EA's fall athletic teams have started off strong for the first half of the season. Inter-Ac League play is now underway with five weeks left on the schedule.
Boys' XC
The squad has won all nine of its races to date. The team finished 2nd at the Abington Invitational and won the Atkinson Invitational in September. In both races, the JV finished in first place. The top seven boys in each invitational earned medals. "We have four more big races left in our season, including the Delco Championship, the Inter-Ac Championship, the PAISAA Championship, and our Haverford Day race," said Coach Jim Farrell '82. "We are looking forward to a successful finish."
Girls' XC
In the team's final home meet of the season on Tuesday, Oct. 5, the girls ran past Germantown Academy (25-30) and The Agnes Irwin School (23-32). The team finished fourth out of 13 teams at the Abington Invitational. "Our team has been working hard all season long and has consistently improved," said Coach Lauren Finnical, Hon. "Our runners are very supportive and encouraging of one another, and we're looking forward to our championship races coming up at Delcos, Inter-Acs, and PAISAA Championships." The team is currently 6-3.
"We are excited and geared up to enter the next phase of our season together," said Coach Stef Fee. "We have incredible talent and know that if we cherish the moments, control the controllable situations, and play hard together that this will be a very successful season for EAFH!" The team has blown past most of its opponents and currently has a 10-1 record. With 23 rostered varsity players, 11 different players have scored. Twelve different players have recorded assists. "We have added several new and talented players to our squad. They have contributed immensely to our teams' success and victories and continue to help our program grow," said Coach Fee. The team is currently ranked #3 in the nation and has outscored its opponents, 56-12.
Football
The football team is off to a 3-1 start. Highlights include senior quarterback Jake Fant throwing over 650 yards and six touchdowns, two kickoff returns for touchdowns by TJ Cadden '23, and six rushing touchdowns by Andrew McMeekin '22. "We had a nice start to the season and look to continue to get better each day as we know league play is ahead of us," said Head Coach Todd Fairlie, Hon. "We have a great group of players, with great leadership. We are excited to get back some of our injured contributors in the near future."
Golf
Golf currently stands at 11-10. In the 2nd league tournament, at Gulph Mills Golf Club, the team shot 189. "Hunter Stetson '24 and Jack Yearley '24 are playing at all-league level," said Coach Doug Borgerson. "The coaches are so pleased with our continued growth and improvement throughout the season. We are looking forward to winning the last three league events and maybe just maybe sneaking out a championship," said Coach Borgerson, Hon.
Boys' Soccer
The boys won big games against The Hill School (1-0), Holy Ghost Prep (2-1), The Hun School (3-0), and The Lawrenceville School (2-0). "We feel like we are in a great spot after just opening up league play with a 1-0 win against a very strong Germantown Academy," said Coach David Knox, Hon. "We know that we have nine more games to go but feel like everything is clicking right now." The team recently played an exhibition game against the Philadelphia Union Development Academy. "The team was right there with them and our performance against some great players gave us great confidence in our abilities," said Coach Knox.
The girls' soccer team has scored 41 goals and notched six shutouts at the halfway point of its season. "We have a very talented team with many players contributing," said Coach Andy Fraggos. "We started off the season with seven straight wins, followed by our first defeat versus a talented Springside Chestnut Hill team." The squad tied Penn Charter (4-4) on Tuesday, Oct. 5. "We're looking to get back into our winning ways. Our team has formed a close bond, so rebounding and responding to our recent performances should be a task we can accomplish," said Coach Fraggos.
Boys' Water Polo
Highlights of the boys' water polo season include- the Beast of the East Tournament where the team went 4-1 with a key win over Greenwich Country Day (18-17). "We finished runner-up, 2nd place in Flight II after a tough game vs. Wissahickon," said Coach Max Kelly '06. "The team is excited to enter league play. Our young and talented team continues to make improvements due to their consistent effort to be better in and out of the water. I cannot be more proud of our newer players and JV team who continue to get better due to our excellent varsity assistant and Head JV Coach, Bob Deasey." The team is 10-8.
Girls' Water Polo
"We have a lot of returning and new players alike, and some returning players are stepping up in big ways," said Coach Maddie Dumund '10. "We are looking forward to starting league play this week and finishing the season on a strong note." The team is currently 1-4.
Both the boys' and girls' teams notched some significant wins at the recent Beast of the East Tournament.