As the 2020-2021 season approaches, Wayne Valley’s athletic department hopes to continue its domination in winter sport leagues. Last year, Valley’s winter sports teams earned multiple titles, and this year, they are ready to pick up right where they left off.

Girls Basketball: Crowned as 2020 Passaic County Champs, the girls basketball team has multiple returning standouts on their roster. Junior Hailey Cabanas ended the 2019-2020 season with 232 points, totaling 32 points in the Passaic County Semifinals alone. Senior Daria Pontone ended her 2019-2020 season with 159 points. The team’s two seniors, Pontone and Ava Whisten, are expected to lead the team throughout the 2020-2021 season. 

Boys Basketball: In their 19-20 season, Wayne Valley boys basketball team ended with an overall record of 16-10. Senior Derek Sandowick totaled 303 points last year, closely followed by senior Ameer Coubati, who totaled 241 points. Senior Kevin Devins totaled 143 points and senior Hisham Ali totaled 166 points. The boys basketball team has eight seniors for their 2020-2021 season and are ready to finish their journey to a Passaic County title. 

Wrestling: Last year, Wayne Valley’s wrestling team finished fourth in the 2019-2020 Passaic County Tournament. Attila Valy, who was named to the 1st Team All-Big North Conference Independence Division, returns to the team for his junior season. Valy is accompanied by several other decorated teammates, who hope to dominate this year.

Ski Team: By qualifying for state championships almost every year, the ski team has dominated the slopes. The girls team placed third in their 2018-2019 season, and this year, they’re looking to secure a place at the top.

Competition Cheer: For the fourth year in a row, Wayne Valley’s competition cheer team won the Cheerleading State Championships in early 2020. To support this victory, the team won three of their competition categories, including Co-Ed Cheer Dance Varsity, Group III Varsity Cheer Dance, and Co-Ed All Music Varsity. The competition cheer team has long dominated in the state, and they will continue to uphold this legacy. 

Dance Team: In their 2019-2020 season, the Dance Team reached the DTU National Competition and ultimately ranked in the top ten of their category. This year, they return almost all of their dancers, and their prospects on the national scale are quite impressive.

Bowling: Both Girls and Boys Bowling fell short of Passaic County Champions last year; nonetheless, these teams never fail to rack up accolades. Each year, they bring home a title, and their 2020-2021 season is sure to be an exciting one. 

Track and Field: Last year, the girls winter track team collectively won a 1st Team All-County award in the 4×400 relay. They also placed second in the Big North Conference Championship. Returning senior Tammy McNutt was awarded 1st Team All-County; she will be an important aspect in this year’s track and field team. 

Ice Hockey: The Wayne Knights look to turn a page for their 2020-2021 season with numerous team veterans. Seniors Greg Potter and Andrew Gaffney, along with sophomores Chris Wolfsohn, Alex Scheuplein and Scott Lougheed, all return for this winter season.