September 11, 2023: Despite last week’s thunderstorms and heat, Warwick Valley High School teams had successful starts to their seasons.
Football: The pre-game ceremonies for the official opening of the capital project improvements to the Tim St. Lawrence Track and C. Ashley Morgan Field were cancelled due to thunder and lightning. However, the Wildcats and Kingston Tigers played football on Friday night after a delayed kick off. Warwick’s defense performed well, keeping Kingston off the scoreboard with strong tackling and play from senior captains Jake Rooney and Johnny Accardo. The defensive lineman also put pressure on the Kingston Wing T Attack. Despite a slow start, the Warwick offense scored 20 points and gained over 300 yards of offense. Junior running back Zach Kantor led the team with over 90 yards rushing and a touchdown. The Wildcats will be playing against the Goshen Gladiators in the annual Spirit Trophy Game on Thursday.
Girls soccer: Warwick’s girls soccer team won their first two games, scoring a total of 10 goals. Their victories came against Delaware Valley, Pa., and Beacon. Johannah Bradley scored six of the 10 goals, with four of them against Delaware Valley. The game against Washingtonville was cancelled due to weather.
Volleyball: The volleyball team opened their season with a 3-1 victory over Monroe-Woodbury. Erin Smith contributed with 15 kills and three blocks. Hailey Hansen had 26 assists and six aces, while Adriana Nicosia added 15 digs.
Girls swimming: Sydney McSweeney, Maeve Wright, and Talia Potempa led the girls swimming team with first-place finishes in a meet against New Paltz. McSweeney won the 50-yard freestyle, and Wright won the 100 butterfly. Potempa finished first in diving. The team unfortunately lost the meet against New Paltz.
Girls Tennis: The girls tennis team did not have any matches last week due to the weather. However, they are currently 2-0 for the season after winning 7-0 against Valley Central and Newburgh Free Academy. The top four singles players on the team are Alexandra Krasinska, Bianka Grzesik, Gisela Gujar, and Grace Cornelius.
Cross Country: Warwick hosted the Wave Mania Invitational Cross Country races at Sanfordville Elementary School with over 40 teams from New York and New Jersey. The girls team was led by junior Alyssa Dovico, who finished ninth in her race. The boys team was led by freshman Rosario Dovico, who placed 32nd. The team showed improvement from the previous year.
From these events, Warwick Valley High School teams had various successes and showcased their talent in their respective sports.