The Nutley/Columbia/Bloomfield (NCB) ice hockey team has made their way back onto the ice for this season, and the team is working harder than ever with the help of new players who recently joined the league.

As the varsity boys basketball team prepares for the 2025 season, anticipation is high among players and fans alike. With key seniors returning and a strong sense of chemistry, the team is aiming to make a deep playoff run. Based on interviews with players Nick Gallo, Will Llanza, and Noah Reilly, here's what we can expect from the Raiders this upcoming season.

After a disappointing 5-19 record to finish last season's go around, the boys basketball team knew there would have to be changes made to gain advantages before the following season arrived. 

The Nutley Raiders Girls Flag Football team ended their 2024 season on May 13 with a 21-8 loss against St. Benedict’s Prep. Despite the loss, the girls managed to finish first in their division and earn a spot in the playoffs. Their first playoff game will be against West Orange in Ridgewood on Saturday, May 18. If they defeat West Orange, they will face Ridgewood.

The Girls Softball teams traveled to Florida in late March for a preseason tournament which gave the team a chance to prepare for the regular season ahead of them. The team competed in scrimmages against teams outside of the league and were able to pull off some wins. 

The Nutley Boys Varsity volleyball season kicked off with a match against Newark Tech on April 1st, 2024. Their record is presently 11-5. The team has only been competing for three years and the boys are looking forward to a promising season. The team’s 2021-2022 season ended at 10-10, and the 2022-2023 season ended 20-5. 

Over the summer, the weight room had been getting remodeled for the 2023-2024 school year. Today, the weight room features plenty of new equipment, freshly painted walls and brand new floors including turf carpeting. 

The Varsity Wrestling team is currently 7-9, with a recent win against St. Benedicts. Two successful team members so far are Senior Sam Souliman and Junior Jaiden Perez. 

The Varsity Girls soccer team finished their season on October 25th with a  loss against Somerville to bring their season record to 6 wins and 14 losses. Freshman Isa Harrington and Junior Brooke Yero were two of the many outstanding players of the season. 

The 2023-2024 Girls’ Volleyball season ended on October 26th, with a final record of 13-11. A highlight was their team's triumphant win against West Essex, a defining moment that bolstered their confidence.

Seniors Sasha Wanko and Elyse Gola, two pivotal players on the varsity team, contributed significantly to the team’s success.

The JV soccer team players finished their season with a 8-12 record. 

Several team members share the idea that friendship and family are two ways in which members of the JV soccer team feel about each other. Because they spend so much time together, they find themselves relying on each other and supporting each other through their challenges.

As the upcoming girls' basketball season approaches, the members are anxious to get on the court.

The Nutley Raiders Girls Freshman Volleyball Team wrapped up their first year of high school volleyball on October 19th, winning a home game 2-0 against Caldwell. They end the season with a record of 6-7.

The JV football team finished its season with an overall record of 5-4. There have been many improvements with the team throughout the season. “I do have to give a shout out to Mike Misner and Anthony Curcio who made big improvements on and off the field,” Coach Mike Padilla said. 

The Winter Track team’s 2023-2024 season start date is approaching in the upcoming weeks. Practices have been in full swing since November 27th. The coaches and team members are planning to start their season strong and continue to improve from the season prior. 

For senior athletes, the last match, race, or game of a season is always an emotional time. Tears are shed on behalf of the team. Coaches mourn the loss of some of their most valuable players—players they’ve spent nearly four years mentoring and guiding in their sport. Players hold each other tightly as they bask in the glory of a last cheer, the last hoorah they’ll ever get in their high school career.

The Nutley Raiders will play summer ball. The matchups will begin on June 12 and will wrap up on July 20. There will also be playoff matchups following these dates. Some former teams the Raiders faced during the regular season will also be playing in this tournament. All games will be played at 5:45 pm. Below is the schedule for the upcoming tournament for the Nutley Raiders:

6/12: Nutley @ Caldwell

6/14: Columbia @ Nutley

6/19: Ferris @ Nutley

6/21: Nutley @ West Orange

6/26: West Essex Red @ Nutley

6/28: Glen Ridge @ Nutley

Running:  it's an incredibly popular way of exercising that many partake in. Some people love to run, while others just do it as a form of exercise. For those people who enjoy running, they may join either cross country or track, or, on most occasions, both as a sport. 

Every April, hockey fans around the world enter what some will call the most stressful time of the year. Elevated heart rates, all-nighters on weekdays, stress snacking, and shouting, all parts of the experience of watching your favorite team face off in a playoff game. Sometimes your team doesn’t make it, sometimes the games result in boring blowouts. Luckily for us, some fresh faces have joined the competition this year in the race for the Stanley Cup.

On May 5, the NHS boy’s volleyball team defeated Science Park to become division champions. The team is currently 19-3 overall and 10-0 in the Super Essex Conference (SEC).