The Caldwell Boys Basketball team is on a roll, winning their 12th straight game in the Super Essex Conference. After moving up to the Colonial Division, Head Coach Mike Fess had his obstacles ahead of him with several strong sided Essex County teams on their schedule. After losing to state-ranked Seton Hall Prep in the first game of the season, the team and coaching staff did not let that lower their spirits, going on an eleven game win streak with impressive wins over West Essex, Bloomfield, and Payne Tech.

The team’s spark has been led by senior guard Cristian Talavera and junior guard Ray Zamloot. Combining for 389 points in their first 13 games, this duo is extremely versatile in their scoring, being able to shoot from beyond the arc, drive to the basket, and get to the line and make free throws. When talking about their success thus far, Zamloot said, “We play until the whistle blows. We go hard in practice and challenge each other so that prepares us to play even harder in games. We don’t have a lot of height, so we have to hustle and scrap and play to our strengths.”

Senior Ian Mattison has been vital to the Chiefs’ twelve game run. Standing at a solid 6’4”, Mattison has been crucial in grabbing rebounds for the Chiefs and in getting second chance points. Junior Ryan Lawrence has also been key to the team’s offense and defense, posting a solid 6.3 points per game as well as being a defensive standout. Lawrence brings heart and hype to the Chiefs’ team and has earned a starting role for the Chiefs. The Caldwell fanbase is looking forward to seeing where this season goes!