The Bridgewater-Raritan High School girls’ varsity basketball team ended the 2025-2026 season with a 14-13 record, marking the first winning season recorded by the team since 2019. 

Entering the season, the team had gone from a 2-22 record during Coach avier Brooks’ first year to a 10-15 record in his third year. However, with a tough 2025-2026 schedule against opponents like Franklin High School, Rutgers Preparatory School, and Hillsborough High School, the team needed determination and grit to fight for every win. This was evident in their first loss of the season against The Pingry School, totaling 51-25. 

Despite this, head coach Xavier Brooks pushed his team to keep working in practice to bounce back after their opening loss.

“The preparation for this season was not much different than my typical years,” said Coach Brooks. “I knew since the end of last season that I had a great group of players returning, and they were capable of handling the challenge. My main goal was to preach defense and work hard consistently.”

Their hard work paid off with impressive follow-up wins against division rivals Hunterdon Central High School 42-36, Ridge High School 44-36, and Watchung Hills High School 50-49. The team recorded 72 rebounds across the three games and was led in scoring by junior Juliet Kohutis and sophomore Sam Tremarco. 

These wins set the stage for the season for Coach Brooks and the team, laying the foundation for the success they experienced.

“Beating Hunterdon Central on the road was the first season-defining moment. I knew that if we could beat them, we had a chance to have a great season,” Brooks said.

In addition, the team remained at .500 or above throughout the season, except following their senior night loss to Spotswood High School. Briana Cacchio, the team’s only senior, scored 9 points in that game and was the team’s third-highest overall scorer, ending her final season with 127 points. 

Cacchio took on a huge role as the sole senior, serving as a significant leader both on and off the court.

“This team gave me teammates but also close friends who I had the privilege to play and laugh with almost every day,” Cacchio stated. “I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to play for such a great program and hardworking team.”

The team also recorded its first county game win under Coach Brooks, defeating Manville 57-14, with Ciser and Kohutis each hitting three three-pointers each. Their county run was followed by a 64-38 loss against Bernards. Their season ultimately ended in a 46-40 home loss to Watchung Hills in the first round of states.

“It feels great to have a winning record,” Coach Brooks explained. “Personally, I hope this becomes our new standard, but I’m mostly happy for the players to experience this because it’s an additional reward for their effort this season.”

Throughout the season, the team was led in points and assists by sophomore Amanda Ciser, who finished with 344 points and 60 assists. Ciser had four games with 20 or more points this season, and is aiming to keep improving for next year.

Ciser emphasized the importance of the team putting in hard work during the off-season and staying dedicated. 

“ We need to work on team bonding and development as that is a key part in becoming successful in the following years,” she said.

The Bridgewater-Raritan girls’ varsity basketball team looks forward to continuing its success next season.