Photo from Troy Schneider

The Kinnelon High School football team salutes the flag during the national anthem, as they play in the Semifinal round of the Group 1 North NJSIAA tournament.

As students crowd into the bustling old gym for lunch, they walk by the large, glistening glass case that shows off some of Kinnelon High School’s greatest sports accomplishments. Little do they know that starting this year, and perhaps into the next, the case will have to be opened on more than one occasion; and some new hardware will be added to the collection.

“We have had a successful fall, and a successful winter season,” says gym teacher Nino Capra. This year, Kinnelon High School’s sports teams are winning more than ever. The school football team clinched their division, the KJS Hockey team became cup finalists; and the cross country team won the state championship for the first time in over 50 years. 

With so much success amongst a variety of sports at the high school, what is the secret behind it all?  “I do believe that the kids are making bigger commitments to their teams, playing in the offseason, fine tuning their skills, and doing the extra things needed to pull ahead,” says Capra,  “More kids are coming out to play for the teams. The commitment to […] becoming better can be seen.”

While some believe that perhaps it is the time taken during the off-season that truly makes Kinnelon athletics as successful as it is this year, a good argument can be made for the coaching staff. The football team recently had changes made, with Coach Dustin Grande taking the wheel and steering the team to a conference chip. 

“I think that the coach makes or breaks a team,” says junior Troy Schneider. “Coaches that know how to train players properly are coaches that will make a team successful.” The team reflected the change in coaching staff with a far run into the state playoffs, as well as a conference championship. 

It is also due to the changes with the playbook that teams this year, including the football team, changed tremendously. Junior Daniel Spano said, “Playbook-misdirections, trying to keep the ball away from them…this worked this year. It’s something that other teams from surrounding teams, even states, have played against.” 

The ability for Kinnelon’s new coaching staff to bring and apply new playing techniques and plays truly allowed not only the football team, but others as well, to seek success in the playoffs.

The basketball team had the same story- a new coaching staff was added to the team this year and the Colts won their conference. Keep in mind, last year, under a different coaching staff and using a different playbook, the team did not even qualify for the playoffs. 

The ability for a school, not merely a team, to turn around losing season after losing season is an amazing feat. In a small school, in a small town in New Jersey, putting their name on a map for a high school that has not existed for nearly 60-or-so years is tremendous. As new, bright ideas enter the halls and fields of Kinnelon High School, an exciting future awaits young athletes in the community. Perhaps it is the next year, or the year after that, that Kinnelon continues its ascension as one of the great homes of New Jersey high school sports. 

As Schneider put it, “I can 100% see Kinnelon athletics being better than this year, because 2024 is the class of athletic superstars, and it will be our year to shine.”