WEST ORANGE Nj — On Friday, September 21st, the West Orange Varsity Boys Soccer Team defeated Livingston by a score of 2-1.  Sophomore Kalleo Mendes scored both goals for West Orange, with both Roodlensky Charles and Brian Merlos contributing with an assist each.  Livingston saw their only goal scored by Aria Navi, with Brian Kelly assisting on the play.

This wasn’t any ordinary win for West Orange, as it marked a milestone for varsity coach Doug Nevins, who reached his 300th win with this victory. This is a point coach Nevins had never imagined reaching, stating, “I never dreamed of reaching 300 wins, I just wanted to make WOHS a competitive program that could eventually win conference, county, sectional and maybe state titles.”

Nevins has helped to make the West Orange Boys Soccer become a powerhouse in, not only their conference, but the whole state of New Jersey.  It was not easy to do so, as it took a lot of work and dedication from Nevins. When he took over the program, the team had trouble getting of production out of their players, but through his vision, the team turned around became one of the most successful teams at West Orange High School (WOHS).

“The most important obstacle I think I overcame was finally beating Montclair in 2005.  They had been the dominant power in Essex County and our section before this. But since that point we have won five sectional titles (six overall) and two Group IV titles. It was a huge win,”

In regard to his goals for the future, Nevins states, “I don’t have a number in mind in terms of a milestone but I would love to win one more Group IV title before I go, I also want to enjoy my time coaching the players and focus more on the journey rather than just the results.”

Nevins realizes that achievements are important but also recognizes that enjoying what you are doing is just as important.  Congratulations to Coach Nevins on this milestone and for there to be many more wins to come.