Unlike many other schools in the county, Montclair is generally pretty good in just about every sport. Perhaps it's the youth programs, perhaps it's the coaching, perhaps super athletes are being grown in basements. Who knows?
In either case, you will find a wide range of sports on the list this year, with a slight edge going to the girls soccer team. Here are the top moments of the year in sports.
1. 11/10 - Montclair girls soccer rolls through section: The Mounties was one of the best teams in the state all fall and proved it in a 4-1 win over Livingston in the North I Group 4 state sectional championship game. They went on to lose a 1-0 match to Ridge in the Group 4 semis and finished up with a 23-2 record.
2. 3/2 - Mountie fencers fall one bout short: The Montclair boys fought from the number five seed all the way to the state championship bout against Columbia, and came within one point of dethroning the defending champs. Montclair had to knock off top seeded Ridge on the way to the championship bout.
3. 11/20 - Khalif Herbin breaks county touchdown record: The record fell in a semifinal playoff game against West Orange, where Herbin scrambled to score his 38th and 39th touchdowns of the year. He finished with 43 touchdowns and an insane 13.1 yards per carry average. His performance in the semifinal, also helped Montclair to a 42-0 win a spot in the championship game.
4. 10/22 - Girls soccer wins county title: For the past seven years the only guaranteed things in the county are overcrowded roads, no parking and the Montclair girls soccer team playing in the county championship game. The Mounties reached the finals for a seventh straight year, but won for the first time in three years, beating Livingston 1-0.
5. 2/26 - Otis Wright reaches Atlantic City: Wright battled his way to the region 4 finals where he met his match, losing to James Dugan from Becton, 7-5 in overtime. Wright's second place regional finish earned him a trip to AC where he finished eighth in the state at 160 pounds.
6. 6/3 - Softball reaches sectional finals: The girls were trailing 6-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning when they exploded for four runs in the bottom half, highlighted by a two-out RBI double by AMY Bianco.
7. 11/7 - Montclair field jockey reaches sectional championship: Jillian Alonzo scored twice for the Mounties in their 3-2 win over Phillipsburg in the North I Group 4 state sectional semifinals.
8. 2/20 - Wright wins District 14: Wright cruised to a district championship, winning 23-10 over Belleville's Mark Corino leading a strong day for the Mounties, who placed fourth overall. Montclair had four other wrestlers reach the district final.
9. 11/24 - Football improves to 11-0: A win over Bloomfield, 51-7, kept Montclair perfect at 11-0, rolling into the state championship game the next week.
10. 5/28 - Boys lacrosse gets to semis: As a five seed, the locals mad a nice playoff run, defeating Howell and North Hunterdon before falling to Hunterdon Central in the state playoffs.
