By Samantha Keller ‘19, Sports Editor

With the 2017-2018 athletic season at Newark Academy in full swing, all seven fall sports athletic teams are prepared for challenging, yet rewarding, seasons. Here is a preview of what to expect in each team’s upcoming season:  

Newark Academy Field Hockey:

Competing in the same league they were a part of in the 2016 season, the Newark Academy Field Hockey team has started off their season strong with a 1-1-1 record. After last year’s season, in which the team won more games than their two previous seasons combined, their 2016 season as a whole was marked a success. Despite the loss of six starting seniors, who filled positions in the defense, midfield, and offense, the addition of Coach Nigro compensated for these unfavorable losses. When midfielder Ailie Jack was asked how she believes Coach Nigro will heighten their chances of success, she responded, “Our coach came in this season ready to create a team based on strong conditioning and smart playing. Also, throughout preseason she made an effort to instill a new mindset of paying attention to not only what we do on the field but also what we do off the field that will affect our play.” With these enhancements, the field hockey team anticipates a season of victory.

Newark Academy Football:

This year’s football team finds themselves in a similar boat, losing nine starting seniors who contributed both offensively and defensively. The team came off last season with a winning record (3-2) in the league, the same league that they will compete in this season. In addition, the introduction of Coach Hernandez, who specializes in coaching quarterbacks, to the program could help lead the team to success. This is fitting as the team named a new quarterback this season, junior Sam Lawler. After the loss of those nine seniors, it is clear that this season will be a “rebuilding” year for the Newark Academy football team, allowing them to look forward to future success.

Newark Academy Boys’ Soccer:

After a tough loss to Columbia to begin their season, the boys’ soccer team bounced back to defeat East Orange 2-0 in their second game.  Despite having a challenging time in their conference last season, the team ended the year in a successful fashion, earning a spot in the finals of the Prep tournament. Although they will participate in the same challenging conference this season, the team has grown as a whole. Last season, the varsity squad consisted of very young players, but this season, those younger players have grown, creating a strong core of sophomores and juniors on their roster. In addition, the promotion of Coach Ryan to varsity assistant coach “adds a competitive edge to practice,” midfielder Kai Youngren commented.

Newark Academy Girls’ Soccer:

After their run to the state finals last season, the Newark Academy Girls Soccer team had high expectations for this upcoming season. With the loss of four instrumental seniors, three of whom were defensive players, the entire defense had to be reconstructed. Luckily, several talented freshmen resolved this issue quickly. In addition, there were no changes to the team’s midfield lineup, allowing the trio in the middle to grow together from last season to this season. Although the team suffered the loss of head coach Brendan Doyle at the conclusion of preseason, the team used this misfortune as motivation to play harder. Despite a difficult start to the season, losing to Columbia and Montclair in their first two games, captain Mallory Shaw explained, “Our performance against Montclair was the best I have ever seen this team played. Although we ended up losing, our ability to compete with a team of that caliber gives me high hopes that we will succeed throughout this season.”

Newark Academy Girls’ Volleyball:

The Newark Academy Girls Volleyball team will also go through a rebuilding season this year, losing four seniors who represented three out of the six starting positions on the court. The team began the season well, going 2-1 in their first three games. Although there were no changes to their coaching staff, the team moved up a division this season and as a result, will face tougher competition this year. The pool of 30+ JV and Varsity players bodes well for the team’s development this season and in the future.

Newark Academy Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country:

With Coach O. rejoining his wife to coach the cross country team this season, the team had high hopes that the duo would lead them to success. Both the girls and boys team lost four or five influential seniors, but also gained a significant number of talented freshmen to make up for this deficit. The boys team started off the season very strong, demonstrating a large improvement in their top 7 average in the first race of the season. In addition, despite moving up a division, the team then went on to win the NA Invitational for the second year in a row. After moving up a division two years ago, the girls’ team will compete in the same division as last season.

Newark Academy Girls’ Tennis:

The Newark Academy Girls Tennis team started off the season very strong, going 4-0 in their first four matches. The team only lost two seniors from their starting lineup, so a majority of their core players returned for this season. The team also had a change in their coaching staff. Coach Gramatica switched from coaching junior varsity to the varsity team this season. Famous for her ability to improve a team’s conditioning standards, Coach Gramatica will add an element of fitness to varsity tennis this season. Newark Academy tennis is well known for their continuous years of success, and the girls’ team this season is not expected to upset this reputation. An NJ.com article published earlier in September named the girls’ tennis team the “clear favorite” in the Non-Public B state sectionals. When asked what she expects from this upcoming season, junior starter Lauren Holtzman responded, “I think this season is going to be a great one. I think that Millburn is going to continue to be one of our toughest opponents, but I have full confidence that we will be able to compete with them.”