By Andy Loigu

For the second straight season, Warren Hills is a sectional champion in field hockey, in North Section 1 Group 3, after a tough overtime win at West Morris, by a 3-2 score on Thursday. The Blue Streaks now face North 2 champion Millburn on Tuesday, in what they hope will be the next step toward another state final, where Warren Hills has found itself several times over the past two decades.

Head coach Josie Potter, who has been to the state final as a Blue Streaks’ player, said the team never focuses beyond the step that is immediately in front of them. “We had a real challenge going up against West Morris, a very fast team that’s always attacking, relentless,” she remarked.

Historically, Warren Hills has received clutch performances from underclassmen in state play and this time was no different. Sophomore Simryn Desai scored the game winner, the “Desai-ding” goal, if you will. Yours truly should write back-page headlines for The Daily News. Kate Fenner drove down the right side of the field and spotted Desai making a cut. Pass, quick shot, championship: Desai one-timed the shot before the Wolfpack defense could rotate to the weak side. Warren Hills now has an 18-5-1 record and counting.

Samantha Dugan scored an early goal and Jenna Wyckoff put the Blue Streaks ahead 2-1. Sarah Kurczukowski assisted. Julia Webber was amazing in goal, stopping 11 shots fired at the cage by the hungry Wolfpack. “The defense kept us in the game,” Potter said. “Our keeper, just in her first season as a starter, understands the game so well and communicates with the midfield and backline.”

Hackettstown also reached the field hockey final in North 1, Group 2, but suffered a 4-0 setback at the hands of top seed West Essex on Friday. The Tigers finished with a stellar 19-3-1 record, a divisional championship (8-0) in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference and a long awaited crown in the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament. They devoured Lakeland 7-0 in the sectional semifinal.

BEYOND HOCKEY

In football, Warren Hills finished at 5-5, but did win five of their last seven games and the Blue Streaks hope to carry that improvement over into next season. On Friday night, at fourth seeded Montville, the Blue Streaks lost their first round North 2 Group 3 game by a 24-17 score.

In boys soccer, Hackettstown stayed alive in the North 2 Group 2 quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over Newark Tech on Thursday. Chase Reardon scored both goals and the entire team did their jobs defensively.

Former Hackettstown softball and basketball star Amy Pearce (class of 2005) is getting ready for her second year as the head softball coach at nearby Jefferson Township High School. Also, she works at JTHS as a special education teacher and is the director of the In The Zone Baseball and Softball Academy in nearby Flanders.

She had a superlative college softball career as a four-year starter at Genova College in Pennsylvania. She rewrote the school record book, setting nine standards in batting and baserunning statistical categories and was named a Division III All-American three times.

As an assistant coach at Madison and Wayne Hills for eight seasons, she said she always was impressed, as a foe, with the talent and attention to fundamentals she saw from the Jefferson Falcons’ traditionally strong program.,

While she was an assistant coach, her day job was as a fourth grade teacher and the athletic director at The American Christian School in the Mine Hill, Dover area.

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Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.