School Sports

Bronco Playoff Update: Boys and Girls Soccer and Field Hockey Teams Head to Sectional Semifinals

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By S. Quinn DeJoy and J. Murrer

Oct. 30, 2019: Three Bronxville teams will host sectional semifinal games today and tomorrow. This afternoon, the No. 3 boys’ soccer team will play No. 7 Pleasantville on Chambers at 3:00 PM, and the top-seeded girls’ field hockey team will play No. 5 Albertus Magnus on Hayes at 3:30. The Bronxville girls’ soccer team, ranked second in Class B, will play No. 6 Briarcliff on Hayes Field tomorrow at 3:00 PM.

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Midfielder Alice Vranka in the game against Rye Neck. Photo by J. Murrer.

Bronco Playoff Results and Schedules

Boys’ soccer

The boys’ soccer team (10-5-1) crushed Croton Harmon in the first round of the Class B playoffs last Thursday, winning by a score of 9-0. In the quarterfinals held on Saturday at Chambers Field, it was a much more competitive contest. The game between the Broncos and the Panthers remained scoreless deep into the second half, and with just four minutes left, Luke Doukas scored the winning goal with an assist from Jimmy Gallo. Bronxville goalie Theo Liao had five saves.

Bronxville has yet to play Pleasantville this season but will meet them in the semifinals this afternoon. The Pleasantville Panthers (10-4-4), seeded No. 7, upset No. 2 Briarcliff in the quarterfinals. In the other bracket of the semifinals, No. 1 Hastings will play No. 5 Albertus Magnus.

Section 1 Class B is a very competitive league, and three of the teams in the Class B Section 1 semifinals are state-ranked: Hastings is ranked 4th in the state, Bronxville, 11th, and Albertus Magnus, 14th.

The Section 1 Class B championship will take place on Saturday at 12:30 at Lakeland High School.

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No. 10 Luke Doukas in the first round game against Croton. Photo by J. Murrer.

Field Hockey

The field hockey team defeated Croton 6-0 in the Class C quarterfinals on Saturday and will take on Albertus Magnus in the semifinals today. The top-seeded Broncos have played the No. 5 Falcons twice already this season, winning both contests.

After winning five consecutive Section 1 Class C championships, the Broncos lost in overtime in the sectional semifinals to North Salem last year. If successful in the semifinal game today, the Broncos will play the winner of No. 2 North Salem/No. 3 Rye Neck in the Sectional Championship on Saturday at Nyack High School at 3:00 PM.

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The Broncos score in the quarterfinal game against Croton. Photo by David Fenner.

Girls’ Soccer

The No. 2 Bronxville girls (15-2-1) advance to the Class B Section 1 semifinals after defeating Yonkers Montessori Academy in the first round and Rye Neck in the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinal game on Monday, the Broncos got on the board in the first half when Megan Krestinski’s shot on the goal ricocheted off the goal post and into the net, and in the second half, Lily Jebejian scored to give the Broncos a 2-0 win.

The Broncos will face Briarcliff in the semifinals on Thursday. In the other semifinal bracket, No. 1 Pleasantville will play No. 13 Blind Brook, who upset No. 5 Ardsley in overtime on Monday. The New York State Sportswriters Association ranks Pleasantville No. 1 in the state.

The Class B Sectional Championship will take place on Sunday at Arlington High School at 5:00 PM.

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Bronxville goalkeeper Milly Koenig in the game against Rye Neck. Photo by J. Murrer.

Football

The No. 7 Broncos lost to No. 2 Byram Hills 29-13 in the quarterfinals of the Class B sectional tournament. In the first quarter, the game was tied at 7-7, but the Bears went ahead 21-7 in the third quarter. The Broncos scored in the 4th with 9:20 left in the game and were trailing by just a touchdown, but Byram Hills scored once more to put the game out of reach. The Broncos end the season with a 4-4 record.

Cross Country

At the Westchester County Cross Country Championships at Croton Point Park on Saturday, the Bronxville girls placed 5th overall out of 28 teams. The top five scorers for the Broncos were senior Ella Stupart (32nd, 20.23.7), Betsy Marshall (33rd, 20.24.2), Avery Widen (39th, 20.33.9), Anna Outcalt (45th, 20.53.5), and Rory Denning (55th, 21.19.8).

Girls’ Swimming

The Bronxville-Tuckahoe girls’ swim team finished the season with a 4-5 record in League 1, which includes much larger programs such as Horace Greeley, Scarsdale, and Fox Lane.

At the Section 1 League 1 Championship held last Saturday, Tuckahoe senior Emily Gjersten placed first in the 500yd free in 5:02.40 and 2nd in the 200yd free in 1:54.04. Bronxville freshman Julia Bazinet placed 10th in both the 200yd and 500yd free, and Bronxville junior Caroline McGrath placed 13th in the 500yd free. The 200yd freestyle relay team, Bronxville senior Ellie Dessart, Bronxville freshman Keala Schubert, Bazinet, and Gjersten, placed 6th in 1:43.86, and the 400 freestyle relay, Dessart, Bazinet, McGrath, and Gjersten, also placed 6th (3:48.75).

Go Broncos.

Pictured at top in rotation: Boys’ soccer in the game against Croton Harmon last Saturday, photo by J. Murrer; The girls’ field hockey team in the quarterfinals against Croton, photo by David Fenner: The girls’ soccer team in the quarterfinals against Rye Neck on Monday, photo by J. Murrer

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Broncos Finish Regular Season and Head to Playoffs

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By S. Quinn DeJoy and J. Murrer

Oct. 23, 2019: The Broncos will be playing across the county this weekend as the teams compete in sectional playoffs. Boys' soccer will play at home on Thursday, and girls’ soccer will play at home on Friday. The field hockey team will be down at Chambers Field on Saturday, and the Bronxville football team will play away on Saturday afternoon at Byram Hills.

Also taking place this weekend are the Conference 1 Girls’ Swimming Championships at the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester and the Westchester County Cross Country Championships at Croton Point Park. The Section 1 girls’ tennis tournament runs all this week at Harrison High School. For more information, see below.

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Photo by Joe Villanueva

Football

The Broncos finished the season with a 30-8 victory over Woodlands on Saturday, bringing their season record to 4-3. Henry Donohue and Connor Randall scored two TDs apiece against the Falcons. Donohue threw for 157 yards, and Randall, Donohue, Will Murray, and Dylan Alberghine rushed for 160 yds. The Broncos are seeded No. 7 in the playoffs and will face No. 2 Byram Hills (5-1) on Saturday, October 26th. The top seed is Ardsley (8-0), and the middle of the Class B bracket includes No. 3 Pearl River (4-3), No. 4 Westlake (4-3), No. 5 Nanuet (4-3) and No. 6 Pleasantville (3-4). The remaining Section 1 playoff schedule is below.

Semifinals, Friday or Saturday, November 1st or 2nd

Class B Section 1 Final- Mahopac High School

Field Hockey

In their final game against Valhalla on Saturday afternoon, the Broncos shutout the Vikings 6-0, earning their eleventh shutout of the season. Holly Ungvary was the top scorer with three goals. Bronxville earned a 10-2-2 record this season, outscoring their opponents 54-7. They have been given the No. 1 seed in Class C and will play in the quarterfinals at home on Saturday, October 26th, against the winner of No. 9 Putnam Valley and No. 8 Croton Harmon. The remaining playoff schedule is listed below.

Semifinals, Wednesday, October 30th

Class C Section 1 Final, Saturday, November 2nd- Nyack High School

Girls’ Soccer

The girls’ soccer team finished the season with a win over Rye Neck (2-0), bringing its league record to 6-0 and its overall record to 13-2-1. In the seeding meeting held on Monday, the Bronxville girls were seeded No. 2 in Class B behind top-seeded Pleasantville (13-2-1). They will play in the first round at home on Friday against No. 15 Yonkers Montessori. The remaining playoff schedule is below.

Quarterfinals, Monday, October 28th

Semifinals, Thursday, October 31st

Class B Section 1 Final, Sunday, November 3rd- Arlington High School

Boys’ soccer

The boys’ wrapped up the season last Friday with a 4-2 win over Rye Neck and finish the season with a 4-1-1 league record and a 10-5-1 record overall. The Broncos are seeded No. 3 for the Class B playoffs behind No. 1 Hastings and No. 2 Briarcliff and will face No. 14 Croton at home on Thursday at 3PM.

Cross Country Results: Leagues and Section 1 Coaches’ Invitational

The Bronxville cross country teams participated in the League 3B Championships last week, competing against Keio, Blind Brook, and Rye Neck. Freshman John Ryan placed first for the varsity boys’ team in 13:42.3 and was followed by teammates Luke Sheehan (7th, 15:12.0) and James Balseiro (10th, 15:18.8).

The Bronxville varsity girls finished in a pack. Ella Stupart placed 2nd in 16:05.2 and was followed by Molly Palma (3rd, 16:26.3), Avery Widen (4th,16:43.6), Betsy Marshall (5th, 16:45.3) and Remi Mellinghoff (6th, 16:46.0).

At the Section 1 Coaches Invitational held at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls last Saturday, Bronxville freshmen boys placed third overall at the meet. Finishing first for the Broncos was Owen Atkeson, who placed 6th in a time of 11:26.5. Three freshmen girls had top 20 finishes: Rachel Conniff (5th, 13:14.6), Kailee FIno (7th, 13:26.0), and Audrey Spiegel (15th, 14:14.7).

The varsity girls placed third at the Invitational. Ella Stupart placed 20th (21:33.7) Molly Palma placed 24th (22:05.3 ), Betsy Marshall placed 25th (22:09.7 ), and Avery Widen placed 27th (21 22:14.3).

Go Broncos!

Pictured at top in rotation: Senior Day for the field hockey team. Photo by J. Meehan and The Broncos in the game against Woodlands on Saturday. Photo by Joe Villanueva.

Bronxville School Homecoming Highlights and Photos

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By S. Quinn DeJoy and J. Murrer

Oct. 16, 2019: Chambers Field was awash in lights last week as the Broncos celebrated Homecoming 2019. Bronxville fans gathered at Chambers Field Thursday through Saturday to enjoy the games, the food, and the school spirit. Earlier in the week, the forecast looked like rain, but the weather cooperated, and the sunsets provided an excellent backdrop for a spectacular weekend. Homecoming brought together both young and old, fostering a great sense of community.

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Broncos fans in the bleachers at Homecoming. Photo by David Fenner.

On Thursday, the community came out for the traditional food truck night, and it was well attended by both students and their families. Food trucks served pizza, tacos, ice cream, and hot dogs, and as usual, there were long lines at Walter's Hot Dogs.

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The crowds at the Walter's Hog Dogs. Photo by J. Murrer.

Parent members of the Athletic Council worked hard serving food and drinks from the Bronco Barn and Grill. Proceeds from the Barn and Grill support many different charities, and through the efforts of Bronxville students and parent volunteers, $9,500 been raised so far this year.

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An inside look at the Bronco Barn and Grill: Parent volunteers and faculty liaison, Anthony Vaglica (far left). Photo by S. Quinn DeJoy.

On Friday night during halftime of the girls' soccer game, all the varsity teams, soccer, field hockey, football, cross country, girls' tennis, and girls' swimming, gathered on the field as the Bronco announcer, Frank Dizenzo, read the names of each team member.

The varsity tennis and swim and dive teams on Chambers Field during halftime introductions on Friday night. Photo by J. Murrer.

The highlight of the weekend took place at halftime on Saturday night, when the new track was named and dedicated after long-time girls' track coach, James Owen Mitchell. Current and former Bronxville track athletes gathered on the field. As Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" played over the loudspeakers, Coach Mitchell and his wife were escorted out in a decorated cart.

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Coach Mitchell and his wife, JoAnn, being driven onto Chambers Field for the field dedication. Photo by David Fenner.

Over the loud speaker, Dizenzo spoke about the many championships and awards that Bronxville runners have earned over the years. The runners learned the value of dedication and hard work under Mitchell’s leadership and have carried that work ethic over into their lives. At the end of the dedication ceremony, Dizenzo declared, “You have created the greatest one square mile of track in the country.”

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L to R, front row: Current girls' cross country coach, David Ryan, boys' cross country coach, Jim Agnello, Assistant Principal Marcellus Lessane, Mitchell, and JoAnn Mitchell. Photo by David Fenner.

Before the games on Friday and Saturday, many talented Bronxville High School students sang the National Anthem. Senior Sofia Fenner sang before the boys' soccer game on Friday, and under the direction of music teacher Pam Simpson, the B Sharp singing group sang the National Anthem in three-part harmony before evening games on Friday and Saturday. On the field for the B Sharps were Jake Berman, Michael Weild, Ben Davis, Will Grant, Will Swenson, Teddy Wardell, Henry Donohue, and Connor Randall.

Click here to hear the B Sharps singing the National Anthem.

B Sharps and Ms. Simpson

The Bronco turf teams went 2-2 at Homecoming. Girls' field hockey defeated Albertus Magnus 4-0 with scoring by Olivia Gunther (1G), Julia Widen (2G), Sunday Ladas (1G, 1A), and Hanna Bishop (3A). It was the tenth game where the field hockey defense held the opposing team scoreless. Girls' soccer also picked up a win defeating Edgemont, 3-0, with scoring by Victoria Ruffo, Megan Krestinski, and Lily Jebejian. Milly Koenig had three saves for the shutout.

The football team lost a close contest to Westlake on Saturday night. The Broncos scored first on a 79-yd touchdown run by Connor Randall and again on a pass play, but Westlake also scored two TDs in the first half to bring the score to 14-14. It looked like the teams might go into halftime in a tie, but with just seconds left in the half, Westlake kicked a field goal to go up 17-14. Tough defense kept the game scoreless in the second half giving the Wildcats the victory. Boys' soccer took on a very tough opponent, Edgemont, and lost the game 2-0. The boys' team is ranked third in Class B, Section 1 behind Briarcliff and Edgemont.

Homecoming went off without a hitch thanks to the efforts of student and parent members of the Athletic Council, the Athletic Department, and all of the coaches.

Scroll down for more Homecoming 2019 photos.

Go Broncos.

Photos by David Fenner, J. Murrer, and S. Quinn DeJoy

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Pictured at top: Chambers Field at dusk. Photo by S. Quinn DeJoy

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Bronxville Youth Rowers Kick-off a Strong Season

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By Priscilla Johnson Bender

Oct. 16, 2019: After months of dedicated practice, Bronxville’s youth rowers kicked off the fall race season at the Head of the Riverfront Regatta in Hartford, CT. Seven young Bronxvillians rowing for Pelham Community Rowing Association (PCRA) participated in the regatta last Sunday, October 6th.

Sophie Klessel rowed in the Junior Women’s double. Her team finished 7th in a field of 18. Bronxville High School Junior, Tim Atkeson, rowed in both the Junior Men’s 1st Varsity 4+ and the Junior Men’s 1st Varsity 8+ finishing an outstanding 8th and 6th respectively, both in a crowded field of 31 boats.

Bronxville Freshman, Joseph Cutaia, also competed in the Junior Men’s 1st Varsity 4+ as coxswain finishing 24th in his first race leading a varsity boat.

Timothy Lockwood, Max Dicker, and Willem Bender, all Bronxville High School Freshmen, also competed in their first varsity race in the Junior Men’s 2nd Varsity 4+. They finished a respectable 17th on a highly competitive field of 26 boats. In the Novice division, Thomas Koester helped the Junior Men’s Novice 8+ pull to an excellent 6th place finish out of 28.

S. Klessel, J. Sondey, J Cutaia, T. Lockwood, W. Bender, T. Koester, T. Atkeson, M. Dicker, missing: K. Dicker

The young teammates practice 5-6 days a week rain or shine year-round under the guidance of Coaches Reid Johnson, Tom Marth, and Elizabeth Calder.

The Head of the Riverfront Regatta kicks off a busy season of races that will extend into November for the team. Rowers from clubs, high schools, and universities joined athletes in the masters, grand masters, and veteran divisions on the waters of the Connecticut River to test their skills and determination. The fall regattas are typically raced over a 5-kilometer course and feature hundreds to thousands of athletes from all over the Northeast.

Atkeson and Cutaia are looking forward to participating in the legendary Head of the Charles in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the coming weeks. While demanding mental focus, physical stamina, and skill, the teammates know they must always work in concert to achieve their best performance.

Photos courtesy Priscilla Benter

Editor's note: As a public service, MyhometownBronxville publishes articles from local institutions, officeholders, and individuals. MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements therein, and any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff.

Bronxville School to Dedicate New Track to Hall of Fame Coach on October 12, 2019

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By Joanie Berkery and Linda Pagano, Bronxville PTA Athletic Council members

Oct. 9, 2019: The Bronxville School is pleased to announce that the new track will be named the "James Owen Mitchell Track." The Bronxville School and athletic community honor "Mitch" for his 41 years of coaching the girls cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field teams, and for the success and accomplishments of these athletes and teams. The dedication ceremony will take place on October 12th during halftime at the homecoming football game. The game will take place on Chambers Field, starting at 6pm.

Jim Mitchell started coaching at the Bronxville School in the spring of 1979. At that time, young women were just starting to be encouraged and assisted in the pursuit of amateur athletic activities. In fact, before President Carter signed the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, women were prohibited from participating in some running events. Coach Mitchell introduced the first girls cross country program in Bronxville and, in doing so, enabled his athletes to pursue these new avenues.

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Coach Mitch (B&W) in the beginning. Photo courtesy of the Bronxville School

Coach Mitchell's female athletes and teams received impressive and abundant accolades. He coached 57 girls who earned 170 All-American honors and 14 girls who were named Con Edison Scholar-Athletes. His teams won 41 consecutive League Championships and 37 Section 1 Titles for Outdoor Track and Field; 39 consecutive League Championships and 33 Section 1 Titles for Indoor Track and Field; and 38 consecutive League Championships, 30 Section 1 Titles, and 12 State Championships for cross country. Five relay teams won National Championships, one with a national record-setting time.

In 2007, Coach Mitchell was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, and in 2013 into the New York State Public High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

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Coach Mitch (with trophies) at a Cross Country Event. Photo by Charlotte Rizzo

The league titles, section titles and state championships that followed were numerous. What is equally remarkable is the number of runners who went on to compete collegiately.

Coach Mitchell was far more than a coach. He instilled in his athletes a love for running and competing and served as a beloved mentor. Karen Peterson, Bronxville's Athletic Director, has great admiration for Coach Mitchell.

"I have had the pleasure of watching Mitch coach for the last 22 years. You will hear a lot about all of his championships, but what has always amazed me is that he made every runner feel special. He found a way for them to play a meaningful role on the team while they improved individually. His runners learned invaluable life lessons through running. This is such a well-deserved recognition."

Jim Agnello, who has been Bronxville's boys' varsity cross country coach for the past 20 years, described the honoree.

"Jim Mitchell is the epitome of a selfless coach, colleague, and friend. He is a family man taking car rides with his wife JoAnn on Sundays after coaching six days a week for 51 years and raising his successful adult children Dana and Chris. He has served as a surrogate parent for thousands of athletes over the years, all of them affectionately calling him 'Mitch' or a demonstrative 'Mitchell.' They simply love him."

Coach Agnello went on to say, "My most sincere thank you for being a superior role model for thousands of athletes and hundreds of coaches. You will be missed greatly. Your impact will continue for years to come."

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Coach "Mitch" with Runners (L to R) Katie Ryan, Delia Hayes, Mr. Jim Mitchell, Charlotte Rizzo and Courtney Campbell; photo by by Charlotte Rizzo

Coach Mitchell is a native of Brooklyn, N.Y. and attended Regis High School and Fordham University. He coached the boys track team at Fordham from 1972-1978 and came to Bronxville High School in 1978 as a Latin teacher. The following year, he began a coaching career that would span over forty years. Coach Mitchell has been supported all of these years and seasons by his wife of 47 years, JoAnn, and his children Christopher and Dana, a Captain in the Marines.

In honor of all "Mitch" has accomplished and the number of athletes that have been impacted by his coaching, the Board of Education proclaimed on April 23, 2019, that the new Bronxville School track would be named the "James Owen Mitchell Track."

We congratulate Coach Mitchell on all of his accomplishments and take this opportunity to express our gratitude for his years of dedication and teaching.

Go Broncos!

Photo at top: Coach Mitch at his induction into the Hall of Fame in 2007

Photo by Charlotte Rizzo

Editor's note: As a public service, MyhometownBronxville publishes articles from local institutions, officeholders, and individuals. MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements therein, and any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff.

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