A Look Back at WDHS' Fall Season

As hard as it is to believe with the fall sports calendar barely even behind us, the winter sports preseason has already begun for the swimming and bowling teams.

But like many people, we here at Patch aren’t quite ready for the winter season just yet. At least, not before we take a look at what the last two months produced.

With the exception of the football team, which hosts Barnegat Friday in the Group 2 semifinals, the fall season has come to a close for . It was a season that provided many more ups than downs, as the numbers will tell you.

Out of 112 contests, West Deptford won 76, lost 34 and tied two, producing a winning percentage of 69 percent. Of the seven programs that were in action, six of them had winning records, with all six teams finishing in the top two or three of the Colonial Conference Liberty Division standings.

Yet there was one constant thorn in the sides of West Deptford athletes—Haddonfield. The Eagles and Bulldawgs met 13 times over the course of the fall and all 13 times West Deptford left with a loss. To put it another way: West Deptford was 76-21-2 against every team not named Haddonfield, but 0-13 against one of the school’s most intense rivals.

Not surprisingly, the lack of the success against the Bulldawgs left the Eagles empty in the division championship department, while Haddonfield enjoyed a fall sweep. The good news is that that 0-13 could turn into a very big 1-13 if West Deptford and Haddonfield meet on the gridiron in a few weeks with a South Jersey title on the line.

So yes, there was some disappointment mixed in this fall, but it was still an overwhelmingly successful two-and-a-half months for the Eagles.

Here is a brief look back at some of the more memorable moments produced by the boys’ soccer, girls’ soccer, field hockey, girls’ tennis, boys’ cross country and girls’ cross country teams:

–The boys’ soccer team overcame a 3-4-1 start by losing just once in its next 11 games. The Eagles earned a No. 3 seed in the playoffs and , 6-0. Kevin Brockway and the Eagles defense picked it up down the stretch as the senior goalie finished with nine shutouts.

–The girls’ soccer team scored at least six goals in seven games this season. To understand just how impressive the feat was, consider that the Eagles never had a go-to goal scorer. In those seven games, at least five different players scored a goal in each one. The team’s most exciting games came when Taryn Bundy and Megan Kirschling scored in overtime to deliver wins against and .

–Led by Amanda Hojnowski’s 24 goals, the field hockey team had a strong run to the Group 2 finals, where it ultimately was . Along the way the Eagles delivered some great hockey, headlined by on the final game of the regular season. Dahlia VanDorick was a standout in the cage, recording 10 shutouts.

–The girls' tennis teams had some this season, but showed that good things may be on the way, finishing its season with back-to-back wins. The team will lose just two seniors and will return all but one of its varsity starters next season.

–Led by state qualifier Raymond Parsons, the boys’ cross country team exceeded expectations with a 8-3 season. Parsons was out-front for the Eagles all season, while Kevin Ciafarini and Phillip Palmer were not far behind. The Eagles’ biggest win of the season came back on September 20, , 23-33, in a performance that propelled West Deptford up the Colonial Conference standings. The boys also set several records, including the at their home course.

–Millie Kipp and Samantha Budd were pack leaders all season for the girls’ cross country team, leading the team all the way to an appearance at states. Kipp and Budd each earned as the Eagles also exceeded expectations in a 10-1 campaign. With much of its roster expected to remain intact, look for the team be among the conference favorites next season.