BMUFSD: Fall Sports Begin At Briarcliff School District

Press release from the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District:

2024-08-30

A new school year is just around the corner, with new teachers and new coaches, but one thing has stayed the same at Briarcliff School District; the school spirit is as strong as ever and students participating in Fall Sports are motivated to excel and have a great time with their teammates.

The Boys Varsity Soccer team has had big changes; Longtime Head Coach Brandon Beck has taken a back seat and is now the Assistant Coach, while former Assistant Coach Paul Bordonaro is now Head Coach.

“Brandon is busy with speaking engagements and his family, so I am taking over as Head Coach,” Mr. Bordonaro said. “It is my first year as Head coach, so I am inspired by Brandon – he is such a great leader and there is so much that he says that sticks with you, but I am most inspired by how he carries himself and I hope to replicate that.

“The team is very motivated. This program has been wildly successful since 2017, and we had our best stretch during that time, so the athletes want to live up to that. I respect them for this drive that they have. I look forward to continued focus on what it means to be a part of this program. If they can figure that out, all of the soccer success is going to follow. Ultimately, we are trying to make them good human beings, which leads to creating good habits, which leads to success both on and off the field. We want them to grow within themselves and gel together as a team so that at the end of October they will be primed for the playoffs.”

Mr. Beck is pleased with the team and Mr. Bordonaro’s effort.

“Paul is amazing as head coach. I am so proud of how easy he has made it look in taking over,” he said. “He has taken the reins in every capacity from day one, and it’s inspiring to see.”

Varsity Girls Volleyball has a new coach this year, Jacqueline Skeen, who brings extensive experience, including playing volleyball in Europe.

“We have a lot of juniors, with a handful of sophomores and seniors, this year, so I am hoping to see a lot of progress in our foundations,” she said. “Most importantly, I want to see everyone have fun and enjoy themselves.”

Skip Stevens, Varsity Football Head Coach, is pleased with the team this year.

“We have a good number of juniors returning this year, so it’s a more experienced team,” he said. “The team is very cohesive, the athletes worked very hard and they look out for each other. There’s a lot of camaraderie. My expectation is that they continue to work hard, win the league and get to the playoffs.”

There is camaraderie on the JV Girls Soccer team as well.

“We are a very young team, there are a lot of middle schoolers, including one seventh grader, so it’s good to see their energy push the older students,” said Coach Jessie Oswald. “The older students have been taking on a leadership role. I hope to see individual growth amongst all of the athletes and to watch them change together as a team from the first game until the end of the season. Last year we were undefeated, so I hope to replicate that.”

Varsity Girls Tennis Coach Richard Fin also hopes to continue the tradition of excellence at Briarcliff.

“I am hoping to keep the tradition of the Bears’ Tennis high standards and have a fun, enjoyable season,” he said. “We have a great turnout this year – 20 students on the Varsity team, with lots of great players coming back from last year and some good ones from JV as well.”

The Boys Varsity Volleyball team returning after a successful inaugural year.

Patrick Geoghegan was a volunteer coach last year for the team, which is merged with Croton-Harmon High School. This year, he is Head Coach for both Varsity and JV Boys Volleyball, together with Lisa Rudner, who is Assistant Coach.

“We have a JV team this year because we had a nice turnout,” he said. “Last year we won the league championship and now we want the athletes to have the fundamentals down early in the season. A lot of the returning players picked up right where they left off last year and I think we have a strong chance of winning the league championship.”

Briarcliff Senior Jack Burnett is one of the three Briarcliff players who were on the team last year and is happy to be back to play with his teammates, several of whom are from Briarcliff.

“Last year was my first time playing volleyball and I learned a lot, from both the coaches and the players that had more experience than I did,” he said. “Now I feel like I am spreading this wisdom to the younger students because a lot of them are like me and never played volleyball before.”

“I want to wish all of the athletes and coaches good luck for the upcoming season,” said Briarcliff Athletic Director Chris Drosopoulos. “As a former athlete and coach, I know how that energy begins to rise as you near your first competition. I look forward to cheering on the Bears at the practices and games throughout the season. Our success depends on all of our students, staff and faculty constantly representing us at the highest levels. Thank you for your commitment and have a great Fall Season!”

Other fall sports are: Varsity Girls and Boys Cross Country, Varsity Cheerleading, Varsity Girls Swimming and Diving, Varsity Field Hockey, Varsity Girls Soccer, JV Girls Volleyball and JV Boys Soccer.

This press release was produced by the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.