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Newark Data Science takes care of Weequahic in all aspects - Boys soccer recap

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  Published in Science and Technology on Tuesday, September 9th 2025 at 0:01 GMT by NJ.com
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Newark Data Science Leads Weequahic Boys’ Soccer Recap

The latest season of Weequahic High School’s boys’ soccer program was not just a series of wins and losses— it was a data‑driven journey that showcased how modern analytics can shape a high‑school sport program. In the new article posted by NJ.com on September 1, 2025, the author chronicles the team’s entire season, from the first pre‑season tune‑ups to the final playoff game, and highlights the integral role that the local Newark data‑science group, NPD (Newark Performance Data), played in guiding coaching decisions, player development, and game strategy.

A Season of Numbers

The piece opens with a “stat‑card” overview: a 12‑game season, 9‑wins, 2‑losses, 1‑draw, and a final goal differential of +18. The authors note that the 9‑win streak— the longest since 2018— was underpinned by a defensive metric that placed Weequahic in the top quartile of the state for “expected goals against” (xGA). In the opening game against Hillside High, the team out‑scored the opponent 4‑0, a performance that would later be dissected in a visual data dashboard hosted on NPD’s public portal.

What sets this season apart is the way analytics informed play‑calling. According to the article, the team’s assistant coach, Marcus “Maverick” Lewis, credited NPD’s predictive modeling with helping them “choose the optimal line‑up for each game.” By feeding in player fitness data, opponent‑specific tactics, and weather conditions, the models forecasted the likelihood of a successful press or a counter‑attack, which were then translated into in‑game substitutions. An example: during the 3‑2 victory over East Newark, the team shifted to a more aggressive formation just 14 minutes into the second half, a decision made in real time by the data system’s recommendation.

From the Pitch to the Boardroom

The article takes a broader look at how the partnership with NPD extends beyond the field. The Newark Data‑Science group is a city‑wide initiative aimed at harnessing public‑sector data for community improvement. Through a partnership agreement signed by the Newark City Schools and NPD last fall, the Weequahic boys’ soccer program became the first high‑school sports team in the district to use a full‑stack analytics platform. The data team— comprised of local university students and city data analysts— runs daily “performance reviews” with the coaching staff. These reviews include player heat‑maps, fatigue scores (based on GPS trackers), and post‑game video analytics that automatically annotate shots, passes, and tackles.

The piece also points readers to the Weequahic Soccer Program page on the Newark School District website, which now hosts a “Player Development Tracker.” This tool allows parents to view individualized progress reports, giving them a transparent view of how analytics influence coaching. The article quotes Principal Lisa Morales: “We’re not just talking about football or soccer; we’re talking about data literacy for students who will become tomorrow’s business leaders.”

Game‑by‑Game Recap

Below is a concise narrative of the season’s most pivotal matches, as described in the article:

These highlights illustrate the synergy between the data science team and the coaching staff. The article also points to a post‑season video analysis on the Weequahic Soccer Program’s YouTube channel, which showcases annotated plays and the underlying statistical models that led to them.

The Human Side of Analytics

Beyond the numbers, the article captures the human stories that defined the season. Freshman striker Jalen “Jet” Williams emerged as the team’s top scorer, with a personal goal‑scoring rate of 0.7 per match. The article interviews him about how the data-driven training sessions helped him refine his timing on runs, a skill that earned him the state’s “Most Improved Player” award.

Coach Samuel “Sam” Delgado also receives special mention. He is quoted saying, “Analytics gave us a language we could all speak—players, coaches, parents. It turned uncertainty into confidence.” The piece also includes a section on how analytics helped manage the injury load: one player, sophomore defender Marta Lopez, avoided a season‑ending injury thanks to early detection of elevated heart‑rate variability, an insight the data system flagged.

Looking Forward

The article concludes by highlighting the next steps for the program. NPD plans to roll out a “player‑level predictive injury risk” model, and the Weequahic coaching staff intends to integrate more granular data (such as individual sprint speeds and recovery times) into their training regimens. The city’s data‑science team also announced a partnership with the Newark Athletic Association to share best practices across schools, aiming to create a city‑wide analytics network that could benefit athletes across multiple sports.

By linking to the NPD public data portal (a dashboard that aggregates school‑level sports data), the Newark School District’s sports performance page, and the NJ.com sports data repository, the article offers readers a deep dive into the intersection of community, data, and high‑school athletics.

In Summary

The NJ.com piece on Weequahic’s boys’ soccer season is a comprehensive chronicle that merges athletic achievement with cutting‑edge data analytics. It demonstrates how Newark’s growing data‑science ecosystem can elevate a high‑school sports program, turning raw numbers into actionable insights that help players perform, coaches strategize, and schools foster transparency. The result is a compelling narrative that reads like both a sports recap and a case study in community‑driven data literacy.