Week in Review: 12/11-12/17

Bennett Scalia and Noah Reiser

December 18, 2023

Tri-sport athlete Celina Bussanich is named the 2024 female athlete of the year.

12/11 Monday

Ice Hockey @ Fair Lawn / WIN 5-0

Pascack Hockey began its season with a 5-0 win against Fair Lawn. So. Jack Sheehan scored twice, along with Sr. Daniel Epstein, Jr. Patrick Haworth, and Sr. Kevin McNamara, each notching a goal.

12/12 Tuesday

Boys Swimming vs. Northern Highlands / LOSS 92-78

Boys Swimming lost to Northern Highlands in a close match, 92-78. Brian Yang finished 1st in the 500-meter free race, with a time of 5:22.44. Valley will take on Old Tappan on December 19 in its next meet.

Girls Swimming vs. Northern Highlands / WIN 91-79

Girls Swimming defeated Northern Highlands, 91-79, to move to 2-0 on the young season. Out of the eleven races that were held, Valley swimmers finished first in six of the races. The Panthers will also take on Old Tappan on December 19, in the squad’s next meet.

12/13 Wednesday

Boys Bowling vs. Old Tappan / LOSS 5-2

Boys Bowling lost to Old Tappan 5-2 in its season opener. In the match, the Panthers knocked down a total of 2,111 pins. Valley will take on Tenafly on December 18.

Girls Bowling vs. Old Tappan / WIN 4-3

Girls Bowling kicked off its season with a 4-3 win against the Golden Knights. In the match, the Panthers knocked down 1,371 pins. Its next match is on December 20th, against Bergenfield.

12/14 Thursday

Girls Basketball vs. River Dell / WIN 58-36

Coach Jasper began his 51st season with a 58-36 win against River Dell. Jr. Celina Bussanich had 19 points, while Fr. Raina Gibbs had 14 points, 12 of those coming off three-pointers. Jr. Ava Burke also added 10 points in the win.

Boys Basketball @ River Dell / WIN 47-45

Pascack Valley defeated River Dell in its season opener, 47-45. Devin Merker had 21 points, with 15 of the points coming off three-pointers. Trevor Kirkby had 12 points, and Ryan Shea added 9 points complemented with 9 rebounds as well.

12/15 Friday

Wrestling vs. Bergenfield / WIN 57-24

Valley defeated Bergenfield in its season opener, 57-24. Valley won 8 matches via pins, as well as one via major decision and one via technical fall. So. Dylan Biegel and Sr. Ennis Feratovic both won their matches in less than one minute.

Ice Hockey vs. Paramus Catholic / WIN 10-0

Pascack Hockey had its second shutout win of the season with a 10-0 win over Paramus Catholic. So. Austin Groves had 4 goals and 3 assists, Sr. Zachary Groves tallied 5 goals and 3 assists, and So. Jack Sheehan added 1 goal and 1 assist in the win. Jr. Yulianna Krol had 15 saves in the shutout.

12/16 Saturday

Girls Basketball vs. Glen Rock / LOSS 50-44

Girls basketball took its first loss of the season by a score of 50-44. Jr. Celina Bussanich had 18 points, hitting 4 three-pointers. Jr. Ava Burke had 9 points, and Fr. Raina Gibbs had 8 points, notching 2 three-pointers.

Boys Basketball vs. Northern Highlands / LOSS 61-44

Boys Basketball lost to Northern Highlands 61-44 to fall to 1-1 on the season. Jr. Devin Merker had 15 points in the game.

Winter Track & Field

Sr. Patrick Kurtz had his personal record and came in first place in the Boys’ Mile with a time of 4:29.97. So. Marcus Koshy came in third place with a time of 4:41.00.

About the Contributors

Noah Reiser, Lead Sports Editor

Noah Reiser is a senior who joined the Valley Echo his sophomore year. He started as a sports writer and is now one of the Lead Sports Editors for this year’s staff. Noah has always been passionate about writing and sports, whether for a class or the Valley Echo. During his time at Pascack Valley, Noah played on the soccer and baseball teams his freshman year and is a current member of the Varsity Basketball Team. He has also been a part of Camp Raspberry, Yearbook, Investment Club, and the National Honors Society. Noah looks to continue his writing and editing production, exploring the various stories that involve Pascack Valley sports.

Ava Kim, Photo Editor

Ava Kim is a senior who has been a part of The Valley Echo since her freshman year. This is her second year as a photo editor and she is looking forward to pursuing her passion for photography. When she is not taking photos for the publication, Ava can be seen baking or cheering on the Pascack Valley varsity and competition cheer team.