West Morris Mendham High School - Athletics

Athletics

West Morris Mendham High School offers over 30 athletic teams ranging in level from freshman to varsity, competing in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Prior to the 2010 realignment, the school had participated in the Iron Hills Conference. With 994 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2011-12 school year as North II, Group III, a category that included schools with enrollment of 808 to 1,106. Since the school's opening in the fall of 1970, Mendham varsity teams have brought home more than 100 conference, county, region, and state championships.

Varsity cross country

The West Morris Mendham boys cross country team placed 1st in the final running of the Iron Hills Conference Championships (Hills Division) in the fall of 2008 with an average of 16:24.51, which is the second best team time ever run at the course.

Boys soccer

The boys soccer team remains one of the most competitive public-school teams in the area. The team won the North II Group III state sectional title in 1988, before losing to Steinert High School in the Group III state championship game. In 2005, under coach Tim Rymer, the team won the Conference title and lost the County final in overtime against Morris Catholic High School, ranked 6th in the nation at the time. Following the loss the Minutemen unexpectedly lost in the second round of the State tournament. Despite these two losses the team was still voted as "team of the year" by various local newspapers including the Daily Record and The Star-Ledger (Morris County edition). The following year, the Minutemen clinched the Conference title for the second straight year and clinched the Morris County Cup after defeating Delbarton 4-1, becoming the first public school to win the County tournament in eight years. Despite a loss in the sectional semifinals, they were named 'team of the year' for many north Jersey papers, as they finished the season in the New Jersey top 10. In the 2007 fall season, the Minutemen finished 5th in the Conference and lost in the 1st round of the County tournament. However, unlike past years the team was able to reach the State Sectional finals, where they lost in overtime against Parsippany Hills High School. In the 2008 season, the boys Minutemen finished 2nd in the Conference, and suffered a 1-0 loss in the Morris County final finishing the season in the state's top 20.

Varsity Football

The Football team under head coach Richard Attonito (1971–1988) secured three Colonial Hills Conference titles ('75, '82, '83) including an undefeated season in 1975 which included a still-standing club record eight shutouts and was capped off when the team won the NJSIAA North Jersey II Group I state sectional championship. Under Head Coach William "Bill" Carpluk (1989–2005), the team posted a 116-49 (.703) overall record, including a club record 17 game winning streak (1992–1993). Carpluk's teams garnered six Iron Hills Conference Hills Division (IHC-Hills) championships ('93-'95, '00, '01, '04) and numerous Group II and III state championship playoffs and six finals appearances. Carpluk era teams posted only two losing seasons during his 16 season tenure. The team is currently under the leadership of a veteran coaching staff, led by Head Coach Doug Kirk, 28-32 (.466), since the 2006 season. Kirk was a former assistant under both Attonito and Carpluk. The 2008 team finished 8-2, losing their NJSIAA playoff bid in the first round to eventual State Champion Phillipsburg High School. The 2011 team finished 1-9 and the team has not recorded a winning record since the 2008 season.

Golf

The varsity men's golf team had their best season on record in Spring 2009, winning both the IHC conference championship and the Morris County Championship. The team was also ranked #1 in the state of New Jersey for a short period.

Boys lacrosse

The varsity boys lacrosse team was crowned sole New Jersey State Champions in 1994, winning the New Jersey Tournament of Champions. The team won the Group II State Championship in 2010, but finished the season 9-11, after a loss in the Tournament of Champions.

Girls lacrosse

The girls lacrosse team was ranked #2 in the state in 2005 and #3 in 2006. The girls lacrosse team remains one of the most competitive teams in the country as in most years they finish top four in the state tournament, county cup, and finish in the top 2 of the conference. The girls lacrosse team won the 2007 Group II State Championship with a 17-4 win vs. Hopewell Valley Central High School. In 2010 the girls played their way into the state championship after beating Shawnee 12-6 to become the New Jersey Group 3 NJSIAA/New Balance state champions.

Girls volleyball

The girls volleyball team was runner up in the state in 2007.

Boys basketball

Under coach Jim Baglin, the boys won four consecutive County Tournaments (2008-2011), defeating Roxbury High School 34-27 in the 2011 final to make it four in a row and to give the program its ninth title in the 42-year history of the tournament, more than any other school. In 2010, the boys won the Group III State Championship with a 44-41 victory over Kingsway Regional High School, but fell short to University High School in the quarterfinal round of the Tournament of Champions.

Baseball

Under new coach Brad Wetzel, the 2011 baseball team has lost only four seniors from the previous season, when the baseball team went 5-17.

Girls basketball

In 1998, the Varsity Girls Basketball team finished #1 in the State of New Jersey with a perfect 32-0 record, winning the Tournament of Champions over previously undefeated Columbia High School by a score of 67-62, making Mendham the first public school to take the title since 1990.

Girls soccer

The girls soccer program has won four Group II state championships, defeating Delran High School in 1999, co-champions with Gloucester Catholic High School in 1998, Moorestown High School in 1993 and Cinnaminson High School in 1992. The varsity Girls Soccer team has won the Iron Hills Conference Championship. In 2007, the girls soccer team won the North II, Group III state sectional championship with a 2-0 win over Scotch Plains High School in the tournament final.

Girls tennis

The Girls Tennis team has been for the past six years ranked in the Top 5 in the State.

Fencing

Both the boy's and girl's fencing teams annually place at the top five in the state. In 2011, the Girls finished second in the state, and the Boys finished fourth. 2009 graduate Emilee Kovolisky placed 4th at the international fencing competition in Barcelona during the summer following her senior year. In 2012, the Mendham Boys won the state championship, defeating Columbia High School, which had won the state title the previous two years and had been riding a streak of 49 consecutive dual match victories.