BELLEVILLE, NJ – Chris Cantarella has been named the new Belleville High School girls’ varsity head basketball coach.
Cantarella, who has been the BHS head varsity softball coach, succeeds Liz Ramirez, who stepped down after seven seasons.
“I am excited to take on a new challenge,” said Cantarella in an email to EssexNewsDaily.com. “I coached basketball in another district for years, and with Liz stepping down after some very successful seasons, I thought now would be a good time. There are some good players returning and I look forward to developing some of their skills.
“I am also fortunate to have very good assistants to help in the transition, Meghan Leonard, who was an assistant with Liz and Cheryl Zenobi (nee Marion), who was the head coach about 10 years ago.”
Cantarella is focusing on getting the players to work on their strength and fitness in the weight room while giving them some individual drills and skill work to improve upon prior to the start of official practices in late November.
Cantarella also is looking to assemble an independent schedule and possibly obtaining scouting reports on opponents.
Last season, the BHS girls’ basketball team won the Super Essex Conference-Freedom Division regular season championship, going 12-2 in the division and 17-8 overall. This upcoming season, the team will move up to the SEC-Independence Division.
“The team won the conference and moved up a division, so there will be some adjustments, but again, I look forward to the challenge and hope the girls do, too,” Cantarella said.
In his 12th season at the helm this past spring, Cantarella guided the BHS varsity softball team to the SEC-Colonial Division regular season title with a 7-0 mark in the division and 12-10 overall.
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