After losing out on the spring season, Kingsway athletes were chomping at the bit to get back out there and compete. However, they had to endure a summer of uncertainty, as they waited for the NJSIAA to render its decision on whether it would hold a fall interscholastic athletic season. Practices began almost a month later than normal, and competition did not start until October. Girls volleyball, unfortunately, was pushed to later in the winter.
However, once the fall teams reconvened, they did what Kingsway teams usually do in the fall, which is be very, very successful. Here is the rundown on each team’s abbreviated fall season:
Boys Soccer: Head Coach John Green led his squad to an impressive 9-2-1 record. After starting the season with two losses and one tie, his team reeled off nine consecutive wins to close out the season. Seniors Chris Spicer and Ethan Nguyen shared the team lead in goals scored. The defense, anchored by goalie Jason Grandizio and defensemen Jeff Heineman and Conrad Cliver, only allowed five goals the entire season.
Girls Soccer: On the girls’ side, the team, led by Head Coach Bill Alvaro, finished with a record of 9-3. Cami O’Rourke, Lianna SanFelice, and McKenna Williams led the offense, while Alexis Murphy and Madison Forte led the defense. Each were named to the Tri-County Conference Royal Division All-Star team.
Football: Head Coach Mark Hendricks came into the season with high hopes and expectations, and the Kingsway football team indeed had a winning season, going 3-2. This included a stirring win on Homecoming Night against a very good Washington Township Football team. They also took state power Williamstown to the edge, ultimately losing 13-6; their other loss was to Wayne Valley, the 16th ranked team in New Jersey. Senior quarterback Ben Maiers, even in a shortened season, fell just short of throwing for 1000 yards for the season.
Field Hockey: As stated in last month’s article, Head Coach Dana Ott came into this season with a team that had state championship potential. They did not disappoint. They went undefeated this fall, going 11-0. They were led by conference player of the year Tori Griffiths, who had 21 goals and 11 assists. Other all-conference designees were Morgan Klaiss, Peyton Rieger, Emma Turner-Rogozin, and Maddy Ferry, who only allowed four goals over the entire season.
Girls Cross Country: Under Head Coach Caitlin Hess, the girls team continued its winning ways. They won their sixth consecutive Tri-County Conference Royal Division title. They then went on to win their sixth straight Gloucester County Championship and then won the South Jersey Open team title. Individually, they were led by Aubrey Pierontoni and Allie Helkowski. Pierontoni was the Gloucester County champion, while Helkowski was the South Jersey Open champion. They, along with Sydney Watts, Nicole Lipieta, Alli MacFarland, and Shelby Dyer, were named to the All-Conference team.
Boys Cross Country: Head Coach Christian Lynch led the boys to a 4-0 record to win their eighth straight Tri-County Conference Royal Division title. They also won their eighth consecutive Gloucester County Championship. They were led by Kyle Rakitis, Aidan Smith, Ryan Allen, and Ethan Gray who all were named All-Conference. Rakitis won the South Jersey Open title and was named to the 12-man All-South Jersey team.
As evidenced by its success in this shortened season, Kingsway still maintained its standard of athletic excellence. The athletes at Kingsway really made the most of their opportunity this fall and showed what Dragon pride entails.
— By Christian Lynch
