestleback 1 and did not place, going 1-2 with one win by pin on the day. Brody Rawa at 144 lbs. saw greener pastures as he Tech Falled his first round matchup and although he was knocked down to Wrestlebacks, he 11-10 decisioned his first WB opponent before unfortunately falling just short of reaching states, as he fell in the second round of WBs, ultimately going on to finish 6th in the 5th place match. Although Brody Rawa did not advance to states, he is the Wildcats’ first placer at Regions since the 2022-2023 season where senior Mason Livio finished 3rd and freshman Wyatt Pharo and senior Gavin Wagner finished 6th. Ultimately, this season represented a wonderful advancement on the Wrestling program. Nearly finishing .500 in W-L back-to-back as well as seeing a regional placer is a large step forwards for the team. The Wildcats were led by 106lbs. Daniel Platti (35-6), 120lbs. Michael Kirk (30-6), 132lbs. Wyatt Pharo (32-7), 144lbs. Brody Rawa (30-12), and 165lbs. Hans Francis (29-12). Shoutout as well to 113lbs. Leo Reilly (18-15), 138lbs. Adam Ahmed (21-18), and HWT Infinite McLeod (10-11) who saw his season end early with injury. The Wildcats will see two graduating seniors, with Colton Hahn and Wyatt Pharo. A majority of the Wildcats varsity squad will be seniors next season, meaning nearly the entire core will have one final year left together. The Wildcats team despite the immense loss should still be an intense threat to any team coming their way, maybe except the F-Division…(1-4 this season against F-Division opponents)

Boys Basketball: The Wildcats completed their incredible season 16-9 and as C-South champions. First time ever! The incredible Wildcats team was ultimately led by Chris Husni (25 GP, 12.04 PTS/G, 2.52 REB/G, 3.12 AST/G, 0.08 BLK/G, 1.96 STL/G),  Josh Barongo (25 GP, 7.24 PTS/G, 8.64 REB/G, 1.64 AST/G, 0.60 BLK/G, 1.36 STL/G), and Tyler Garcia (21 GP, 8.86 PTS/G, 4.38 REB/G, 1.29 AST/G, 0.62 BLK/G, 1.33 STL/G.) (stats highlighted in bold led the team). Although the team is losing Josh Barongo and Michael Demilio to graduation, the rest of the Wildcats core are Juniors and underclassmen. The relatively young core that the Wildcats field should only grow even stronger, I believe they very well may run it back next season.

Girls Basketball: The Ladycats finished the season 5-19. Overall, the Ladycats were a tight-knit unit, primarily led by Ava Plant: 24 Games Played, 6.96 PTS/G, 9.25 REB/G, 0.88S AST/G, 1.13 BLK/G, 0.96 STL/G, and Rory Krier: 24 Games Played, 6.83 PTS/G, 4.00 REB/G, 1.71 AST/G, 0.04 BLK/G, 2.92 STL/G (Stats highlighted in bold led the team). The team is young, seeing zero graduating seniors and the dynamic duo of Ava Plant and Rory Krier are only sophomores this year, the team is likely to become far greater next year.

Winter Track: The Wildcats have completed their season, Katie Dillinger got to the Meet of Champions and unfortunately did not place in the High Jump event. The Wildcats saw themselves with a plethora of medalers on the year, and are going to be losing quite a few seniors this season, most of whom were the team’s primary medalers, but there is still a vast number of young talent within the Wildcats team, they’re sure to earn a fair bit of hardware next season as well.

Boys Bowling: The Wildcats finished the season 0-17. Ultimately, the Wildcats were led by Chris Rider, in his 27 appearances, he led the team in average, with a 171.93 and also bowled the highest game for the team, bowling a 226. It was a tough season for the Wildcats, but with a young core and only one graduating senior (Sean Watson), the Boys Bowling team should see their first wins get notched next season. The season represented a team in which wasn’t able to field enough bowlers that unfortunately really made each loss appear like a blowout.

Girls Bowling: The Ladycats finished the season 6-10. The Ladycats were led by Annmarie Curcione’s team high game average of 118.48 as well as her highest game of 167 in her 44 appearances. Unfortunately for the Ladycats, frequent great Annmarie Curcione and fellow great Fran Marto are both graduating seniors, but the team is otherwise spearheaded by a very young core, hopefully they can battle back even stronger next season! 

Wrestling: The Wildcats completed their regular season at 13-16 and as G-Division champions. The Wildcats took part in one tournament this past week, that being District 30’s tournament at Absegami on Saturday, February 28th. The Wildcats unfortunately saw themselves perform wonderfully, but just not enough, as the Wildcats have only one regional qualifier. The Wildcats saw five placers. #3 seed Daniel Platti at 106 lbs, finished 4th, #4 seed Michael Kirk at 120 lbs, finished 4th, #3 seed Wyatt Pharo at 132 lbs, finished 4th, and #4 seed Hans Francis at 165 lbs, finished 4th. Our only regional qualifier is #3 seed Brody Rawa, who finished 2nd in the finals at 144 lbs. Although the Wildcats will only send a single regional qualifier, a great number of Wildcats placed in an incredibly difficult district. The Wildcats as a team finished 6th out of 10 and will send all their power and cheers to Brody Rawa as he travels to regionals, specifically Region 8’s tournament at Williamstown High School on March 6th and March 7th. Good luck Brody!

Boys Basketball: The Wildcats are 16-9 on the season and have completed their gauntlet as C-South champions for the first time ever. The Wildcats took part in one match this past week; against Delsea in the first round of the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 3 tournament. The Wildcats, a #13 seed, were matched up against #4 seed Delsea at their place on Friday, February 27th. The Wildcats started out on the right foot, as they won the first quarter 10-7 but Delsea responded by taking the second quarter 12-16. This matchup pushed the Wildcats narrowly down 22-23 at the half. Unfortunately exiting the half, Delsea started to develop the hot hand, as the Wildcats dropped the third quarter 8-12 and ultimately lost the final quarter 9-17. The Wildcats lost 39-52 in what has been one of the greater seasons in the program’s history. The Wildcats were led by Chris Husni’s 18 PTS and 3 STLs. 

The incredible Wildcats team was ultimately led by Chris Husni (25 GP, 12.04 PTS/G, 2.52 REB/G, 3.12 AST/G, 0.08 BLK/G, 1.96 STL/G),  Josh Barongo (25 GP, 7.24 PTS/G, 8.64 REB/G, 1.64 AST/G, 0.60 BLK/G, 1.36 STL/G), and Tyler Garcia (21 GP, 8.86 PTS/G, 4.38 REB/G, 1.29 AST/G, 0.62 BLK/G, 1.33 STL/G.) (stats highlighted in bold led the team). Although the team is losing Josh Barongo and Michael Demilio to graduation, the rest of the Wildcats core are Juniors and underclassmen. The relatively young core that the Wildcats field should only grow even stronger, I believe they very well may run it back next season.

Girls Basketball: The Ladycats finished the season 5-19. Overall, the Ladycats were a tight-knit unit, primarily led by Ava Plant: 24 Games Played, 6.96 PTS/G, 9.25 REB/G, 0.88S AST/G, 1.13 BLK/G, 0.96 STL/G, and Rory Krier: 24 Games Played, 6.83 PTS/G, 4.00 REB/G, 1.71 AST/G, 0.04 BLK/G, 2.92 STL/G (Stats highlighted in bold led the team). The team is young, seeing zero graduating seniors and the dynamic duo of Ava Plant and Rory Krier are only sophomores this year, the team is likely to become far greater next year.

Winter Track: The Wildcats last took part in the NJSIAA Group 2 Championships that saw Katie Dillinger emerge from it as the Cats’ only placer, taking 2nd in the High Jump. She advanced to her third consecutive Meet of Champions event. The Wildcats will next travel to Staten Island, NY at the Ocean Breeze Track and Field facility on Sunday, March 8th to cheer on Katie Dillinger and her quest to capture some Meet of Champions hardware.

Boys Bowling: The Wildcats finished the season 0-17. Ultimately, the Wildcats were led by Chris Rider, in his 27 appearances, he led the team in average, with a 171.93 and also bowled the highest game for the team, bowling a 226. It was a tough season for the Wildcats, but with a young core and only one graduating senior (Sean Watson), the Boys Bowling team should see their first wins get notched next season. The season represented a team in which wasn’t able to field enough bowlers that unfortunately really made each loss appear like a blowout.

Girls Bowling: The Ladycats finished the season 6-10. The Ladycats were led by Annmarie Curcione’s team high game average of 118.48 as well as her highest game of 167 in her 44 appearances. Unfortunately for the Ladycats, frequent great Annmarie Curcione and fellow great Fran Marto are both graduating seniors, but the team is otherwise spearheaded by a very young core, hopefully they can battle back even stronger next season!

Pinelands Wrestling: The Wildcats are 13-16 and have completed their regular season as undefeated G-Division champions. The Wildcats took part in a whopping five matches this past week, starting with a matchup on Monday, February 16th against Delsea at their place in the first round of the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 3 Team Tournament. Unfortunately, the Wildcats were terribly outmatched, and were blown out 4-77, the only winner for the Wildcats was Michael Kirk at 120lbs who won via Major Decision. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 11-14. 

Next, the Wildcats hosted Neptune two days later, starting at 215lbs, Neptune got out ahead early, snagging both 215lbs and 285lbs (Ben Wilson loss via Pin and Forfeit) to knock the Wildcats down 0-12 to start out. The Wildcats responded with two 6-pointers of their own, with an Evan Boyd win via Forfeit at 106lbs as well as a Daniel Platti win via Pin at 113lbs, to equalize the score 12-12. Neptune continued to battle back however, as Neptune snagged 120lbs, 126lbs, and 132lbs (Leo Reilly loss via Tech Fall, Colton Hahn loss via Sudden Victory, Connor Quigley loss via Pin) to push the Wildcats back down 12-26. Despite Neptune’s efforts, the Wildcats weren’t dead either, as the Wildcats grabbed 138lbs, 144lbs, and 150lbs (Wyatt Pharo win via Decision, Adam Ahmed win via Pin, and Brody Rawa win via Pin) to narrowly lead 27-26. Neptune ensured this match would come down to the wire, as they grabbed 157lbs with an Owen Taylor loss via Major Decision to retake the lead from the Wildcats 27-30. With the lights at their absolute brightest, at 165lbs, Hans Francis won via 0:44s Pin to give the Wildcats the lead 33-30, and match hero at 175lbs, John Jackson earned his first Varsity Pin and secured the Wildcats the victory. Although Neptune grabbed 190 via Forfeit, the Wildcats successfully defended the Cat Dome and won 39-36. This win improved the Wildcats’ record to 12-14.

Next, the Wildcats took part in a Quad at Vineland that also featured Eastern and Hammonton. First, the Wildcats took on Eastern. Starting at 106lbs, the Wildcats struck first, at 106lbs, Leo Reilly won via Pin, at 113lbs, Daniel Platti won via Pin, and at 120lbs, Michael Kirk won via Pin to give the Wildcats the lead 18-0. Unfortunately, Eastern responded by taking the next three right back, snagging 126lbs, 132lbs, and 138lbs via a Connor Quigley loss via Pin, a  Forfeit, and an Adam Ahmed loss via Pin to equalize the match 18-18. The Wildcats grabbed 144lbs with a Brody Rawa win via Pin to lead 24-18…alas, Eastern kicked on the burners, as they grabbed 150lbs, 157lbs, 165lbs, 190lbs, 215lbs, and 285lbs, winning each with either a Tech-Fall or a Pin. Our only winner was at 175lbs, with Hans Francis winning via Major Decision, alas that was far too little against Eastern’s tsunami, as the Wildcats lost this match 28-53. This loss dropped the Wildcats record to 12-15.

Immediately following that loss, the Wildcats took on Hammonton, starting at 113lbs, Hammonton and the Wildcats began to trade, as Hammonton took 113lbs (Leo Reilly loss via Pin), Pinelands took 120lbs (Michael Kirk win via Pin), Hammonton took 126lbs (Connor Quigley loss via Pin), Pinelands took 132lbs (Wyatt Pharo win via Pin), Hammonton took 138lbs (Adam Ahmed loss via Decision), Pinelands took 144lbs (Brody Rawa win via Pin), Hammonton took 150lbs (Owen Taylor loss via Decision), Pinelands took 157lbs (Layton Goggins win via Decision), and finally, after back-and-forthing for the first eight bouts of the match, the Wildcats broke the pattern, also taking 165lbs (Hans Francis win via Decision) to lead 25-18. Unfortunately, Hammonton was not a fan of Pinelands breaking the pattern, as Hammonton snagged the following four bouts (175lbs, 190lbs, 215lbs, 285lbs) to bring the match out of reach, all of which were via Forfeit except at 215lbs, where Ben Wilson lost via Pin. This knocked the Wildcats way down 25-42, although we got the last bout, as at 106lbs, Daniel Platti won via Major Decision. The Wildcats ultimately lost 29-42 and this loss dropped the Wildcats’ record to 12-16.

Fortunately for the Wildcats, in the last bout of the eventful week, the Wildcats took on Vineland, and finally got themselves a positive tune-up match. Starting at 120lbs, and took every bout except 126lbs. With all these wins, Michael Kirk won at 120lbs, Wyatt Pharo won at 132lbs, Adam Ahmed won at 138lbs, Brody Rawa won at 144lbs, Owen Taylor won at 150lbs, Layton Goggins won at 157lbs, John Jackson won at 165lbs, Hans Francis won at 175lbs, Ben Wilson won at 215lbs, Daniel Platti won at 106lbs, and Leo Reilly won at 113lbs. Everyone won via Tech-Fall or better and ultimately won 65-6. This win improved the Wildcats to 13-16. The Wildcats have wrapped up their regular season 13-16, undefeated in the G-Division, and having secured back-to-back division titles for the first time in over 20 years. The Wildcats next are going to advance as individuals, traveling to Abseagami High School on February 28th at 9:00 AM to take part in District 30’s Tournament.

Boys Basketball: The Wildcats are 16-8 on the season…the Wildcats took part in two matches this past week, first was against St. John Vianney at home on Monday, February 16th. Unfortunately, the Wildcats could not find their footing all game, and ultimately failed to grab even a single quarter, losing 30-46. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 15-8. The Wildcats were led by Tyler Garcia and Chris Husni’s 8 PTS and 4/3 REBs.

Next, the Wildcats hosted Brick Township on Friday, February 20th in a match that would determine the C-South and would also determine in the school’s 47 year history that if we’d finally attain a Boys Basketball division championship. The Wildcat crowd was absolutely immense, their voices proved to be absolutely instrumental in this match. In the first quarter, the Wildcats jumped ahead early, leading 15-8, the crowd was already loud and the game had just begun. The second quarter saw much of the same, with the Wildcats leading 18-9 to attain a great 33-17 lead at halftime. Brick Township flared back to life a tad, tying the Wildcats in the third quarter 11-11 to maintain the gap (44-28). The fourth quarter saw Brick Township inch ahead, outscoring the Wildcats 11-14 in the fourth, but it was too little too late. For the first time in the school’s history, the Boys Basketball team claimed a divisional title!!! The Wildcats’ dominant 55-42 win improved their record to 16-8 and 8-1 in the C-South, FIRST. This division title victory marks a clear culture shift within the Wildcats’ system. Finally, a long muddied path has been cleared. The #13 seeded Wildcats next look to keep the incredibly good times rolling against #4 seeded Delsea at their place on Friday, February 27th as part of the first round of the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 3 Tournament.

Girls Basketball: The Ladycats are 5-19 and took part in one match this past week. In an incredibly low scoring affair, the Ladycats saw themselves down early, dropping the first quarter 2-7 and the second, 6-8 to be down 8-15 at the half. Exiting the half, the Ladycats found the hot hand, snagging the third quarter 7-4, but unfortunately dropped the final quarter 5-7 to ultimately lose 20-26. The Ladycats were led by Isabella Cooper’s 6 PTS and 4 REBs, as well as Ava Plant’s 5 PTS, 9 REBs, 4 BLKs, and 3 STLs. This loss dropped the Ladycats to 5-19 and ultimately bookends their season as they will not be a part of the NJSIAA tournaments. Overall, the Ladycats were a tight-knit unit, primarily led by Ava Plant: 24 Games Played, 6.96 PTS/G, 9.25 REB/G, 0.88S AST/G, 1.13 BLK/G, 0.96 STL/G, and Rory Krier: 24 Games Played, 6.83 PTS/G, 4.00 REB/G, 1.71 AST/G, 0.04 BLK/G, 2.92 STL/G (Stats highlighted in bold led the team). The team is young, seeing zero graduating seniors and the dynamic duo of Ava Plant and Rory Krier are only sophomores this year, the team is likely to become far greater next year.

Winter Track: The Wildcats took part in the NJSIAA Group 2 Championships and saw four qualifiers, Peyton Auermuller, Katie Dillinger, Holly Lucas, and Summer Sprague. Katie Dillinger placed 2nd in High Jump and advanced to her third consecutive Meet of Champions event. The Wildcats will next travel to Staten Island, NY at the Ocean Breeze Track and Field facility on Sunday, March 8th to cheer on Katie Dillinger and her quest to capture some Meet of Champions hardware.

Boys Bowling: The Wildcats are 0-17 on the year and took part in two matches. The Wildcats first took on Central Regional at their place on Thursday, February 19th. The Wildcats kept it fairly close, but lost 0-3. The Wildcats were led by Chris Rider’s high game of 212 and team high average of 194.33. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 0-16.

The Wildcats next took on Toms River South and lost 0-3. The Wildcats were led by Chris Rider’s high game of 210 and team high average of 172.33. This loss dropped the Wildcats to 0-17, unfortunately earning them a defeated season, as the did not advance to NJSIAA tournament play. Ultimately, the Wildcats were led by Chris Rider, in his 27 appearances, he led the team in average, with a 171.93 and also bowled the highest game for the team, bowling a 226. It was a tough season for the Wildcats, but with a young core and only one graduating senior (Sean Watson), the Boys Bowling team should see their first wins get notched next season. The season represented a team in which wasn’t able to field enough bowlers that unfortunately really made each loss appear like a blowout.

Girls Bowling: The Ladycats are 6-10 on the season, and took part in two matches this past week. First, I must address that the Ladycats did in fact have a match two weeks ago, it wasn’t listed when I was writing my article. On Tuesday, February 10th, the Ladycats traveled to Brick Township to battle them in the first round of the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 2 tournament. Unfortunately, the Ladycats lost 0-2 and were led by Fran Marto’s 143 high game and team high average of 118. This loss dropped the Ladycats to 6-8 on the season.

The Ladycats took part in two matches this past week, first, traveling to Central Regional on Thursday, February 19th. The Ladycats unfortunately lost 0-3 and were led by Leah Schmidt’s 142 high game and 134.67 team high average. This loss dropped the Ladycats to 6-9 on the season.

The Ladycats last battled against Toms River South at their place on Friday, February 20th in the last match of the season. Unfortunately, the Ladycats lost 0-3 and were led by Miette Sikorski’s high game of 127 and Annmarie Curcione’s team high average of 118.33. This season was akin to the boys, not enough bowlers to field sometimes. The Ladycats were led by Annmarie Curcione’s team high game average of 118.48 as well as her highest game of 167. Unfortunately for the Ladycats, frequent great Annmarie Curcione and Fran Marto are both graduating seniors, but the team is otherwise spearheaded by a very young core, hopefully they can battle back even stronger next season! 

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.