Boys Soccer

Only three boys’ soccer games took place in the past two weeks. In those three games, Hills was outscored 12 to 2. Indian Hills, River Dell, and Ramsey beat their divisional opponent as they continue towards top-half finishes in the Big North Patriot Division. Hills, meanwhile, is only a game above Westwood for the fifth spot in the six-team league. The Cardinals and the Broncos meet once more on Oct. 24, and the hope for Hills is a repeat of the previous meeting: a 1-0 victory for  Hills. This would also bolster hopes of hosting a home playoff game, as, even with their 4-8 record, their level of competition has them ninth of the 21 teams in North 1, Group 2 point standings. To host a playoff game, Hills would have to dethrone Jefferson before Oct. 26. It seems they have locked up a playoff spot, but there are still goals to achieve. The future holds what the next two pivotal weeks bring for Hills boys soccer.

Girls Soccer

Girls soccer has gone 2-2 in their four games. The turnaround comes after a three-game losing streak and the team has improved to 4-6. Two of those wins were divisional, the losses were clobberings by Pascack Valley and Ramsey. Monday brings the Play-in Round of the Bergen County Invitational against Hackensack, and if Hills advances, they will play a team that will drop down from the upper-tier Bergen County Tournament. They are also fighting for fourth position in the league with Indian Hills, who they defeated 1-0 on Oct. 1. In terms of the state tournament, they sit 12th, seemingly safe to make the tournament, but far from hosting a playoff game. The goal is to build momentum in these final two weeks before the state tournament.

Girls Tennis

Eric Ganz’s girls tennis outfit continued their momentum into the state tournament, and with 5-0 wins over New Milford, Sussex Tech, and Pequannock, they find themselves with an opportunity to make the Group 1 final four for the first time since 2012. They will travel to Glen Rock for the sectional final on Tuesday, Oct. 15. It seems that moving back down to Group 1 after 15 years in Group 2 has given more opportunities for Girls Tennis to showcase their talents, and they have a big test at Rock on Tuesday.

Volleyball

Volleyball went 1-3 in the past two weeks. Their only win was a revenge game against Mahwah to give them their second league win of the season. They begin the County Tournament in Rutherford on Tuesday against St. Mary’s, with the winner traveling to Valley on Thursday. Wins in these next two weeks could, like boys soccer, push volleyball over the mark to host a playoff game as one of the top eight teams. They sit ninth with a considerable gap to Hawthorne, but there is hope for success in the back half of the season for volleyball after a rough start.

Cross Country

Finally, I am proud to include our Cross Country team in a report. Trailblazer writer and cross-country runner Brianna Barrett will provide information on one of the more successful teams this fall season. She will also provide track and field coverage during the winter and spring seasons.

After a very impressive outing at the Brett Taylor Invitational, the cross-country team competed in the Patriot League Championships at Darlington Park. Seniors Dylan Barrett and Jack Herrington led the way for Hills in the Boys Varsity Race placing first and second, respectively. The JV boys continue to dominate as 10 out of the 15 that competed ran a personal best. For Girls Varsity, 3 out of the 4 girls that competed in the race also ran a personal best and it was arguably the best race they have run all year as a team. The varsity and JV boys placed second in their respective races, losing only to Indian Hills. In other cross-country news, this week senior Dylan Barrett was named Male Athlete of the Week for Pascack Hills after breaking a 17-minute record for the first time. The team will look to continue this success going into the Bergen County Championships next Saturday at Darlington Park.

Football

After the close loss against Ramsey, Hills had hopes high for Oct. 5’s game at Dwight-Morrow. It was a close game that the Broncos led for most of the first half, but the Raiders made a comeback and took a one-score lead in the early fourth quarter. Rushes from Connor Ohnikian and Gavin Ulanday gave Hills a chance to take the lead back, but Ohnikian threw a pick-six to Dwight-Morrow’s Damani Williams sealing the game for the Raiders. Hills hoped to rebound against Dover this past Thursday night and were well on their way to a 14-0 victory with four minutes left, but an onside kick that bobbled around and was recovered by Dover after a Tiger touchdown saw Dover score once again, and get a two-point conversion to seal a 15-14 comeback victory. This year has become a lost season of sorts for Hills football, with one more chance to score their first win in the American Red Division at Dumont next Friday night, and the wrap-up game at home against Hoboken on the last Friday of October.

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