BLOOMFIELD, NJ – Guided by first-year head coach Zac Dearwater, the Bloomfield High School girls’ varsity basketball team is excited about the upcoming season, looking to improve on last year’s eight-win campaign.
The Bengals will tip off the season Friday, Dec. 14 at home against Newark Academy in a Super Essex Conference-Liberty Division game.
Returning players:
- Sarah Edmond, 5-foot-9 senior forward
- Camrynn Referente, senior guard
- Samantha Columna, 5-8 junior guard
Key newcomers:
- Chiara Hilario, 5-5 freshman guard
- Melina Hidalgo, 6-1 sophomore center
Dearwater expects valuable contributors from those players, with the three returnees providing leadership.
“We are expecting contributions to varsity from a group of underclassmen, including freshmen with very little experience,” said Dearwater, who was the team’s assistant coach for the past several seasons. “It will be very important to our team success this year that these three players bring the younger players along, similar to the way they where brought along by previous leaders in the program.”
The key to a successful season will be the leadership from the returnees.
“With their experience and knowledge from playing varsity previously, they will be a huge asset to our younger players in the program,” said Dearwater.
The goals for the season include competing for a conference title; and qualifying for the Essex County Tournament and the state tournament.
“The keys to achieving our goals and expectations for this season are valuing everyday and every experience, good or bad, and learning from those experiences and working hard,” Dearwater said. “All of our competition is tough in our league and non-conference schedule, but if we buy into these keys, our season will be successful.”
Other players on the roster:
Seniors:
Lara Rios and Kaitlyn Martinez.
Juniors:
Dajee Stokes, Mia Lopez, and Gina Perrotta.
Sophomores:
Asiyah Edmond, Hannah Gulley, Casey Dolan.
Freshmen:
Ashley Martinez, Aliyah Sanchez, and Lucy Heyman.
Dearwater’s assistant coach is Nicole Pacicco.
The other teams in the SEC-Liberty are Columbia, Newark Academy, Newark Collegiate, Millburn, Montclair and Immaculate.
Schedule
Dec. 14, Newark Academy, 6 p.m.
Dec. 18, at Newark Collegiate, 6 p.m.
Dec. 20, Immaculate Conception, 4 p.m.
Dec. 28, Glen Ridge Holiday Tournament, vs. People’s Prep, 2 p.m.
Dec. 29, Glen Ridge Holiday Tournament, vs. Glen Ridge, 11:30 a.m.
Jan. 4, University, 4 p.m.
Jan. 8, at Montclair, 7 p.m.
Jan. 10, at Millburn, 7 p.m.
Jan. 12, at West Essex, 1 p.m.
Jan. 15, Columbia, 4 p.m.
Jan. 19, Clifton, 1 p.m.
Jan. 22, at Newark Academy, 4 p.m.
Jan. 24, Newark Collegiate, 4 p.m.
Jan. 26, at Immaculate, 1 p.m.
Jan. 29, Montclair, 4 p.m.
Jan. 31, at Caldwell, 4 p.m.
Feb. 5, Millburn, 4 p.m.
Feb. 7, at Nutley, 6 p.m.
Feb. 11, Bergenfield, 4 p.m.
Feb. 12, at Columbia, 7 p.m.
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