The Index Eutαxia Swzein Dokei
Volume LXXV, No. 1
November 2013
Haverford, Pennsylvania - haverfordindex.com
EA Day 2013! Here, the cross-country team competes in last year’s EA Day
Is Episcopal Academy Still Our Biggest Rival?
Fifth Former Jack Henderson examines the nature of Haverford’s rivalry with Episcopal Academy. Jack Henderson ‘15 As Haverford travels to EA’s campus to take on the Churchmen for the Sweater, there has been chatter recently regarding the newfound intensity of Haverford-Malvern matchups. Some members of Haverford’s community feel that the competition with Malvern in various sports is greater than the competition with Episcopal. Perhaps some of this is due to the fact that Episcopal has a smaller pool of athletes from which to choose because half of its student body is comprised of young women. Therefore, Haverford and Malvern, among other schools, have more athletes to compete for spots on teams, causing the competition to be greater and more entertaining. Another possible reason may be that the behavior in events with Malvern contains poorer sportsmanship and disrespect, causing a greater desire to prove the team’s superiority. While many students have a stronger dislike for Malvern, the excitement and anticipation for EA Day is unlike any other matchup. Fifth Former and member of the Football team Connor Atkins explains that the team’s season often comes down to the last match against EA so the game always renews the heated rivalry. Atkins states, “The atmosphere on EA day is always intense because of the students and alumni who come watch and support and both sides know that it is not going to be an easy win.” Rivalry with any team can be fueled by history, anticipation, and bragging rights, but the best rivalries in sports contain equal matchups where the games come down to the wire.
Also inside this Issue...
Sixth Former and Cross Country Captain Eamon Glavin believes that the rivalry with EA is fierce because the competition is close, although Malvern is far and away the best in the area. Glavin explains, “After four years of running, I have never beaten Episcopal on EA day. We spend hours planning our training past the seasons of every other school simply because of our last race on EA Day. When we go to run in championships, the first team we look to beat is without a doubt EA. We have a bunch of great matchups when it comes to individual races between the two teams. We have stopped worrying about Malvern as a team because they are the best in the state.” Water Polo starter and Fifth Former Jake Pechet explains that EA is not the focus of the Fords’ regular season but the intensity on EA Day is like nothing else. Pechet thinks, “For the majority of the season, EA is an afterthought. They haven’t been good for a while, so we focus most of our attention and energy on Malvern and Penn Charter. Our mantra at the beginning of the season was “treat every game like it’s Charter” because they were the defending champs. We definitely consider Malvern and Penn Charter to be tougher opponents, and I have a much stronger disliking for Malvern than EA. Nothing compares to EA Day, though. Starting with EA week and culminating in the pool that Saturday, the excitement is indescribable. In sports, I hate Malvern, but no game can ever compare to EA Day.” The golf team has enjoyed a recent run of success, although Malvern recently overtook them for the Inter-Ac championship. Continued on Page 2
Check out this special EA Day edition of Fords Focus. Manav Khandelwal ‘15 gives his predictions for each game being played Saturday.
Teacher Profile: Ms. Jacey Royer
Will Tackett ‘14 profiles new Biology teacher and lab assistant Ms. Jacey Royer, who came to Haverford at the beginning of this year. Will Tackett ‘14
There were many new faces on the first day of school, but there was one you might have missed. That’s because Ms. Jacey Royer came to Haverford on September 9th (School started on the 3rd). She joined the Haverford faculty as a biology teacher and lab assistant, in what is her first teaching job out of college. Ms. Royer attended Pennsylvania State University, where she majored in education with an emphasis on biology. When she was thinking about her first teaching job after school, Ms. Royer never thought she would end up at independent school, so when she heard about the job opening, she was “interested, but also kind of clueless.” However, when she went for her first interview, she thought the school seemed like a good place to learn, noting the pods as an example of something that caught her eye. She interviewed for a second time the following day, which happened to be faculty shorts day. Seeing all the teachers looking funny in their shorts, Ms. Royer thought that “the atmosphere was something that would be awesome to be a part of.” In her first full year of teaching, Ms. Royer has been adjusting to some things. One new thing she has experienced in her first year has been teaching in a single-sex environment. Ms. Royer stated that “when I first heard about it, it was pretty much terrifying.” However, after a couple of months teaching at an all-boys school, she is able to compare that experience with
her time student teaching at a co-educational school, saying that “there is definitely a different dynamic [at a single-sex school].” For example, she has noticed the “brotherhood” amongst students and that “there is no pressure to impress the girls in class,” and, ultimately, has enjoyed her time teaching all-boys so far. Ms. Royer has also been getting used to some minor things. For instance, not having bells to signify the end and start of class is new to her. Haverford’s “college-like” atmosphere is also something that has taken some getting used to. Overall, she is “definitely still learning...there are a lot of things I still need to learn.” When she is not getting acclimated to her first year of teaching, Ms. Royer is staying active. She enjoys snowboarding and being outside in the winter, and in the summer she likes to “attempt” to play golf. She just got a new puppy, so when she’s “not teaching or doing school things, then most of the time [she’s] playing with her or outside walking her around.” Ms. Royer will be coaching winter track this year and she says she is open to other extracurriculars or clubs, such as a skiing and snowboarding club which was active last year. Ms. Royer’s enjoyment of the outdoors has also fueled her interest in science. As a child, she enjoyed being outside and animals. When she got to high school, she had a science teacher who was “crazy in a good way.” This teacher, a biology teacher, was “inspiring” and “took a lot less effort, because she made it Continued on Page 4
Detailed Evaluation of the Churchmen Football team by Haverford QB Brendan Burke.
Article History of EA Day Fords Focus Nagl’s First EA Day Golf Cross Country Water Polo Soccer Football Outdex
Page 2 3 4 5-6 7 8 9-10 10-11 12
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The Index
EA Day 2013
The History of EA Day Brendan Burns ‘15
Today, EA Day is a permanent fixture on Haverford’s athletic calendar and is the most significant sporting event that Haverford athletes compete in. However, EA Day has been a dynamic event that has changed throughout Haverford’s history. On November 9, Haverford will face EA in football for the 104th time in what is one of the oldest football rivalries in all of Pennsylvania. (Haverford leads 56-45-2 all-time.) On the same day, Haverford will also face EA in four other sports – soccer, water polo, and golf. In contrast with the age-old tradition that is the EA-Haverford football game, Saturday’s golf match between the two schools will be only their third EA day matchup, as golf was added as the fifth event in 2011. This was done to prevent ties in which each school would win two events, which happened in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010. What is at stake come November 9? School pride, bragging rights, the Inter-Ac title in football, a chance to snap EA’s 13-year Cross Country win streak, the opportunity to avenge previous years’ losses, and the coveted split sweater. Haverford enjoyed an athletic resurgence under recently retired Headmaster Joe Cox, which was reflected by the fact that the sweater has been safely housed at 450 Lancaster Avenue since 2008. Most recently, Haverford defeated EA 3-2 last year, winning in golf, soccer, and water polo, while EA’s Cross Country squad and undefeated football team pulled ahead. Haverford-EA day was not always the blockbuster event that it is today. In fact, the intense Haverford-EA rivalry is not as old as it might seem. Records from the Haverford Haligoluk indicate that Episcopal was not the Fords’ main archival until at least the 1950s. Haverford joined the Inter-Ac in 1888, four years after its founding, but left the league in 1905 because then-headmaster Charles Crosman believed that the pursuit of league
titles distracted students from the purpose of athletic competition. Haverford rejoined the Inter-Ac in 1921. During both periods of Inter-Ac play, Penn Charter and Germantown Academy were the Fords’ main rivals. Penn Charter in particular remained Haverford’s main competitor until the 1950s, when games against Episcopal began to take on
some point around the turn of the century. Many other old EA day traditions have faded away and are no longer a part of the day’s festivities. An alumni luncheon for both Haverford and Episcopal graduates used to take place regularly on EA day, but has not occurred since the switch to Saturday. In a 2011 interview
Dr. Cox and former EA Headmaster Hamilton Clark hold the sweater up one last time.
more importance and EA eventually replaced Penn Charter in that role. EA Day took on its present role as an important annual event in the 1970s. At the time, only football, soccer, and cross country teams from the two schools met each year; water polo was not added until 2003. Haverford-EA day was also traditionally held on a Friday, before being moved to Saturday at
with the Index, former Science teacher Stewart Alford, who taught at Haverford for 39 years, recalled years when Haverford and Episcopal students would take trips to the other school’s campus on the days before EA day. Haverford students’ trips to Episcopal sometimes involved a parade of cars, which at times had to be escorted by Lower Merion Police. There are
november 2013
also records of Baldwin and AIS students cheerleading for Haverford’s football team on EA day and pep rallies in which Haverford students would destroy a car sourced from a local junkyard to achieve what Mr. Alford called an “emotional high”. (That tradition only lasted for a few years.) Recently, the week before EA day was transformed into “Spirit Week” in an effort led by Coach Michael Murphy. Throughout Spirit Week, Forms compete against each other in a wide range of competitions to build school spirit before EA Day. EA-Haverford day has gained popularity over time. Episcopal and Haverford teams met for the 100th year in 2008. The “100th game” was televised on Comcast Sports Network and attended by close to 5,000 fans. (Haverford won 26-19.) However, unlike Haverford’s more recent rivalry with Malvern Prep, which has been characterized by hostility, EA-Haverford day has traditionally been an event distinguished by good sportsmanship as well. A fiercely-fought, yet ultimately friendly competition, EA-Haverford day will continue to evolve Mr. Jim Roese over time and shape the history of both schools. The Index thanks Mr. Alexander Mercer, Haverford Archivist, who compiled much of the information in this article from previous editions of the Index and Haligoluk, and other school publications.
Is EA Still Our Biggest Rival? (Cont.) Jack Henderson ‘15 Continued from the First Page
Fifth Former Otis Baker still considers EA to be the team’s biggest rival. Baker explains, “If you asked most athletes at Haverford who they would rather beat in the InterAc championships in their sport, most would say Episcopal. I think this speaks to the true nature of the rivalry. Although there has been a lot of bad blood between Haverford and Malvern the past few years, Episcopal still remains to be the team that every Haverford athlete wants to go beat.” It seems as though the rivalries with EA and Malvern are that of the past and the future. Episcopal and Haverford have an incredible history of fierce competition and memorable EA Days. However, Malvern has taken on a more prominent role recently and has become an athletic powerhouse in the Inter-Ac. More sports involve Haverford and Malvern competing for the Inter-Ac championship than any other two teams. Sixth Former and soccer player Sander Yu believes, “The rivalry between EA and Haverford will never perish
Malvern Prep is a rival, but secondary to EA.
The Index
2013-2014 Staff
Manav Khandelwal ‘15, Editor-in-Chief Will Tackett ‘14, Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Naryanan ‘14, Head of Photography Jack Henderson ‘15, News and Features Editor Brendan Burns ‘15, Opinions Editor Jackson Simon ‘15, Sports Editor Gregory Boyek ‘14, Arts Editor Noah Cutler ‘14, Outdex Editor Graham Gaddes ‘14, Senior Web Editor Kenny Fitzpatrick ‘16, Junior Web Editor Grant Yu ‘16, Junior Web Editor Brendan Burns ‘15, Graphics Editor Mr. Kellen Graham, Faculty Advisor
The Index is a student-run publication of the Haverford School that does more than bring news: it provides the diverse perspectives of the Haverford student body. It is an outlet for student writers to take stands on issues they deem important. It chronicles the daily struggles and accomplishments of the Haverford community. The Index also
o-n.com
because of the schools rich histories. However, as anticipated, Haverford’s success creates new rivals, one being, Malvern.” Since 2005, only Haverford and Malvern have taken home the Heyward Cup with Haverford winning six of those nine years. Episcopal has not been able to maintain the level of play necessary to compete in most sports with Haverford and Malvern. However, nothing is greater than the desire to keep the Sweater for the Fords. While the competition with Malvern has become more heated than in the past, there is no team the Fords desire to beat more than EA and no event the Fords want to win more than EA Day to keep the Sweater.
provides a forum for discussion of pertinent issues, such as student culture, academic policy, and Haverford’s place in world affairs. The Index presents new ideas and aspires to influence constructive change. All opinions and viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of The Index or the school. The Index is designed and produced digitally. Photographs may be retouched. Submissions and letters to the editors regarding any and all articles are welcomed at hsindex@gmail.com. The Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed on Mac OS X, using Adobe InDesign CS5.5. Its surveys are conducted via SurveyMonkey and are advertised on Facebook to current Haverford students. Southern Dutchess News prints 200-400 copies of each issue, and its editorial staff distributes them in the Upper School on the day of release. The Index serves the needs of a total school population of 1091 community members, consisting of 975 students and 116 faculty members. Contact The Index: 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041 hsindex@gmail.com http://www.haverfordindex.com/ (610) 642-3020 x. 1222 Volume LXXV, No. 1 - September 6, 2013
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Fords Focus
The Index
EA Day 2013
In this installment of the Fords Focus column, Manav Khandelwal ‘15 gives his predictions for the outcome of each game on EA Day. Manav Khandelwal ‘15
EA-Haverford Day is now easily the most longstanding tradition here at The Haverford School, and with festivities occurring throughout the day and alumni returning to Haverford’s campus, the day has now become much more than just a series of sporting events. It is an event that celebrates two of the best independent schools in the nation and a rivalry that extends into all spheres, athletic, artistic, and academic. That said, EA Day still happens because of the athletes and the games they play, so we must give them their due attention. In this piece, I will preview and predict each of the five matches; now, while all predictions are equal, some predictions are more equal than others. I will give a rating between 1 and 5 (using all the numbers at least once) to each of the games; a one means I am not confident whatsoever, while a five suggests you can bet your life savings on the outcome I predict.
GOLF
Without further ado, let us get started with the predictions for EA Day 2013, which will be taking place at Episcopal this year; we will start with golf, which is the first event of the day. Sixth Former Cole Berman, last year’s Delco Times Player of the Year, and Fifth Former Jay Losty led this year’s golf team. Those two finished with the two best regular-season records on the team, 2nd and 5th in the Inter-Ac respectively. Fifth Former Otis Baker also put in a strong year, finishing 13th in the Inter-Ac. This team had big shoes to fill, and despite winning the PAISAA State Championship, every single golfer ends this Fall disappointed that they could not beat Malvern and capture yet another Inter-Ac title. Nevertheless, this team is in a strong position heading into EA Day. After beating Episcopal Academy five straight times to begin the season, Fords golf stumbled at the end, losing to EA in both of the final Inter-Ac tournaments, one at Penn Charter and the other at Sunnybrook, despite two more 38s from Losty (he shot a 38 in all six Inter-Ac matches, which has to be some sort of record). The next week, however, Haverford got its mojo back with a 1-stroke win over the Churchmen in the PAISAA championship even without Losty, who had to miss the event. Overall, this figures to be an extremely close matchup. EA lacks depth, but its top trio, made up of Joe Chambers, Jack Cassidy, and Trey Coney, is one of the most consistent in the state; while Haverford certainly has the talent to beat them, with Berman, Losty, Baker, van Arkel, and Fifth Former Ryan Bowman, it all depends on how mentally prepared the Fords are. Besides Losty, a model of consistency, every one of the Fords’ top players has had a poor performance or two this season, ones they wish they could take back. If Haverford comes ready to play, it is entirely possible they win by a comfortable margin of five or six strokes. If Aronimink’s hard, fast greens get to this team, however, it’s likely that Episcopal walks away with a victory. I’m going to predict that clutch performances from Losty and Berman and the EA’s failure to produce more than three great scores will net Haverford its closest victory in years. Prediction: Haverford wins 245-247 (1)
but the Fords’ lack of depth could prove to be a problem. The next three best personal records are all owned by Churchmen, so the Fords will need big runs by underclassmen Charlie Scales and Anthony Calvelli, 25th and 26th at the championships respectively, to possibly pull this one out. Rohr and Kirwan finishing in the top 10 would also be huge for Haverford. Overall, I don’t think Haverford has the depth to pull out a victory this Saturday. While one or two Fords could certainly upset a faster EA runner, it will take a minimiracle for the Fords to put together enough personal records to beat EA’s top five and bring home a win. In my only documented loss for the Fords, I have the Churchmen gaining a narrow victory in cross country. Prediction: EA wins 26-29 (3)
WATER POLO
We move next to the pool, where the Fords (136) take on the young, inexperienced Churchmen (12-12). Haverford is led by co-captains Alex Heldring and John Zipf, both Sixth Formers, who lead the team in goals, assists, steals, and drawn ejections. Sixth Formers Sawyer Warden and Dan McGrath, Fifth Formers Jake Pechet, Ben Nelligan, Luke Ryan, Curran Browning, and Manav Khandelwal, and Fourth Former Harrison White also played big roles on this year’s team. Episcopal is, as mentioned earlier, a young team. They are led in scoring by Sixth Form Kory Leidhesier, Fifth Former Jake Phillips and Fourth Formers Jacob Susteric and George Maltby. With a win over Lawrenceville, a team Haverford lost to, Episcopal has shown promise, but they have also lost to teams like Hill and Pennington, two teams Haverford routed. Goalie William Patterson, a Fourth Former, has been very good for the Churchmen this season and figures to be a tough out on EA Day. This game will likely come down to the play of Heldring, Haverford’s primary hole-set, and Zipf, the team’s primary counter-man and a sharpshooter from the outside. They will be
the two best players in the pool on Saturday, and will get numerous opportunities to score. If they are making their shots, this game will be a blowout like it was the first time around; if not, this could be too close for comfort for the Fords. Regardless, I see this as a definite win Haverford, taking them to 2-1 on the day. Prediction: Haverford wins 13-7 (5)
SOCCER
After an incredible season last year, which included an Inter-Ac Championship
played the Fords extremely tough the last time out, Haverford came out with a 4-1 win thanks to big days from Gregory and fellow Fourth Former Jerry Karalis. With such tough pressure from the back line and a lot of speed up front, I expect Haverford to remain a step ahead of EA all game long and come out with a convincing victory, securing the Inter-Ac title all for itself. Prediction: Haverford wins 4-1 (4)
FOOTBALL
The final event of the day, football is always
Quarterback Brendan Burke passes against Malvern.
and PAISAA state championship, Haverford soccer has fallen back down to Earth a little in 2013. Losing three of their first seven games, however, was a catalyst for this year’s resilient squad, which would go on to win its next eight games, including six straight games against Inter-Ac foes. While a 1-0 loss to SCHA had the Inter-Ac title up in the air, a recent win over GA guaranteed at least a share of the league championship. Although the leadership of Sixth Formers Connor Keating, Josh Klein, Connor Black, and Dylan Henderson has been key, the younger guys, notably Fourth Formers Connor Gregory, Conor Bradley, Jimmy Tricolli, and Shane Bradley, have fueled this year’s team. Gregory has been the team’s breakout star, going from a seldom-used reserve in his Third Form year to the team’s leading goal-scorer (with 17 on the season) this season. Conor Bradley has been extremely good once again as well, leading the team in assists with 10. Tricolli and Bradley have helped lock down the back line along with Klein, while Fifth Form goalie Quinn Letter has excelled, recording seven shutouts this season. Expect EA Day to be just another day at work for these Fords. Even though the Churchmen
CROSS COUNTRY
Cross country is not necessarily the most entertaining spectator sport, but it is certainly one of the most grueling and athletically challenging of them all. Head Coach Bryan Skelly has done an excellent job since taking over the program’s top job, grooming a set of young runners that, whether this year or the next, will take EA Day by storm. While the cross country team has wallowed in a history of EA Day failure, it is not out of the question to think that this year could be different. While EA defeated Haverford at the recent Inter-Ac championships, better runs from Fifth Formers Greg Kirwan and Peter Rohr could be the deciding factor. Those two have been on and off this season, but if they are on, the added depth could be just enough to boost the Fords. Haverford’s Fifth Former Alex Kim will be the best runner in this year’s race, with a time nearly 20 seconds better than EA’s best runners, twins Ryan and Michael Quinian, at Inter-Ac champs. Sixth Former Eamon Glavin will likely finish in the top four as well, evening things out,
November 2013
Then Third Former Connor Bradley dribbles the ball against EA last year.
Mr. Jim Roese
brings the most intense atmosphere and carries with it the longest tradition. Haverford and Episcopal have been playing football against each other longer than any other sport, and the rivalry between these two schools truly comes out on the football field. This time around, just like last year, there is at least a share of the Inter-Ac Championship on the line. With both teams coming into this week at 3-1 in the league, the winner will win the league or share it with Malvern if the Friars beat SCHA. Episcopal’s lone loss came last week to those very same Friars, 49-21. Haverford’s only league loss came to SCHA, a 21-24 upset. This could end up being a relatively high-scoring game. The Fords have put together one of Delaware County’s most formidable offensive juggernauts in InterAc Play, averaging 33 points per game. Sixth Form quarterback Brendan Burke, plagued by mistakes and injuries during nonconference play, has regained the poise that made him one of the team’s non-Senior starters on EA Day last season. His throws have been much more accurate over the past four games, and he has established quite the rapport with Fourth Form wide receiver Dox Aitken (four touchdowns in four Inter-Ac games). Add in a devastating running game featuring Fifth Form running back Phil Poquie, and you have quite the dangerous two-headed offensive monster for the Fords. Defensively, the Fords have come into their own over the past few weeks, including a shutout of Germantown Academy. The front line, featuring Fifth Former Michael Gindhart and Sixth Former Joseph Raymond, has made some huge plays in that time, including two game-sealing sacks last Saturday against Penn Charter. While Episcopal Academy has a pretty strong offense, with tight end Evan Butts, a Virginia commit, and running back Anthony Feliziano, a strong pass rush will be enough to limit the Churchmen, who have a tendency to rely on Butts too heavily at times. When all is said and done, a strong day from Burke and Co. plus enough big plays by the defense will give Haverford a close, hard-fought win. Prediction: Haverford wins 31-28 (2) Mr. Jim Roese
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The Index
EA Day 2013
Dr. Nagl’s First EA Day
Winning, however, does not only happen on the athletic fields. Dr. Nagl could not help but stress the importance of our showing the utmost class and respect, whether we are
This will be the school’s first EA Day under the tenure of Dr. Nagl, who wants us to win, but also to “stay classy.” Andrew Gushner ‘15
Another EA Day is right around the corner as the 2013/2014 school year is in the full swing of things. For those of you who are new to Haverford, EA Day it is a day in which all five our our fall athletic teams compete against the Episcopal Academy. The school who wins the majority of the five sports wins the day and most importantly wins the main prize, the sweater. EA Day is a very important event for both of our schools’ communities; however, this year’s competition has a unique twist. It will be the first EA-Haverford Day for the new headmasters at both schools. During a recent assembly, Dr. Nagl took to the stage and shared his excitement for his first EA Day as our headmaster. When I met with him, however, he told me that this is not his first exposure to such a rivalry. Dr. Nagl pointed out that EA Day reminds him of his college rivalry. He attended the United States Military Academy, whose rivals include the United States Naval Academy and United States Air Force Academy. Whether it was sports or any other competition, he relished the rivalry. Dr. Nagl is also no stronger to EA-Haverford Day. Last fall, he accompanied Dr. Joseph Cox, Haverford’s 8th headmaster, to his last EA Day. He could not stop expressing how much he loved the occasion. He specifically admired the competitive rivalry between the two schools. As Dr. Nagl puts it, ”The focus that EA Day provides on defeating our primary rival in all of the fall sports is captivating, and I like that it’s the final game of the year for the fall sports teams.” Dr. Nagl also loves how the day ends in football, a point on which many members of both communities would likely be in agreement: There is nothing better than a great football game on a beautiful fall afternoon between two fierce rivals. Dr. Nagl also mentioned that he loves how there is also a celebration after the day. He believes the Can Dance is a really nice
way for our schools to come together after the competition and give back to those in need in our community. One of the focal points of our discussion was his vision for his first EA Day as headmaster. The first thing he expects is for Haverford to bring home the sweater. Dr. Nagl is convinced, based on the success that our teams have had in the regular season, that we are going to win. He expects us to keep the sweater where it belongs: right outside of his office.
Ms. Royer (Cont.) Will Tackett ‘14
Continued from the First Page fun and interesting.” As as result, biology “just came naturally to me and I just grew to really love it.” Ms. Royer has been interested in education and teaching as a career since high school. She says she’s “always enjoyed helping people and just being able to help kids understand something that they don’t understand...that was always rewarding for me.” At Penn State, she was an education major, specializing in secondary education (seventh through twelfth grades). She also had a subject of focus as part of the major, which was, of course, biology
(although she did try social studies for a short period.) Her main goal for this year is to be “mentally prepared and organized.” Right now, Ms. Royer feels that she “could be more organized” and thinks that comes with it being her first year teaching, as well as the late start to the year. She hopes that, as the year progresses, she “can into more of a rhythm or a routine and manage my time between planning my lessons and setting up labs. However, she says the support of the faculty, as well as working with students has been “awesome. I could not have asked for a better experience.” Overall, Ms. Royer feels “lucky” to have ended up here at Haverford and we are certainly lucky to have her.
Dr. Nagl at his home.
on the fields or cheering from the stands. He wants to remind our community that we must conduct ourselves with respect at all times. Furthermore, Dr. Nagl told me that the only thing he dislikes about the day is the tendency students have to disrespect Episcopal. Like Dr. Nagl told us, do not disrespect the opposing school’s community, whether in person or on social media. Dr. Nagl feels that we undermine the value of the tradition if we disrespect the
members of Episcopal. So, we should restrain ourselves from doing anything that disrespects our brothers from EA. During our preparation, and on EA Day, we must make sure to represent our school by using all of the qualities it embraces. Dr. Nagl thinks if we do this, we will be winners no matter what the outcome is. While he hopes we beat EA every year he is Headmaster, he expects to exercise good character every year. Dr. Nagl and I discussed the idea of expanding EA Day. Over the years, the idea to have multiple EA days has been proposed to our community. When Dr. Nagl was telling me about how much he loves the athletic rivalry, I had to ask him what he thought about having a second EA Day in another season. More specifically Sanjay Narayanan I asked,”How would you feel about another day in the winter, or spring?” He responded with much optimism, and told me he loves the idea of having multiple EA Days. He thinks the winter and spring teams deserve just as much respect and focus. However, creating more EA Days is a big project that will take a lot of consideration amongst our leaders. For now, Dr. Nagl said,”I’m going to talk with our leaders and see what they think about giving us even more chances to beat EA!”
The Can Drive Eli Wachs ‘16 Hunger is at our back door. Since you have already heard a lot about this, I’m just going to put a few more
stuffing or gravy) would be fantastic as well. There is also an added bit of incentive for the Can Drive. As said in assembly, the two
The 2011 Can Drive.
Ms. Royer teaches two sections of biology as well as fulfilling the duties of the lab assistant.
november 2013
Sanjay Narayanan
numbers than this article to give some further context. There are over 650,000 people in the five counties around us on food stamps; that’s 16% of all of the people in these counties. Unlike some of our other service projects throughout the year, making a difference in this one is as simple as bringing in cans from EA Week through the 24th of November. Any can is great, but our friends at the Old Pine Community Church, which is where the Upper School cans go, have said that soup is the best thing to bring in. Also, in conjunction with the Turkey Drive, anything fit for a Thanksgiving meal (think
Delco News
advisories with the highest number of cans donated will receive dress down days, and the top one will also receive a pizza party. Please bring all cans down to the community room in the morning and tell your advisor or Mrs. Loos how many cans you brought. Also, don’t miss out on the Can Dance at Haverford, this Saturday, November 9th at 7:30, where you can pay your admissions with ten cans or ten dollars.
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The Index
Golf
November 2013
Golf ’s Hyped Season Ends in State Championship and Second Place Finish In Inter-Ac Harry Bellwoar ‘15
The 2013 varsity golf team came into the season with a win streak that spanned over two years, with three consecutive Inter-Ac titles and very high expectations for the year to come. However, while the team had a great season in many eyes, they were unable to extend their absolute dominance of the Inter-Ac. The team consists of Sixth Form Captains Cole Berman, Jake Van Arkel, and Ryan Tetrault; Fifth Formers Jay Losty, Otis Baker, Jack Henderson, Ryan Bowman, Matt Grubb, Jack McAleese, and Cole Smith; and Fourth Formers Max Siegfried and Thomas Gravina. Many of these players were returning for the varsity ranks for their second, third, even fourth year, and together with some fresh faces they were hoping to continue their dominance of the league. When asked about their individual expectations before the year began, Ryan Bowman explained, “The expectations for the team were to win an Inter-Ac title. We are very deep and have golfers that could play on other Varsity teams.” Jack Henderson agreed and said, “We hoped to win every match this season along with a fourth straight Inter-Ac.” The year started off with tryouts that were held during inclement weather, but the twelve men kept their focus, and that is why they were the ones chosen to represent the golf team. What many people must realize is that while golf is not the most physically taxing sport, it is time-consuming and mentally draining. Every player on the golf team spent a large part of his summer working to improve his game, and it showed early in the season. The Inter-Ac regular season includes six league-wide tournaments for which every school hosts one tournament at its home course against the other five schools at once, and the team’s best six scores are combined. Each team’s score is compared to the other schools, so everyone plays five matches in one day. The advantage to this system is that everyone plays together on the same course under the same conditions. Beginning their season at Merion West, the Haverford School team was able to continue its win streak early on with a win, beating the second place team by three strokes. However, that would be the end of the win streak because at the next tournament, while posting a great score of 230, Malvern played better and won by 2 strokes. It was a tough loss for the team, considering many of its players had never lost an Inter-Ac match before. Captain Jake Van Arkel summed up the team’s feelings by saying, “It was really shocking. We thought we would go undefeated, no problem.” However he knew as a captain he had to step up and continued, “As angry and sad as I felt, I knew the captains had to step up and make sure our team learned from the experience. We had been so used to winning, but we needed to know how to lose,
too. We needed to use all the anger that we felt to work harder so that those same mistakes wouldn’t happen again.” The team followed Jake’s initiative and were able to bounce back with a big win at Waynesboro, outscoring the
first loss in a long time, the Fords still found themselves in control of first place. The second half of the season was much more rocky for the Fords. They ended up coming in second, fourth, and third place in
Golf Captain Cole Berman watches his drive sail.
second best team by six strokes. This was a result of a big outing from two seniors, Cole Berman and Ryan Tetrault, both of whom shot an even par 35. At the end of the first half of the season, even though they had experienced their
Mr. Jim Roese
their remaining tournaments. It was a finish that none of them could have imagined. While the other teams played well, particularly Malvern, most of the golfers knew that they had a better round in them and lacked consistency. In fact,
the Fords’ scores from last season compared to Malvern’s scores this year were better and would have put the Fords in first place in every match. Ryan Bowman said, “We didn’t live up to the expectations, but we have to hand it to Malvern. They played well. We just couldn’t win when we needed to this season.” Jay Losty added, “We had some tough weeks toward the end of the season when we lost close matches to Inter-Ac teams that hadn’t beaten us in 3 to 4 years. Obviously the whole team was disappointed.” However disappointing it was, the team still ended the season in second place in the Inter-Ac, with a final record of 23-7-0, only behind Malvern who finished 27-2-1. Although they did not reach all of their expectations, they finished with a solid season record in the Inter-Ac and showed that Haverford is in good position heading into next year with many returning players. Although they could not win the InterAc, the Fords were able to win the PAISAA tournament at Stonewall North Golf Club for the second year in a row and have a good showing at the InterAc championship at Merion East. The Inter-Ac Championship is for the top 18 players in the InterAc, and among the Fords’ top performers were Cole Berman and Jake Van Arkel, who shot a pair of 77s, and Jay Losty who finished with a 78. At the PAISAAs, the team was led by Jake Van Arkel, Cole Berman, Ryan Tetrault, and Otis Baker into a tournament of the best private schools in Pennsylvania. In this tournament every score counts, but that didn’t scare these men. They ended with a tournamentbest 327 in brutal playing conditions, and were lead by Jake Van Arkel who carded a 77. Looking back at the end of the season, the Varsity team was unable to accomplish one of their biggest goals of staying undefeated in the Inter-Ac, and taking home first place for the for a 4th straight year. However, they were able to win the PAISAA tournament and represent Haverford in the best way possible. Otis Baker sums up the season by saying, “As a team at the beginning of the season, on paper, we looked like we were going to be better than we were last year. Unfortunately we didn’t perform quite like we could have in the regular season. However, even though we didn’t take the Inter-Ac title this year, I would still say that our Haverford team was the most talented in the league.” He continued to say, “Next year will depend on the work people put in over the summer. We will have a lot of rising seniors as well as two solid rising juniors, and therefore will have a good battle-tested squad.” The three seniors that are leaving the team should be proud of what they were able to accomplish, and feel confident about the hands in which they are leaving the program. Now all that is left is for the team to beat EA on November 9th and help bring home the sweater.
Interview: Coach Gerry Rooney Arjun Dravid ‘15
As Mr. Rooney and the golf team prepare for a showdown with EA at Aronimink, Fifth Former Arjun Dravid recently sat down with the Fords golf coach and physics teacher. An avid golfer and well-respected teacher, Mr. Rooney enjoys teaching kids in the mornings, and then going out with the team in the afternoon for a relaxing round at some of the finest courses in the area. Here’s a transcript of their conversation. 1. Last year the golf team had tremendous success in going undefeated and winning the Inter-Ac and state title, how’d the team do this year? GR: Well, this year we were second in the Inter-Ac, and we won states. And as we look forward to EA Day, we feel pretty good about our chances. Our overall season record for the year was 27-7-1. So it wasn’t quite as good as last year, we started well, had a slow middle, and have begun to pick up again. 2. Last year the team graduated two great senior captains in Timmy Brooks and Scott Jaster, how are this year’s captains (Jake Van Arkel, Cole Berman, and Ryan Tetrault) doing in their stead? They’ve done a great job, particularly helping out the younger members. I’d have to say that this year there is definitely much more team
cohesiveness. 3. How does EA’s team stack up against Haverford’s? Well, EA’s team interestingly has gotten better as the year has gone on. At the State championships where it’s only the top four golfers from each team, we only beat them by a stroke. So our strength will be in our 5,6,7, and 8 spots. We’ve beaten them 5 times this year, and they’ve beaten us twice. It’s definitely not a lock. 4. Last year our team won a fairly close battle against EA at the prestigious Merion East Course. Just this past weekend you beat them by one stroke to win the state championship. How close do you see this year’s matchup at Aronimink to be? I think if we all play to form we should beat EA, but it is an outdoor sport and sometimes bad things happen. So really if I was a betting man I would put us as favorites, but not by a whole bunch. 5. What are the team’s feelings going into the big EA day match? The team’s feeling good the way we finished the last couple of matches.The team’s working hard, and we’ve picked the eight players for EA Day. We’ve been out at Aronimink a few times now, and we’re working on the things the team knows it needs to work on. The team feels good, but they know they gotta take care of business.
Coaches: Gerry Rooney and Gui Costin Captains: Cole Berman, Jake Van Arkel, Ryan Tetrault League record: 23-7-0 Fun Fact: Jay Losty shot 38 in all 6 in of the Inter-Ac matches, Ryan Bowman's ball was stolen by a fox on the third green at Gulph Mills PAISAA Tournament: Haverford (327), EA 328, MP 333 +6 other schools
Golf Head Coach Gerry Rooney displaying his sense of humor.
Sanjay Narayanan
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The Index
Golf/Cross Country
november 2013
EA Day Golf: Individual Player Matchups Jack Henderson ‘15
The Fords golf team went into the season expecting for EA Day to be a walk in the park. The team was expected to sweep every match, bring home the Inter-Ac title for a fourth straight year, and show EA that they are still the team to beat on EA Day, held this year at Aronimink. At this point in the season, the Fords have not lived up to expectations, but can still prove what it means to be a Haverford golfer on November
9th. Heading into the match the Episcopal Academy has two wins and five losses against the Fords. That record is surprisingly close and proves that EA Day will be more closely contested on the links than in recent years. Led by coaches Doug Borgerson and Tim Kent, the EA golf team comes into EA Day with something to prove. EA has plenty of motivation to show that the regular season was not a fluke, but rather that they are a serious contender.
Fifth Form golfer Otis Baker in action.
The Fords golf team finished the season with a disappointing 23-7 league record. The golf team will unfortunately not bring home the Inter-Ac league championship, but does come into the match with an impressive State Championship victory. Sixth Form captains Cole Berman, Jake Van Arkel, and Ryan Tetrault hope to finish their five years of playing varsity golf for the Fords with a bang by coming out to Aronimink, destroying EA, and bringing back the Sweater. If you compare the two rosters of Haverford and EA on paper, the teams are not even close because of the Fords’ depth. Led by coaches Mr. Gerry Rooney and Mr. Gui Costin ’85, Haverford has proven that they can field any of their 12 Varsity golfers in the eight-man lineup and compete against any golf team in the area. However, in the regular season there were matches where the team was inconsistent and too many guys did not play to their potential. Coming into the match EA’s team has a shred of confidence in their minds that maybe they can come to Aronimink as the underdog and manage to steal a victory for the Churchmen. Fifth Former Ryan Bowman thinks, “It’s going to be a good contest because they beat us this season and we beat them. But ultimately we are deeper.” The Fords will field the following pairings for EA Day: Cole Berman and Jake Van Arkel,
Jay Losty and Jack Henderson, Ryan Bowman and Otis Baker, and Ryan Tetrault and Max Siegfried. EA’s players will include their top 3 Inter-Ac performers Joe Chambers, Jack Cassidy, and Trey Croney, who finished in 6th, 7th, and 8th in the InterAc regular season, respectively. The weakness of EA’s team is their depth, for there is a steep dropoff near the end of their ladder that can damage their team score. Haverford comes into EA Day as the favorite, although an EA upset is not out of the question. To do so, EA will need strong performances from its top three players in order to protect their score from the bottom of their ladder. Haverford can prevent an upset by having its eight members play consistent, smart golf. Even though every member of Haverford’s Varsity can shoot very low scores, the Fords must play the safe shots and avoid any costly double bogeys or worse that can bring EA into the match. If the Fords perform to their capabilities, this match should not be close. However, there is a reason the match must be played. No matter how good the Fords look on paper, the team must go out and get it to prove what it means to be a Haverford golfer and to bring home the Sweater for the Fords.
Mr. Jim Roese
Golfer Profile: Jay Losty Justin Shah ‘16 Jay Losty has been a major impact player on the Haverford Varsity Golf team for the past two years. Being a good friend of mine, I was excited to interview Jay about his performance thus far this season, along with his goals and hopes heading into EA Day. Jay’s involvement in golf from a young age has helped him in terms of experience. Playing at just 8 years old, he continually progressed as a recreational golfer until he turned 13 and began to play competitively. Jay is one of the long bombers off the tee on the team, which gives him a significant advantage on longer courses where he has less distance into the greens, which allows him to hit a higher lofted club and get the ball to stop softly on the green close to the pin. Aronimink Golf Club is generously hosting EA Day this year and is one of the longer, more challenging courses in the area. Having hosted two AT&T Nationals with the likes of Tiger Woods in the field, Aronimink has proved that it can protect par against even the best golfers in the world. Jay Losty must capitalize on his distance off the tee to give himself a chance to take more aggressive lines towards the pin and shoot a low score. However, Jay is known for his consistency and will not hesitate to play the percentage shot and avoid a high score. It takes years to develop the skill that Jay has begun to acquire, yet there is always room for improvement, as any athlete knows. Losty’s biggest strength is tee to green, as Losty comments, “Probably the best part of my game
is my ball striking. I think my long iron shots are one of my strengths. My short game and putting is definitely a weakness for me and has hindered my ability to make saves from around the greens.” Despite Jay’s incredible consistency on the course this season, shooting 38’s in all 6 Inter-Ac matches and finishing 5th overall in the league, the team as a whole suffered some Inter-Ac losses, which had not occurred for the past several years. However, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish, and the Fords did a great job of recovering form a rough start to the season. Jay explains, “We had some great victories during the season. We tied the InterAc scoring record with a 216 to beat the alleged state champions, St. Joseph Prep, and we won the state championship at Stonewall to finish up the season on a high.” There has been a lot of talk about how the Fords will do on EA day, buy Losty reassured me by saying: “Obviously my goal for EA day is for the Fords to win. Unlike in past years, this year is going to be close. In two of the Inter-Ac matches EA placed higher than we did. But, I have no doubt that if we play well and to our potential, it won’t be a contest.” Overall, it has been a successful run for Haverford Golf and they hope to top off the season in a tightly contested golf match on EA day. This year’s team has done a great job of continuing the Haverford Golf legacy and, protected by the depth of the program, Jay hopes to utilize his experience and consistency to help continue this reign for years to come.
Jay Losty has been integral to the golf team’s success this year.
EA Day Cross Country: Top Runner Matchups Cameron Cummins ‘16
This year has brought great promise to the Haverford Cross Country team. Ford runners have demonstrated grit and determination in rebounding from their loss by 1 point on EA day last year. On the 17th of September, Haverford and EA raced on the Episcopal home course, which is the course for EA Day. Alex Kim ‘15 has proven to the top Episcopal runners this season that he not only has the ambition to win, but can also get first place at EA’s home course. Kim defeated both of the Quinlan twins (M. Quinlan pictured) with a time of 17:51 during the first meet between Haverford and Episcopal. Both of the Quinlans were within 4 seconds of
each other, the first finishing at 18:06; a tight gap to close. Eamon Glavin ‘14 was Haverford’s 2nd runner and fourth overall to finish with a time of 18:43. With positions 5-7 in EA’s holding, Greg Kirwan ‘15 is going to have to break the pack and demonstrate his capabilities and energy in such an important race. Also, Charlie Scales ‘16 has shown great talent and capacity throughout this season. Most recently he ran an 18:59 at Belmont Plateau. As well as this, Peter Rohr has performed better this year than in previous years and his improvement throughout the season shows that he has the talent and drive to help lead the team to victory. Rohr placed 12th last race, with
a time of 20:14, and merely 10 seconds away from an EA runner. Although rare, it is always great to see a freshman step up to the varsity level; Anthony Calvelli has been a major asset to the team and during the race with EA placed 13th with a time of 20:24. Several runners, such as Spencer Rappaport ‘15 and Taj Bland ‘17, have demonstrate their talents in Cross Country throughout the season despite juggling multiple extracurricular commitments. After a tough race versus Germantown Academy, Spencer recovered against EA with a time of 20:50 and placed 16th. Taj has been a great addition to the team, and has often shown his unique abilities during his best races. At EA, he raced a 20:57, just seconds away from another EA
Mr. Jim Roese
runner. Not only this, but Peter Merhige ‘16 has perhaps shown the best improvement out of any other on the team this year. Beginning the year on the Junior Varsity team, he worked his way up to become a more permanent fixture on the Varsity squad after performing in crucial late season meets such as Inter-Ac and State Championships. He previously raced a 21:15 at the Episcopal meet in September. Likely this EA day will be one to remember; seeing as there are two great teams competing. All of the runners mentioned here will have a stake in forming the outcome of this important race. Be there to watch the race unfold at 11:30 am on Saturday November 9th.
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The Index
Cross Country
november 2013
Cross Country Season in Review: Fourth in Inter-Ac and Eighth at States Peter Merhige ‘16 chronicles the season of the cross country team, which looks to break EA’s 13 year-long win streak on this day. Peter Merhige ‘16
On August 19th, the Haverford Cross Country Team began its first official pre-season practice. 70 days later, and 8 meets into the season, the Cross Country team stands with a 2-3 record, while also finishing in 4th place at Inter-Ac Championships, as well as 8th place at State Championships. The Cross Country team certainly has had a season filled with ups and downs, beginning with a strong 26-30 home win over Germantown Academy. Despite this early win, the Fords were unable to carry the momentum into an away encounter with Episcopal Academy, falling to a grueling 35-23 loss on the notoriously hilly Episcopal home course. The season reached new lows as the Cross Country team endured a tough trip to the Belmont Plateau course for the Briarwood Invitational, then stumbled to a 4818 home defeat to a very strong Penn Charter team in rapid succession. However, like a phoenix rises from its ashes, the Fords rebounded by earning a hard fought 48-18 away victory over Chestnut Hill Academy, with junior runner Alex Kim setting a new course record at 17 minutes and 35
seconds. Even though the Cross Country team had regained its momentum, the Fords suffered an unavoidable away loss to Malvern, by far the best team in the Inter-Acs. After all of these races, the team had 2 vital weeks to prepare for the next 2 races, Inter-Ac and State Championships. The Fords went into Inter-Acs firing on all cylinders, with the goal of claiming 3rd place and beating Episcopal Academy in the process. Unfortunately, the team was unable to obtain such a lofty goal, falling painfully short in the end. Haverford took 4th place at Inter-Acs, beating Germantown Academy on a tiebreaker, and finished 8th out of 16 at State Championships. Now the Haverford Cross Country team has another brief hiatus in its schedule before taking on Episcopal Academy one last time this season. On November 9th, the Fords look to finally break their duck, having not won against EA on EA Day for 13 straight years. Even though Episcopal enjoys a massive advantage with its home course, the Cross Country team goes into EA Day knowing that Episcopal is vulnerable, with a big upset being entirely possible. The possibility of such a huge win would certainly start EA Day off well, giving the Fords a needed boost going into the next event already 1-0 up.
Anthony Calvelli ‘17 and Peter Rohr ‘15 race during Inter-Ac Championships
Mr. Jim Roese
Profiling Alex Kim, Haverford’s Top Runner Eric Peterson ‘15
individuals, “We’re just as much a team sport as any other; it takes the effort of the whole team to win.” Alex is the top runner, but he is the perfect example of a team player. Upon hearing of the article, he protested: “Don’t [focus on me], you should focus on Eamon, Greg, Pete, and the other runners.” Though Alex emphasizes the team effort, his individual dedication shines through. “Running is just something I’ve always loved, and I’d like to think I’m good at it. Whenever there’s no practice I’ll go for runs.” In addition to the extra workouts, and because of the train schedule change, he has been running over a mile a day to Haverford with all his bags from the Bryn Mawr train station. Always determined to improve upon the past, Alex also responded that the favorite part of this season “will be when we beat EA.” None of the Episcopal runners are even close to Alex’s times, and he will be an invaluable asset this year. When asked about the team’s chances for victory on EA day, Alex replied, “We lost many great seniors such as the legend himself, Lucas Elek, and we have a young team, but we can definitely give EA a run for their money.” Last year, Haverford lost to Episcopal Academy by a single point, Coaches: Brian Skelly and Emily Hulme and this loss has been a driving Captains: Eamon Glavin, Peter Rohr, Greg Kirwan, and Alex Kim factor in the team’s motivation this year. Alex has been Season record: 4th at Inter-Ac tournament, (2-3) practicing since last November Fun Facts: Alex Kim’s fastest mile is 4:40, his fastest time at with few breaks to help the Haverford college is 17:31 team. His positive and humble outlook has helped the team in incalculable way. Alex Kim Alex Kim earned First Team All Inter Ac with his 10th place finish an is ready to finish first and beat (17:22) in 5k Episcopal on EA day. Many upper schoolers may not know much about Cross Country. Many can likely only name one or two varsity runners, but everyone should know about Alex Kim. The team’s number one runner and team captain, Alex has broken many Haverford records on Inter-Ac courses. This season alone, he has broken the records of Lucas Elek and others on the EA, Haverford, and SCH courses. With a personal best of 16:03 for a 5k course, he also has his sights set on an Inter-Ac title. An integral part of not only Cross Country, but also Winter Track and Track & Field, Alex is constantly training to lower his times. At the Inter-Ac Championships at the infamous Belmont Plateau Course, Alex Kim finished in the top 10. Many of the runners placing ahead of him were seniors, making next year’s prospects even brighter. After his stellar performance, the ever-modest team captain responded, “I did decent enough.” Next year he hopes to do better. Although he is easily Haverford’s top runner, Alex rejects the commonly held notion that cross country is a sport for
Kim in a race against Germantown Academy.
Mr. Jim Roese
Interview: Cross Country Head Coach Bryan Skelly Peter Merhige ‘16
On November 9th, the Haverford School Cross Country Team will lock its horns once more with Episcopal Academy, looking for the first EA Day win in 13 years. With EA Day being away this year, the Fords are prepared to run a tough 5k on Episcopal’s infamous hills. While many that are unfamiliar with the sport may feel that home course advantage is insignificant, Haverford Cross Country Coach Bryan Skelly feels that, “home field advantage is a big deal with running. With all courses varying in their difficulty, knowing the course better than your opponent is crucial.” Knowing the intensities of specific portions of a given course can help runners run faster times. This
is like having a pre-race plan, since runners then know exactly when and where to attack a course during a high stakes race, such as EA Day. As always, Coach wishes that “we had run on more hills throughout the season, but they are difficult to find near campus. We’ve done about eight or nine runs longer than a hour, so hopefully we are fit enough.” The Fords’ fitness will be a crucial factor as they take to the hills versus Episcopal for what will clearly be a hard race. In terms of the match ups versus Episcopal, Coach Skelly firmly believes that “the race is going to come down our 3rd, 4th, and 5th runners stepping up and beating their (EA’s) 3rd, 4th, and 5th runners.” While he “feels very
confident with our top two runners, Alex Kim and Eamon Glavin”, Skelly also knows that, “our second tier guys, Pete Rohr, Greg Kirwan, Anthony Calvelli, Peter Merhige, Taj Bland, and Charlie Scales, will decide the outcome.” Even though all of these runners have definitely proven their worth throughout the duration of the 2013 season, Coach still thinks that “they are also pretty new to the sport at the varsity level,” given that the core of this year’s squad is focused mostly around sophomores and freshmen. This youth will certainly add another layer of unpredictability in what is shaping up to be an action packed race full of surprises. On the subject of winning, Skelly believes that “nothing magical has to happen in order
for us to win, we just have to run well.” As mentioned earlier, Coach Skelly regards that the Fords match up well against Episcopal, but also he thinks that, “we should have the individual winner, giving us 1 point to start. It will be a tight match up from there.” Last year, Haverford’s Cross Country Team only lost by 1 point on EA Day. This year, Skelly knows that it will undoubtedly be a “competitive, hard run race,” and both teams “will be prepared and ready, but only the best team will leave victorious.”
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The Index
november 2013
Water Polo
Fords Water Polo Battles to a 13-6 (3-4 Inter-Ac) Record Alex Sanfilippo
Haverford’s Varsity Water Polo team has had its fair share of ups and downs throughout the 2013 season. The Fords have witnessed close games, tough calls, and strong opponents en route to a 13-6 (3-4 Inter-Ac) record, with one game remaining against both Lawrenceville and Episcopal Academy. Although the team’s goal of winning the Inter-Ac, a monumental task, was not accomplished, the season still had its fair share of highlights, including the Fords’ 16-9 defeat of the La Salle explorers (who placed fourth at the PIAA State Tournament last year) in the first game of the season. The Fords then played in the Philmore Cup, a very competitive tournament, in which they managed to salvage a 1-2 record while playing some of the best independent schools in the area. In preparation for the Inter-Ac season opener, the Fords played six non-league games and won all six, which gave them confidence before heading into the Inter-Ac opener against water polo powerhouse Malvern Prep. Malvern
played well, and Haverford could not find its scoring touch en route to an 11-5 loss in front of a raucous home crowd. The season began to play out inconsistently from there. The Fords would pull together one or two wins, but then suffer a heartbreaking loss either to Malvern or Penn Charter, the InterAc’s two water polo juggernauts. When asked about what the team could have done better, Sixth Former and Captain Alexander Heldring commented, “We had all the talent, but I think we had mental lapses during the big games that made us freeze and not be willing to make a big play.” Heldring also stated that he firmly believes that the Fords had enough talent to play at a high level and contend for an Inter-Ac title, but in important games, did not play to their full potential. Although the team has had some tough games and some rough stretches throughout the season, there have been many bright spots to the 2013 campaign. Heldring and his Co-captain, Sixth Former John Zipf, have been instrumental in the team’s success this season. As the scoring leaders on the team, Zipf and Heldring have
accounted for much of the team’s offense. Zipf has lit up the scoreboard with a team-high 86 goals to his name and Heldring is not too far behind with 63 goals. Zipf also has thirty-five assists to Heldring’s thirty-nine, and on the defensive side of the ball Zipf has forty-nine steals. Heldring has also accrued thirty drawn ejections, which can be considered the toughest statistic to amass in water polo. Other positive notes from the 2013 campaign include a six-goal thumping of Episcopal and a very hard-fought 13-8 loss to Penn Charter. Although it was a loss, all of the players played hard as a team and kept fighting tooth and nail up to the closing seconds of the game. When asked what the team did well, Zipf said, “We’ve been playing good defense in the past few games and have been able to shut down the opposing team’s best players.” Zipf also stated that the Fords have been able to run new plays with a lot of success. Both captains agree that the season could have been more successful, especially in Inter-Ac games, but they both also recognize that the team has put together a very good record and that the team has started to play
improvements can easily be seen in the pool, where Warden has transformed from a substitute-level player to a key starter in under a year. A grueling mix of swimming and handball, Water Polo has a unique set of attributes among the five EA Day sports. Warden says that what he “enjoys most about Water Polo” is the fact that it is a game player in “a medium – water – that we, as humans, don’t normally get to be in.” He continues, “There hasn’t been a game this season where I haven’t had to chase down a player while coughing up a lung of water.” Warden acknowledges that this “might sound terrible”, but explains that, “after almost two decades swimming and almost one playing Water Polo, I’ve come to appreciate the innate challenges (like drowning) that the sport has to offer.” Although not strictly defined as a “contact sport”, anyone who has played Water Polo will likely testify to the fact that Polo games do involve a decent amount of physical contact, as evidenced by the concussion that Warden sustained during a practice this season. However, Warden embraces the physically demanding nature of the sport. He says, “Perhaps my favorite aspect of Water Polo is that after all the drowning and kicking and clawing, I want to keep playing. When you want
to do something as seemingly unenjoyable as drowning many times over, it’s either insanity or an odd kind of love. I’ll say it’s the latter.” Warden says that he is looking forward to next Saturday’s matchup against Episcopal, especially as it allows for “having the team showcase it’s newfound sense of self” following
more cohesively in recent games. The EA Day game should definitely be an exciting one to watch. As Heldring said, the Fords “will be looking to end the season on a high note” in what Zipf says “should be a competitive game.” The Fords were able to comfortably defeat EA at home, but anything is possible on a day when EA will be looking to please their home crowd. Zipf noted that, “It’s a great way to finish the season. Personally, I couldn’t be more pumped. We’ll definitely come ready to play.” My personal prediction is as follows: the Fords will come out strong looking to seize control early, and then dominate the rest of the game. Heldring and Zipf will not able to be stopped by Episcopal, and in their final game as a Haverford water polo players, they will help the team coast to an easy 16-7 victory. Come support the team as they try to help Haverford retain the coveted sweater, and watch as the Fords end the 2013 water polo season on a very high note.
Underrated Sawyer Warden Key to Team’s Success Sam Dyer ‘15 While senior stars Alex Heldring and John Zipf have gotten much of the attention this season, Sixth Former Sawyer Warden has also played a vital role in the Water Polo team’s success this fall. With seven years of Water Polo experience at Haverford, Warden has become a leader on an underclassman-heavy team with only four Sixth Formers. On the season, Warden has 11 goals, 17 assists, and 13 steals to his name. Warden’s capabilities in the pool have evolved significantly in the seven years that he has played Water Polo at Haverford. Warden explains his role on the Squad: “Over the past four years I’ve grown into being the point man for the team. I’m in charge of starting plays off and creating momentum. I’ve improved with this by developing a better sense of awareness in game situations. Whereas it was challenging in the past to think a few steps ahead and consider every man in the pool, I’m now able to contribute more after a lot of practice.” Warden believes that this season, in which the Varsity squad posted a 13-6 record, has been a success for him: “Personally, this has been a great season. I have given more of my time to the sport, and have reaped all of the benefits. My overall in-game decision making has improved, and I’ve excelled in the defensive game.” His
Interview: Coach Van Such Ryan Fuscaldo ‘15
Prior to this upcoming weekend’s big water polo game against EA, I interviewed the team’s head coach, Kevin Van Such, and asked him a few questions about the season, his team, and his tactics for the matchup. After being an assistant coach for a few years under Coach Deasey, Van Such is in his second year as full time head coach. Van Such has done a terrific job mentoring the boys and teaching them aspects of the game to help the team succeed. After coming out victorious last year on EA Day, the head coach hopes to have the same outcome once again this year.
Q: What is your strategy against Episcopal? A: Our strategy is pretty simple: win. We want to win every battle within the game. We hope to draw ejections, execute our power play, and play tough defense. Q: What has your preparation been after already playing them? A: We will use a solid week of practice to prepare for them. After playing them earlier in the season, we have an idea of their game plan against us and we will need to do better to get the outcome we desire. Q: In your opinion, has this been a successful
Coaches: Kevin Van Such, Brandon Yoshimura and Eddie Barnard Captains: John Zipf and Alexander Heldring Season record: 12-5 (3-4) Saves: Colin Moran (163) Goals: John Zipf (92), Alex Heldring (58) Jake (23), Ben (18), Sawyer and Luke tied with (11) Assists: Alex Heldring (39), John Zipf (35), Luke (22), Sawyer (17), Ben (11), Jake (9) Steals: John Zipf (48), Alex Heldring (18), Luke (12), Ben (10), Sawyer (8), Jake (6)
Warden firing his cannon during a match against Friends’ Central.
season so far? A: Yes, I believe so. Looking back to earlier in the season, you can see a lot of improvement in players across the board. Comparing how we played teams in our first and second matchups, we have seen better play the second time, showing our ability to improve our game. Q: Who do you look to be the key players in the game? A: Our key players will be our seniors. Cocaptains Alex Heldring and Jon Zipf, as well as Sawyer Warden and Dan McGrath, will be playing the final game in their high school careers. They will be revved up and ready to go. Overall, it will come down to our team defense, and goaltender play is always crucial. Q: What do you plan to do on offense? A: Score.
Q: How do you plan to defend EA? A: We plan to play pressing defense and look to get a lot of steals and push our counter. Q: What was the outcome of the previous matchup? Was it a successful game on both ends of the pool? A: Our first match-up was successful. We played solid defense and gained advantages through drawing ejections. With that, we came away with a win, so we will look to build on that going into Saturday. Q: How has the team improved over the year? A: With another year of training and playing, each player has improved. On top of that, I think our team mentality has improved a lot from last year, and our seniors have provided a lot of leadership.
Matchups on EA Day Curran Aiyer ‘15
At long last, EA Day is finally here. It seems like just days ago, Haverford’s water polo team had just started their preseason with complaints about the pool temperature being too cold for their liking. Now, nine weeks later, the Fords have enter this key matchup with a 13-7 record (2-5 Inter-Ac). The Fords need to capitalize -- and big -- against a vulnerable Episcopal Academy team, which holds a 13-13 record (2-7 Inter-Ac). EA and Haverford have played very similar opponents like Pennington School, The Hill School, and Friends Central School. EA lost against Pennington School (8-12), won one game and lost the other against The Hill School, and won both games against Friends Central School. Haverford, however, won against all these teams. In fact, Haverford’s
Mr. Jim Roese
an up-and-down season. Whatever the outcome of Saturday’s game at Episcopal’s Newtown Square Campus, Warden states that, “sadly, it will also be my last as a Ford.” And whatever the outcome of the game, the Fords’ Water Polo team will certainly miss his leadership and willingness to improve come next season.
only losses came against Malvern Prep (two), Penn Charter (two), and Lawrenceville (one). Haverford’s other two losses came in the Philmore Cup, which they finished with a 1-2 record while EA finished with a 0-3 record. Comparing records and opponents, it’s easy to say Haverford has the advantage over EA. Player-to-player comparison is also a necessity in most accurately determining a winner of this crucial outcome. Haverford’s starting lineup consists of VI Formers Alexander Heldring, John Zipf, Dan McGrath, and Sawyer Warden and V Formers Jake Pechet, Ben Nelligan, and Colin Moran, who plays goalie. John Zipf led the team in almost every aspect of the game with 90 goals, 35 assists, 29 drawn ejections, and 53 steals in 18 games. Read the rest of Aiyer’s Piece online at haverfordindex.com.
Page 9
The Index
Soccer
november 2013
Inter-Ac Champs: Soccer Season Summary
Dan Lyons ‘15 details how a young Fords soccer team worked to set up their Inter-Ac clinching victory over Germantown Academy last Friday. Dan Lyons ‘15
The Fords varsity soccer team has had a successful season thus far. Despite the most recent loss to Springside-Chestnut Hill Academy, the Fords maintain their first place position with a record of 13-4 because SCHA went on to lose to Germantown Academy. In the first matchup against SCHA, Jimmy Tricolli, Conor Bradley, and Sander Yu each had a single goal, which in addition to Quinn Letter’s clean sheet, put the Fords on the winning end of the match by a score of 3-0. In the second matchup however, the Fords could not seem to find the back of the net. The game was controlled by Haverford, as there were plenty of offensive possessions; unfortunately, the Fords did not capitalize on these opportunities. A SCHA forward snuck in behind the defense to finish a cross in the second half which ultimately secured the 1-0 loss for the Fords. When asked about the loss, Fourth Form defender Shane Bradley said, “Obviously we were very disappointed and we hate to lose, but I believe that we can’t drop our heads from one loss. However, the loss did work as a wake up call and we are determined not to become complacent in the future.” Shane’s attitude embodies how the team feels about the loss, and how everyone knows they need to bounce back stronger than ever. Coach
Bill Brady said after the game in the huddle with the team, “Remember how they celebrated on your field. Remember this feeling.” Coach Brady said this to make sure his players knew that they had to come back from this loss with a
back strong in their next game against Penn Charter with a 4-0 win, two goals coming from Connor Gregory, and one each from Matt Mayer and Peter Blynn, who each got on the scoresheet for the first time this year. The players all look to continue this domination like they had earlier this season. Junior goalkeeper Quinn Letter said, “I think we won’t lose another game this season,” a statement with which Coach Brady agrees. The Fords know they have to work hard
Team photo of the 2013 varsity soccer team.
fire to win and succeed. Just as Coach Brady wanted, the Fords came
and, as Bradley said, not become complacent, if they want a shot at bringing home the Inter-Ac
title to where it belongs. The varsity soccer team has grown a lot as a team when it comes to personal and collective skill this year. However, more important than that, is how the team has grown as a family. Sixth Former Dylan Henderson commented on the team by saying, “It’s a really closely knit group of guys. We all push each other to be the best we can be, but at the same time we know how to deal with adversity we face both within the team and on the playing field.” This shows how the team has grown as a unit on and off the field. When asked about the goals for the team looking forward, Sixth Form captain Peter Blynn said, “Our team has had the same goal all season and that is to win the Inter-Ac. I believe the c h e m i s t r y, work ethic and talent on our team will propel us to be at that point by seasons end.” The Ms. Dawn Blake entire team has and will continue to strive and work hard everyday to make sure that its goal can be achieved.
Matchups: Comparing Fords Soccer’s Top Threats to EA’s Jamie Leyden ‘15 On November 9th, 2013 the Haverford School soccer team will face off against Episcopal Academy once more. Due to the amount of talent on both sides of the field, the match will likely be neck and neck. The question is what will determine who walks off the field with the sweater? We have a favorable record, 13-4, compared to theirs, at 5-7-4; however, records may be deceiving and by the nature of the sport, soccer games frequently go to the underdogs. In their first encounter this season, the Fords handily defeated the Churchmen in a 4-1 victory with goals from Fourth Formers Jerry Karalis, Connor Bradley, and two from Connor Gregory. The Fords rallied to a comfortable win after giving up a goal off a free kick early. Giving up goals off opposing team’s free kicks has been a problem for the Fords all season, as Head Coach Bill Brady says, “We really have to be careful about giving up free kick situations. That’s always been somewhat of an achilles heel this season, whether they score directly off the free kick or off the ensuing loose ball as a result. Whether that’s corner kicks or fouls around our box, we need to be smart about eliminating that.” The Fords have given up the majority of their goals to opposing team in penalty and corner kick situations; EA will hope to create as many corner and free kick opportunities as possible while Haverford needs to be extra sharp on defense to prevent these statistically threatening situations from recurring. If the Fords manage to prevent these two situations, EA will struggle getting on the scoreboard as The Fords’ defense has simply been too powerful in all other facets of the game. As Coach Brady mentions, “Our two center backs, Jimmy and Shane have been rocks all season [...] our whole back four has really been strong all year”. The wall that is the Fords’ defense has been the deciding factor in many close games, and starting goalkeeper Quinn Letter has also been stellar in net. With the Fords’ solid defense leading the way, the team needs to find a way to put balls in the back of the net. The offensive threats for the Fords have been Connor Gregory (19 goals), Connor Keating and Connor Bradley. The Connors of the Fords’ offense have been key to the Fords’ goal scoring ability. Often EA day, with emotions running
The McBride brothers in action during
high, the goals come from true grit and determination rather than pretty soccer. Any one of the Fords could have the chance to shine, as Coach Brady comments, “Obviously we need to find goals from somewhere, and on EA day with the amount of emotion that goes into, will it be a younger guy Connor Gregory, an experienced guy Connor Keating where the emotions are channeled in the right fashion, or is Sander Yu really going to make his mark in his one year of glory here?” The question is not whether the Fords will score or not, but who will be the one to bury the ball in the back of the net. The Fords have the talent and the ability to repeat a three-goal margin of victory. The defense will keep the Churchmen off the score sheet as long as the Fords can reduce the amount of set pieces given up. The offensive threats on the team will eventually power through and score not one, but many goals; so what chance do the Churchmen have? Episcopal has multiple
threats as well, comments Coach Brady, as he noticed in the two
sides’ first outing, “Aaron Bogle when he starts to get going can start to open things up. The Buckley boy is pretty good. They have probably six or seven seniors that’ll start; that’s a lot of emotion and EA day is always a little different.” The Churchmen will no doubt be the underdog in this matchup, but they have a lot to play for. EA’s Head Coach David Knox will most likely rely on his seniors who are all starting and playing in their final EA day matchup. Some of these seniors include Goalkeeper and captain Wills Singley, captain Walter Buckley and Michael Hinckley. Despite several skilled players on the opposing team, the Fords have had no trouble possessing the ball and picking apart an otherwise weak Episcopal team. The Fords have not only the talent and personnel Ms. Dawn Blake to defeat the Episcopal Churchmen, but also the fans and sense of family to win in a truly rewarding fashion.
Coaches: Bill Brady, Dan Keefe, Kevin Weiler and Dave Milroy Captains: Peter Blynn, Josh Klein, Connor Keating, Connor Black Season record: 14-4 (8-1) Fun Fact: Have scored 46 goals vs. 12 opponent goals Goal leaders: Connor Gregory (20), Connor Keating (5), Jerry Karalis (4) Assist leader: Conor Bradley (5), Jerry Karalis (4), Connor Gregory (4) Yellow cards: Jimmy Tricolli (3)
Page 10
The Index
Soccer/Football
november 2013
Profiling Sixth Form Soccer Star Josh Klein Kenny Fitzpatrick ‘16 interview Josh Klein and his teammates, getting an inside look into the anchor of the Fords defense, which has six shutouts on the season. Kenny Fitzpatrick ‘16
The Fords success thus far can be attributed to the “brick wall” of a defense, led by VI Former, Josh Klein. Klein along with his fellow defenders have helped the team maintain a “ plus 24” goals scored to goals allowed ratio. This includes six shutouts and never allowing more than two goals in a single contest. Josh’s history with the sport dates all the way back to when he was three years old, a time when many of us played “rec soccer”. However, unlike many children today, Klein kept at the sport and played with Lower Merion’s club team all the way up until he was a Fourth Former at Haverford. Thus, Klein’s marvelous play can be attributed to his experience with the game. In addition, this past winter, the defender played with FC Philly, a competitive club team. When I talked with Klein regarding the season thus far he said, “all year our goal has been to win the Inter-Ac. We suffered a tough loss against CHA this past Friday but if we win our next three games, and if they tie/lose at least one, we win the title. Other than that, I think the season has been a really successful one, when you look at how young our team is.” Klein also talked about how enjoyable its been playing alongside guys he’s been playing with since sixth grades like VI formers, Dylan Henderson, Peter Blynn, Henry Crochiere and Connor Keating. However, he did not forget to mention the new addition to the team, Sixth former Sander Yu, who has been “an incredible addition and is an amazing teammate.” Connor Keating, his fellow Form Six squad leader had some very positive things to say about Klein: “Josh and I play on the same side of the field and we connect well both on and off the field, whether he is defending after something I probably messed up and left for
him to clean up, or making everyone laugh from his sense of humor or contagious laugh, Josh is a teammate I am thankful to have. He is a leader and a good friend and I would consider him the commissioner of our team and defense as well as his other jobs in the fantasy department” Regarding his own play, Klein believes that with every game he continues to get better and better. He also mentioned the fact that with a young back line, he tries to lead the group as much as possible. Coach Brady validated this when I talked with him regarding Klein’s leadership, “...Josh is first and foremost a friend to everyone on the team. He goes about his ways in an unassuming manner that makes him very approachable. Often he is the guy I rely on to get important information out to the team. While others may try to shine the spotlight on themselves as leaders, Josh prefers to help others shine. Due to his nature he is loved and respected by his teammates.” In the season Klein has notched two assists, both coming in the team’s recent game against Penn Charter. When Fourth Form striker Connor Gregory was asked about his teammate’s play he responded, “He’s a reliable player who adds a dangerous dimension because he can beat people down the line and serve balls into the box.” Klein is a fine example of a “team” player. Coach Brady’s comments on Josh were as follows: “As a player, Josh is the man that is always consistently good. You always know what you are going to get from Josh. He will rarely grab the headlines and he is ok with that. He is always about the team first. On a daily basis you never have to worry about him as he always leaves every ounce of effort on the field. He has developed into one of the top right backs in the conference.”
Josh Klein charging the ball against Penn Charter.
Position-by-Position Football Matchups Brendan Burke ‘14
Just as the contest was last year, the football game will have Inter-Ac title implications. On Friday, Malvern(2-1) played Episcopal(3-0) as the Friars dominated the game, winning 49-21. Both teams, now 3-1, control their own destiny. If Malvern loses to Springside Chestnut Hill this Saturday, the winner of the EA vs Haverford game will be the outright champ. If Malvern and EA both win this Saturday they would
Michael Solomon leaping for the grab.
Mr. Patrick Thomas
share the title. The Fords have other plans for the Churchmen. After a huge win over Malvern in early October, the Fords fell to Springside Chestnut Hill on a gloomy afternoon. The team bounced back, winning big at home over Germantown Academy, 28-0. This past Saturday, which was the last game on Sabol Field for the seniors, they took on a tough Penn Charter team who was hungry for a win after dropping their previous
two Inter-Ac games. The Fords took care of Martillotti, Mike Watkins and Kevin Morgan. as well as Fourth Former Frank Cresta. It will business, setting up an epic match between Although the skilled positions are very be a hard fought battle for four full quarters on rivals for the Inter-Ac Championship important to the game, this battle will be won the line. The Fords and Churchman match up very and lost in the trenches. The matchups on the This game has the potential to go down well on both sides of the ball. At the quarterback line will determine who comes away with an in history. The Fords after losing in the same position, the Churchmen come into the game Inter-Ac Title. Impact players going both ways position just a year ago look to revenge their rival with a highly talented player in Ryan Whaylen. for Episcopal will be Connor Longen and John and bring home an Inter-Ac Championship. This The Junior has thrown for 1858 yards with 16 Minicozzi. Butts, who suffered an apparent one is for not just the players on the team now touchdowns, including a touchdown in every shoulder injury during Friday’s game, will be but those who played in the past, especially the game he has started. He likes to sit in the pocket a big factor on Defensive Line. Sixth Form Class of 2013, but also for those who will play and sling the pigskin around. He is expected Captain Nick Helber, who plays both ways in the future. The game will be a dogfight with to be heavily recruited to play in college after for the Fords, plans to have a monster day many emotions on the table for both teams. The he graduates. The Fords come in with a more in his last game as a Ford. On the Offensive team that is more physical and mentally tough experienced quarterback in Brendan Burke who Line, Haverford is young but very feisty and will come away with the victory on Saturday. started for the Fords since the midpoint of the have great chemistry that includes 3 juniors The Fords play with something special at stake; 2012 season. and 1 sophomore. Along with Helber, Connor winning a title for their brother Kip. The team’s In the backfield the Churchmen call many Atkins, Chauncy Simmons, Tim Aikin, and motto all year long has been “Chip For Kip”, different numbers throughout the game. Top Brian Denoncour lead the charge. On the and they hope to make that true this Saturday on players include Dee Barley, Cody Russell, and Defensive side of the ball, Sixth Former Joseph the campus of Episcopal Academy. Anthony Feliziani. The Fords can match that J. Raymond leads the front wall along with attack with the explosiveness of Fifth Former Fifth Formers Eric Follman and Mike Gindhart Phil Poquie and Sixth Former Christian Giubilato. On the edge at receiver, EA has many Coaches: Michael Murphy, Robert Allman,Matthew Conboy, James Creed, weapons for Whaylen to look for James Hill,Brian Martin,Mike Nolan,Donald Richardson, such as University of Virginia Matt Rosko,Matthew Sutter,Nick Windell, Jamie Will commit Evan Butts, Christian Feliziani, and Jake Martillotti. The Fords defensive backfield, Captains: Chris Sukonik, Brendan Burke, Phil Poquie, and Nick Helber which includes Michael Solomon, Christian Giubilato, Brendan Burke, Dox Aitken, and Derek Season record: 5-5 (3-1) Mountain plan to shut down their passing attack by playing sound, fundamental coverage. Key Fact: Have scored 224 points vs. opponents 268 points receivers for the Fords include Dox Aitken, Michael Solomon, Derek Mountain, Tommy Passing yards per game: Kevin Carter (57), Brendan Burke (37.8) McNamara, Noah Lejman, and Niles Easley. The Churchman’s defensive backfield is very Rushing yards per game: Phil Poquie (104.5), J. Walker (32), Kevin Carter (14.7) young and includes two Third Tackles per game: LJ Barlow (10), Brian Casey (8), J. Odiorne (5), Dox Aitken (6), Formers, a Fourth Former, and a Fifth Former.. Linebackers for Mickey Kober (3) Chauncey Simmons (3) Haverford are extremely strong, a core which includes Mickey Kober, LJ Barlow, Niles Easley, Receiving yards per game: M. Solomon (31.5), C. Giubilato (24), N. Lejman Julian Jamgochian, and Chris (15.5), P. Poquie (15.5) Sabia. Episcopal matches the Fords backers with a strong corps including Cody Russell, Jake Field goal percentage: K. Colburn (.667)
Page 11
The Index
Football
november 2013
A Conversation With Coach Football Profile: Phenom Running Back Phil Poquie Mike Murphy Rudy Miller ‘14
I sat down with head football coach Michael Murphy to discuss the football team’s season and his outlook on the upcoming contest on EA Day. To start, Coach Murphy is definitely pleased with his team’s improvement throughout the season. “We play a non-league schedule that prepares us for our Inter-Ac schedule,” says Murphy. “What we did is play a lot of different looks of teams along the way that helped us to prepare for the pass [and] for the run.” In addition, despite having a “junior/senior-laden team,” Murphy believes that “where they’ve really grown is…in experience and recognizing looks better, which allows us to do different things and execute much better, which I think is the key growth on both sides of the ball.” The team, according to Murphy, is hyped up from their recent success [the team went 4-2 after an 0-3 start], the high point of which was definitely “the win over Malvern [34-31 in overtime]. Coming off a tough defeat to O’Hara to beat a team in Malvern that was expected to run through the league this year was a huge win for the program and for our guys.” Moving on to the contest itself, Murphy considers EA a formidable opponent, a team that is “confident, coming off the year they had last year [10-0 record] and having only one loss this year [8-1 record], and balanced.” Offensively, they have “some weapons,” such as “Evan Butts, [a wide receiver] who is going to Virginia next year” and “two or three very good running backs.” Defensively, Murphy describes them as “a sound football team that runs to the football” but that “they’ve had some injuries and guys are having to step up.” The Churchmen also have “an emotional leader” in “the [center/MLB] John Minicozzi, on both sides of the ball. He makes a lot of their line calls, and defensively, he’s aggressive, he’s tough. He’s a player that [the Fords] definitely have to pay some attention to.” Another angle is that football is unique among the EA Day sports in that they have yet to play EA this season. Is this an issue? “No,” says Murphy, “since [in football], you never play anybody a second time. You just have to do the things you do with every other football
game, execute the game plan well and all that.” The bigger issue among players, according to Murphy, is actually “keeping the emotions in check and playing at a consistent level, not getting too high or too low in the midst of a game where emotion plays such a large part. That’s something that as coaches we try to focus on. We know it’s not just another football game, but at the same time, we need to approach it as though it’s another football game.” The other looming thought in players’ minds is the loss to EA last year on EA Day 21-14. Murphy notes that “[the game] certainly hasn’t been a rallying cry or anything,” however, the thought that they “let one get away last year” is “certainly something that [they] look back on as a football team.” The dramatic fashion of that loss, in which EA “came over here last year and beat us on our field to win the Inter-Ac championship and weren’t too shy about letting us know that they did so in their celebration,” will, as Murphy says, “be a little extra fuel for us.” Murphy knows that the contest against EA will be close. Even though EA has twice as many wins as Haverford this year, the nature and scope of the rivalry throws out all past contests. Regardless of the result, however, he will be “really proud of what this football team has grown to. Having set out with the goal of the InterAc championship, and to be sitting here, controlling our own destiny, is impressive. We’re excited about where we are.”
Fifth Form football star Phil Poquie has garnered a lot of attention for his dominating play on the football field. Austin Krell ‘15 sits down with Poquie.
down. Although Phil is just 5'9 and 180 lbs, he has enough determination, strength, and intelligence for three duplicates of himself. At just 16 years old, Phil is one of the best players, if not the best, on the football team and his future continues to brighten up. With his determination, motivation, effort, and skill level, the forecast is very, very good for the junior. In my interview with Phil, he emphasized “perseverance”. Phil knows all about perseverance. Read the rest of Krell’s article online at haverfordindex.com
Austin Krell ‘15
As I sat across from Phil Poquie in the Biology room after class, I learned that although Phil can be quite the joker in class, he is a very smart and intriguing man. When called upon in class, he gives a reasonable, thorough answer to the question and except for an occasional slip up, he is correct. On the football field, it goes without saying that he gives 110% at all times. To him, it does not matter if the fat lady is singing or not. He simply will not stop until the clock runs out and the final score is written
Coach Murphy talking to his team during a time-out.
Mr. Jim Roese
From Slow Start to Potential Inter-Ac Champs: Football Season Summary Justin Chermol ‘14
With an overall record of 5-5, highlighted by their recent victory against Penn Charter, the Fords head into their matchup with EA hoping to win the Inter Academic Championship outright. However, the regular season is over, the Fords care solely about the Inter Ac record. Starting at Malvern Prep, the Fords won 3431, defeating the Friars on their homecoming. The stellar start to the Inter-Ac portion of the schedule gave high hopes to the returning starting quarterback Sixth Former Brendan Burke who has faced much adversity this season after being benched in spots earlier in the year. The uncertainty at quarterback position hurt the Fords earlier on, yet after Burke’s winning touchdown at Malvern, he proved to the team and himself that he is here to play. After leaving Malvern, the Fords travelled on the road to Springside Chestnut Hill; the Fords lost 24-21, even after leading 21-7 in the second half. Sixth Former Christian Giubilato finished the game with two catches for 101 yards and an 86-yard touchdown. Fifth Former Reginald Harris and Fourth Former Dox Aitken both scored for the Fords who came up short to a tough Springside Chestnut Hill team. Back at home on Sabol Field at 2:30 PM on a clear and cold day, the Fords came up huge through tough defense and near perfection on the offensive side of the ball. The team beat Germantown Academy by a score of 28-0, bringing their Inter-Ac record to 2-1. That game saw records set by the Haverford defensive line, led by Sixth Former Joseph Raymond, Fifth Formers Mike Gindhart and Eric Follman, and Fourth Former Frank Cresta with several batted down passes and a big secondary by the charge of Fifth Formers LJ Barlow, Brian Casey, and Niles Easley. Offensive powerhouses Burke,
Phil Poqui, Christian Giubilato, and wide receiver Dox Aitken all validated the fact that
season with poor playing and line-up challenges, and with two Inter-Ac games left, the finality of
Phil Poquie runs against Malvern.
the Fords are here to play. Phil Poqui, Fifth Form captain and running back, says “This year’s team proved its resilience and perseverance. Starting off to a rough season with three losses, the team has come a long way this fall in playing with better attitudes and more emotion.” The Fords have overcome a shaky start to the
the season is setting in for the players. They are excited for the seniors’ last tilt against EA on November 9. Giubilato, the starting wide receiver, claims, “Our team has come a long way since the beginning of the season, and we’re well aware of it. Unfortunately, it took us a few games to get going as a family, but
we haven’t looked back since our first win over Blair Academy. We’ve worked incredibly hard throughout the season, and our main goal has been to prove to everyone that we’re a high caliber football team, despite our rough start. We’ve played our hearts out in the Inter-Ac so far, and we plan to win the ‘CHIP FOR KIP!’” Giubilato states that the team has come up from a rough beginning, as Poqui mentioned, but this is a start to something new. Captain and starting center Nick Helber’s tweet explains that the Fords are not just fighting to win: “@KipTav I’m getting you a ring dawg.” Yes, the Fords have not had the record-breaking season that they wanted with losses to teams like McDonough, Lawrenceville, and O’Hara, but all of that is over. They will contend for the Inter-Ac championship this weekend. Playing against Episcopal Academy is not easy, with an undefeated record of 3-0 in the Inter-Ac and an overall Mr. Jim Roese record of 8-1, Episcopal will be the favorite of pundits. That is not what is important, as Haverford/EA Day has shown to students and spectators every year, anything can happen on this day. Both teams go into the game with a clean slate, forgetting the past and the record, electrified for the historical game in front of thousands.
Page 12
The Index
Outdex
november 2013
Miller Joyce ‘15, Brendan Burns ‘15, Ian Riley ‘15, Will Tackett ‘14, Otis Baker ‘15, Noah Cutler ‘14, Sam Dyer ‘15
Committed to staying in the technological vanguard, The Haverford School is pleased to announce that all students will next year be required to bring a laptop to school everyday. Mr. Green explained the administration’s decision this way, “We want to give every Haverford boy the opportunity in class to update his facebook profile, tweet, and revise his fantasy football roster.” Four EA linemen were rushed to the hospital when the Episcopal quarterback tragically misunderstood the meaning of a “shotgun offense.” No Haverford players were hurt as the stray birdshot deflected off of Brian Casey’s calves. With EA day looming, all eyes are focused squarely on the golf team to keep their undefeated streak. A couple of weeks ago, a baby African elephant escaped from the Philadelphia Zoo. While escaped, it made its way to the Haverford School where it relieved itself in the athletic locker room’s third stall. In an attempt to out do himself, Paul Harryhill has decided to wear “white tie” during the full course of the EA day events. Inspired by the Washington Nationals, the EA fan section has initiated a “Take Back the Thunderdome” campaign to finally have more home than away fans at their sporting events. The results:
Haverford, Baldwin and the Danish Ordrup School performed together on Tuesday, in what is certainly the most anticipated inter-school activity of the week. EA spirit week is that great time at Haverford where teachers ease off work so that students can come together to spend time preparing for a great series of competitions, culminating in EA Day. In other news, Ms. Turlish will be giving three reading quizzes this week, while all of Mr. Becker’s classes will test on Thursday. EA is trying to recruit Haverford’s own “Famous Jamison” Maley to be their QB1 in an attempt to increase their odds of winning on EA Day. Cole Berman will be carrying his own bag for the last 2 holes on EA day as his caddy, Charlie Lesko, has some other business to attend to. The Theatre Department is reporting upwards of $25 in ticket sales. The Fan Bus to watch AIS/EA day has been downgraded upgraded to a Vespa chauffered by none other than Henry Ortmeyer. Alternate transportation is a Ford Escape chauffeured by the incomparable Austin Krell.
Ms. Dawn Blake