Coach Bolen as Head Coach

By ANDREW SHINKLE ‘22 Editor-in-Chief

Since he came to Eastern, Mr. Bolen has made a career out of helping students find success after high school. He’s been a guidance counselor here for almost a decade, and he’s worked with the football team for just as long. But this year, he landed the opportunity to increase his impact on the team, and leave his mark as head coach. Having grown up in nearby Westhampton, New Jersey, Bolen has local ties to Eastern. After graduating from Rancocas Valley High School in 2001, he attended the University of Notre Dame as part of the Class of 2005, majoring in anthropology, economics, and computer applications. He played on the football teams at both schools as a defensive back, gaining notoriety as a strong, physical defender. In the years after, Bolen found a job at Synthes USA Trauma, a medical device manufacturing company, as a medical sales consultant. However, he realized that he wanted to return to football as a coach, and enrolled at Wilmington University in order to obtain his master’s in school counseling. A month after graduating in 2012, Bolen was hired at Eastern as a guidance counselor, a position he has held ever since. 2012 also marked Bolen’s first year of involvement with the Vikings, when he signed on as a volunteer coach for the defensive backs. Led by quarterback Tom Flacco, the brother of former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, that year’s roster also included standout players such as T.J Gardner, Ryan Delaney, and NFL firstround pick Eli Apple. After continuing as a defensive backs coach for the next eight seasons, Bolen came upon the opportunity to take on a larger role with the Vikings when former head coach John Doherty resigned in December 2020. “It was just good timing on my end, and the right situation, and I was able to interview and discuss the things that I wanted to do with the program. They liked what I was putting out there, and I got the opportunity to lead the young men and coaches, and do my best,” Bolen said. When Bolen heard that he won the job, he was ecstatic, because he knew that he was inheriting a great group of players and coaches. His assistant coaches include offensive coordinator Nick Yotsko, defensive coordinator Kenny Foulkes, linebackers coach Gary Worthington, as well as defensive line coach Jacob Gruber and wide receivers coach Delaney, who played on the 2012 squad. Bolen’s first win as head coach came in the season opener against Seneca on September 2nd. Since then, he’s collected wins against Trenton Central on September 17th and Highland Regional on October 8th. On October 22nd, the Vikings finished the season strong against Rancocas Valley with a 31-21 comeback victory. With every Friday night that passes, Bolen and his players have improved. “We’ve played some very tough players and had a few setbacks, but the kids play tough and respond well. We’re just looking forward to progressing and getting better than we were last week, and being ready for the game on Friday night,” he said. So far, Bolen’s favorite aspect of head coaching revolves around the playercoach relationships. On his squad, the players care about and play for each other, which is crucial for a team’s locker room health and overall performance. The coaches also play a role in fostering a sense of camaraderie and trust throughout the team. Going forward, Bolen wants to focus on building the Vikings into a perennial playoff contender. “The goal, always, when you get into a position like this is to make the playoffs,

“They liked what I was putting out there, and I got the opportunity to lead the young men and coaches, and do my best.”

and once you have a seat at the table, go and compete, and hopefully win a state title one day,” he said. However, he realizes that at the end of the day, the end goal for his players is bigger than football; that developing highcharacter people is the ultimate prize in life. With the way things currently stand, it looks like Coach Bolen will be in it for the long haul with the Vikings. Supported by those around him, and with an honorable goal on his radar, the sky will be the limit for where he can take the program. “As long as they’ll have me, I’ll be here.”

“The girls worked and earned their way to those spots and ultimately made the team as strong as it was.”

Coach Bolen (left) and Coach Yotsko (right) communicate with the team during their blowout victory against Trenton Central on September 17th at McAleer Stadium. Photo by Andrew Shinkle ‘22

Girls’ Tennis experiences a season of transition

By JOSEPH LOVERDI ‘22 Sports Editor

It’s been a season of transition for the Eastern Girls Tennis team. Last year’s team went 6-4 and made a strong run to the semifinals of their NJSIAA group tournament, but this year’s team has seen some changes. There’s been rotation within the lineup; with Melody Dias, Lily Coyne, and Sydney Gold graduating (three fourths of the 2020 team’s doubles lineup). Also, senior Abby Serata has moved from 3rd singles to first doubles alongside junior Violet Riquelme, while Lela Phung has moved from first to third singles as sophomore Magha Kumar rose to first singles. Coach George Kemery sees this as good competition. “The girls worked and earned their way to those spots and ultimately made the team as strong as it was,” he said. The theme of this season was one of transition from the old guard to the new, one that will continue next year as Serata, Phung, Nadine Litvak (second singles) and Dara Hammel (half of second doubles) will graduate. The Vikings went 9-8 and bowed out in the second round of their NJSIAA group tournament following a 4-1 loss to Lenape. One of the season’s pleasant surprises has been the excellence of Eastern’s doubles teams; Serata and Riquelme at first and Hammel and Aastha Kulkarni at second have been key to the Vikings’ success this year. Every team needs a strong doubles core to provide support; we saw that with both the girls’ and boys’ teams in the 2020-21 season, and this year’s team is no different. “First doubles ended up defeating every team in the Olympic Conference having never played together before. Second doubles is always underrated but they drive our record,” Kemery said. It’s especially noticeable at first, where Serata and Riquelme boast the team’s best record. The two had never played together before this season, and quickly gelled to form a near-unstoppable unit, arguably the best doubles pairing in one of the toughest conferences in the state. Meanwhile at first singles, it’s been a year of learning for Kumar, who played first doubles with Dias last year. Kemery describes her play as “powerful, dedicated, and laser-focused, hitting hard and flat.” Only a sophomore, Kumar’s an athlete to watch throughout her remaining two years at Eastern. When looking back at the season, Kemery singles out both of their wins against Cherokee as standout moments. “They’re a good team and we murdered them this year,” he said. Standing out is hard in the “toughest conference for tennis in South Jersey,” but the Vikings did just that this year. With a solid foundation to build on as Kumar, Riquelme, and Kulkarni return, things will definitely only go up from here. Junior Aastha Kulkarni stands ready for an opposing shot.

Photo by Tiana Cyrelson ‘22