Fall sports at RV have been in full swing this season. Despite the lack of home football games, RV fans have still been supporting and showing love to all of our sports teams this season. As schedules start to wind down and championship games are around the corner, it’s time to take a look at all that the Red Devils have accomplished so far.
Girls Volleyball
Despite a vigorous game schedule with numerous back-to-back games, the RV Girls Volleyball team has had a very successful season with a 25-5 record. The girls have beaten powerhouse schools such as Shawnee, Cherokee and Eastern.
The girls’ most notable win was a come-back win against their rivals, Lenape. Early in the season, they lost to them 2-0, with the first set being 22-25, and finishing with a score of 15-25. But this was only the beginning of their comeback. On Friday, October 6, they beat Lenape 2-1. In the first set, they dominated 25-13. The second set was a close game, but just fell 2 points short as it ended with a score of 23-25. But all of their hard work paid off as they won the third set with a close score of 26-24.
Senior Devon Young led the team with a total of 10 kills, 1 block and 7 digs.
“It felt amazing beating Lenape because when we lost to them earlier in the season it was not a good representation of who we are as a team,” said Young. “We worked hard and came hungry and beating them really showed us just how far we’ve come as a team from the beginning of the season,”.
Looking forward, the team is eager to end the season strong and set personal goals for themselves and their team.
“My goals for the rest of the season are to continue working hard and building a good team culture to pass down to this year’s freshman,” said Young.
Senior Cienna Tenn also has many goals and reflections of the season so far.
“It’s hard to adapt to the new environment because all the girls have been on varsity before, but the team is very supportive, inclusive, and nice all around,” she said. “I have really improved since the beginning of the season and the coaching has been very helpful.”
The girl’s senior night will take place on Wednesday, October 25.
Football
The football team’s stats are no secret to both RV students and football fans alike. Their current record stands at 5-2, placing them 3rd in the Memorial Conference behind Hammonton and Timber Creek.
Despite the lack of home games, the Rancocas Valley Student Section still came out to support the team. The first home game was September 15 against Timber Creek with the theme “Neon”. As a quick recap, It was a high-intensity and eager game as the first quarter ended with a touchdown by Senior Devin Duana assisted by Senior Nick Marco. Spirits were high after the first half ended with RV up 12-0, as Duana scored a second touchdown from a 22-yard fumble return. After the third quarter when Duana scored his third touchdown and the score was 18-7, fans were celebrating their anticipated win… too early. The game ended in a 21-18 loss as Timber Creek came back in the fourth quarter with a fumble recovery in the endzone and another last-minute touchdown. This major turn of events left fans in shock and the bleachers in silence.
The second home game was an opportunity for a come-back for the Red Devils. September 22 was the boy’s senior night, with a student section theme of blackout against Burlington Township. This game served its purpose of redemption as the team won 49-27. Senior Nick Marco led the team with 147 total passing yards.
“Overall we are having a better season than last year thus far,” said Coach Lucas. “We have beat two good North Jersey schools to begin the year. I am very proud of the amount of hard work our guys have put in since last January.”
“Our goal is to make routine plays routinely. This will carry into our weekly goal of going 1-0 on the week,” Coach Lucas said.
This week, the Red Devils come off a shutout against Highland.
Tennis
The girls’ tennis team has had a packed season with many weeks of back-to-back matches or no matches at all. Their record this season currently stands 2-9 in the regular season, (not including tournaments), with a win being against Delran.
The Delran match took place Thursday, September 20 away at Delran. The team ended with a 3-2 win, with all of their singles players winning their matches. Senior Kaitlyn Orzol won 6-2, 6-1, senior Jenna Porr won 6-2, 6-4, and junior Zahra Karimi won 7-5, 7-5.
In addition to their normal season, the team competes in various tournaments, including the BC Open. It gives the teams a chance to improve on their skills and build chemistry with their team.
“It was a great day for the team,” said senior Julia White. “My doubles partner, Salma Daoudi, and I made it to round 2 before being eliminated. I see improvement in not only myself but the whole team.”
In addition to the tournaments, the girls’ tennis team participates in fun practices and events throughout the season.
“As a team, we like to have fun while still being able to have a good practice and game,” said White.
The team has had fun dress-up practices, and a common team event, senior night.
“All the underclassmen really did an amazing job with the desserts, decorations, presents, and celebration. It was an amazing night and as a Senior it was an amazing bonus to this already great tennis season,” she said.
Field Hockey
The RV Field Hockey team season has been full of close games and many team bonding events. Their season record currently stands at 7-6. This puts them 4th in the American Division and 7th in the Olympic Conference. However, these stats are expected to increase after a current big team win.
On Friday, October 13, the girls played West Deptford, a team that ranked 11th in the whole state. The game started with two early goals in the first quarter from seniors Mikayla Simmons and Carly Seal. Not too long later, West Deptford came with two back-to-back goals, leading it to a tied game. But with still half a game to go, senior Mikayla Simmons closed the game with another two goals in the second and third quarter. West Deptford’s third goal in the fourth quarter was not enough to stop the growing intensity from RV. The game ended in a 4-3 win.
Not only has the team increased their hard work on the field, but they prioritize team bonding as a way to grow chemistry with each other. The team has had events such as pool parties, guidance from the LKH Field Hockey Organization, and a trip to Indian Acres Farm. These events not only allow the players to become better acclimated but also help the incoming freshmen become more acclimated with RV.
“Coming into this as a freshman I was nervous, but the team is so welcoming and helped me get better with my skills,” said freshman Aubrey Austin. “We don’t only just practice, but we work together to create a family bond,”.
The team also provides a space for the players to have self-improvement, even through tough times. “Coming back from my inquiry, I’ve been trying to be 1% better every day,” said senior goalie Nina Wright after recovering from a concussion. “My time is limited, and everyone is replaceable but I’m still making the most of it.”
Girls/Boys XC
The RV girls and boys cross country teams have shown out at meets, having many new and returning runners having many personal bests and high rankings.
On October 7, both teams competed at the “XC Fall Classic 2023.” Many runners were successful in securing a spot in the top 10. In the ‘Girls Varsity Large School’ 5k race, sophomore Mary Casona got 10th place with a time of 21:39.00, which was a season’s best.
On the boys’ side, 10 runners scored in the top 10. Some notable mentions include junior Christopher Gray running a 5k time of 17:38.50, leading him to 5th place. Right behind him was junior Christian Rouzard earning 6th place and senior Leandro Delgado earning 7th.
Girls Soccer
The girls’ soccer team’s season has been full of new changes, shocking games, and uplifting community events. This year former head Coach James Flanagan left the program and former JV Coach, Brighid Marquess is leading as Varsity head coach. She is assisted by a new RV staff member in the health and fitness department, assistant coach Brooke Cantwell. Their current record stands as 4-9-2 overall, and 2-3-1 in the Olympic Conference.
On Monday, October 2, the girls celebrated their senior night with a ceremony before their game against Camden Catholic. The girls dominated, as they won with a score of 4-0, with goals scored by senior Kyrsten Corn, freshman Cameron Petras, junior Joanna Marlin, and senior Julia Amador.
Boys Soccer
The boys’ soccer team has had a successful season, with a record of 10-3-2. They currently stand in 2nd place in the American division, close behind Shawnee.
A shocking game for the boys was their home game against Cherokee on Thursday, September 28. The team was down throughout the beginning of the game, being down 4 goals to Cherokee. But in the second half of the game, the boys came back strong, as they hit 4 goals in the back of the net, creating a major comeback. The game ended in a 5-4 win, and goals were scored by senior Caden Devers (2), senior Owen Sugra (2), and junior Jake Bartletta.
Because of their successful record, the boys secured a spot in the South Jersey Coaches’ Cup. The first game in the tournament was on Friday, October 13, at home against Delsea. The game was evenly matched to the point that it ended in a 1-1 tie. Based on the rules of the tournament, the team went straight into penalty kicks to determine who advanced to the first round.
Unfortunately, despite their hard efforts, the RV boys lost, but still had a chance for redemption during championship season in the next few games.
