BY JAMIE HAZEL
Sports Editor
The 7-8-4 boys’ soccer team fought hard right to the end of the season and continued to grow with every game. In the Greater Middlesex County Tournament, they went into double overtime and eight rounds of shootouts with top-seeded South Brunswick before upsetting Franklin and falling just short against Manalapan in the NJSIAA Tournament.
The team focused on staying oriented and not repeating the mistakes of the prior season, which included red cards, injuries, and missed opportunities that kept the team from reaching its full potential. “This season everyone was more focused and took everything much more seriously after they saw what happened to us last season,” explained junior Lucas Dwornikowski.
The first week of games included a vital 3-2 win over Monroe on their turf. Despite trailing 2-0 with only ten minutes left, the boys fought until they walked away with a 3-2 overtime win, a season highlight. Sophomore Yousef Wahby secured the final goal with an assist from fellow sophomore Nicholas Morella.
Junior goalie Justin Morrisey contributed seven saves in the win, his second highest single- game total. “The team was fueling me, and I was fueling my team to play a great game,” said Morrisey.
The following game on September 7 resulted in a 1-1 tie against East Brunswick with a goal from senior Sean Mangam, one of the 11 shots on goal. East Brunswick only managed to get off five shots. “The team was more motivated this year than anything,” shared Morrisey explaining the subtle success.
After travelling to South Brunswick and losing 3-0 on September 12, the Knights faced them again on October 24 in the Semi-Finals of the GMC Tournament. Showing off evident improvement, the game went to double overtime and eight shoot-outs before the 1-0 loss. Senior Adrian Torres, junior Collin Chessere, senior Alex Rodriguez, Morella, and Aguiar took the shots. “I’m proud of everything that we did,” said Dwornikowski.
The Greater Middlesex County tournament began on October 8. Throughout the tournament, the boys played Spotswood, East Brunswick, Carteret, Piscataway, and J.P. Stevens before falling to South Brunswick in the semifinal round. Against Spotswood, Morrisey, the Man of the Match, contributed many crucial saves. Dwornikowski had his personal best game against J.P. Stevens where he had two goals and one assist in the 4-1 win.
When the boys met East Brunswick again in the Greater Middlesex County Tournament, Old Bridge prevailed with a 2-0 win. “My highlights of the season have been the big wins that we have had, which included beating Monroe away and also beating East Brunswick,” shared senior Gabe Aguiar, who had two assists in the win over Monroe.
Aguiar came up big in the tournament with two goals and three assists. “It feels good having an important role and making contributions whenever I can,” shared Aguiar.
On November 5, the boys played Franklin for the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Central Jersey Group 4 tournament, more commonly known as States. Old Bridge, the underdog, faced a Franklin team that entered on a seven-game undefeated streak. Sophomore Gavin Young scored the lone goal, his first at the varsity level, assisted by sophomore Michael Anyesoh. “We didn’t have the best record and moral was pretty low,” explained Rodriguez. “The win overall picked our heads up and gave hope to finish the season strong.”
Old Bridge faced Manalapan, who ended the season ranked second in Power Points, in the State Semi-Final round. Still the boys exerted themselves to the fullest. They took eight shots against Manalapan. This, unfortunately, marked the end of their season with a 1-0 loss. “I’m very happy with it,” said Morrisey. “I feel we left a lot out there this season, and I’m motivated for what’s yet to come next season.”
Although the .474 season did not result in a winning record, hidden victories emerged in every game. Fired up for next year, the boys expect to hang a banner up on the wall, and, until then, they remain proud of their work. “I’m very thankful and appreciate everyone for giving it their best,” said Dwornikowski.
Senior captain Gabriel Aguiar displays his dedication to his defensive role on the field by fighting for the ball. 
Junior Krystian Kotlewski, who scored a goal against Spotswood, uses his speed to try to get to the ball first. 
Junior Collin Chessere dribbles up the sideline despite the opposing player attempting to hold him back.
Posted on 12/2/24
Photos by Nicholas Ferrante, Jamie Hazel, and Dayami Viloria
Knight Life 