Soccer

Alexander Nekoumand ‘23

The varsity soccer team is ready for a shortened but exciting soccer season. “As a senior and a captain, I want to make the best of our shortened season and do the best I can for my teammates,” Sixth Form Captain Kieran Bradley said. This season will be different, but the team is ready to make the most of what is ahead.

The boys are buzzing and are ready to be back in action as they took a tough exit out of the state championship last fall.

The boys are buzzing and are ready to be back in action as they took a tough exit out of the state championship last fall. Due to the pandemic, setbacks delayed the beginBowen Deng ‘22

The Inter-Ac golf season has arrived—albeit much later than usual—and with five scheduled matches in November, the Fords look to make the most out of their abbreviated fall season. Under the veteran leadership of Sixth Form captains Tyler Zimmer, Jake Maddaloni, and coach Cole Berman ’14, the team has their eyes set on yet another Inter-Ac title in an unusual season. For Berman, the biggest challenge is manBen Szathmary ‘22

About one year ago, on a vivid sunny morning, the cross country team stood foot-to-foot with their adversaries, Episcopal Academy. Unfortunately, after the grueling 5k race, the Fords lost 24-32. “It’s not a loss when you just do better the next time,” Sam Reisbord ’20 said. Sam is right, but the team did not know that next year’s EA Day might not even happen. Sixth Former A.J. Sanford, one of the school’s most elite athletes, said, “With cross country not always being the most exciting sport, seeing all of my classmates and faculty come out and watch my sophomore year was a moment I’ll never forget, and I wanted the same energy my senior year,” Sanford said. There is no doubt that this season has been different for A.J. and the rest of the team. The uncertainty about having a fall cross country season posed new challenges for the ning of the season. “I appreciate how Mike Murphy and John Nagl kept the dream alive by fighting for a season in our league,” Varsity Soccer Coach Mr. Keefe said. It won’t be an easy season for the Fords, as games consist of Inter-Ac rivals Episcopal Academy, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, Germantown Academy, and Penn Charter. “I am really excited for our game against EA, which is scheduled to be played under the lights at their field,” Bradley said. “This is one of the many games the boys have marked on the calendar and just can’t keep their eyes off of. This is one of those games the team has been looking forward to since the beginning of the school year!” With an abundance of good news in such a short amount of time, the boys know they are still living in a cautious world. Restrictions will be enforced during this revised season, such as limited fan attendance, masks for those in attendance, and only league games. Players are disappointed that limited

aging the team during the pandemic that creates “daily uncertainty.” “We all want to have practice and matches, but school is the priority,” Berman said. “We are all trying to find the right balance that allows the team to be safe and healthy while having normal in-season opportunities.” With the end of Daylight Saving Time, golfers will have less daylight to work with. This will force them to tee off earlier than usual. TYLER ZIMMER ‘21 runners, especially during summer training. Runners had to stay motivated to run despite an unclear future season. Fifth Former varsity runner Colin Stewart recalled his spring and summer training. “I wasn’t even sure we’d have a season, and that sadness on top of the sort of isolation that you go through during quarantine really took a toll on my ability to effectively train over the summer,” Stewart said. Since school has opened and the team is back to a normal routine, runners have felt more normal and more motivated. The team’s excitement grew when the Inter-Ac announced a short three-meet season over the next few weeks. Though the season is short, runners like Fifth Former Jeffrey Yang are pumped. “I am excited that the Inter-Ac has worked to create some meets that [the] team can strive to perform well at and keep [them] motivated,” Yang said. Sebastian Perez-Gasiba ’24 works his way through the SCH defense in a 0-1 loss, fan attendance will be a rule this year, but they are excited to represent The Haverford School and make everyone proud. Still, the team is grateful to be back and competing with each other. This revised season will look different, but the varsity soccer “We will be starting our matches nearly two hours earlier than normal to ensure that all groups are finished before dark,” said Berman.

“We all want to have practice and matches, but school is the priority.”

COACH COLE

BERMAN ’14 If last year’s EA Day is any indication, golfers can expect relatively cold temperatures and heavy winds, which decrease carrying distance and faster greens which is a stark contrast to the usual fall breeze. The Fords are no strangers to challenging conditions. “We’re all upperclassmen who have played for a few years,” Zimmer said, “so we know how to go low despite strange circumstances.” “The temperature will definitely be colder, but that shouldn’t affect anyone because our competition will have the same course conditions as [we do],” Maddaloni said. Another challenge the team will face is the sudden thrust into the season. In previous years, Haverford golfers came into the first Along with the changes as a result of COVID-19, the cross country team also welcomed a new head coach, Micheal Toomey. Having coached high school, collegiate, and open-level running for over 23 years, Coach Toomey is more than equipped to coach the boys to a successful season.

“I wasn’t even sure we’d have a season.”

COLIN STEWART ’22 “Each practice, I’ve felt challenged and pushed to my limits, but at the same time, I am confident that I will walk away a better runner and tougher human being,” Senior runner Ryan Ngo said. “I’m really grateful for Coach Toomey’s positive energy and his willingness to adapt to our team culture.” TYLER ZIMMER ‘21 team is not taking anything for granted. “We are a school of scholars, athletes, and artists,” Coach Keefe said. “Without the ability to find artistry in play on the field or connection with teammates, men at The

Golfers face cold, windy weather in late contests

Edward Trumpbour ’21 lines up for a shot during a golf match

Haverford School lose a part of themselves.” match fresh with experience from a string of summer tournaments. As the school year starts, outside tournaments occur less frequently, and with the season beginning so late this year, the Fords must adjust as quickly as possible. “Normally, we have summer tournaments every week,” Zimmer said. “But since there were few of them this year, we’re super excited to get back into matches because we love to compete.” Fewer tournaments does not mean the Fords are at a disadvantage. Golf is an individual sport, so team members have been practicing on their own. The team has also used their own ways to make team practices competitive to best prepare themselves for the return to matches. “We make fun intra-squad competitions to keep the right mindset,” Zimmer said. “I personally have practiced with Sixth Former Edward Trumpbour every time, so we always play some type of match.” These practices offer coaches and captains an opportunity to determine which six players will compete. “We have some new freshmen and sophomores that have shown great improvement and talent, so that will be exciting for the

Cross country finds motivation in three-race season

years to come,” Berman said.

Page 20 Water Polo hungry to return

Ben Springer ’22

Ever since the appearance of COVID-19, every sports team has had to make sacrifices in order to practice and play games. Water polo is no exception. Water polo is an interesting case when it comes to social-distancing measures, as the team practices in a confined space. Players cannot wear masks in the pool, and water polo is a contact sport. Due to the conflicting natures of water polo and COVID-19 safety precautions, many aspects of the sport have been modified to keep the players and coaches safe. To start off, coaches have shortened practices to two hours in length, a far cry from the three-hour practices polo had last year. Due to the shortened practices, the intensity has also increased, with everyone putting in extra effort to make up for the loss of time. Morning swims have also taken a hit. Last year, there was an average of two morning swims a week, starting at 6:15 and ending at 7:30 a.m., but due to the pandemic, morning swims have been completely eliminated. Weekend practices recently resumed on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Games have also taken a heavy blow. Last fall, the water polo team played 28 games. The games occurred in several tournaments such as Beast Of The East, Easterns, and the Inter-Ac season. This year, the plan is to compete in InterAc games only, meaning that the water polo team will only play in six games. Even these six games are not set in stone. The game schedule is constantly changing, with games frequently jumping around the calendar. Ethan Chan ’23 duced incredible playoff runs or have fallen short of expectations. The Sixers’ 40-33 record and first-round playoff exit have left many fans and Fords disappointed. With the offseason starting, changes to the Sixers’ front office have already occurred. After getting swept by the Boston Celtics, former seven-year Head Coach Brett Brown was fired. With his dismissal, students question the Sixers’ future. “I personally just think that they need more of a veteran leadership in the players and coaching staff,” Third Former Sean Brodnik said. General Manager Elton Bran, and the Sixers’ management acquired former head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, Doc Rivers. Rivers helped the Clippers make the top10 offensive rating, something that Philadelphia’s defense-heavy and tallest lineup in the NBA needs. Most importantly, Rivers brings his veteran experience and leadership to the table. “I think that Doc Rivers will definitely improve our overall record, especially during away games,” Fourth Former Thaddeus Busser said. The Sixers lost a number of closely fought games. The Sixers have a 33% win percentage in overtime games and a 55% win percentage in games within 10 points. “I have seen them giving up games at the end because they couldn’t finish,” Brodnik said. Rivers’ leadership proves to be something that could solve this problem. Despite the Clippers’ result in this year’s playoffs, Rivers led some of his previous teams to victory in crucial games. With the 2008 Boston Celtics, he helped them overcome two Game 7’s in Rounds 1 and 2, beating a resilient Detroit Pistons team in the process. Finally, he captured the elusive title for the Celtics Bram Schork ‘22 prepares to shoot in a 18-6 victory of EA, November 9, 2019 Fifth Form team leader Bram Schork spoke our best to help our teammates improve for about his opinion on COVID-19’s effect on the upcoming season.” water polo. Head Coach Kevin Van Such said, “In August we were informed the season was

“The pandemic has canceled. It was disappointing, but things turned around and now we’re on the doorforced the team to re- step of our season-opening game. There are ally focus on playing for each other.” certainly challenges with limits to practice and preparation, so just focus on making the most of the time we have. It may be an abbreviated season, but we’re excited to have BRAM SCHORK ’22 competition.” With competition in sight, the coachagainst the longtime rival Los Angeles Lakers, led by the late Kobe Bryant. “I think Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are great players on their own, I’m not sure about their future in the long run” THADDEUS BUSSER ’24 Just as good coaching and leadership can help a team, the players still to win. As chess translates to the hardwood court, the proper algorithm and chemistry between players can determine a team’s performance. “I think Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are great players on their own. I’m not sure about their future in the long run,” said Busser. Embiid and Simmons remain the backbone of the team as both led in points and several other statistics. This leaves the question, did certain role players deliver and benefit the team? “Tobias Harris or Al Horford should be traded. They don’t serve their purpose,” said Brodnik. Harris signed a max $180M deal with the Sixers. They signed him to secure a solid player with a consistent 3-point shot. In contrast to the expectations, Harris is outside the Top 100 3-point percentage in the NBA. To put this into perspective, Lonzo Ball of the New Orleans Pelicans, who is widely criti “The pandemic has forced the team to ing staff began to notice a different mood really focus on playing for each other. Since amongst the team. there is essentially no season for the seniors, “The guys are fired up,” Coach Van Such they are playing purely because they enjoy said. “We’re coming off a historic season the sport and spend time with their broth- last year, and the team is motivated to build ers,” Schork said. “We’ve got a great team on success. Our goal is to win. One game where everyone is there for the guy standing at a time. After winning the league the past next to him. We support each other and do two years, we definitely have a target on our

MR. JIM ROESE

back… They’re hungry to continue the success we’ve had in the league.”

“We have strong leadership and an experienced core.”

COACH KEVIN SUCH

One of the reasons for the continued success of the program is due to the wellrounded roster year after year. “We have strong leadership and an experienced core. Our strength the past few years has been our depth, and we’re excited to see which guys step up and contribute this year,”

Fords weigh in on Sixers’ offseason plans

With the end of the 2020 NBA Finals and historical “bubble” season, many teams have pro-

Coach Van Such said. cized for his shooting form and consistency, has a higher 3-point percentage than Harris. Similarly, Al Horford is expected to be traded to the Knicks or Timberwolves due to his underperformance throughout the season. If a trade between the Timberwolves and Sixers occurs, the first overall pick, which is expected to be the crafty LaMelo Ball, might be involved if the Sixers give up Simmons. With the acquisition of former Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey, the Sixers are sure to make some important changes. Morey is one of the reasons for the emphasis on 3-point shooting, often dubbed “Moreyball,” for the Rockets and around the NBA. With him managing basketball operations, the possibility of Ben Simmons shooting threes doesn’t seem impossible anymore. Not to mention, Morey coming from the Rockets could possibly set up a trade between Ben Simmons and other draft picks for the 2018 MVP James Harden.

“Hopefully they can win the ring”

THADDEUS BUSSER ’24

Nonetheless, the organization has made important changes to the Sixers lineup and management that will greatly impact the team’s performance heading into the 20212022 season. “This season for the Sixers is going to be an interesting one,” Busser said. “I look forward to watching the games and hopefully they can win the ring.”