While most students of Bridgewater-Raritan High School were relaxing, recharging and celebrating over their twelve-day break from school, many student-athletes took to the court, mat or ice for games.
Across Bridgewater-Raritan’s eight winter varsity sports, four of them were active while school was closed. Among them, 14 games were played, the majority of which were victories for the Panther teams.
Hockey (5 games, 5 victories, 9-1 overall):
Playing the most games of any varsity sport over winter break, BRHS Hockey had a full schedule on tap from December 21 up to New Year’s Eve. The team started with a comfortable 6-3 ictory over Rumson-Fair Haven but then faced a tough test in Pingry–a team that they had already lost to in the season–to begin a four-game homestand. After Pingry took an early 1-0 lead, Bridgewater was able to score three unanswered goals, leaving Pingry to play catch up the rest of the game.
Pingry was never able to take another lead in the game, and BRHS grabbed a 6-3 victory. After a 10-0 dismantling of Cranford and an 8-4 win against rivals Hillsborough, the Panthers embarked on their toughest game of the season yet against Hopewell Valley on New Years Eve. After a back and forth game in which the Panthers trailed 5-2 at one point, they were able to score seven goals in the 2nd and 3rd periods to roll onto a 9-6 triumph.
The Panthers will enter into 2025 on a six-game winning streak and have already beaten Hillsborough in the new year to extend the streak to seven. As far as standout players, sophomore forward Alexander “Sasha” Abolenskiy leads the team with 35 points and 19 goals, and junior forward Alex Kotelnikov follows suit with 16 goals and 31 points. The team looks to extend their winning streak and contend for a state championship in the new year.
Boys Basketball (3 games, 2 victories, 5-3 overall):
The boys’ basketball team has gotten off to a quick start in their 2024-25 campaign, going 5-0 in nonconference play to start the year. The team enjoyed a 78-57 win against North Plainfield on December 21 to snap a two-game losing streak after dropping close games to Ridge and Immaculata to open the year.
However, the team shined in its season opener at home against University Charter, dismantling them 83-36 on the heels of a fourteen-point performance from senior guard Brody Nussman. Nussman has emerged as a star, leading the team with 14.7 points per game, with junior guard Richie Gardner and breakout sophomore forward Tyler Hamby following suit with 10.5 and 8.6 points per game respectively.
After a few days off for Christmas, the team got back at it, traveling to Montgomery to participate in their in-season tournament, the Cougar Holiday Classic. The Panthers opened tournament play on December 27 against North Hunterdon, heading back to Bridgewater with a comfortable 62-43 victory. The team made the trip back to Montgomery to play against the hosting Cougars on the thirtieth, but they were defeated 63-44.
The Panthers did bounce back to open 2025, winning their first two games against College Achieve Central and Beloved Charter.
Wrestling (1 meet vs. Monroe and Hopewell Valley, 2 victories):
The Panther Wrestling Team has also started off their 2024-25 season hot, going 6-2 in their first five meets to start the year. Over winter break, the team
participated in a meet hosted by Hopewell Valley High School and opened the meet against Monroe High School. Neither school could seem to pull ahead, as every match went back and forth. Eventually, the team found themselves trailing 32-28, but senior Matthew Di Eduardo dismantled Arjun Biju by a score of 20-5 to seal a 33-32victory for the Panthers.
The team then cruised past Hopewell Valley 38-21 to secure a meet win. In 2025, the team lost a step after dropping a close meet to conference rival Watchung Hills on January third but bounced back a day later after sweeping Middletown South, Raritan and Freehold Borough in their meet at Raritan High School.
Girls Basketball (3 Games, 2-5 overall):
Unfortunately, the break was not as kind to the girls’ basketball team, as the team suffered three defeats to close out the year, with two of them being by a single-digit margin. On December 21, the team travelled to Governor Livingston High School, and were handled by a score of 39-22.
Like the boys team, the Panthers participated in the Cougar Holiday Classic. The team opened the tournament against conference foe Watchung Hills and fell 49-43 despite a 13 -oint effort from senior guard Angela Tremarco. Tremarco has emerged as a team leader in her senior season, averaging 6.5 points and 1.7 steals per game.
The team has also enjoyed a steady contribution from junior guard and fellow softball teammate Brianna Cacchio, who has averaged five points and four rebounds a game. The team looked to bounce back against tournament host Montgomery but again suffered a disappointing loss by a score of 49-41 to close out their year. After suffering another loss to Belvidere on January 4, the team snapped their losing streak against Delaware Valley, when Amanda Ciser sank a three-point basket at the buzzer for a 36-34 victory on January 7.
