Best defender of the realm
Jason Chlus (football): Mr. Everywhere on defense, led team in tackles for second straight year at linebacker, one of the best in Section 9.
Highland’s Brooke Harris
Best of the future
Dario DiValentino (boys soccer): the Huskies sole offensive threat this season, freshman with a huge upside if they can get him the ball in scoring position; Brianna Rozzi (girls soccer): great all-around athlete who was learning the goalkeeper position in her first year, tremendous upside, can be a dominant keeper in the league; Mike Malheiro (football): seemingly out of nowhere to lead the Huskies in rushing, it’s all there for the sophomore running back; Jillian Brennie (volleyball): top offensive player for improving Huskies, can do it all on the court: sets, kills, digs, potential Section all-star; Rachel Bender (tennis): the junior upped her grade this year to second singles, struggled through it all to play some tough sets against some of the league’s best, a nice upside; Brooke Harris (cross country): yes, she is also the leading scorer on the soccer team, which makes her top 30 finish in Section 9 cross country all the more remarkable, just a top athlete as a freshman; and the new Highland swimming program’s Ashley Benkert, who took sixth in the Section 9 girls 100 butterfly in her first year.
The Christie Morano Zen Award
(given to the player who just makes it look so easy)
Brooke Harris and Brianna Rozzi (girls soccer): startling young players that have such big upsides that it seems almost unfair, both are cool customers that can see the big picture (and the field), the heart and soul of the soccer program.
And now for the top three awards — trumpets, please:
Best team
Even though they didn’t fare that well this season, the girls soccer team, who will return freshman Brooke Harris, sophomore Bri Rozzi, junior Emily Peterson, sophomore Teresa Mazzella, sophomore Emily Angelillo, junior ShaRee Mills and junior Sam Garcia — all promising young players who look to return the Huskies not only to Section play, but to actually make lots of noise in doing so.
Best coach
Girls soccer coach Kathelene Canosa and cross country coach Katie Reid: Canosa for reinventing the game for Highland and setting up next year’s team for a run at the Section title; and Reid for revitalizing the cross country program and having a pair of runners in the top 30 at Sections.
Best player
Brooke Harris (girls soccer AND cross country): doing both is good enough, but doing both well is even better, and Harris led the Huskies in scoring and broke into the top 30 runners in the Section 9 championships. Quite an achievement for a freshman.
So, that’s it until winter, when all three Highland teams — wrestling (a good chance) and boys and girls basketball (hopeful) — should challenge for possible Section crowns.
