The golf team summed it up best at the close of EA/Haverford/AIS Weekend: "It's sweater weather!"
During two days of contests, the girls swept the Agnes Irwin School (4-0) to win the Banner. The boys brought back the coveted Sweater by beating The Haverford School in three of the five contests. (Golf 278-284, Cross Country 28-29, Football 35-21, Soccer 0-0, Water Polo 16-7 Fords.)
"The atmosphere was electric and our athletes performed brilliantly in the spotlight," shared Athletic Director Gina Buggy, Hon. "Occasions like this definitely add new luster to our flame!"
"Hoisting the sweater up for all the EA fans to see was one of the best feelings in my life," said football co-captain Adam Klein '18. Adam helped lead the team to its huge win over Haverford 35-21. "It was bittersweet. I was so excited to play against Haverford and finally win, but it was also my last high school football game."
The last time the boys won the Sweater outright was in 2005. EA and Haverford shared the Sweater in 2009 and 2010. "Winning the Sweater for the first time since I was in Kindergarten is an incredible experience," declared cross country co-captain Elias Lindgren '18.
The boys' golf team notched the first win for the boys on Friday afternoon, beating a competitive Haverford team 278-284. "This is a moment I will never forget," said senior Justin Hershey. "I was able to make a 30-foot birdie putt that ended up giving us enough momentum to finish strong." Varsity coach Doug Borgerson, Hon. said the team's depth paid off. "We were led by the tandem of co-captain Cole Kemmerer '18 and JR Rauscher '19 with their outstanding +1, followed by Robbie Copit '19 and Justin at +3, with Justin birding two of the last four holes."
The girls' cross country team helped set the pace on Friday afternoon by placing first, second, and third in the first competition of the weekend. Co-captain Caitlin Jorgensen '19 won the race (20:12), followed by Jillian Rotman '18 (21:44), and Jill McEntee '21 (22:11). Charlotte Weisman '18 (23:50) placed seventh. "Caitlin, Jillian, and Jill were a terrific 1,2,3 punch all season," said varsity head coach Lauren Finnical, Hon. "They opened up a solid lead by the one mile mark and never looked back." The top seven finishers for each team are tallied to determine the overall winner. Girls' cross country notched the first win of the weekend 22-35.
Battling the wind and chilly temps, the girls' tennis team dominated the courts beating AIS 5-2. The trio set the tone by winning all three singles matches off the top. That was followed by wins at second doubles (Lilly Baum '18/Grace Hennigan '19) and third doubles (Lily Stavropolous '18/Caroline Burt '20). "Starting from Friday's Chapel speeches, you could feel the community uniting as one," said co-captain Neha Mukherjee '18. "Fans surrounded the court cheering for us. Inside our huddle we got excited to win for more than just ourselves, but for our teammates and for our school." The team ended the season with a 13-2 record. They also won both the Inter-Ac and Inter-Ac Tournament titles. "Winning on AIS Day was the cherry on top of an amazing season," shared head coach Whit Powell, Hon.
In full blue and white face paint, the field hockey team battled to a 2-1 win over AIS. Maddie Rehak '19 drove in both goals. "I get goosebumps every time I think about it," said co-captain Bridget Boyle '18. "It feels amazing to be a part of our win for the Banner and I could not be happier for the boys winning the Sweater during our senior year." "It is such an honor to leave our mark on EA/Haverford/AIS Weekend by defeating both schools," shared co-captain Molly Giles '18. "Our teams put in their best efforts and our community came together for us to get these special wins!"
The girls' soccer team stormed Smith Field and never looked back during their 2-0 win over a tough AIS team. Lauren Rodio '18 and Olivia Dirks '19 each had a goal. Goalie, and co-captain, Hannah Moriarty '18 had six saves, bringing her season total to 121. "To see all of our upperclassman play at such a high level, and then the underclassman step into the game with confidence, is a true reflection of the hard work they have all put in this season," said varsity head coach Andy Fraggos. "We all knew that we were capable [of winning] and it was just a matter of proving it and we did," said Hannah. "It was an amazing feeling to play and go out in my last year with the best possible outcome and with the best team doing it with me."
Elias Lindgren (17:13) led the boys' cross country team to a critical one-point win over Haverford (28-29) on Saturday morning. "I am proud beyond words. If we had lost the race, we would have tied EA/Haverford Day and they would have kept the Sweater. Every single one of the guys was instrumental in winning the Sweater back." Bradley French '21 (18:02) placed fourth, followed by Carson Fischer '19 in sixth (18:16) and Quinn Chambers '19 in eighth place (18:54). "It was a total team effort," shared head coach Jim Farrell, Hon. "The kids were really excited to start the day off with a win for the school community and for Elias who had not won EA/Haverford Day in his career." "Up until my freshman year, EA had won cross country on EA/Haverford Day 12 years in a row," said Elias. "We lost the streak and sought redemption without success my sophomore and junior years. To finally be vindicated from that curse was amazing."
It was a true team effort by the boys' water polo team. "I am very proud of the team. We fought the entire game and did not give up," said head varsity coach Max Kelly '06. The team fell to a strong Haverford team, 16-7. "Our fans were phenomenal. It was great to play with packed stands." Nick Peyton '19 and Josh Wang '18 each had two goals. Vlad Puskotvitch '20, Theo Vadot '19, and Schuyler Sices '19 scored one apiece. Goalie Jack O'Reilly '19 had 18 saves. "We have a young team. I know this game inspired our team to work towards being victorious next year," said Coach Kelly.
The boys' soccer team also battled to the finish. "I don't think there was any more effort we could have given," observed senior Chris Bassett. The game ended in a 0-0 tie. "Every one of those guys poured their heart and soul into this season. It was amazing to see their spirit and determination show on the field. It was great to be part of the day where we were able to win the Sweater." For varsity head coach David Knox, the final score was not representative of the effort by the team. "It was end to end for the duration. The huge crowd that stayed until the end witnessed a hard-fought battle."
By mid-afternoon on Saturday, the battle for the Sweater came down to football. The Churchmen didn't disappoint in a thrilling match-up. DeeWill Barlee '19 finished the game with four touchdowns and 23 on the season. The team rushed for over 300 yards. "The defense came up with three sacks in the 4th quarter. Senior Ryan McCann had one and Adam had two in his final quarter of a tremendous career," said Head Coach Todd Fairlie. "Adam's second sack set up Barlee's fourth touchdown run to seal the win (35-21). Seniors Mike Mcfillin, Harry Riley, and Milton Mamula also finished a great year with a tremendous effort."
"It really shows the pride we have as a school, and especially the Class of 2018, that lead up to these wins," said Adam. "It was awesome to have the little kids have so much fun at the game and come up to me and ask for autographs. Because one day they are going to be playing this game!"
EA/Haverford/AIS Weekend took place on Friday, November 10-11 on the EA campus.
Click here to watch highlights of the football game.