After qualifying for team state-championships, the Indian Hills Boys Fencing Team season came to an end after losing in the first round against Fair Lawn High School, 14-13. There were many tense moments throughout the match, but the boys were only one point shy of moving on to the second round.
Looking back all the way to December 2025, when the season opener against West Milford took place and the boys won 20-7 against West Milford. Things looked like they were in a good position for the team overall. With the addition of Daniel Ivoron from Ramapo High School and the improvement of returning fencers, the team began to build momentum early in the season. In the next match that the boys had on January 5th, the team took on Butler High School, and won 16-11 against them. Being 2 and 0, the fencing team was moving on to their next match the following day against Newark Eagle Academy. The Hills Fencing Team had done it again by winning 17-10 against Newark.
However, things took a turn on January 11th, 2026 when the team fenced off against Wayne Hills. Indian Hills has not been able to win against Wayne Hills for ten consecutive years, and it came down to this very moment to try and change that. Unfortunately, Wayne Hills did win again, with the overall score being 19-8. Although it hurt the team, they did not give up, going on to win four consecutive meets beating Pompton Lakes, Wayne Valley, Passaic Valley, and Lakeland. The games that followed after were very difficult for the team as well, losing 3 straight. However, during a dual meet with Voorhees and Hackettstown, Indian Hills managed to win against Hackettstown. The final win that the boys had towards the end of the season was against Northern Highlands with a score of 21-6. This was a very big jump compared to the last season where Highlands beat Hills 19- 8. During the final official meet against Passaic Tech, Indian Hills lost 21-6, but still qualified to enter the NJ State Team Championship, where they eventually lost to Fair Lawn High School by one point.
With the season coming to an end and the loss of four seniors–myself, Zachary Brothers, Noah Park, and Sean Delaney—the team will look toward the future next season.
Before graduation, some of the seniors reflected on their biggest accomplishments and offered advice to the next generation of Indian Hills fencers. Senior Sean Delaney reflected on his achievements during his 3 years with the team. He said, “My greatest achievements have been a couple of things. I have an overall record in my career. I was a starter all three years when I was on the team, and I earned varsity all three years. I also was able to serve as a team captain my senior year, when the team made the playoffs. I haven’t had any major struggles, but like many sports, I experienced slumps during my career.”
Delaney also shared advice for the future members of the team.
“To my teammates who will continue to fence in the coming years, keep being the great people you are. I can’t thank you guys enough for the good memories, and I hope you hold onto the personality traits that make you who you are. My advice is to treat fencing as a serious sport that deserves respect and your full effort.”
As for my struggles and accomplishments, I think teaching two underclassmen how to fence at the basic level was one of my best accomplishments. My other big accomplishment is definitely getting two wins during my senior night, and then winning the MVP award for the second time ever. I cannot list how many struggles I have had through my 3 years of fencing, but the hardest season for me was definitely this winter season. Furthermore, my advice to the future fencers for the next season is simple: You should actively pay attention and focus on getting better. And for the future upperclassmen, lead by example. Show the new people videos on footwork, record fencers fencing in order to show them what they need to work on.
Overall, the team has done a good job this season. Things are looking bright for the 2026 – 2027 fencing season.