BELLEVILLE, NJ – The Belleville High School varsity boys’ soccer team, under first-year head coach Gary Polewka, clinched the Super Essex Conference-Colonial Division championship this season.
The Bucs posted a 7-1 record in the division. They are currently 13-5-1 overall.
Belleville hopes to make a strong run in the postseason. The Bucs, seeded seventh, will host No. 10 seed West Windsor-Plainsboro North in the first round on Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. The winner will face either No. 2 seed Hopewell Valley or No. 15 seed West Morris in the quarterfinals on Nov. 3.
After losing to a strong Montclair team, 4-0, in the first round of the Essex County Tournament, the Bucs won three straight games last week.
Adriel Abreu, Fernano Fajardo and Kevin Riera each had a goal in the 3-0 win at North 13th St. Tech on Oct. 23 in Newark, Kevin Manjarrez, Daniel Pinedo, and Kennith Real each had an assist, and Fernando Pesantez made four saves for the Bucs.
Riera and Eric Munoz each had two goals and Manjarrez had a goal in the 5-0 division win at North Star Academy on Oct. 26 in Newark. Real had two assists and Pinedo had an assist. Pesantez made five saves.
Riera scored on an assist from Munoz in the 1-0 division win at Newark Central on Saturday, Oct. 28. Pesantez made 13 saves.
Ifeanyi Anaemejeh leads the Bucs with 15 goals this season, followed by Manjarrez with 10 goals and Riera with nine.