It has been an incredible fall season for Storm King’s student-athletes. All five of our varsity teams, namely boys and girls cross country, boys and girls soccer, and girls volleyball finished their seasons with outstanding records and epic play, while four teams brought home the HVAL trophy. It was also the first time in SKS’ history that the girls volleyball team went on to capture the New England Prep Class D championship title–“a spectacular performance to conclude a spectacular season” according to Athletic Director Joseph Graziosi.
Boys Cross Country
The now 5-time HVAL champion boys cross country team started out strong this fall despite a course error in their first race of the season at Marvelwood which resulted in no team score. The mishap didn’t faze them going into their next series of races starting with the Oakwood Invitational on Wednesday, September 18, where they earned 1st place. Onward from there, their winning momentum continued at Darrow then NYMA, which brought them home to the Storm King Invitational on Wednesday, October 12. On the Mountain, the SKS harriers prevailed, with our top five runners finishing in the top 10.
Two more wins versus Poughkeepsie Day and Marvelwood carried the Cougars to the HVAL Championship race on Wednesday, October 30, where the boys dominated the field defeating Poughkeepsie Day School, Marvelwood, Woodhall, Darrow, Oakwood Friends, and Faith Christian. Led by freshman Eddie Iannuzzi-Sucich (3rd Overall), Storm King placed five runners in the top 11 spots and 7 in the top 15 to win its 5th Consecutive HVAL Championship. Myles Debrecourt ’20 (5th Overall) was the next Storm King runner to finish. Yuan Li ’21 (9th), Vinnie Iannuzzi-Sucich ’24 (10th), and Warren Stone ’23 (11th) demonstrated the trademark pack running of the Cougars, soon followed by senior captains Guy-Paul Delisfort (13th) and Jae Hyun Kim (15th).
Season Stats: 7 of 7 first places finishes, HVAL Champions
Girls Cross Country
Girls Cross Country, now in its second year on SKS’ team roster, enjoyed an undefeated record and their 2nd consecutive HVAL championship this fall. At their first meet at Faith Christian Academy on September 14, the girls took 1st place as a team by default with freshman Scout Zischke leading the way as the top runner. A second 1st place finish at Oakwood the following week brought the girls to the Storm King Invitational on Saturday, September 18. On the Mountain, the Storm King girls finished with 4 runners in the top 10, led by Scout in 1st place followed by Sophia Bove (4), Kenna Stone (6), and Joy Li (10) winning the invitational by default having the only complete team of five runners. During the second half of their season, the girls continued to push forward, winning 5 more league victories versus Darrow, Marvelwood, Poughkeepsie Day, and NYMA bringing them to the HVAL championship meet as the top seed on October 30. Once again, SKS’ top runners Scout and Sophia led the girls as all 6 Storm King runners placed in the top 15 capturing their second consecutive HVAL championship title.
On Saturday, November 9, three runners from the girls cross country team also traveled to the NEPSTA (New England Private School Track Association) Division IV Championship Race held at the Hebron Academy in Maine. Out of the 97 varsity runners competing from around New England, SKS’ girls placed well with Scout and Sofia placing at 11 and 19 respectively, and freshman Joy Lee placing at 72. Scout and Sofia were also invited to run in the NEPSTA All-Star Meet on Saturday, November 16, at St. Mark’s School in Southborough, MA. “
Season Stats: 9 of 9 first-place finishes, HVAL Champions
Boys Varsity Soccer
To kick off fall action on the pitch, the boys varsity soccer team played their season opener versus the Darrow School on Saturday, September 7, with only a few practices under their belts. Great play, the home advantage, and the moral support of parents and fans helped bring the Cougars to a decisive 11-0 win on their opening day. Continuing their regular schedule, the boys achieved 11 more wins and 5 losses to finish their season on Saturday, November 2, with a decisive 8-1 win over their longstanding rival NYMA.
According to Coach Joseph Graziosi, eight different players scored for Storm King versus NYMA “demonstrating the depth and leadership of the team.” With the win, the boys finished their season with a 13-5 record and an undefeated record of 10-0 in the HVAL, running their conference winning streak to 46 matches, a record that dates back to November of 2015.
The winning continued at the HVAL Playoff Tournament beginning with the semifinal game versus Marvelwood on Wednesday, November 6. The Cougars had the home-field advantage, decisively defeating Darrow 8-0 and advancing to their 6th consecutive Championship Final the following Saturday.
On Saturday, November 9, the boys emerged ready to face Marvelwood in the final for the 5th year in a row. With intelligent play and a strong defense, the boys succeeded in capturing their fourth consecutive HVAL Conference Championship title with a 7-0 score.
At the start of the match, Storm King withstood a vigorous Marvelwood attack resulting in two missed scoring chances by the Pterodactyls. SKS Senior Captain Jordan Golding opened the scoring with a stunning header followed by eighth-grader Elijah Graziosi who redirected a cross from junior Jason Shrem volleying Storm King to a 2-0 lead 15 minutes into the match. Next up, another eighth-grader, Isaiah Davis, skillfully placed a loose ball into the Marvelwood net and Jordan finished the first half with two successful penalty kicks bringing Storm King to a 5-0 lead. Less than 5 minutes into the second half, Elijah scored again, tucking a ball from junior Ivan Kalergis Riedel inside the left post of the Marvelwood goal. Senior Sean Witte finished the scoring with a 35-yard free-kick goal.
“This was, by far, the most inspired performance I have seen in my 12 years of coaching soccer at Storm King,” continued Coach Graziosi. “I have never been more proud.”
Season Stats: 15-5-0, HVAL Champions
Girls Varsity Soccer
The girls varsity soccer team started their season away on Wednesday, September 11, at Faith Christian Academy. After a valiant effort and three goals, the girls fell to FCA 3-7. The following week, home advantage was with them when they faced Oakwood on Wednesday, September 18. Excellent teamwork led by seniors Sam McCullough, Naunet Leonhardes-Barboza, and Maho Alacantara Zaldivar turned the tables for the girls, rallying the team to a 9-0 victory. Continuing their regular season schedule, the girls enjoyed 3 more wins, 3 losses, and a tie before falling to Hoosac in their final game of the season 1-0.
The setback didn’t quell the girls’ determination as they advanced to the HVAL playoffs as the #3 seed with home-field advantage for the quarterfinal match on Monday, November 4, versus Oakwood. Their persistence paid off once again, bringing them to a decisive 6-0 victory and the semifinal game which took place on Wednesday, November 6, against Marvelwood.
Kudos goes out to the girls, who played tirelessly through a grueling, 80-minute tie in the semifinal match, ultimately falling to Marvelwood in overtime penalty kicks. Freshman Elena Centeno scored SKS’ only goal in the first two minutes of the match with Marvelwood scoring late in the second half to tie the game 1-1. After playing through two intense 5-minute “golden goal” overtime rounds, SKS’ defense, led by senior goalkeeper Naunet Leonhardes-Barboza, fought off any shots on the goal which led to the game being decided with a penalty shootout. After a long match, SKS’ first two veteran players missed their shots, but junior Yu Osaki and senior Sam McCullough came through with one goal each.
Coach Kristen Barbosa was very proud of the team despite the final result. “In the end, Marvelwood was able to find the back of the net a few more times than SKS. Our team is young and ready to work hard in the off-season to prepare for a great season next fall,” she explained.
Season Stats: 5-6-1
Girls Varsity Volleyball
The girls volleyball team began their season with some new talent on the roster. “Newcomers including Jojo Gong ’20, Seina Kusunoki ’20, Sude Bakal ’21, and Zoe Buddie ’22 brought the team great skill, while veterans including seniors Rory Tobin and Morgan Papera gave us depth and “volleyball IQ,” explained Coach Jeanette McMahon early in the season. With this effective line-up, the team came out strong to beat their HVAL archrival Faith Christian Academy, 3-0, at their season opener on September 11. The win against FCA was a premonition of their success to come and there was no stopping the girls as they continued their regular schedule of league and non-league games, enjoying 10 wins and only 1 loss to Harvey School.
After an exciting victory against Poughkeepsie Day School in their last game of the season, the Cougars advanced to the HVAL quarterfinal match on Saturday, November 2, where their winning streak continued, beating NYMA 3-0. The win advanced the top-seeded girls to the semifinal versus #5 Oakwood on Saturday, November 6, where the girls cruised to a 3-0 victory. This exciting win set them up to play the HVAL Championship final match on the following day– Sunday, November 7.
That Sunday was a historic day for the team, who ultimately captured the HVAL Championship title for the second year in a row versus #2 seed Faith Christian Academy with a score of 3-0. In all three games, the Cougars racked up the points with their signature combination of strong serving by sophomores Milana Shigapova and Zoe Buddie, and junior Sude Bakal, consistent set-ups, and formidable play at the net by Zoe, senior Seina Kusunoki, and Captain Jojo Gong.
Following their HVAL Conference win, the #1 seeded girls advanced to the New England Prep Division IV Championship playoffs for the first time in Storm King’s history. On Saturday, November 16, the girls faced Connecticut’s Christian Heritage School, New England’s #4 seed, in an exciting match featuring long volleys, strong serving, and excellent teamwork, emerging victorious 3-1. With the win, the team advanced to the New England Championship final game on Sunday, November 17, where they overcame #2 seed Wooster School 3-1 in an exciting and sometimes harrowing showdown.
Headmaster Jonathan Lamb, faculty members, and family traveled to Danbury, CT, for the final to cheer the Cougars on. “Congratulations to the girls volleyball team on their historic win, and to all of our fall athletes for an impressive season,” commented Mr. Lamb upon his return from the final in Connecticut. “Many thanks go out to our student-athletes who worked hard all season and to the coaches and fans who supported them. Congratulations to all.”
Season Stats: 15-1, HVAL Champions, 2019 New England Prep School Class D Champions
# 1 Ranked Class D Girls Volleyball Program in NEPSAC