Gov. Livingston Boys Soccer Looks to Take Next Step With Experienced Core

Gov. Livingston boys soccer enters the 2026 season with a positive outlook and a roster that returns much of the experience from last year's team. The Highlanders, coming off a 7-11 season, opened the 2026 campaign Thursday against state-ranked Westfield, dropping a 3-0 decision.

Sixth-year head coach Kevin Fontana sees plenty of reason for optimism as Gov. Livingston looks to build on last season. "There is a very positive outlook for this upcoming season as we return a lot of key pieces from a competitive team last season," Fontana said. Fontana has compiled a 46-42-8 record at Gov. Livingston.

A large senior class gives the Highlanders a strong foundation of experience. Gov. Livingston's seniors are Jacob Gross, Ethan Skyba, Matthew Gross, Samuel Bartiromo, David Chang, Louis Abbey, JP Rotta, Jonathan Chang, Ivan Zubrinic, Akshat Khanna, Anthony Ciolino, Ethan Salamanca and Derek Zanko.

The Highlanders return seven key varsity players: Derek Zanko, Aayan Maharjan, Matt Gross, Jacob Gross, David Chang, Jonathan Chang and Alexander Sokolnicki. Gov. Livingston expects its experience in the defense and midfield to be a key strength this season. "Team strengths include our overall experience, especially through our defense and midfield," Fontana said.

The team will replace five players lost to graduation or transfer: Andre Fontes, Chase Torres, Carson Tan, Nole Campbell and Ryan Varnerin. Five newcomers join the varsity group: Luca Viana, Nicky Woodard, Oliver Schmid, Dylan Fabio and Connor Bailey.

Several Highlanders are drawing interest from college programs, including Viana, Zanko, Maharjan and Sokolnicki. Up next, Gov. Livingston will travel to New Providence to play their neighborhood rival on Tuesday, September 8 with a 4:15 p.m. start.

This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy against official sources.

Produced with AI assistance and reviewed against source records.