The Wildcats are back and the fall 2026 season is coming up fast

Wildcat Country is once again fully populated and abuzz for the Fall 2026 season!

With football and cheerleading underway since last week, the athletes and coaches of the remaining nine varsity teams began their training sessions on Monday, on tracks, courts, links, fields, and in gyms across the district.

_{See a gallery of first day practices below this story.}

Several championship teams begin the season with high expectations. The girls varsity tennis team, coached by William Zwart, returns after a second consecutive undefeated regular season (12-0), which included the OCIAA and Section 9 titles. In girls varsity volleyball, coach Shawn Thomas leads a roster fresh off its first Section 9 Class AA title in 30 years and a trip to the state semifinals.

Cross-country runners are back on the trails, with the boys team under Michael Potter and the girls team coached by Julie Cosco. The boys cross-country team includes junior Leo Shostal, who earned multiple records and individual titles last season. On the soccer pitch, the girls varsity team, led by new head coach Sean Hackbarth, enters as defending Section 9 champions and state semifinalists. The boys team, directed by coach Denis O’Connor, aims to build on a 13-win campaign and a strong playoff run.

The girls swimming and diving teams are back in the pool, with Nicole Rose coaching swimming and Chris Blackwell coaching the divers. Last season, the squad produced several sectional and state qualifiers, including standout freshman Addison Kleveno.

Boys varsity golf, now a fall sport, is coached by Pete Scheuermann and returns as the reigning OCIAA Division II champion. The Crew Club is set to begin training later in the fall after winning the Hudson Valley Rowing League title last spring.

You can find season schedules, including opening day dates and locations, by following this link.