Highlanders win 4 in a row

Dean Deaver scored a game-high 19 points and three teammates also reached double figures as the West Milford High School boys basketball team won its fourth straight game - a 66-61 decision over Kinnelon - at home Saturday afternoon, Feb. 3.

Tyler Liguori (17 points), Connor Vogt (13 points) and Ognjen Ljusic (12 points) rounded out the top scorers for the Highlanders, who led, 23-14, after the first quarter and held a 51-38 advantage after three periods.

After a 1-7 start, West Milford has gone 10-4, including winning six of its past seven contests, as of Feb. 5.

The Highlanders (11-12), who are 6-2 in the Independence Division of the Big North Conference, were scheduled to play at Fair Lawn at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8.

Here’s how other West Milford teams fared last week:

Girls basketball

Aubrey Fritz had a game-high 12 points and Avery Vacca added 10 points to fuel West Milford to a 44-18 victory over Passaic Valley on Jan. 30 in Little Falls.

Vacca then had 15 points but the Highlanders bowed to Lakeland, 47-37, on Feb. 1 at home.

Vacca, a senior guard, is averaging 12.6 points to lead the team in scoring. Sophomore guard Sarah Benowitz (8.9 points per game) leads the team in three-pointers with 35.

West Milford (10-8), seeded fourth, is slated to play host to fifth-seeded Paterson Kennedy in the quarterfinal round of the Passaic County Tournament at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10.

A victory there, and the Highlanders would advance to the PCT semifinal round Thursday, Feb. 15 against top-seeded Paterson Eastside or eighth-seeded Wayne Valley.

Ice hockey

West Milford closed out its regular season with a 4-3 overtime loss to Glen Rock on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 4 at the Ice Vault Arena in Wayne.

The Highlanders (13-6-1) has been led offensively this season by Aiden Lindgren (17 goals, 19 assists), Kyle Gregory (12 goals, 21 assists), Sean Hughes (nine goals, 14 assists), John Biegel (11 goals, 12 assists), Joe Barroquerio (11 goals, 10 assists), Timmy Riche (12 goals, eight assists) and Brayden Treloar (three goals, eight assists).

Wrestling

The Highlanders ran their season-high winning streak to five straight matches with a 66-16 decision at Dumont on Feb. 3.

Justin Burke (120 pounds), Colin Menier (132), Daxton Keller (138), Benjamin Marchetto (144), Nicholas Carbone (150), Jake Pasek (157) and Edip Oruli (190) all recorded pin fall victories to key the win.

West Milford (16-7) was seeded fourth and was scheduled to wrestle fifth-seeded Lakeland in the opening round of the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 team tournament Monday, Feb. 5.

Bowling

West Milford bowed to Wayne Hills, 7-2, on Jan. 29 at Holiday Bowl in Oakland.

The Highlanders were paced by Mike McCloskey (662 high series, 228 high game), Roberto Sanchez (596 series, 222 game), Jaden Foster (443 series, 168 game) and Rebecca Sledge (438 series, 167 game).

Indoor track

The West Milford boys and girls indoor track teams will compete at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 sectional championships Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Bennett Center in Toms River.