‘27 & Matt Pra, Contributing Writer, ‘26
Records listed in this article were current as of October 24, 2023.
Throughout this fall season, the Indian Hills’ fall sports teams have effectively demonstrated the path to a successful season with each team reaching new heights and facing each rival with a competitive attitude.
Varsity Football
The varsity football team has had lots of incredible wins, but also some disappointing losses so far. The team started off on their home turf with a rain-delayed, nail-biting loss against Fair Lawn. Following their opening game, they had losses against both Teaneck and Pascack Hills. However, this did not stop them from breaking records with a nail-biting 35-28 win against Memorial. In this game, Joe Cortese broke the school record for most rushing yards in a game with 245, along with three touchdowns. They moved on and faced a tough Dover team, losing 23-14. With senior night coming up against a struggling Hopatcong team, they were ready, crushing them with a 35-0 victory. Coach Dom says, “Our goal for the remainder of the season is to finish with a varsity record of 5-4. This would be a great accomplishment for our team.” With 3 games left in the season, the Braves look to finish with a record above .500, their first winning season since 2015.
Final Record: 5-4
Junior Varsity Football
The JV Football team started off losing their first two games, but went on to win two at home vs Dover and Memorial. With the help of stellar performances from players including sophomores Matt Delano and Kevin Perron as well as Diego Coira, freshman, the Braves are now at .600 and waiting to play hard against their next opponent, Bergen Tech.
Current Record: 3-2
Boys Varsity Soccer
The boys varsity soccer team, captained by Dylan Bernacki and Caden Concepcion, started off on the wrong foot, losing a total of four games and working up a tie. However, this didn’t prevent them from pushing forward, and went on a hot winning streak, winning their next three games with the help of their lockdown defense led by Dennis Karakash, senior, along with juniors Steven VanDyke, Ashton Kant, and Aaron Faynblut. They then entered the Bergen Cup with a record of 3-4-1 and had the determination to win. In round one, they tied Leonia 1-1, Michael Caso provided the only goal they needed, and their lockdown defense stayed intact, allowing them to move on to the second round with an overtime penalty kick round. Going against a tough school in round two, Emerson Boro, the boys fought hard but were left devastated with a 3-2 loss, eliminating them from the Bergen Cup. Shortly after losing once again to Westwood, the boys bounced back with a 2-0 victory over River Dell, followed by an extraordinary blowout 10-0 win against Pioneer Academy. This goes to show that they did not lose hope, as Coach Mayor commented, “I expect our boys to continue to improve and fight for our place in the state tournament and make some noise when it begins. We have a very dedicated bunch and our leadership is strong. I enjoy showing every day and working with these guys.”
Final Record: 10-9-2
Boys Junior Varsity Soccer
The JV boys soccer team, captained by juniors Brendan Ross and Truman Lorenz, has had their ups and downs, starting off with a record of 1-3. Earlier in the season, there was a heartbreaking loss against West Milford, where junior Kenny DeFeo was severely injured. The team was left in shambles, losing not only one of their best players for the rest of their season, but one of their good friends. Kenny suffered a torn ACL, which could prevent him from playing any sports for at least a year, if he is lucky. Even with this significant loss, the boys are continuing to push through and get a spot in the county tournament, as they have the potential to be one of the better JV teams in the county.
Current Record: 4-8
Marching Band
The marching band, led by their senior drum majors, Eve Nevelos and Hannah Lewis, have been practicing to perfect their performance. Senior Eve Nevelos says, “All season long we do our best to strengthen marching and playing techniques at practice. There is always room for improvement.” The band has also shown up to almost every home varsity football game so far this season on the sidelines to support the team. During half-time, they perform their show, Get Up and Dance, which include songs like the YMCA, Macarena, Chicken Dance, and Cotton Eyed Joe. They are also currently having a great season when it comes to competition, holding second place in the B division. During the “Music in the Park” competition that took place at Midland Park High School, the band placed second in their class, and they were rewarded with the Best Music and Best Drumline titles.
Girls Varsity Soccer
The girls varsity soccer team started their season out strong and they continue to improve. After an upsetting loss over Mahwah for their first game, they are now better than ever. With an extraordinary 5-0 win against Westwood with one goal in the first half and four later on. With goals from Emily Morello, Ava O’Neal, Madison Trocolar, Kendall Leddy and Emily Thompson, the girls took over the field with lots of passion and incredible teamwork. Alexa Demarco, a senior on the team, told Drumbeats, “We have a new outlook on the game and the strategies we have learned have helped us get more wins in a single season than in the last 3 seasons.” With all the hard work the team has put in, they have managed to pull through and land themselves fourth place in the Patriot division of the Big North Conference.
Final Record: 7-10-1
Girls Junior Varsity Soccer
Girls junior varsity soccer have been on the right track so far. With a constantly improving team, the girls have been bouncing back from their losses and have been proving themselves to be a tough group of girls. A big win for the girls was a recent game against Riverdell. The girls performed extraordinarily through both halves of the game which allowed the team to win 4-2. The team has always brought smiles to everyone’s faces and have supported each other through the good and bad during this season.
Current Record: 2-6-1
Girls Varsity Volleyball
The team’s remarkable game against Ramsey resulted in a big win for the girls volleyball team. With outstanding work put in by Alexa Yankauskas, Liana Mitnick and Gabby LiButti, the girls team walked out of Ramsey High School with high spirits. They each make excellent plays during every game and work together to get the best results. Izzy Hernandez comments, “I know we are going to battle through every point and every game. We might not always come out on top, but I can always say every single person on the team always gives 110%.”
Final record: 8-16
Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball
The JV girls volleyball team has welcomed a new coach to the court. Mariaelena, a former D1 volleyball player from Rutgers has been teaching the team how to improve their skills and navigate their way to victory. Demi Walker, a sophomore on junior varsity commented, “We run now. A mile every practice, we didn’t do that last year, or any year prior. We also try to focus more on skills, like the really tiny details that really make or break things.”
Current Record: 12-6
Girls Freshman Volleyball
With a solid freshman girls team, attending one of their games never fails to keep the fans at the edge of their seat. Every girl on the court applies great teamwork and an overarching feeling of friendship supporting all of their teammates. Tess Amador, a freshman volleyball player, states, “I love the sport and how it’s all about teamwork. Everyone on the team has to communicate on and off the court for the game to run smoothly.”
Current record: 3-13
Girls’ Cross Country
The small but mighty girls cross country team is rapidly approaching the end of their season. Through hard work and determination, the 5 person girls team never fails to perform well against their competitors. With Carolina Pepe, Riley Horgan and Karley Kurz injured, they still come out to support the team, no matter the time or weather. Alyssa Maybeck’s recent accomplishment of breaking 20 minutes during a 5k race at Darlington on the team’s senior night allowed her to place first regardless of the harsh weather conditions. With the varsity team consisting of Alyssa Maybeck, Camryn Finn, Avarie Bergen, Summer Myhren, and Maddy Coppa, they attack each meet with extraordinary talent and always come home with a win. Although the small team is, adding some more girls to the team would be a positive edition. Coach Tuohy comments, “With more people on the team success would last a greater amount of time. But, we have a team that is tough and puts in the work. But, long term, it is important that more girls join the team so the teams success can happen again and on a greater scale.” At the Bergen County Group Championships on October 14, 2023, the girls team was presented with an award for placing first, allowing them to progress to the Bergen County Meet of Champions on October 21st. Not only is cross country a team sport, but it is also an individual sport. Avarie Bergen comments, “I enjoy running cross country since it’s calm and rewarding and I love the team we all create. It’s a sport mainly for yourself so all your improvements depend on you entirely.” The girls are always hyping each other up during meets and have been creating memories during practice and out of practice throughout the season. The girls cross country team is currently ranked 4th in North Jersey.
Boys Cross Country
With the most competitive part of the season on the horizon, the boys cross country team is ready to take on any and every challenge that comes their way. Earlier this season, the Six Flags Wild Safari Invitational provided great results. On the varsity side, Danny Phillips’ strong finish awarded him first place finishing .32 milliseconds before the second place runner. With places 6-9 going to Justin Vitale, Nico Tucci, Frank Coppa and Lukas Kertesz, the boys varsity team placed first with 27 points. With each skilled runner comes great training, Nico Tucci comments, “Even though I wasn’t always a good runner, the coaches and my teammates helped push me to get better and keep training every day to get there and beyond.” The JV boys team has been putting in the work and have been running races with confidence. The team has continuously placed well at every meet they attend and is headed in the right direction to end the season on a good note. The freshman boys team has also been having an excellent season with their cutthroat team who always make sure to be the toughest competitors to every team racing against them. With undefeatable race times by Ethan Gray, he manages to leave it all out on the course and gives each meet a 110%. With the resilient freshman team consisting of Ethan Gray, Matthew Mazur, Andrew Finale, Robbie Woodard, Mark Havel, Cole Morgan, Sean Mulligan and Michael Young, the team always manages to come out on top with a vast lead. Coach Tuohy explains,“I hope that the boys team finishes top 3 at the Bergen Meet of Champions meaning that they are the second best public school in North Jersey and that they are the best small school in North Jersey and to be sectional champs. Then later in the season I hope for the team to qualify for the New Jersey Meet of Champions.”
Cheerleading
The Indian Hills cheerleaders are a skilled group of girls that are always working hard on new routines and bring a new level of school spirit to every event they attend. Mia McMahon, junior, explains, “We have two new coaches this year and they have been helping us implement safer skills for stunting and we’ve been able to perform better because of this.” At halftime at football games, you’ll find the cheerleaders lighting up the field with an amazing performance and making the stands go wild with their perfectly executed stunts.
Girls’ Tennis
With the girls tennis team having their ups and downs, they all put in the work and it really shows in the way they play. The team goes into every match confidently and ready to take on their opponents. Playing on a sports team allows for people to grow not only as an athlete, but as an individual. The tennis team’s captain, Morgan Wickwire, shares, “I’ve made the most amazing friends the last 4 years on Varsity and improved not only on the court but also outside of tennis. Although I am extremely competitive, being on the courts makes me feel at home.”
Final Record: 4-9
Gymnastics
The gymnastics team is having a very fun season that is going well. Each and every gymnast has been working hard in their own way to reach their best potential on competition days, even when it sometimes doesn’t go their way. Sarah Quadrini, a junior on the gymnastics team states, “During the specific moment when I’m doing a routine, I’m so focused on myself and my form, that everything else is a second priority. It’s a way to escape all of my other stressors, even if it’s for a few minutes.” The girls aren’t just killin’ it with their new skills, but they are killin’ it while having fun and making new friends.
Final Record: 2-8
