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STATE CHAMPIONS’ EDITION
HoVal takes second straight tennis title By RicH FisHeR It was coming down to the wire of the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II semifinals between 2nd-seeded Manasquan and defending champion, 3rdseeded Hopewell Valley Central High. The pressure was immense and the match had yet to be decided when first doubles team Kaito Mahon and Andrew Hou got locked in a tiebreaker. During an end change break, Warriors coach Ryan Ritchey called his duo over to discuss strategy, so Hopewell coach Dave Burchell did likewise. “They said, ‘What do you want to tell us?’” Burchell recalled. “I said ‘Nothing, but their coach is talking to his kids so I wanted to make it look like I was coaching you.’” The players broke out laughing, the tension was shattered and they went on to win the tiebreaker 10-6. “That’s all you can do,” Burchell said, “is have that demeanor and disposition.” Throw in talent and you’ve got it made. After beating Manasquan, the Bulldogs went on to win their second straight state title, sealing it with a 3-2 win over Haddonfield in the
Group II final. After never winning a state title in 50 years of coaching, Burchell now has two straight. This one wasn’t a surprise, since Hopewell only graduated its first singles player last year. But it was hardly automatic as the ’Dogs had to grind out 3-2 wins in the sectional and state finals. “Obviously it’s never easy to win a state championship,” said Zach Weisenfeld, the team’s only senior starter who paired with Manas Sinha at second doubles. “We had a confident group. We had a large portion of the team coming back which was pretty helpful. A lot of us The Hopewell Valley boys’ lacrosse team after winning not only the first state title in school history, had been in that position, so we but the first for any team in the Colonial Valley Conference. (Photo by Mike Schwartz/mssphoto.com.) were optimistic.” Asked to compare the significance of each title, Weisenfeld said: “They were both pretty exciting in their own ways. Last year, none of us scratched the surface before that. This sectional final for the first time, “I don’t know if we felt presyear was remarkable in that a By RicH FisHeR senior midfielder Ryan Foret sure to win because no one else lot of people thought we’d slip After losing in the NJSIAA had a simple philosophy. in the county had ever done it,” because we lost our first sin“We got there,” Foret said. said coach Matt Foret, Ryan’s gles player. But a lot of people South Jersey Group II semifinals, quarterfinals, and semifi- “We might as well win it.” father. “I think we felt pressure showed we had a good team.” Win it they did, creating his- to win because we hadn’t done Hopewell finished 19-6 nals the previous three seasons, against a loaded schedule that Hopewell Valley Central High’s tory in the process. Hopewell’s it. But there is that aspect where included top-flight teams in and lacrosse team was moved to 8-5 victory over Sparta made we feel a lot of pride that we were out of the Colonial Valley Con- North Jersey and promptly won it the first Colonial Valley Con- able to do something that hadn’t Welcome to Capital Health.ference team to ever win a sec- been done in the county yet.” ference. That certainly helped it’s semi. See TENNIS, Page 8 See LAX, Page 12 With the Bulldogs reaching a tional championship. When someone you care about is sick, you’ll do whatever it takes to make sure they get the best care. And so do we.
HoVal lacrosse makes history with first state title for a CVC team
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