The football team, led by coach Todd Romano and captains Aidan Hartney, Cole Bazerman, and Mike Mignone, finished the season 4-5, ending their season in the state playoffs against Shabazz. The football team is quarterbacked by freshman Adam Sepe, who finished with 1128 passing yards, 412 rushing yards, and 11 passing touchdowns. His favorite target was none other than senior captain, Mike Mignone, who capped off his final season with 371 receiving yards and 5 reception touchdowns. His brother, Nick Mignone, led the rushing attack with 1047 rushing yards and 15 all purpose touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, Mike Mignone shined, leading the defense in total tackles with 53. Mignone also tallied a whopping 6 sacks. Senior Anthony Capaldo and junior Elvis Nikollaj both finished with 4.5 sacks. Also worth noting are Jake Simone and Andrew Fonseca, who each had 3 sacks. Junior Nick Moyano and sophomore Santino Russo also played a major role, tallying 80 tackles between the two of them. The team played in a new division for them, playing in the Patriot White and facing a powerhouse of opponents.
The Girls Volleyball Team, coached by Rachel Kelly and led by captains Sophia Basile, Erica Gustaven, and Brooke Figlyar, finished their season 4-20 with wins against Newark Vocational, American History, Mo Beard, and Glen Ridge. Through their season, Sophia Basile shined, capping off the last season of her career with 145 kills and 33 aces. Erica Gustaven led the team in assists with an amazing 152. Sophomore Sara Lopes capped off her second season with 129 diggs and 59 aces. Sophomores Gianna Bravette and Catarina Coutinho also played vital roles in the success of the team, with 73 combined sets played and 92 combined assists. Senior Riley Mazepa, while not shining in one particular stat category, was a key piece in volleyball triumph. She finished her last season leading the team in blocks totaling 15, with 45 sets played, 17 kills, and 24 aces. The girls finished their season on a positive note winning 3 of 6 games.
The Field Hockey Team finished their season 11-10-1. They are coached by Sarah Pallino, and captained by seniors Lia Fernandez, Tatumn Lattimer, and Ella Pasquarelli. Tatumn Lattimer led the team in goals, totaling 12 throughout the season. Ella Pasquarelli was a close second with 11 goals. Sophomore Eliza Lima started at goalie, putting up 150 saves for the team. Juniors Morgan Manriquez and Abby Anemone were key factors in the team’s achievements. Throughout their third season for the chiefs, they combined for 45 points. Sophomore Jillian Logan and Junior Leila Siedler also contributed with 21 points between the two of them. The Field Hockey Team is the newest varsity sport for JCHS, with the 2024 season only being their fourth. Last year, in the 2023 season, they recorded 7 wins and 8 losses with one tie. This steady improvement is a great sign for the youngest team, hoping to go even further next year. This year, the team made it to the quarterfinal game of the Essex County Tournament, a feat not yet accomplished by the team.
The Girls Tennis Team finished the season 6-15. They are coached by Ron Masson and led by captains Fiona Laddey, Madison Marsh, and Nicolina Castellano. The team finished strong, capping off their season with a three game win streak against West Milford, Bloomfield, and Nutley. The varsity team was composed mainly of seniors, with occasional juniors. Out of 12 girls on the varsity roster, eight of them were seniors, and the other four were all juniors. The team competed in the Liberty division, where they faced a wall of tough opponents. In their division they scraped out a gritty win against Nutley 4-1.
The Cross Country Team is coached by John Timan and is led by senior captains, Ben Lattimer and Megan Pac. The cross country team finished the season strong, with the boys varsity team finishing 13-0 in divisional races. For the boys team, Ben Lattimer proved to be one of the fastest runners in nearly every race the team competed at. He is accompanied by a strong supporting cast of Cameron Galbierczyk, Kyle Brown, Sam Remington, William Krusznis, Luke Jewusiak, and Marcos Perez. On the girls side, Megan Pac led the charge, followed by Emily Glennon, Samantha Ging, Jillian Blair, Josephina Sahuto, Kaitlyn Cabalu, and Esther Lee. Both teams were very successful this fall. In the SEC championship meet, the boys finished with Ben Lattimer, Kyle Brown, and Cam Galbierczyk in the top 5.
All in all, fall sports at JCHS were extremely successful, between Cross Country’s performance in divisional races, and girl’s tennis finishing the season on a three game win streak, fall sports are sure to come back even stronger next year.
