Pleasantville High School sports teams all finished with winning records this fall, both in-conference and overall. Individual athletes also celebrated numerous accomplishments.
The varsity football team finished with a 6-3 overall record and a 4-2 record in conference play. The Panthers’ season ended with a loss to Putnam Valley in the semi-finals. That ended their playoff run one game shy of the championship, which they won last season.
Ten varsity football players received all-league honorable mention. Eight players went all-league. Four players went all-conference and one player went all-section. The team was dominated by upperclassmen, with 20 seniors on the roster. That means head coach Tony Becerra will have a young team next year.
Varsity girls’ soccer had a strong season with an overall record of 17-3 and a 7-1 record in the conference. They also finished the season as league champions. Two players, Allison Portera and Lyndsey Minerva, went all-state. Portera was selected as the league’s player of the year and coach Chris Osterhoudt was selected coach of the year.
Additionally, seven players on the team received all-league honorable mention. Six players went all-league and three players went all-section.
Boys’ varsity soccer finished the season with a 10-6-1 overall record and 4-3 in the conference. Seven players received all-league honorable mentions. Five went all-league. One player had all-section honorable mention and another player, Marc Kyriakidis, went all-section. Kyriakidis was also named the league co-MVP.
The girls’ varsity field hockey team had four players who received all-league honorable mention. Six went all-league. One received all-elite honorable mention and another player went all-elite and all-section.
Varsity girls’ cross country, varsity boys’ cross country, varsity girls’ tennis, varsity girls’ swimming, and varsity girls’ volleyball all had all-star athletes. Between those five teams, seven players received all-league honorable mentions. 11 went all-league. Two went all-section, and two others were named state qualifiers for swimming. Boys’ cross country finished as league champions as well.
According to Athletic Director John Bauerlein, the teams’ successes come from “community support, great coaching, and coachable athletes.” A lot of athletes started at the recreational sports level before high school. Bauerlein said that helped build chemistry and trust between players and coaches. High school coaches got to see them develop all the way through.
Physical education teacher Myndi Hill agreed that youth sports have helped the high school teams succeed, in addition to “good hiring by [the] Athletic Director, seriousness of the athlete, and work ethic on field and in [the] weight room” as other keys to their winning operation.
The Panthers’ successes are not limited to the playing field. Seven out of the eight varsity fall squads achieved the title of NYS Scholar-Athlete Team, awarded to teams if the average GPA for 75% of the roster is greater than or equal to 90.00.
A hallway inside Pleasantville High School features trophies, plaques, and other awards from the last 15 years. Bauerlein said girls’ sports teams at Pleasantville are on the rise, so we should look out for more faces to join that wall.
