With the second round of the playoffs said and done and the Conference Finals currently underway, the outcomes of multiple matchups have been decided by injuries. From offense to defense, to special teams, certain teams have suffered drastically in certain departments due to the injuries they had to manage. Teams like the Nashville Predators went without Norris Trophy finalist Roman Josi in a series against a team favored to win the Stanley Cup which lead to what seemed to be a massacre and resulted in a sweep.

As the NHL concludes its annual 2021-2022 regular season, fans are left on the edge of their seats as playoff hockey is finally underway. Since the beginning of time, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are known to bring out the best in each player and showcase a lot of physicality. Arenas become jam-packed with fans who are ready to go to war for their team, as they watch a 60-minute battle barring overtime.

As NHS prepares for its spring baseball season, this is the beginning of the end for a lot of the players. With 12 of the returning players being seniors, this will be the last ride for the kids who grew up playing baseball together. Corner-infielder Daniel Reyes, shortstop and pitcher Joseph DeLanzo and pitcher Brian Conte all spoke about their experience in this program and what it has meant to them as well as their excitement for what is to come from this season.

From the huge COVID outbreak, to some of the highest-scoring games in NHL history, and all the way into teams having to call up tons of AHL players, this season has had it all. And now that some of those events are in the past, many questions arise as the NHL approaches the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Did the Colorado Avalanche peak too early? Is the Rangers’ defense enough to give them a shot at the cup? Is new head coach Martin St. Louis the long-term answer for the Montreal Canadiens?

Every year, there seems to be clear-cut favorites as to who will get their shot at becoming a Super Bowl champion. No one could have predicted what would happen with the NFL this year. Fans were left to see the Los Angeles Rams face the Cinncinati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.

The remaining eight teams in the NFL duked it out for a chance to play in their respective Conference Championship games. Each game had winning plays come with the final play of the game. While some games gave NFL fans more to talk about than others, each game was a nail-biter and left some fans exasperated but some left with a dream. Every player left it all on the field and gave it everything they had, but only four teams came out content. 

In a tight race for playoff spots, each NFL team is fighting day in and day out. No one has a guaranteed spot clinched as the season reaches its 14th week. While some teams have stood out over others, the five, six, and seven seeds in both the NFC and AFC are there for the taking and with this being one of the most unpredictable seasons in NFL history, no one knows who will fill these spots. For example, a 1-10-1 Lions team still has a chance to make the playoffs and they’re starting to catch fire as the season progresses.

On December 2nd, Nutley High School hosted an event called, “Instant Decision Day” annually where seniors get to meet directly with select schools and get an acceptance statement on the spot. This year, students met virtually with college counselors and were able to at minimum, walk away with more knowledge of the college process or at maximum, run away with a full-ride scholarship to said school.

On October 12, 2021, Nutley lost its winningest high school football coach of all time, Coach Steve DiGregorio. While many saw his impact strictly on the gridiron, DiGregorio was more than just a football coach, as he taught history  at NHS and touched the heart of everyone whom he came across.

As we wrap up week seven of the NFL regular season, some teams have regularly performed well each week. This year has come with many surprises as some of last year’s top teams have regressed drastically while others have prevailed and had the spotlight on them since week one. While some teams have failed to perform to the highest potential, it is never too late for a team to elevate their game to the next level and leave their mark on the league for years to come.