Passaic County, New Jersey

Pompton Lakes has been named the No. 1 seed in the 2026 Passaic County Tournament for field hockey, marking the third consecutive year the Cardinals have topped the bracket. As the sole top seed, Pompton Lakes is the only team to earn a first-round bye.

The Cardinals are looking to reclaim the county title after West Milford ended their four-year championship streak with a 2-1 win in last season's final. The two programs have faced off in the final round in seven of the past nine seasons, underscoring one of the county's most consistent rivalries. Pompton Lakes already holds a result against its rival this season, having won a regular-season matchup 3-0 on Sept. 25.

The six remaining tournament teams begin first-round play on Saturday, Oct. 10, with semifinals set for Tuesday, Oct. 13. The championship final will be hosted at Lakeland on Friday, Oct. 16.

Passaic dedicated its first New Jersey Black Heritage Trail marker on Saturday, Aug. 29, honoring the Rev. James H. Penn, who became the city and county's first Black lawyer in 1909. Penn arrived in Passaic from Petersburg, Virginia, in 1900, worked as a letter carrier, and studied law before opening his own practice in 1914. He practiced for more than six decades, retiring in 1975 at age 95, and was active in civil rights and local Republican politics. He also helped establish Mt. Zion Baptist Church, where the marker now stands.

City officials, church members and community leaders attended the unveiling, led by Mayor Hector Lora. It is the second Black Heritage Trail marker in Passaic County, following one placed at Paterson's Hinchliffe Stadium in 2025. Created by state law in 2022, the trail now includes 77 approved sites and 19 installed markers, with organizers describing it as a continually growing "living trail."