THREE’S COMPANY: Princeton High girls’ volleyball player Naomi Lygas, center, celebrates with teammates during a 3-0 win over Burlington Township in the semifinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 3 tournament. Senior standout Lygas starred as the Tigers went on to win their third straight NJSIAA Group 3 state title and finish the fall with a 27-5 record. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)

By Bill Alden

Coming into her senior season for the Princeton High girls’ volleyball team, Naomi Lygas wasn’t 100 percent physically.

As the fall started, Lygas was still rehabbing an ankle injury she suffered over the summer.

“The start of the season was a little rocky just because I had a rough injury in the summer,” said Lygas, noting that she tore ligaments and had fractures in the ankle. “I played through it in the summer and realized it didn’t work very well so I took August off. I still have been playing through it now. I have been doing PT stuff which is really helpful. Now I am more confident, before I was a little nervous, especially getting tight to the net.”

But getting up to full strength as the season unfolded, Lygas produced another dominant campaign from her outside hitter spot.

With Lygas piling up kills and digs, PHS got off to a 16-0 start as it began its pursuit of a third straight New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 3 state title.

Working some new faces into the lineup, PHS hit a rough patch as they dropped five matches in October, facing some of the other top teams in the state.

But once the postseason rolled around, PHS raised the level of its game. The Tigers won the Burlington County Scholastic League (BCSL) tournament, sweeping Notre Dame 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-20) in the final.

Heading into the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 3 sectional, Lygas and her teammates were primed to achieve their state title three-peat.

“It is our main goal; in the beginning we had team goals and I think maybe half of them were win states,” said Lygas. “It is a big goal of ours and I think we are making all of the right steps to get there. It is just about executing.”

The top-seeded Tigers executed very well as they dominated the sectional, topping 8th-seeded Colts Neck 3-0 (25-9, 25-9, 25-12) in the quarterfinal round, 4th-seeded Burlington Township 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-13) in the semis, and 7th-seeded Brick Memorial 3-0 (25-10, 25-9, 25-13) in the final.

PHS head coach Patty Manhart credited Lygas with setting the tone for the Tigers.

“Naomi is always going to put the ball away,” said Manhart. “Her passing is always impeccable. She is just such a reliable player. Having that person that can help us like that, that is why we are able to win 25-13. She will find the floor when she is swinging every time.

For Lygas, going after individual milestones helped spur her dominant play.

“It means a lot, those have been my goals since freshman year to get these milestones,” said Lygas, who has committed to attend Tulane University and play for its beach volleyball team. “To achieve them is such an amazing feeling but at the same time I am still setting new goals for myself. Ever since we have played the best-of-five, I have set my goal for 1,250 kills. That is my new bar that I have set. I always try to make myself have something to work for. That has been my new goal, hopefully it will happen.”

Looking ahead to the Group 3 state semis, Lygas sensed that the Tigers were peaking.

“I think we are definitely reaching a sweet spot for our team in how we jell together and it has been working well,” said Lygas. “I think every team we play against is different but we try hard to watch film and practice the right stuff against them so that way we are set and ready with the plan.”

PHS showed the right stuff, topping Toms River South 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-12) in the semis and then defeating Millburn 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-18) in the final to achieve its state title three-peat.
Lygas produced another spectacular performance in the final, recording a match-high 25 kills with 10 digs.

In reflecting on what Lygas accomplished over her career, Manhart credited her for her combination of skill and grit. Lygas piled up 435 kills and 243 digs this fall, leaving her with 1,287 kills and 720 digs in her career.

“She is one of a kind, she is a once-in-a lifetime volleyball player,” said Manhart, whose team ended the fall with a 27-5 record. “She is a powerhouse, a superstar. Playing through injury speaks to her awesomeness. She will just push through and play through. She is always going to go 100 percent, there are not many players are like that. She is a very special player.”

Lygas, for her part, was thrilled to help the revamped Tigers enjoy another state crown.

“Me and the other seniors have been on the court for both times but we also have a lot of new players,” said Lygas. “They know what it is like, they have seen it happen. It is cool to try to win one for them too at the same time.”

For capping her stellar career with a sensational final campaign that resulted in PHS winning its third straight Group 3 state title, Lygas is the choice as the Town Topics’ top girl performer of the fall season.

HAMMER TIME: Princeton High boys’ soccer player Chase Hamerschlag tracks the ball in a game this fall. Senior center back Hamerschlag helped spearhead the Tiger back line and also tallied eight goals and three assists as PHS went 16-5-1 and advanced to the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) tournament final. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)

Top Boy Performer

Having committed to Elon University this summer to play for its baseball program, Chase Hamerschlag was determined to make the most out of his final season for the Princeton High boys’ soccer team.

As the squad’s most battle-tested center back and a co-captain, Hamerschlag was primed to lead the squad’s defensive unit.

“I would say we have had a great back line the last three years,” said Hamerschlag. “We have got three new faces like last year when I was a new face and Connor [Hewitt] was the only returner. It is the same thing here. I am definitely taking on a captain role back there. We are just trying to work together.”

But when the PHS attack sputtered, Hamerschlag moved up the field and made an impact when it came to scoring goals.

In a 1-0 win over Hopewell Valley in early September, Hamerschlag came up the pitch after halftime and blasted a header into the back of the net to provide the margin of victory.

“On that play I saw that the whole defense was shifted to the right,” said Hamerschlag. “It was Andre [Ansarah] who sent that ball. I leapt forward and got it square on my forehead. I knew it was in right away.”

With Hamerschlag anchoring the back line and providing offense when needed, PHS got off to a 10-0 start.

PHS head coach Ryan Walsh credited Hamerschlag with solidifying the squad’s back line.

“Chase is the rock back there for us,” said Walsh. “He is the only returning starter back there, we trust him a lot.”

Coming down the stretch, Hamerschlag came through in some big moments. Against Lawrence in a critical late season game, Hamerschlag scored the winning goal in a 2-1 nailbiter.

In the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) quarterfinal round, Hamerschlag tallied the lone goal as third-seeded PHS pulled out a 1-0 win over Trenton. With PHS knotted in a 1-1 against seventh-seeded Hopewell Valley in a tense CVC semi showdown, Hamerschlag struck again, tallying the winning goal in a 2-1 victory.

“When we have the opportunity to move that kid around, he is an asset; what an athlete,” said Walsh. “He has had a great year. He does whatever we ask him to do. He is defending, he is attacking.”

Early in the season, Hamerschlag said he wanted to keep playing soccer as long as he could.

“I think that we are really bonding together from our first scrimmages to now, it is whole different world,” said Hamerschlag. “I want to win every championship there is, I want to be out here until November 22.”

While PHS ended up falling to top-seeded Notre Dame 2-1 in overtime in the CVC final and got knocked out of the state tournament in a first-round upset, Hamerschlag produced an outstanding final campaign, spearheading a stingy PHS defense that posted 11 shutouts and tallying eight goals, the second best on the team, and three assists to help the Tigers finish with a 16-5-1 record.

Hamerschlag’s athleticism and versatility in helping PHS boys’ soccer enjoy another stellar season earns him the nod as the top boy performer of the fall.

Top Newcomers

Delaney Jones didn’t waste any time making an impact for the Hun School field hockey team as she joined the program this year after transferring from Pennsbury (Pa.) High.

In Hun’s season opener against Hopewell Valley, sophomore midfielder Jones tallied the winning goal in a 2-1 victory as she blasted in a penalty corner.

“I saw an opening so I just took the shot and it went in,” said Jones, reflecting on her tally. “Every practice we spend at least 20 minutes working on corners. We have plays on our sticks they will call out. On that one it means Addi [McNally] is pushing it out to me and then I take the shot.”

Jones was thrilled to make an immediate contribution for the Raiders.

“As a newcomer, I was so excited for the game and the new season to start,” said Jones. “Especially the first game being a home game, I was absolutely ecstatic.”

It didn’t take long for Jones to bond with her new teammates.

“The vibe overall on this team is just absolutely insane,” said Jones. “Every practice, there is high energy. Everyone is connecting. We are all best friends in this team.”

As the fall unfolded, Jones provided energy and production for the Raiders, scoring a team-high 16 goals and adding five assists to help Hun go 11-7.

Hun head coach Tracey Arndt appreciated what Jones brought to the table this fall and is looking forward to see what she can achieve in the future.

“It will be amazing to have her for two more years, she is very versatile,” said Arndt. “Between her former school and her club team, she has played almost every position so she knows the game fairly well. For me, it is just having her as our leading goal scorer as a sophomore is amazing. She did it at the center mid position through rebounds and was one of our main hitters on corners.”

For emerging as a top scorer in her debut campaign for Hun field hockey, Jones is the choice as the top girl newcomer of the fall.

Saboor Qureshi decided to head in a new direction athletically this fall for Princeton High.

Giving up soccer, senior Qureshi joined the PHS boys’ cross country team.

“A lot of people quit cross country senior year, but actually going into high school, that was one of my main decisions to either do my original sport which was soccer, so I came from soccer, and it was either soccer or cross country, and I chose soccer,” said Qureshi. “But over time, as I did track, I did winter and spring track, I was just with the team more. I fell in love with the team and the connections that we had, the atmosphere that was built, the mentality that we had. It was just amazing to see, and really I knew that I could improve my track times, especially doing cross country, so I said, I might as well go for it.”

Qureshi ended up having a great time this fall, emerging as the top runner for PHS and helping it place first in the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) championship meet.

Setting the pace for the Tigers at the meet, Qureshi finished third individually, closing a time of 16:26.69 over the 5,000-meter course at Thompson Park. PHS edged WW/P-North, which had the race’s top two finishers, 47-51, thanks to Qureshi’s efforts up front coupled with courageous efforts from the Tigers’ next pack.

“As a runner, you always have to be confident,” said Qureshi.

“You always have to trust yourself. We knew that a lot of websites, we were looking around and they were saying, North had the advantage. But we just knew we had to trust our training. We had to develop our team identity. And I think we found that on the guys’ side. And that team identity is just determination through adversity and we’re able to put out results and put out the times that we want.”

The Tigers went on to take second in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 sectional meet as Qureshi placed fourth individually in a time of 16:13.83 over the Thompson Park course. In the Group 4 state meet at Holmdel Park, Qureshi finished 13th individually with a time of 16:45 as PHS placed fifth in the team standings. Qureshi ended the season by taking 58th in the Meet of Champions at Holmdel, posting a time of 16:42.

PHS head coach Jim Smirk credited Qureshi with giving the Tigers a big lift with more than his fast times. “It’s nice to see Saboor come over from soccer because his experience with the track program was a really positive one for him, so he came over to cross country and that kind of was a little extra spark for us this year,” said Smirk. “He’s really integrated himself really well with the team and I think that is a holdover from his time in track and field as well. But he’s really embraced kind of the culture of cross country and the team identity of cross country. And I think he’s really thriving with this idea of that you’re not just out there kind of by yourself trying to run personal best, but there’s this kind of whole team dynamic to it that really has a different flavor than track and field.”

For Qureshi, making the move to cross country ended up going better than he could have imagined.

“All of my results that I’ve had this year are a bit of a surprise to anyone, even me,” said Qureshi. “But I definitely knew with the work I was putting over the summer, I was very serious about it. I took my training very seriously. I put in the miles, I put in the time, set aside some time to stretch, set aside time to eat well, and I just knew that I would be able to race well if I did those things consistently over the summer. I would be lying if I said the season has not exceeded my expectations completely. I’m just thrilled with how everyone has performed and obviously including myself.”

Qureshi’s impact in his first year for PHS cross country makes him the choice as the top boy newcomer.

ON POINT: Princeton Day School girls’ soccer head coach Chris Pettit makes a point during game this fall. Pettit guided PDS to a remarkable reversal of fortune as it went 20-1-1 this year after going 8-9-1 in 2024. The Panthers won the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) tournament final and advanced to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public state final. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)

Top Coaches

Coming off winning a New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public A state title in 2023, the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team struggled last fall as went 8-9-1.

“We didn’t live up to our potential last year, there is an element of getting back on track,” said PDS head coach Chris Pettit. “There is a feeling of less pressure. The previous year we were coming in with a target on our backs and with maybe to a certain degree an unrealistic set of expectations. This year that has been taken away because we struggled last year. There is a bit more lightness around the team which is nice. It feels quite positive.”

Pettit and his players did some soul-searching after the disappointing 2024 campaign.

“The key to get back on track is having everybody buying in so we are all pulling in the same direction and we can get our mentality right,” said Pettit. “That includes myself and the coaching staff to make sure that we are leading by example and that we are holding ourselves and the players accountable. That is something that is important.”

The Panthers got on track in a big way this fall as they brought a 15-0-1 record into the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) tournament, posting 10 shutouts in regular season action.

Showing its quality, top-seeded PDS defeated 8th-seeded WW/P-South 5-1 in the CVC quarterfinal round and then topped fifth-seeded Lawrence 6-2 in the semis. In the final, the Panthers edged second-seeded Allentown 1-0 to earn the program’s first CVC tournament crown.

After the win over Allentown, Pettit pointed to the team’s unity as a key to the title.

“It has really been the collective, last season we didn’t have that collective,” said Pettit. “We spoke about it, we have worked at it. When we won the states a couple of years ago, it was the same thing. We lost our way last year and that is on me. We really focused on bringing that back, (assistant coaches) Kelly [Severini] and Kira [Dudeck] have been huge with bringing that back and the girls have bought into it. Today was the power of the collective.”

PDS senior star Juliana Hartman, who scored the lone goal in the CVC final, saw that collective mentality as making the difference for the Panthers.

“We constantly just work through it, we never give up because that is not us,” said Hartman. “We play for each other, that is our motive. It is definitely a lot of the same players but we know we are a different team. We want to go and show that to everyone.”

In the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public B tourney, PDS continued to show its quality. The second-seeded Panthers topped 7th-seeded Doane Academy 7-0 in the quarterfinal and edged 6th-seeded Bishop Eustace 1-0 in the semis. In a battle of undefeated against top-seeded Rutgers Prep in the final, PDS battled valiantly as it fell 3-0 to suffer its only defeat in a 20-1-1 campaign.

In the wake of the loss, Pettit was proud of what his squad accomplished as it also won a CVC Division title to go with its CVC tournament crown.

“It is OK to be disappointed in the here or now but if we were offered that at the start of the season, we would have snatched the hands off,” said Pettit. “We won two of the three trophies we were in and we lost one game all season in the sectional final. You can be disappointed and proud at the same time. I think that should be our overwhelming feeling.”

PDS senior defender and co-captain Emma Burns will always remember how the Panthers came together this fall.
“It was really great that we turned it around by so much,” said Burns. “We really came together as a collective and lived by our motto — play for the person next to you. It is sad that it ended, it was a really great season.”
For guiding his PDS girls’ soccer squad to a remarkable reversal of fortune, Pettit is the choice as the top coach of a girls’ team this fall.
Ending its 2024 season on a high note, the Princeton High football went 4-1 in its last five regular season games to make its first trip to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) playoffs since 2014.
Coming into this fall, PHS head coach Charlie Gallagher was looking for his squad to build on that strong finish.
“We have to be better at getting a couple of earlier wins,” said Gallagher. “I know there are other teams out there that are better. I would just like to get off to a better start and hopefully we roll from there.”
Playing at Lawrence High in its opener, PHS showed strength on both sides of the ball as it pulled away to a 20-7 win. Led by senior running back /defensive back Carmine Carusone and senior wide receiver/ defensive back Ellinton Hinds and with sophomore quarterback Quinton deFaria growing into the job, the Tigers kept rolling.

They got off to a 6-1 start with wins over formidable foes Allentown, Hamilton West, Robbinsville, Holy Cross Prep and Nottingham. The only blemish in that stretch was a 21-20 loss to Ewing.

PHS ran into some adversity in game eight as it fell 27-14 to Trenton High, losing starting quarterback deFaria to a dislocated elbow early it the contest.

After the game, the Tigers suffered another blow as it learned that it was getting banned from the state tournament due to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) rule that any team that accumulates three or more player or coach disqualifications during a season will not be permitted to compete in the playoffs.

But Gallagher held the squad together as it prepared to face WW/P United Co-op in its season finale.

“I was a little bit unnerved because they seemed real positive which was really great,” said Gallagher. “We just rode that and every practice was a great practice. They knew this is their last game, there were really good vibes. We kept the practice light for the most part. We did some fun and games at the end, just some competition stuff. The kids love competition, it was just another way to take their mind off what took place and at the same time just have some fun with the guys they have been going to school with for many, many years now and playing football with.”

The Tiger players responded by rolling to a 35-0 win to end the fall with a 7-2 record, the program’s most wins since going 8-2 in 2014.

In reflecting on the stellar campaign, Gallagher credited his senior group with making a huge impact.

“Every senior class is different,” said Gallagher. “It is going to be hard to find another Carmine [Carusone] or another Andrew [Foreman] or Jheki [Gordon] or Ellinton. It is going to be hard to find another Zaire [Mackey-Wright] or a Jaxon [Jones]. This is one of the first senior classes that kind of played four years. We had like 12 guys, some guys came in and out of the program. It is nice to have some consistency, we had a core and they played well.”

For guiding the PHS football program to a memorable fall and keeping it on track to the final whistle, Gallagher gets the nod as the top coach of a boys’ team.