Cougar Night is Special For Chatham

Each Chatham High School sports season has what the school calls a "Cougar Weekend," during which its teams host several sporting events and encourages its fans to take part in them. The winter season's event is called "Cougar Night," since all the sporting events happen on the same day.

"It's a special night when we try to bring in as many terrific contests as possible," School District of the Chathams Athletic Director Harvey Cohen said.

The school's wrestling team, hockey team and girls' and boys' basketball teams played during the day. But several out-of-the-ordinary happenings also marked Cougar Night:

• The girls' basketball team wore partially-pink uniforms during its game against Villa Walsh to support breast cancer awareness.
• The Berntsen family was honored after the foundation it created for son Tyler—called the Tyler Berntsen foundation—contributed money that went toward the purchase of two new scoreboards in the Chatham High School gymnasium. Parents Torry and Dinah Berntsen and children Jeremy, Jonathan and Amanda Berntsen were honored during halftime of the boys' basketball game. The foundation was set up in memory of Tyler Berntsen, a former athlete and graduate of Chatham High School who was killed in a 2003 car crash. Jonathan and Amanda Berntsen are currently sophomores on the boys' and girls' basketball teams, respectively.
• The Chatham Athletic Boosters presented members of the Chatham Emergency Squad and of the borough, township and Green Village volunteer fire departments with a $10,000 check. The Boosters raised the money during the Chatham Cougar Classic Holiday Tournament—a basketball tournament the high school hosts annually around Christmastime.

A large crowd also showed up for the games, and a video at right documents the passion some young fans have for the Chatham Cougars.

The boys' hockey team beat Pascack Valley 3-0 during the day. The girls' basketball team defeated Villa Walsh, 36-31, and the boys' basketball team fell to Delbarton, 59-49.

The boys' wrestling team fell to Sparta, Kinnelon and DePaul in a quad match at Sparta.