Abby Scheidel
NUTLEY, NJ – Competing in the tough Super Essex Conference-American Division, the Nutley High School girls’ varsity basketball team hopes to gain more improvement as the season progresses. Nutley regrouped from an 0-5 start. The team had a 6-10 overall record and 1-8 in the division through Jan. 26.
Under head coach Larry Mitschow, the Raiders moved up to the SEC-American this season after winning the SEC-Liberty title last season with an 11-1 divisional record en route to a 16-9 campaign.
NHS returned everyone from last year’s championship squad.
The key players this season have been junior guard Abby Scheidel, senior guard/captain Courtney Wilde, senior center/captain Alaina Feaster, junior forward Sofia Lamond, senior forward Rebecca Granata, junior guard Jaden Long, senior forward Mackenzie Moraski, and senior guards Lindsey Norton and Nicole Sullivan.
In divisional play, Nutley faces University, Newark Tech, West Orange, and East Orange, which are some of the best teams in the area, if not the state. The lone division win came at Payne Tech, 47-28, on Jan. 17 in Newark, led by Scheidel, who had 18 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals, and Wilde, who had 18 points with three 3-pointers.
The Raiders defeated Montclair, 63-40, the following day in an SEC crossover game in Montclair. Wilde scored 19 points with four 3-pointers and Scheidel also had 19 points with six assists and five steals. Feaster had 12 points and Granata had nine points as the Raiders won for the third time in their last four games.
NHS fell to Newark Tech, 60-35, Jan. 22 at home and lost to University, 73-30, Jan. 24 in Nutley.
Wilde then became the school’s sixth all-time 1,000-point scorer when she netted 22 points to lead Nutley to a 49-25 home win over Clifton on Jan. 26 in a non-conference game.
Nutley beat Passaic County Tech, Jan. 12, in Wayne, led by Wilde’s 16 points; Scheidel’s nine points; Feaster’s seven points and Long’s five points.
Nutley won two straight games against Glen Rock, 40-30, in the Westwood Holiday tournament Dec. 30 and Columbia, 47-40, in a SEC crossover game Jan. 3 at home.
Mitschow has been pleased with his team’s resiliency.
“After starting the season at 0-5, I was a little nervous about the future of our team. We were playing with a lot of effort and passion, but we just couldn’t find any offense,” said Mitschow. “The past eight games we are 5-3 and starting to find our rhythm. Abby Scheidel and Courtney Wilde have been pretty much 90 percent of our offense. Alaina Feaster has been a great rebounder and defender down low. Jaden Long, Sofia Lamond, Mackenzie Moraski, Rebecca Granata, Nicole Sullivan, Stephanie Luberto, and (freshman) Mackenzie Albert all have had starting opportunities. Each has shown they have the potential to contribute.
“We are trying to capture a home game in the counties and the states moving forward.”
Photos by Steve Ellmore
Nutley vs. Columbia, Jan. 3
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