NEW STAR: Stuart Country Day School field hockey goalie Alexxa Newman makes a save in a game this season. Junior Newman emerged as a star for the Tartans, recording six shutouts this fall in her first campaign as a starter. Newman’s heroics helped the Tartans win its last three games to post a 6-12-1 final record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

After losing a 3-2 overtime heartbreaker to Princeton Day School in the opening round of the state Prep B playoffs in late October, the Stuart Country Day School field hockey team could have gone through the motions in its remaining games. more

KNOCKED OUT: Princeton High boys’ soccer player Alex Ratzan, left, battles for the ball in recent action. Last week, Ratzan and third-seeded PHS fell 3-1 to seventh-seeded Freehold Township in the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional semifinals. The defeat in the November 10 contest left the Little Tigers with a final record of 16-2-3. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

A downpour pelted the players the Princeton High boys’ soccer team as it hosted Freehold Township last week in the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional semifinals. more

LAX BROS: Princeton High boys’ lacrosse stars, from left, Bobby Campbell, Chris Cahill, and Johnny Morris pose for the team photo before their senior season in 1978. The trio of Campbell, Cahill, and Morris were team tri-captains and formed one of the great midfield units in program history. This Saturday, Morris will be inducted into the tenth class of the PHS Athletics Hall of Fame.

As a kid growing up in Princeton in the late 1960s, Johnny Morris gave baseball a try but things didn’t go well.

“My father and brother would throw a baseball at me and I would put my head away,” said Morris. “I was scared to death of a fly ball.” more

RISING TO THE OCCASION: Princeton High boys’ soccer player Nick Halliday, left, heads the ball in recent action. Last Friday, senior midfielder Halliday helped set up two goals as third-seeded PHS topped sixth-seeded East Brunswick 3-1 in the Central Jersey Group 4 section quarterfinals. The win earned the Little Tigers a spot in the sectional semifinals where they were slated to host seventh-seeded Freehold Township on November 10 with the winner advancing to the title game on November 13. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Although Nick Halliday isn’t one of the headliners on the Princeton High boys’ soccer team, he has a vital role on the squad. more

ON THE BEAM: Princeton High quarterback Dave Beamer fires a pass in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, senior star Beamer connected on a touchdown pass in a losing cause as PHS fell 48-38 to WW/PN. The Little Tigers, who finished the regular season with a 4-5 record, will host Millburn on November 14 in a NJSIAA regional crossover game to wrap up the fall. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Even though the Princeton High football team was trailing WW/P-N 48-38 when it got the ball with 54.7 seconds remaining in regulation, Dave Beamer wasn’t about to give up. more

FRONTRUNNERS: Princeton High girls’ cross country runners, Lou Mialhe, left, and Chloe Taylor compete in a recent race. Last Saturday at the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional meet, senior Mialhe placed ninth individually and sophomore Taylor took 10th to help PHS finish fifth in the team standings and secure the last qualifying spot for the upcoming state Group 4 meet. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

As the Princeton High girls’ cross county team competed at the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional meet last Saturday, its frontrunners did their job. more

HAIL STORM: Princeton High girls’ soccer player Haley -Bodden boots the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Monday, senior midfielder Bodden contributed a goal and an assist as fifth-seeded PHS routed No. 12 Sayreville 8-2 in the first round of the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional. PHS, now 10-4-1, is slated to play at fourth-seeded Monroe in the sectional quarterfinals on November 5. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Haley Bodden was ready to leave it all on the field as the Princeton High girls’ soccer team faced Sayreville in the first round of the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional last Monday.

“Definitely as a senior I wanted to put my all into this game,” said Bodden. more

FIGHTING ON: Princeton Day School boys’ soccer player David Cedeno heads upfield in a game earlier this fall. Last Sunday, junior midfielder Cedeno, who was sidelined earlier in the season with a knee injury, contributed an assist as third-seeded PDS fell 2-1 to top-seeded Gill St. Bernard’s in the state Prep B championship game. The Panthers, who won seven of their last 10 games, ended the fall with an 11-7 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

David Cedeno could have given up on his junior season with the Princeton Day School boys’ soccer team when he injured his right knee earlier this fall.

Cedeno was sidelined for nearly two months with a torn ligament but gamely returned to action in time to play for PDS in its Mercer County Tournament quarterfinal clash at Princeton High. more

BLACK AND BLUE: Hun School football star Owen Black was patrolling the field in recent action. Last Saturday, senior Black returned a fumble for a touchdown to help key a bruising defensive effort as Hun defeated Peddie 40-13. Hun, now 7-0 overall and 4-0 Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL), plays at Mercersburg Academy (Pa.) on November 8 in its season finale. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

For the Hun School football team, the formula was simple as it looked to beat visiting Peddie last Saturday in a showdown for first place in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL).

“We wanted to come out and set the tone by running the ball, just establishing that we were going to own the line of scrimmage,” said Hun head coach Todd Smith. more

SAVING GRACE: Princeton Day School girls’ soccer goalie Grace Barbara makes a stop in a game earlier this season. Last Thursday, sophomore star Barbara made five saves to help first-seeded PDS edge No. 4 Wardlaw Hartridge 1-0 in the state Prep B semis. The Panthers, who improved to 16-2-1 with the win, were slated to host No. 2 Montclair Kimberly on November 3 in the Prep B championship game. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

After suffering a disappointing 3-0 loss to Notre Dame in the Mercer County Tournament semifinals, the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team got another shot to make a title game as it hosted Wardlaw Hartridge in the state Prep B semis last Thursday. more

Coming into the fall, Jim Smirk sensed that people had doubts as to whether his Princeton High girls’ cross country team could regain its standing as a perennial power.

“We have been working all season on trying to put together our identity; we had a lot of seniors last year and they were a good group of seniors,” said PHS head coach Smirk.

“There were a lot of question marks, more so from other people than ourselves, about how good we could be. A lot of people were floating around that it is a rebuilding year; there was this idea that it was OK if we weren’t very good.” more

TITLE RACE: Princeton High boys’ soccer star Chris Harla, right, races after the ball last week against Notre Dame. Senior co-captain and star defender Harla helped key a tough defense and scored the lone goal as PHS prevailed 1-0 over the Irish in the October 13 contest.  The Little Tigers improved to 12-0-3 with a 1-0 win over Hightstown last Monday. PHS will start action in the Mercer County Tournament this week where the Little Tigers are seeded first and slated to host 17th-seeded Nottingham on October 21 in a first-round contest. (Photo by John Dowers)

Chris Harla has been a defensive stalwart for the Princeton High boys’ soccer team over the last few years, bringing skill and physicality to the back line. more

The Senior Day ceremony for the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team took place last Thursday before it hosted perennial power Pennington and it didn’t last long as Izzy Meyercord was the only member of the Class of 2016 on the squad.

But for defender and co-captain Meyercord, it was a long, hard road to that day, having suffered broken legs that sidelined her as a sophomore and junior.

That injury history had Meyercord concerned as she entered the 2015 campaign. more

SPECIAL CAY: Hun School field hockey player Mariesa Cay goes after the ball in recent action. Senior star Cay has provided energy and production in the midfield for Hun this fall as it has gone 6-6-1. In upcoming action, the Raiders will host Ewing on October 21 in a Mercer County Tournament consolation game before playing at Lawrenceville School on October 24, at Moorestown Friends on October 26 and then starting action in the state Prep A tourney. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Coming into its Mercer County Tournament opening round contest against visiting Hightstown last Friday, the Hun School field hockey team was mired in a three-game losing streak. more

Mark Shelley is dealing with a problem this fall that would be the envy of most cross country coaches.

“We are so deep this year, we have been trying to give all of our quicker guys a chance to run a varsity meet,” said Princeton High boys’ cross country head coach Shelley.

“We had 11 guys go sub-18:00 at Holmdel at the Shore Coaches meet. It is a positive competition. They like each other, it pushes them. At the end of the season it is going to be hard to make those final spot determinations.” more

FRESH APPROACH: Princeton Day School field hockey player Val Radvany fires the ball up the field in recent action. Last Thursday, freshman star Radvany tallied a goal and an assist to help PDS top Northern Burlington 2-0. On Monday, Radvany chipped in an assist as the Panthers edged South Hunterdon 2-1 to move to 3-10. PDS hosts Hopewell Valley on October 14 before starting play in the Mercer County Tournament. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Having lost nine straight games, the Princeton Day School field hockey team was determined to end that victory drought as it hosted Northern Burlington last Thursday. more

HAND IN HAND: Princeton High girls’ tennis first double players, Rachel Kleiman, left, and Nikhita Salgame celebrate a point during their 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 win over Stephanie Ji and Kim Wong of WW/P-S in the finals of the Mercer County Tournament (MCT) last Wednesday. The win by Kleiman and Salgame at first doubles was a highlight as PHS finished second in the team standings to champion WW/P-S. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

In mid-September, the Princeton High girls’ tennis first doubles team of seniors Nikhita Salgame and Rachel Kleiman fell in straight sets to the WW/PS pair of Stephanie Ji and Kim Wong in a regular season match. more

TAKING CONTROL: Princeton Day School girls’ soccer star Hannah Bunce controls the ball in recent action. Last Monday, junior midfielder Bunce chipped in an assist as PDS defeated Lawrence High 2-0 to improve to 9-0-1 and record its eighth straight shutout. The Panthers will look to keep on the winning track when they play at Hill School (Pa.) on October 7 and at Morristown on October 13. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

With the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team having gone undefeated in its first eight games coming into its clash against visiting Lawrenceville last Saturday, the squad’s calling card has been an even distribution of talent. more

Last November, Ashley Maziarz blasted in a free kick from about 30 yards out in the first half to give the Hun School girls’ soccer team a 1-0 lead over Pennington in the state Prep A title game.

Maziarz’s thunderbolt helped spark Hun to a 2-0 victory over Pennington, snapping its 11-year title streak.

When the rivals met last week for the first time since that historic contest, Kendall Dandridge did her best Maziarz imitation. more