The West Essex Knights varsity hockey team hosted Verona at the Codey Arena at South Mountain in West Orange on Monday, Jan. 31. A half-dozen senior players also hosted their moms, presenting them with bouquets of flowers as a token of their appreciation, including from left, Denise Cox (Ryan), Michelle Paranzine (Tom), and Debbye Trent (Travis). Hockey moms are known for transporting their sons to and from many-an-early morning and late night practice – as well as for their special prayers to avoid knocked out teeth and broken bones. West Essex beat Verona 6-4, and with mom watching, senior …

James Caldwell and West Essex high schools boys and girls swim teams faced each other last Monday in a dual match at the West Essex YMCA in Livingston. The Chiefs would emerge the stronger swimmers, achieving more first place finishes than the Knights. Here, members of the Caldwell girls swim teach raise their hands at the start of the last race to cheer on their teammates. They would lower them as the racers entered the water.

James Caldwell High School junior Dave Levinsky scored his 1,000th career point with the Chiefs' boys basketball team on Saturday, Jan. 8. The point came less than two minutes into the game against the Knights. Caldwell beat West Essex in a narrow 64-61 overtime victory.

The outcome would be a huge disappointment for fans of James Caldwell High School's football team. But in the hours leading up to the state championship game against Madison High School at Kean State University in Union Friday night, there was nothing but great  hope and tremendous pride for the Chiefs, who were 10-1 coming into the final. The Gridiron Club held a tailgate at the Kean University Field parking lot, serving food, drinks and lots of Chief love. The Madison Dodgers would ultimately beat the Caldwell Chiefs 28-21 for the North 2, Group II title. See game story and photos.

Reminiscent of the 2010 World Cup games, many young fans at Saturday's post-season Caldwell football game against Orange blew blue horns to cheer on the Chiefs. CHS beat OHS, 21-20, in a thrilling double overtime game that got Caldwell into the Group II North II state championships; they'll challenge Madison for the title on Friday, Dec. 2 at Kean University in Union. But first, the Chiefs will return to an old tradition and play the Hillbillies of Verona on Thanksgiving Day.

The stands at Bonnel Field were filled not just with fans, but with loads of school spirit last Saturday as the James Caldwell High School varsity football team hosted Chatham for a North 2, Group 2 state playoff game. The Chiefs defeated the Cougars, 28-12, to advance to the semi-finals. Caldwell will once again have home field advantage when they play Orange today at 1 p.m. Fans are planning a "White Out," a la Penn State, where the stands are filled with spectators wearing white.

The fields along Henderson Drive in West Caldwell become one of the most densely populated areas in The Caldwells on Saturday mornings. Players and coaches in the Caldwell-West Caldwell Soccer Club Clinic, for pre-K through first-grade, flock to the fields for futball drills and games. Meanwhile, the sidelines are packed with parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles and aunts, etc. cheering on their mini soccer stars.

Spirits were high for the Chiefs in Glen Ridge on Saturday. A celebratory group on Caldwell's sidelines raised a cheering fan following a touchdown; Caldwell beat Glen Ridge 24-6, raising the team's record to 4-1. 

For the month of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, West Essex Regional High School football games will be peppered with pink. Players, cheerleaders and coaches have all given a $5 donation to breast cancer research to wear pink shoelaces. The WE Football Booster Club is selling black thermal long-sleeve t-shirts that say "WE: Share the Care." The shirts cost $25, and $10 from each sale goes to breast cancer research. Shirts are available at home football games or by e-mailing westessexfb@aol.com. Meanwhile, half-time at the Nutley game on Friday, Oct. 8, was dedicated to West Essex …

The Caldwell varsity football team played a "perfect game" against the Cedar Grove Panthers on Saturday, raising their record to 3-1 after a 34-0 shutout. On the stands at Bonnel Field with his Sponge Bob ball in hand was Luke Kurzum, cheering on his older brothers who play for the Chiefs–sophomore Ramzi Kurzum and senior Simone Kurzum.  

They came, they saw, they cheered! These three U13 Caldwell Soccer Club players supported their home teams during Soccer Saturday.