What does it take to have a successful high school sports program?

A large enrollment? Three-sport athletes? Superstars who brighten up the rest of the roster?

The Daily Record and New Jersey Herald decided to find out. We counted just about everything: Morris County and Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex tournament success, NJSIAA sectional and group team and individual titles, and Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference coaches’ selections.

The top Morris/Sussex program for 2024-25 was clear: Chatham. Again.

This is the Cougars’ third straight victory in seven years of these rankings, which launched in 2016. Delbarton and Randolph have also earned first place in the past.

Check out the full Morris/Sussex Top 10 rankings.

10. Sparta

Notre Dame-bound senior midfielder Uma Kowalski became Sussex County’s girls lacrosse leader in both goals and points, helping Sparta reach the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex and NJSIAA Group 2 finals. Isabella Fratturadefended her NJSIAA Meet of Champions javelin title, raising the Sussex County record to 150 feet, 3 inches. Kinnelon/Jefferson/Sparta United came from behind to beat Marlboro and capture the Public Co-Op hockey title. The Sparta players are the first from Sussex County to be part of a NJSIAA hockey championship. The boys cross country team was first in North 1, Group 2. Sparta also won the HWS girls basketball and volleyball titles, and reached the HWS girls soccer final and North 1, Group 2 girls soccer and volleyball finals. The Spartans boys soccer team tied for the NJAC-National lead and lost the HWS title in double overtime. Sparta boys lacrosse reached a sectional final for the first time since the tournament was expanded in 2012. Football was undefeated (5-0) in the SFC Patriot Red.

9. Mountain Lakes

Abby Hawes had a senior year for the ages, helping Mountain Lakes earn its third straight Group 1 girls soccer title, return to the Group 1 girls lacrosse final for the fourth year in a row, and reached 1,000 career points en route to the first girls basketball sectional title since 2006. The Lakers boys lacrosse team won its 12th straight sectional championship. Senior Ryan Powers was the medalist as Mountain Lakes won the Group 1 North golf title. Senior Max Kahn won North 1 Group 1 and was eighth in Group 1 cross country. The Lakers’ girls cross country team was first in North 1, Group 1 and the girls swim team won the North 1-C championship, its seventh in nine years. Mountain Lakes went unbeaten (6-0) to win the NJAC-Liberty boys tennis title and reached the sectional final. Mountain Lakes reached the North 1, Group 1 football final.

8. Randolph

Senior setter Kevin Tinio led Randolph to its first boys volleyball sectional title in its fifth season of play. The seventh seed in North 1, Group 3, the Rams boys soccer team went on a six-game winning streak to reach its first Group final since 1996. Senior sabre Alex Power was the only non-Chatham individual to win an MCT fencing title, and also led the Rams’ squad to first place. The Randolph boys won the North 1, Group 3 cross country trophy. The Rams boys’ hockey team won the Mennen Division (11-1), but fell in the North Public final. Randolph junior Achal Agnihotri was the MCT golf individual medalist with a 2-under 70. The Rams girls won their first sectional swim trophy since 2007. Randolph softball won North 1, Group 3 again, advanced to the Group 3 final for the first time, and finished tied with Pope John (7-3) atop the NJAC-American.

7. Mendham

Mendham captured the NJAC golf plaque. Mendham ice hockey won the Halvorsen league and Cup titles. The Mendham girls won their seventh straight NJAC large-school cross country title. Mendham earned the North 2-C boys swimming trophy. The Mendham boys foil squad earned the MCT title. The Minutemen won North 2, Group 2 boys tennis and the girls reached the sectional final. Mendham reached the North 2, Group 3 boys basketball final. Mendham football finished 4-0 atop the SFC Liberty Blue.

6. Pope John

The Lions won the Non-Public B North baseball title and reached the Non-Public B North football final. The boys lacrosse team finished unbeaten (7-0) atop the Waterman, and reclaimed the HWS title. The Lions’ wrestling team finished second in HWS and reached the Non-Public B final. Seniors Carson Walsh and Donny Almeyda reached individual NJSIAA finals. Senior Katelyn Nolan became Pope John’s first female NJAC cross country champion, breaking the school record on the new Greystone course (19:03.84). Pope John won the HWS softball title, and finished tied with Randolph (7-3) atop the NJAC-American. The Lions’ girls basketball team reached HWS and Non-Public A North finals.

5. Madison

Both Madison basketball teams reached Group 2 finals, the girls for the second year in a row. The Dodgers’ boys outlasted Hoboken to win North 2, Group 2, their first sectional title. Charlotte Tuhy, a 6-foot-1 forward who has signed a National Letter of Intent with American University, broke the all-time Morris County scoring record. Senior Jacob Nolan set a school record on the new Greystone course to help Madison defend its NJAC small-school boys team title. Rohan Tucker capped his junior season with a Meet of Champions gold medal in the 200 meters in a county-record 21.18 seconds. Madison girls soccer earned its first trip to a Group final since 1987, after its first sectional championship since 2011. The Dodgers also played in the Morris County Tournament final for the first time, finishing with a school-record 21 wins. Madison won the MCT field hockey championship for the first time since 2018, and the 24th in school history. The boys tennis team edged Mountain Lakes in the North 2, Group 1 final, after going unbeaten (8-0) to win the NJAC-Independence. Madison boys soccer (8-0) was unbeaten in the NJAC-Liberty and reached the MCT final. The girls hockey team finished unbeaten (8-0) atop the Annis division, and won the Annis Cup The Dodgers’ baseball team went 7-1 to finish atop the NJAC-Liberty.

4. Morris Hills

The Morris Hills boys won all four major track and field events – Relays and Championships – for the first time since 1977, the year before head coach Bryan Willer was born. The boys’ county relays title outdoors was the 100th in the track and field program’s history. The boys also captured North 1, Group 3 indoors and outdoors. Senior pole vaulter Shreya Sathiyan was the Scarlet Knights girls’ lone champion en route to both the indoor and outdoor team titles. The Scarlet Knights boys tennis team reached the North 1, Group 3 final, and sent two singles players and a doubles pair to MCT finals. Morris Hills softball finished 11-1 atop the NJAC-National.

3. Morris Knolls

Morris Knolls won its third straight baseball sectional final, but fell in the Group 3 final. The Golden Eagles softball team earned its first MCT title since 2019 and topped Morristown, 11-1, to win the North 1, Group 4 title. Led by sophomore Bret Szurko‘s 202 average, the bowling team went 11-0 in the NJAC-West and captured North 1, Group 3. The girls cross country team also brought home a sectional trophy. Senior Alicia Ramos helped Morris Knolls earn the Morris County Relays title outdoors. Boys tennis went 12-0 in the NJAC-National. Vanessa Russo made two free throws with four seconds left in overtime, and Morris Knolls defeated Demarest to win its first girls basketball sectional title since 1994. The Golden Eagles girls soccer team reached the North 1, Group 3 final. Being coached by someone other than Bill Regan for the first time in almost 50 years, the Golden Eagles football team went 5-0 in the SFC Liberty White and reached the North 1, Group 4 final.

2. Delbarton

Delbarton won nearly every Morris County Tournament title this year: sweeping singles for the 22nd tennis title in the past 23 years, baseball for the sixth straight season, lacrosse and soccer for the third year in a row, back-to-back in golf, and its first bowling trophy in the team’s nine-year history. The Green Wave bowlers also earned North 2, Group 3. The Green Wave hockey team went undefeated (9-0-1) in the rugged Gordon American, and capped its season with the NJSIAA Non-Public title. The football team went 4-0 in the SFC United White. The lacrosse team finished unbeaten (6-0) atop the Fitch-Pitt. Delbarton reached the Non-Public A North soccer and Non-Public A wrestling finals. Senior Alessio Perentin, junior Jayden James and sophomore Cameron Sontz each captured NJSIAA individual wrestling titles.

1. Chatham

The Chatham girls swim team earned its 16th consecutive Morris County team title as the Cougars boys took home their fourth in a row. The Chatham boys swimmers have won 55 straight dual meets, four Morris County championships, and four Public B trophies. They have not lost since March 24, 2021, the finale of the COVID-tinged season. The Cougars girls have won 24 straight dual meets, 16 Morris County titles in a row, and Public B twice. Senior Finn Valli crossed the line first as Chatham won its first boys sectional cross country trophy since 2013. The Cougars also won their third Morris County team cross country title in four years. The Chatham boys were first at North 2, Group 3 indoors and North 2, Group 2 outdoors. Chatham claimed both the boys and girls overall team titles at the fencing MCT, as the girls swept all three weapons. The Chatham girls earned their 11th straight MCT tennis title, and went undefeated (10-0) in the NJAC-American. The Cougars won both doubles titles while finishing second at the boys tennis MCT. Chatham’s senior-led girls basketball team went 31-3, reaching the MCT and Group 3 finals. The Cougars won their fourth straight girls soccer MCT title. Chatham reached the MCT boys basketball and the team bowling finals. Chatham’s boys and girls both reached lacrosse sectional finals, each falling to Summit.

Here are the top 10 Morris/Sussex boys programs

1. Delbarton

2. Chatham

3. Mendham

4. Madison

5. Morris Hills

6. Pope John

7. Randolph

8. Morris Knolls and Mount Olive

10. Hanover Park

Meet the top 10 Morris/Sussex girls programs

1. Chatham

2. Morris Knolls

3. Newton

4. Villa Walsh

5. Morris Hills

6. Mountain Lakes

7. Jefferson

8. Sparta

9. Madison

10. Kittatinny and Randolph

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Morris/Sussex NJ high school sports: Who had the best 2024-25 season?