One hundred wins don’t come often for High School sports coaches, let alone Football coaches. Coach Sim,
a staple in the Bernards community, achieved this goal a few weeks ago on September 2nd against Hillside. Connor Laverty said, “he always puts his players in the right spot on the field to set us up for success.” Approaching the season Coach Sim sat at 98 wins after falling short in last year’s playoffs against Ramsey. Hillside is a game that is always marked on the calendar and is always memorable. Knowing that Hillside could win number one hundred made this game even more critical.
First, to make sure Hillside was win number one hundred they had to get through Jefferson. After a 15-6 first quarter, it was all gas from there winning 47-6. Terrance Hannraty paved the way for the rushing game with one hundred twenty-five yards and two touchdowns. Mitch Dakin added 6 tackles and Max Austin added one interception. After that, it was all preparation for Hillside and securing the 100th win. Going into the game they were the heavy underdogs; 6 NJ.com writers picked Hillside and 0 Bernards. This only fueled the team to be heavy underdogs again. Bernards would end up defeating Hillside 28-12, becoming the first team in Bernards history to beat Hillside away. Senior Left tackle Logan Ritchie felt that “Getting a win was almost euphoric. It was like something out of a movie script.” Once again senior Conor Laverty led the way with one running and one passing touchdown. David Brothers added a sack and Max Austin with a key fumble recovery late in the game. After the game, the festivities started upon arrival at the high school. All the parents and the Bernardsville fire department showed up at the high school to congratulate Sim on his 100th win. The entire community was there to show support for Coach Sim.
Max Austin said, “It feels good to be a part of the team that got Sim his 100th win, but our team wasn’t the only one that contributed to his milestone.”
This was just the start of Coach Sims’s recognition. The New York Jets recognized Sim as the New Jersey football Head Coach of the week. Jets Coach Robert Saleh wore a Bernards Football shirt during his weekly press conference. Coach Sim will also be recognized at the Jets game on Sunday, December 10th against the Houston Texans.
