The Scarsdale High School varsity sports teams did not disappoint this winter season. The athletes worked hard and accomplished many goals that will go down in SHS history. There were many notable achievements from teams this season, especially from boys’ ice hockey, girls’ basketball, boys’ basketball, boys’ wrestling, and the winter track and field team.

Boys’ Ice Hockey:

The Scarsdale Boys Varsity Hockey Team had a successful year under new head coach James Synowiez, along with new assistant coach John Felix. The team finished the season with a record of 13-8, led by captains Ben Schwartz ’19 and Jack Brosgol ’19. In the first matchup of the playoffs, the Raiders defeated Nyack/Tappan Zee 10-1. Unfortunately, the Raiders suffered a loss in the second round to North Rockland, 4-2. Schwartz ’19 and Brosgol ’19 each netted a goal, although it was not enough to secure the win.

Girls’ Basketball:

The Scarsdale Girls Varsity Basketball team ended the season with a record of 10-11, under direction of head coach Mike Blanco. “The New Rochelle game was the highlight of the season,” said Ava Londa ’22. “We beat New Rochelle 43-42, and our coach, who has been here in Scarsdale for many years, has never beaten them. We were confident going into the game and focused on getting the win for the coach,” added Londa. In the Section I Class AA opening round of the playoffs, Scarsdale faced off against No. 4 Lourdes. The first time the Raiders faced Lourdes this season they lost 63-35. In the playoff matchup the Raiders lost 64-49. Despite the result, captain Kayla Maroney ’20 exhibited her talent, scoring 21 points. “Considering we had eight new players on the team this year, and it was thought to be a ‘rebuilding’ year, I think we did pretty well. We went 10-11, but I think our record was not necessarily the right representation of our season,” said Maroney. Scarsdale fought hard throughout the winter season with a young squad. “We developed as a team on and off the court. We became very close outside of practices and games, which brought up the spirit and energy of the team. As the season went on, we wanted the season to continue, as we were having so much fun. The first game against Lourdes was a major blowout, and at one point of the playoff game, we were only down by four, which demonstrates our improvement throughout the season,” concluded Londa.

Boys’ Basketball:

The SHS Varsity Basketball team raised the spirits of the whole school this winter with an exciting 2019 season. The Raiders finished off the regular season with a record of 13-7 under first year coach Joe Amelio. “I am happy with how the season went. We played hard every game and put ourselves in the position to be able to win the section,” said captain Cole Kattan ’19. “It’s a couple of games over the course of a long season that leave me with some feelings of dissatisfaction because of the outcome, but at the end of the day those defeats will push us to work harder in life. This season was also the most fun I’ve ever had playing any sport in my life, and that is a credit to my coaches and my teammates,” added Kattan. In the opening round of the Section I Class AA Tournament, Scarsdale defeated No. 12 seed North Rockland 55-38. After gaining momentum after the win against North Rockland, the Raiders faced off against No. 4 White Plains in the quarterfinals. Scarsdale lost 69-65 in a thrilling game that featured the talents of captain Jayshen Saigal ’20 with 27 points, and Kattan, who picked up 14 points. Although the result was disappointing to the team, the season will go down in the books as a season with major improvements and electrifying performances. “Knowing and playing with many of the players at Scarsdale, I know that there is a lot of talented players who are capable of doing great things. To them, I would say that if you really care, then put time in before the season starts, get better whenever you can and the game becomes much easier. Encourage the people you are going to be playing with to do the same thing, it helps a lot. Lastly always prioritize winning over everything else, it not only translates to more wins but also more fun,” said Kattan.

Track and Field:

It has been a very exciting winter season for Scarsdale track and field team, with many individual athletes exceeding expectations. On December 9th, Sophia Franco ’20 broke SHS’s 600m record in the first race of the season. Franco ’20 is currently ranked 4th nationally, and will be competing in Nationals this weekend. The boys’ 4×400 relay also qualified for Nationals. This relay includes DJ Matusz ’20, Nick Bernard ’19, Jonah Oxman ’19, and Eric Jacobson ’19. “The best part of our season was beating Arlington at the State Qualifier that qualified us for States and Nationals. We were so glad to beat them, especially after they beat us in cross country, and were astonished by our time,” said Matusz ’20. On the weekend of March 8 – March 10, indoor track and field nationals are being held at the Armory Track and Field Center in New York. “Personally, I thought this season was amazing. None of us thought we would do this well, and we’re really excited for spring,” said Matusz. “Everyone worked so hard and it paid off. For this weekend, placing top six in the 4×800 would be amazing. Besides that, we’re all just going to try to run the fastest we can and have fun,” concluded Matusz.

Boys’ Wrestling:

The Scarsdale Varsity Wrestling team did not perform the way that they wanted to, although there were some positive aspects of the season. Unfortunately, the team had many setbacks, with many key players plagued by injuries. “During this entire season everyone has improved including myself,” said Conner Raff ’20. “I think what caused this improvement throughout the season, was the work [and] effort put in, day in and day out by everyone. I also think the coaches had a huge part in the improvement,” added Raff. Four members of the team qualified for sectionals, including Josh Porter ’19, Thomas Kuo ’22, Conner Raff  ’20, and Dean Mancini ’20. At Section I Division I Championships, No. 7 Josh Porter in the 195 pound weight class and No. 7 Dean Mancini in the 220 pound weight class both managed to place in the top six, to become All-Section wrestlers. The team is looking to rebuild their roster, in order to regain top status in Section I. “Players seem committed to wrestling off season on their individual club teams, or at a clinic one day a week at SHS, and many want to lift off season, which happens to make a big difference,” noted Coach Szerlip. “Not as many people commit to wrestle off season as other sports. Wrestlers need to make that commitment. I think next year could be good.”