“This may be the best all-around team ever in Randolph this year, so expectations are high,” said Mitch Dorfman, the foil coach for the boys and girls fencing teams. The first match for both teams is scheduled for this coming Friday, Jan. 6, at Morris Knolls.

Last season, the boys finished their winning season with an impressive 8-1 record. The team lost only a handful of fencers to graduation last year, so the strength of this year’s team remains intact.

Given this season’s talented roster of boys, Dorfman said that the boys show the potential to meet if not exceed that. Hopes are high for the team winning all three conference championships, the Morris County championships, and the district championships.

Two of the top scorers from last year’s boys team are back this year: Senior Christian Cantada was the top boys sabre scorer in 2021-2022 with a 21-4 record, and senior Alex Pope took top scores in foil, 19-1.

“We are looking for lots of success this year. Between counties, districts, and states, I know this year’s team will come out with plenty of wins,” Foil B strip Christian De Finis said.

Though the girls did not perform as well as the boys last season, ending with a disappointing record of 3-6, Dorfman said that this season’s girls roster features plenty of energetic fencers who are keeping their eyes on the prize.

“The girls team is looking to win them all,” said Dorfman of this season’s upcoming girls tournaments. “But we are focusing on counties specifically based on the teams we face there.”

Returning girls fencers include all three top scorers from the 2021-2022 season, in sabre, foil, and epee. They are senior Rachel Gontarski, the girls team captain, who scored 22-4 last year on the sabre squad; senior Alexa Gavenas, who was the top girl fencer in foil, scoring 13-9; and senior Hannah Cheng, who drew top scores for epee, with a 13-11 record last season.

“I think the most important thing for the girls team to focus on this year is building our confidence as we have a lot of new varsity players,” Gontarski said. “Everyone has been working so hard in practice and putting their absolute best into everything they work on, and I truly believe that it will pay off. I’m excited to get started and see all of the girls in action.”

“We’re working to get the girls team to step it up in comparison to the boys,” epee squad captain Hannah Cheng added. “The coaches are paying more attention to the girl’s foil and epee squads in an attempt to improve our scores. With many promising individuals now taking private lessons outside of school, I believe we have a pretty good outlook this season.”

Dorfman noted that the entire girls sabre squad remains strong this year, after chalking up victories last season. “For girls sabre, you have one squad on the team that’s a bit better than the other two,” said Dorfman. “That’s ever changing, however; every year different squads step up.”

This season, Dorfman said that girls foil and epee just may be the squads to step up. “They did training in the off season that has helped the squad grow.”