While it was a tough few weeks for the Newbury football squad, still seeking a win this season, the soccer and volleyball teams roll on.
The soccer team took to the pitch four times, and emerged still unbeaten. This week they knocked off Mathews twice, winning 9-0 and 7-2; Badger fell to Newbury 3-2; and the Black Knights whacked Grand Valley 9-0.
Leading the way was career assist leader Mario Puletti with eight goals and seven assists. Julian Surckla was right there, as well, with seven goals and four assists. Hannah Grubbs solidified her position as one of the area’s top female athletes with six goals and three assists.
Tino Johnson and Noah Arnold were also in on the act as coach Andy Piczer’s team continues toward what hopefully is a big run in the state tournament action in a few weeks.
The volleyball team of coach Michael Chaffee has seen his girls drop an occasional set in the matches they’ve played, but the team tasted their defeat in a match for the first time last week in the Beachwood Mid Season tournament, dropping a two-set match to the host Beachwood Bison.
In the tournament, though, Newbury easily handled both John Hay, from Cleveland, by scores of 25-10 and 25-19, and the Chagrin Valley Conference’s Harvey Red Raiders, by scores of 25-11 and 25-16. The Black Knights also knocked off independent foe Wickliffe in a well played match, 3-2, as Caliegh Hamby and Julia Elia dominated the nets and Haley Hamilton, Erin Piczer and Malarie Eggleston supplied some huge defense.
In what may seem like a break, but was still a test, the Black Knights thumped an overmatched Bloomfield team, 3-0. In years passed, when Bloomfield couldn’t even field a team due to lack of numbers, possibly the only school in the area the same size or smaller than the Black Knights, Newbury still had to work for the win in NAC action.