On Thursday, December 15, 2022, both the BHS girls and boys varsity fencing teams will face Pingry in their first meet of the season. The meet will be taking place at BHS in the Upper Gym at 6:30 pm.
This meet is highly anticipated, as not only is it Bernards’ first meet this year, but it is also against a longtime rival. Pingry and BHS have gone head to head a few times before during previous seasons. On January 14, during the 2019-2020 season, the boys fencing team beat Pingry 15-12. Adi Raj, the current captain of the boys fencing team, says, “I did have the privilege to fence against Pingry my freshman year, and it felt awesome to win against a nearby rival.” For the first time since 2020, the boys fencing team will face Pingry yet again. Adi confidently says, “We’ll crush it this year!”
Unfortunately, last season, the Bernards girls fencing team lost to Pingry 19-8 in the NJSIAA Tournament during the first round. This upsetting loss eliminated them from the competition that they had worked so hard to attend. The head fencing coach, Coach Cherng, reveals that because of the events of last year’s state meet and due to the fact that this game is the home opener, both the girls and boys fencing teams are “preparing with a laser-like focus and are ready to strategize against any of the strengths that Pingry has.”
Both Adi and Coach Cherng agree that winning this meet would be a great confidence booster for the entire team, and it can also show growth and progress from years prior. “It would be great to start off with a win against a strong opponent. This is also an opportunity for us to assess our strengths and set goals for the season,” comments Adi.
This meet is equally important to both the girls and boys fencing team. Although the boys team has not faced Pingry in a few years, simply fencing against strong teams such as Pingry will build confidence and help them grow. Coach Cherng adds, “We have worked hard enough to fence amongst the top in the state — now we have to beat teams just as tough.”
All through preseason, the fencing team has been working incredibly hard in preparation for the beginning of their season. No matter the outcome of the upcoming meet, there is no doubt that BHS’s fencing team will continue to improve throughout the long and exciting couple months they have ahead of them.
