Hills sophomore Brooke Bonanno of the girls’ soccer team was selected to be Athlete of the Week for the week of October 20, 2021. Although the Broncos lost two tough matches this week to Pascack Valley and Mahwah, both ending in a score of 2-1, Bonanno fought to help keep the battles close.

“I would say my determination and hard work is what got me to be Athlete of the Week,” said Bonanno, “I try my best to never put my head down after a loss, and always try to stay positive.”

However, keeping this positive mindset isn’t always an easy task, according to Brooke. “The most difficult part of soccer is probably being mentally strong,” she explained. “You always have to try and stay positive throughout the whole season, even if you lose every game, every teammate has to build each other up and work together as one.”

Brooke’s performance on the field this season has been held in high regard, especially to girls’ soccer coach AJ Aliprantis. “She has been an absolute force and a lockdown defender for us on the outside,” said Coach Aliprantis, “She is one of the reasons why we are able to keep the opposing teams to such a low scoring game. She is not only physically tough but she is also mentally tough, which plays a huge factor in her success in being such a great competitor.”

Although she has been recently making a name for herself, Brooke’s love for soccer is not a new discovery. “I have been playing soccer since I was in kindergarten,” she said. “I loved it ever since I was little and knew it was for me.”

Brooke is planning on taking her talents to the next level for the coming years at Pascack Hills as well. “I plan to play soccer throughout the rest of my high school career,” she stated.