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Penn Charter SportsZone   Return to TedSilary.com Home Page  My recaps of Penn Charter's varsity athletic contests. Links to photos also included; middle school events sometimes included. The SportsZone page on Penn Charter's website is here. Photo albums are here. -- Assorted Penn Charter files are here. tedtee307@yahoo.com or tsilary@penncharter.com

    ***On March 19, I stepped away from the PC job.***

EVENT OF MARCH 16
Pics -- Click here for: boys/girls track scrimmage vs. Wood, Holy Ghost Prep, SCH Academy, Nazareth Academy.

  The very cold temps and stuff winds were back again Friday, but Penn Charter's girls lacrosse squad was unable to repeat its first-game success (17-1 over Friends' Central).
  In a game at Agnes Irwin, the Quakers fell, 13-1. The halftime score was 7-0.
  Junior Emma Wilson scored PC's goal and eighth grader Darcy Felter earned the assist. Soph Hayley Hunt, faced with numerous challenges, made 10 saves.

LOOK AT BASEBALL HISTORY
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  One of these days (or weeks -- smile), the weather will be decent enough for Penn Charter's baseball team to play its first game of the 2018 season.
  Like always, the goal will be to rack up an impressive record and contend, strongly, for the Inter-Ac championship.
  While waiting to see how things turn out, you can pass the time by checking out PC's baseball history as far back as 1928.
  Included are league/overall records for teams/coaches as well as  results against all I-A members, present and past.

LOOK BACK OF MARCH 15
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  To again make the case that participation in multiple sports is quite the wise choice, we give you Daryl Worley OPC '13.
  Worley, a cornerback out of West Virginia, has already played for two seasons in the NFL. Now, thanks to a trade with the Carolina Panthers, he'll be suiting up for our Philadelphia Eagles.
  During his Quaker days, one could argue, quite persuasively, that Daryl was even better in track, as coached by Doc Stephen Bonnie, than he was in football.
  Through his sophomore, junior and senior years, Worley went 12-for-12 in attempts to win gold medals in the Inter-Ac championships. Competitors are limited to four events, so we're talking perfection. He won the 100, 200 and 400 in all three years while also running a leg for the winning 4x400 relay.
  He anchored the quartet in 2013 (following James Biggs-Frazier, Charlie Hoyt and Tre Williams) that set a record at 3:24.32. In that year he also posted his best times in the 100 (10.87), 200 (22.0) and 400 (49.37).
  The meet records in those events go back to 1992, '92 again and '99, respectively. Since those marks were set, only one guy has performed better than Daryl in the 400 and just eight have eclipsed his times in the other events (three 200, five 100).
  Doc  Bonnie feels Daryl Worley was one of -- if not THE -- greatest performers in the history of Inter-Ac track, which dates back to 1887.
  Terrific legacy for a guy in his "other" sport.

EVENT OF MARCH 13
Pics -- Click here for girls lacrosse vs. Friends' Central (in reverse order -- sorry).

  There are nice starts to a season and then . . . there are incredible starts.
  Tuesday, accompanied by chilly temps and occasionally wicked winds, Penn Charter's girls lacrosse squad warmed hearts by cruising to a 17-1 victory over visiting Friends' Central.
  Here's an impressive nugget: Eight of the goals were scored by players in no higher than ninth grade.
  "It was a great start to the season," said coach Colleen Magarity. "We showed a ton of potential, and also a lot of things to work on.
  "I loved to see so many girls on the scoreboard and I thought the defense played very well."
  Junior Emma Wilson and eighth grader Darcy Felter scored three goals apiece. Members of the two-goals club were eighth grader Lane Murray, frosh Kaylee Dyer, soph Leax Sax and senior Greer Guyer. Frosh Mia Ferraro, soph Lizzie McLaughlin and junior Molly Visco contributed one apiece.
  Soph Hayley Hunt recorded nine saves.

INDOOR TRACK BREAKDOWN, MARCH 5
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  Penn Charter's track teams have moved outside to run and jump and throw, etc., and here's hoping good vibrations from the indoor season can be repeated, even exceeded.
  The two major local championships -- Philadelphia area, state -- were held recently at Lehigh and Penn State universities, respectively, and the Quakers gave it their best.
  At Penn State, in the most recent event, sophomore Akeel Blake claimed a medal by clearing 6-4 in the high jump while ninth grader Emma Zwall was ninth in the 3000 with a school record 10:16.36 and junior football franchise Edward Saydee placed 15th over 60 meters. Also, the 4x800 relay team (soph Sara Shipon, junior Mary McDavid, junior Abby/Emma Zwall) finished in 10th place.
  At Lehigh, a shade earlier, Blake bounced 44-6 1/2 in the triple jump to seize second and his 5-9 effort in the high jump landed him in 10th. Junior Patrick Gabor cleared 6-1 in that event, thus earning fifth. Saydee was 10th in the 60 (7.18) while the 4x200 relay team (Blake, Saydee, senior Kieran Smith, junior baseball player Demetrius de Ramus) was eighth in 1:35.42.
  On the girls side, the qualifers were the aforemenionted 4x800 relay; McDavid in the 800 and mile; Shipon, Emma/Abby Zwall and soph Jalynn Johnson in the distance medley relay; Emma in the 3000; and junior Ainyae Holmes in the 60.
  There will be one last event, the New Balance Nationals, March 9-11, at the Armory in New York City.
  The girls distance medley and 4x800 quartets have qualified, as have Saydee (60) and Blake (HJ/TJ) for the boys.
  The DMR -- McDavid, Shipon, E. Zwall and Johnson -- will compete in the championship section, which is open to roughly the Top 20 groups in the country, regardless of enrollment. The 4x800 will be found in what's called the emerging elite (second tier).
  Good luck on the biggest stage!

EVENTS OF FEB. 23-24
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SPECIAL POSTING FOR FEB. 21

  Mason Williams finished his Penn Charter career with the school's third highest one-season average in this century.
  He scored 529 points in 28 games for an 18.9 norm, trailing only 22.9 by Sean Singletary in 2004 and 19.7 by Sean Knitter in 2000.
  His highest output was 31 points in an overtime win over Shipley. He forced that extra session by hitting two late treys  Mason, who earned first team All-Inter-Ac honors, scored 30 points in one game and 25 in two.

EVENTS OF FEB. 17
Pics -- Click here for basketball vs. Haverford School in PAISAA quarterfinal.

  Most people take a bath to start and/or finish the day.
  Brian Hecker and his assistants with Penn Charter's girls swimming program did so early Saturday evening in the pool at Franklin & Marshall College, in Lancaster, to celebrate—with MAJOR joy—a first place finish in the Eastern Swimming and Diving Championships.
  This was a two-day competition and the Quakers impressed throughout. Girls swimming totaled 578 points—boys finished 13th with 153.
  One highlight occurred in the 500 freestyle. Frosh Camille Weiss placed second at 4:58.03 while sophs Gabby Lopez-Ona (third at 5:06.32) and Sabrina Shaffer (seventh at 5:12.0) were in the ballpark.
  In another individual event, 100 breaststroke, PC notched first and fifth thanks to soph Sally Foley (1:02.54, good enough for All-American status) and Marissa Lopez-Ona (1:06.62).
  There was also a special group moment. Foley, G. Lopez-Ona, senior Madison Freeland and Weiss sped to 3:29.40 and second in the 400 free relay.
  And let's not forget about senior Reece Whitley.
  Understandably, he did not grab today's headline and he was as thrilled for the girls as anyone. But he AGAIN broke a national record with a time of 51.16 in 100 breaststroke. And he was honored as Swimmer of the Meet.
  The wrestlers again traveled to Malvern for Day 2 of the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Tournament. End result? Fifth of 20 teams with 103 points.
Senior Alex Koenig led the way with a second place finish at 160 pounds. Classmate Jordan Steinhouse was third at 138. Soph Jess Anderson (113) and junior Wayne Derkotch (182) were fifth, senior heavyweight Luke Mattice was sixth, junior Sam Shemtov (152), soph Matt McGlinchey (195) and freshman Andre O'Neal (220) were seventh, and frosh Tone DeMarco (145) was eighth.
  The basketball teams dropped road decisions in the quarterfinal round of the PAISAA Tournament, thus completing their seasons.
  The boys fell at Haverford School, 66-46, to finish 17-11. Seniors Mason Williams (19) and Will Samuel (14) were the top scorers and the former finished his PC career with 1,204 points, the No. 6 total in school history.
  The girls were outdone by Germantown Academy, 60-44. Junior point guard Emma "Meadowlark" Maley scored nine points.

EVENTS OF FEB. 16
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EVENTS OF FEB. 14
Pics -- Click here for girls/boys games vs. Friends' Central in first round of PAISAA Tournament

FEB. 14
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FEB. 13
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  Over the last three seasons, Penn Charter's boys basketball team has shot as many as 33 free throws three times.
  Meanwhile . . .
  In the 1970-71 season, star senior guard Billy Harris launched that many in one game.
  On Dec. 30, 1970, Harris shot 29-for-33 at the line (88 percent) and finished with 51 total points as the Quakers blasted Springfield Montco, 106-60, to win the championship in the Oreland Lions Tournament.
  Harris led the state in scoring that season with a 33-point average and his high game was a school-record, 65-point outburst vs. long-closed Germantown Lutheran Academy.
  That effort eclipsed a 63-pointer by Bill Soens vs. Germantown Academy in 1963. That's still the Inter-Ac record.
  By the way, the at-least-33-FTs feats have all occurred this season. PC went 27-for-34 vs. Shipley, 24-for-33 vs. GA and 18-for-33 vs. SCH Academy. Those first two games required one overtime session.

EVENTS OF FEB. 9
Pics -- Click here for wrestling vs. Episcopal (in Graham AC), then a few JV basketball pics followed by varsity vs. Haverford School.

EVENT OF FEB. 7
Pics -- Click here for boys squash vs. SCH Academy B in MASA Tournament.

EVENTS OF FEB. 6
Pics -- Click here for boys JV/varsity basketball vs. Germantown Academy.

  In the indoor racquet sport, there's nothing like squashing the opposition.
  Penn Charter did exactly that Tuesday in the Mid-Atlantic Squash Association Tournament.
  The girls snuffed nearby Germantown Friends, 7-2, to conclude their season with a sixth place finish in MASA while the boys dominated St. Andrew's (DE), 8-1, to set up Wednesday's Division 2 final vs. SCH Academy B.
  Junior Elisabeth Ross powered the girls with a 3-0 win that enabled her to finish the season, as coach Damon Leedale-Brown described it with a perfect record "across all competitions, including Nationals."
  Also impressive was freshman Nezzie Alexanian, who surrendered just five points in her win. junior Hatti Specter and senior Charlotte Murray won in three games. Junior Mia Bezar, senior Chloe Master and junior Alexa Lenfest did so in four.
  In the Nos. 1 and 2 boys slots, captains Marco Rodriguez and Marker Angelakis dropped just six points apiece in three-game wins. Other three-game wins were recorded by soph Jack Kennedy and junior Tom Bradbeer. Junior Rohan Bhambhani and eighth graders Oliver Leedale-Brown and Hyun Su Price won in four games. Frosh Ryan Yeatman toughed out a five-gamer.
  The basketball teams went 0-2.
  The girls were topped by visiting Episcopal Academy, 51-46, though three players -- soph India Barnes (13), frosh Kait "Katchy" Hnatkowsky (12), soph Carmen Williams (10) -- scored in double figures.
  Major shooting woes from the floor (11-for-63) doomed the boys in a 55-37 setback at Germantown Academy. Junior Ryan "Zingy" Maloney claimed 11 rebounds.

FEB. 5 (No varsity events)
Pics -- Click here for boys middle school varsity/JV basketball vs. Norwood-Fontbonne Academy.

EVENTS (SQUASH) OF FEB. 2-3-4
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  Penn Charter's girls squash team was proud to be placed in the top-level portion, The Patterson Cup, of the US National Championships, held at seven sites (including PC) this past weekend in Philly and the suburbs.
  Understandably, the challenges were many and the Quakers wound up posting a 1-3 record.
  Friday, they fell to Deerfield Academy (MA), 5-2, in the Round of 16, then defeated Hotchkiss (CT), 4-3, in the first of the consolations. They lost to Greenwich Academy B (CT), 6-1, on Saturday and to Pingry (NJ), 4-3, on Sunday.
  Overall, they placed 12th out of 80 teams.
  Junior Elisabeth Ross, like always, was a whirlwind. Playing in the No. 1 slot, she triumphed in all four of her matches and posted three shutouts while remaining unbeaten this season. Against Deerfield, she stormed back from a 2-1 deficit to win the last two games by identical 11-2 scores.
  Juniors Hatti Specter/Mia Bezar won two matches. Seniors Gwen Davis/Charlotte Murray won one.
  The boys, who were placed in the second of seven tiers, also went 1-3.
  Their win came against Phillips Exeter Academy (NH) by a 6-1 count. They lost to Westminster (GA) and Andover (MA) by 6-1 scores and to Tabor Academy (MA), 4-3.
  Senior Marker Angelakis led the win parade with three. Eighth graders Hyun Su Price and Oliver Leedale-Brown were next with two apiece. These guys won once: senior Marco Rodriguez, freshman Ryan Yeatman, junior Rohan Bhambhani and junior Tom Bradbeer.
  The boys finished No. 29 among 110 teams.

EVENTS OF FEB. 3
Pics -- Click here for boys JV/varsity basketball vs. Phelps.

EVENTS OF FEB. 2
Pics -- Click here for varsity wrestling vs. Haverford School and JV (a few)/varsity basketball vs. SCH.

  Penn Charter did not merely win Friday's wrestling match against visiting Haverford School. The Quakers racked up more than twice as many points, at 51-24.
  Coach Pete Shaifer was thrilled by the performance of his kids. He also loved the contributions of two adults.
  Seniors are now selecting honorary captains for each home match. The new tradition began with this tilt. Pat Noonan, the director of the math center, and Travis Larabee, head of the upper school, joined the ref and captains of both schools for pre-match pleasantries and sat right with PC's kids/coaches during the action.
  "They did really well," Shaifer noted. "We may need to bring them back."
  In what "Shaif" viewed as toss-up matches, the Quakers received pins from senior Luke Mattice and frosh Tone DeMarco and a decision from junior Sam Shemtov. Also, soph Matt McGlinchey, wrestling up to 220 pounds, almost made it 4-for-4 in either-ors, incurring a narrow setback.
  "He has gotten so much better," Shaifer said.
  Senior Jordan Steinhouse likewise was impressive in a 3-1 defeat.
  "He knew that his opponent had beaten him soundly just a month ago," the coach noted. "He also knew that it was in the team's best interest to take on this opponent . . . Man, has Jordan improved over the three years he has wrestled."
  Though officially not part of the match, Andre O'Neal also drew raves.
  Just in the last two weeks, the frosh football player decided to give wrestling a whirl. He took to the mat twice against HS for exhibition matches. And twice won by pin! A debut to remember forever.
  Boys basketball headed up to SCH Academy and claimed a 64-53 win.
  The Quakers shot 10-for-22 from beyond the arc. Seniors Mason Williams (25 points) and Will Samuel (16) nailed four apiece and the former added 11-for-12 marksmanship at the foul line. Senior Jake Nicastro and junior Dylan Topaz combined to limit SCH's most reliable scorer to 11 points.

EVENT OF FEB. 1
Pics -- Click here for boys middle school JV basketball vs. Germantown Academy, girls varsity/JV basketball vs. Notre Dame.

EVENT OF JAN. 31
Pics -- Click here for boys Inter-Ac League swimming championships at Malvern

  Reece Whitley's domination of Inter-Ac League swimming has ended.
  And, yes, of course, with a bang.
  The I-A championships were held Wednesday at Malvern Prep and Whitley, Penn Charter's nationally famous senior, like always was in a record-setting mood.
  His time of 1:38.29 in the 200-yard freestyle did double duty. It broke Malvern's pool record AND PC's team record of 1:41.66 by Brian Walters ('95). Then, in the 100 butterfly, he lowered his team mark from 51.82 to 49.21 . . . and got to enjoy seeing soph teammate Zion Weeks place fifth at 55.96.
  "Reece has obviously had an amazing Inter-Ac career, putting his name on record boards all around the league," coach Brian Hecker noted. "We are sad that his Inter-Ac career has come to an end, but look forward to his final swims for Penn Charter's high school team at Easterns in two weeks."

EVENTS OF JAN. 30
Pics -- Click here for boys varsity/JV basketball vs. Episcopal.

    Penn Charter's girls swimmers largely performed in sensational fashion through a perfect Inter-Ac League season.
  Tuesday at Episcopal Academy, they sparkled again on Day 2 of the I-A championships.
  Leading the way in top-dog territory for coach Brian Hecker's crew was the 400-yard freestyle relay, which set a school record of 3:34. 92 (seven-plus seconds better than its seed time) thanks to senior Madison Freeland, sophs Gabby Lopez-Ona and Sally Foley and freshman Camille Weiss.
  Meanwhile, Foley claimed a pool record by clocking 1:04.69 in the 100 breaststroke.
  Other winners were Weiss in the 100 free (52.83) and the team of eighth grader Lane Murray, Foley, junior Ayana Opong and Weiss in the 200 medley relay (1:49.63).
  The following competitors finished second: soph Marissa Lopez-Ona in 100 breaststroke (1:09.25), Foley in 200 IM (2:08.29), Weiss in 100 backstroke (1:00.30) and the team of soph Sam Boyes, Freeland, G. Lopez-Ona and junior Annika Murray in the 200 free relay (1:41.91).
  And these girls were third: Freeland in 200 free (1:57.82) and 100 free (55.21), Boyes in 50 free (25.34), G. Lopez-Ona in 100 butterfly (1:00.39) and L. Murray in 100 backstroke (1:00.96).
  Monday, soph Avery Myers placed third in diving.
  Also Tuesday, PC's squash teams competed in the first round of the Mid-Atlantic Squash Association Tournament. The boys blanked Haverford School's JV, 9-0 (all by 3-0 sweeps), while the girls fell to Episcopal's varsity, 8-1.
  Eighth grader Hyun Su Price and junior Tom Bradbeer were the boys' leaders. Each allowed just eight points. The former recorded a shutout in his final game and the latter allowed his foe to score just one point in the first game.
  Junior Hatti Specter kept the girls from being shut out. Her win was especially notable because she lost the first two games and then turned to assistant coach Kira Murasco-Blank and said, "I am not losing this match." Later, she even rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the fifth game.
  The basketball teams were bested by opponents they'd beaten the first time around.
  The boys were topped by visiting Episcopal, 63-51. The girls lost at Baldwin, 31-28.

EVENTS OF JAN. 29
Pics -- Click here for Middle school boys JV-B basketball vs. Germantown Academy, varsity wrestling practice.

EVENTS OF JAN. 27
Pics -- Click here for girls JV/varsity basketball vs. West Catholic.

  Penn Charter wrestling coach Pete Shaifer wasn't sure what to expect after a rough weekend, but he knows what he received -- a positive response for the ages.
  "Leaving the gym," he noted, "I asked one of the seniors if we needed a day off to recover and to come back hungrier. His response spoke volumes of the leadership that these seniors have brought to the team. He said, 'We only have 12 days of practice left. We need to make the most of these.' "
  PC's next match will take place Friday at home, 4:30, versus Haverford School.
  Friday, the Quakers were dominated by Germantown Academy, then spent Saturday in Maryland. They lost to St. Benedict's (NJ), 64-6, and to Good Counsel (MD), 51-18. They beat St. James (MD), 60-12, but as "Shaif" acknowledged, all of that school's prime performers were sick or injured.
  Senior Alex Koenig posted the win vs. GA and owned a takedown just 11 seconds into the match. Though senior Dante DiStefano lost, the second-year wrestler continued to impress his coach, as did frosh Max Lentz and junior Sam Shemtov.
  Soph Matt McGlinchey earned a pin vs. St. Benedict's.
  Girls basketball hosted West Catholic Saturday afternoon and wound up on the wrong side of the hyphen, 59-35. The deficit was only five points at halftime.
  Soph Kait Carter managed 21 points while classmate Carmen Williams claimed seven rebounds. Junior Emma "Meadowlark" Maley picked up a new nickname after her fancy ballhandling almost broke defenders' ankles.

EVENTS OF JAN. 26

Pics -- Click here for girls JV basketball vs. Germantown Academy, boys JV/varsity basketball vs. Malvern.
More pics -- Click here for boys 3rd team basketball vs. Episcopal, girls varsity basketball vs. Germantown Academy, girls middle school/varsity swimming vs. Notre Dame (PC won outright championship!)

  The swimmers weren't the only ones who got wet Friday as Penn Charter's girls participated in their final Inter-Ac League meet of the season.
  So did coach Brian Hecker . . . For the best possible reason!
  Hecker was doused moments after the Quakers used a 106-65 win over visiting Notre Dame Academy to complete a 6-0 march through the league and claim their FIRST outright championship. (SCH Academy does not offer girls swimming, thus the 6-0 record.)
  PC won seven individual events and three relays.
  Sophomore Sally Foley was the top performer in the 500-yard freestyle and 100 breaststroke, posting respective times of 5:04.08 and 1:04.78.
  Also recording individual wins were junior Annika Murray in 200 free (2:05.17), soph Sam Boyes in 50 free (25.76), soph Avery Myers in diving (236.80 points), freshman Camille Weiss in 100 butterfly (58.35) and soph Sabrina Shaffer in 100 backstroke (1:03.59).
  The relay wins: 200 medley in 1:51.51, 200 free in 1:47.16 and 400 free in 3:49.99.
  And here are the quartets, in order: eighth grader Lane Murray, Foley, junior Ayana Opong and Weiss . . . A. Murray, soph Alicia Newman, Opong and senior Greer Guyer . . . soph Gabby Lopez-Ona, junior Natalie Driscoll, Newman and senior Madison Freeland.
  The basketball squads dropped home games by seven-point margins -- the girls to Germantown Academy by 61-54 and the boys to Malvern by 76-69.
  Different path to those results, however. The girls won the fourth quarter, 18-9, while the boys fell by 26-12.
  Sophs Carmen Williams and Kait Carter scored 15 and 14 points, respectively, while frosh Laila Hamiter claimed eight rebounds. Soph Ryan "Pooch" Holmes (23) and senior Mason Williams (16, Carmen's brother) topped the guys.
  Wrestling visited Germantown Academy and lost by 58-9.

EVENTS OF JAN. 25
Pics -- here for: middle school, boys JV-B basketball vs. Episcopal and coed swimming vs. Germantown Academy.

EVENTS OF JAN. 24
Pics -- Click here for: Girls squash vs. Lawrenceville (NJ) on Senior Day, head shots of boys varsity basketball players.

  The good vibrations created by Senior Day could not last deep into the afternoon for Penn Charter's girls squash team.
  The powerful visitor was Lawrenceville School (NJ) and the result for PC was an 8-1 loss.
  Not surprisingly, junior Elisabeth Ross continued her winning streak in the No. 1 slot and the score was 3-0.
  Junior Mia Bezar extended her match to five games at No. 5 and classmate Alexa Lenfest was next best with a four-game effort at No. 4.
  "Lawrenceville was a tough opponent for us," reported coach Damon Leedale-Brown. "They have great depth throughout their lineup."
  PC's honored varsity seniors were Meredith Bernstein, Gwen Davis, Chloe Master and Charlotte Murray.

EVENTS OF JAN. 23
Pics -- Click here for varsity/JV basketball vs. Haverford School.

EVENTS OF JAN. 22
Pic -- Click here for: Middle school JV/varsity girls basketball vs. Episcopal.

  No varsity events.

EVENT OF JAN. 21
Pics -- Click here for girls basketball's visits to practice at Saint Joseph's (Saturday) and the UConn-Temple game (Sunday).
(Provided by coach Joe Maguire)

  The weekend for Penn Charter's girls basketball team included much more than playing.
  On Sunday morning, the Quakers were dealt a 48-38 loss by Mount St. Joseph -- soph Carmen Williams earned PC's team MVP honors -- in a showcase event at University of the Sciences.
  But from there, the girls rode a bus to Temple's McGonigle Hall and were able to watch the Owls host THE long-time national power, UConn.
  They sat as a group in the third and fourth row of the lower deck, across from Temple's bench.
  Wait. That's not all. Saturday, the girls attended practice at Saint Joseph's University.
  Noted PC coach Joe Maguire: "A lot, if not all, of the girls have aspirations of playing a sport in college, so they got to see firsthand the commitment, effort and work that go into it whether it’s for basketball, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey . . . It was pretty cool to see how hard UConn works, competes, and pays attention to detail regardless of opponent and the score."

EVENTS OF JAN. 20
Pics -- Click here for JV/varsity boys basketball vs. Central.

  Though letdowns are never acceptable, one might have been expected for Penn Charter's boys basketball team.
  Friday night before a large, energetic crowd, the Quakers topped visiting SCH Academy as senior Mason Williams raised his career point total to 1,009.
  Saturday, in front of almost no one (medium exaggeration), PC hosted Central and managed to mostly stay focused en route to a 64-48 triumph.
  Williams offered 22 points and four steals while senior Will Samuel collected 15 points and three blocks. For the third time recently, a JV player also dressed for the varsity game and this guy, junior Jayce Dyer, had two points.
  The wrestlers traveled to Great Valley and racked up a 1-2 record in an invitational dual meet.
  Church Farm was the victim by 48-27. Losses were suffered against GV, 36-33, and Cherry Hill West (NJ), 51-18.
  "That match was much closer than the score indicated," coach Pete Shaifer noted. "Two wrestlers were winning when they got caught and pinned. Those two matches were at least an 18-point swing."
  Freshman Max Lentz, senior Alex Koenig and soph Jess Anderson rolled to 3-0 records. Junior TJ Henry went 2-0 before having to step aside due to a shoulder ding. Soph Matt McGlinchey and juniors Wayne Derkotch/Sam Shemtov went 2-1.

EVENTS OF JAN. 19
Pics -- Click here for basketball: girls vs. Agnes Irwin and boys vs. SCH Academy (1,000 points for Mason Williams).

  Senior guard Mason Williams now can be found in Penn Charter's 1,000-Point Basketball Club and he gained entry in quite unusual fashion.
  With 2:38 remaining in the third quarter of what became an 81-56 blowout of visiting SCH Academy, his point total stood at 996.
  SCH then was hit with two technical fouls, Williams planted himself at the line and one, two, three, four swishes later, the cherished number was his!
  Mason finished with 19 points and his total now stands at 1,009. He scored nine of his points in the Quakers' outrageously dominant third quarter (28-5).
  Senior Will Samuel (19) and soph Ryan "Pooch" Holmes (13) also posted double figures. All 14 varsity members saw action and 10 scored.
  In game one of the doubleheader, the girls swept past Agnes Irwin, 60-30. Ten players also scored.
  Soph Hayley Hunt and frosh Kait "Katchy" Hnatkowsky (12 apiece) were joined in double-digit territory by soph Kait Carter. Hnatkowsky (seven) was the leading rebounder, junior Emma Maley had four assists and five steals, soph Carmen Williams (Mason's sister) had six boards, four dishes and five thefts, and classmate India Barnes had five/four/four in the same categories.
  Wrestling fell at Malvern, 71-3. Senior Alex Koenig was PC’s winner.

EVENTS OF JAN. 18
Pics --  Click here for: Middle school boys squash warmups before match vs. Shipley, middle school wrestling combo practice with Episcopal, head shots of girls varsity basketball players.

  No varsity games.

EVENTS OF JAN. 17
Pics -- Click here for: girls basketball -- middle school JV/varsity vs. Notre Dame, upper school varsity vs. Baldwin.

EVENTS OF JAN. 16
Pics -- Click here for boys/girls swimming warmups vs. Episcopal, boys varsity/JV basketball vs. Gtn. Academy.

EVENTS OF JAN. 13/14
Pics -- Click here for girls basketball vs. Ursuline Academy (DE) in showcase event.

EVENTS OF JAN. 12
Pics -- Click here for boys basketball vs. Malvern Prep

  In a wrestling match Friday, visiting Penn Charter scored 37 points. SCH Academy also scored 37 points. Congrats on the win, Quakers!
  As noted by coach Pete Shaifer, numerous criteria are used to break a tie. In this case, PC received credit for the victory because it scored the most "first points."
  Even better, it racked up an amazing amount of late-match points to overcome a 31-9 deficit after the 152-pound fray. Senior Alex Koenig, junior Wayne Derkotch, soph Matt McGlinchey and senior Luke Mattice won with pins during the hot streak while Dante DiStefano earned his win thanks to a team point awarded with 0:08 left on the clock. (Four senior wrestlers are pictured here holding the trophy they won earlier this month at the Academy of the New Church tournament.)
  Boys basketball lost at Malvern, 85-52, and boys squash lost at home, 9-0, against The Westminster Schools, of Atlanta.
  Senior Will Samuel scored 11 points for the cagers and junior Dylan Topaz drained three treys for nine.
  For squash, frosh Ryan Yeatman, playing at No. 4, "dug deep physically and mentally," according to coach Damon Leedale-Brown, before losing, 12-10, in the deciding game. Top-of-the-line senior competitors Marco Rodriguez and Marker Angelakis fell in tight, four-game matches.

EVENTS OF JAN. 11
Pics -- Click here for: Girls varsity squash vs. SCH Academy, varsity swimming and 3rd team middle school basketball vs. Malvern Prep

EVENTS OF JAN. 9, Part 2
 Question: Is there ever a time when Penn Charter senior Reece Whitley fails to turn heads in a swim meet?
  Answer: Never, ever.
  In a loss at powerful Haverford School on Tuesday, Whitley broke TWO short course meters national records.
  (Short course means the pool is 25 meters in length. Long course means 50.)
  In the 200 individual medley, he clocked 2:01.50 to smash the mark by almost four seconds. His time in the 100 breaststroke was 1:01.40. He lowered that standard by 1.23 seconds.
  Also faring well for PC were Zion Weeks (200 free, 100 fly) and newcomer Luke Brogan (50/100 free).
  Girls swimming traveled to Agnes Irwin and came home quite happy, thanks to a 116-64 victory that featured wins in all but two events.
  The 200 medley relay got things started in splendid fashion. That youthful quartet included eighth grader Lane Murray, sophs Sally Foley/Sam Boyes and ninth grader Camille Weiss. Boyes was part of two other winning relays. Foley, Weiss, soph Gabby Lopez-Ona and senior Madison Freeland bagged two relay wins apiece while Foley was quite impressive in the 400 freestyle, winning the event from lane six.
  Note: Concerning Whitley's records, Coach Brian Hecker is awaiting official word from a national organization.

EVENTS OF JAN. 9
Pics -- Click here for varsity/JV boys basketball vs. Episcopal.

EVENTS OF JAN. 6
No pics

  Ah, that's more like it.
  After having to deal with rough, early-season sledding due to injury, illness and inexperience, Penn Charter's wrestling team faredvery well Saturday in its first action of 2018.
  In fact, the Quakers resembled a blizzard.
  In the Lions Dual Meet Tournament, hosted by Academy of the New Church, PC roared to five wins and outscored its opponents , 277-82 The respective scores: Cheltenham, 58-21; ANC, 58-18; Lower Moreland, 51-15; McDevitt, 40-22; Westmont Christian, 70-6.
  Four guys rolled to 5-0 marks -- seniors Alex Koenig and Dante DiStefano, junior T.J. Henry and soph Jess Anderson. Seniors Jordan Steinhouse/Luke Mattice and junior Wayne Derkotch posted 4-1 records while soph Matt McGlinchey went 3-2. Junior Sam Shemtov continued his improvement by providing stiff competition for high-quality foes.
  Also, the freshmen "young guns," as coach Pete Shaifer likes to call them, racked up a 16-2 record in varsity matches. Nate Miner and Tone DeMarco headed that crew with perfection.

EVENTS OF JAN. 3
Pics -- Click here for: Girls varsity/JV basketball vs. Germantown Academy.

EVENTS OF JAN. 2
Pics -- Click here for: Practices for middle school wrestling, middle school boys 3rd team basketball, varsity wrestling, coed middle school/varsity swimming.

  No varsity events

EVENTS OF DEC. 30
No pics

  Like the boys team, Penn Charter's girls basketball squad departed Wildwood, NJ, with a 1-1 record.
  The results order was reversed, however, as the girls entered Saturday's game with a chance to earn a two-game sweep.
  Alas, they fell to West Chester Rustin, 55-47, as a slow start (16-6 deficit after one quarter) could not quite be overcome.
  Frosh Laila Hamiter (10, 5-for-9 from floor) was the only Quaker to score in double figures while classmate Kait Hnatkowsky grabbed nine rebounds.
  The wrestling team headed to Chambersburg for a highly competitive tournament that featured entrants from Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Delaware.
  Senior Alex Koenig turned a strong second-day performance into a sixth-place finish. Though the result was a loss, he was especially impressive in an overtime battle versus one of Pennsylvania's top wrestlers.
  Senior Dante DiStefano also advanced to second-day competition.
  Seniors Jordan Steinhouse (OT win) and Luke Mattice and junior Wayne Derkotch picked up valuable experience in Day 1 outings.   

EVENTS OF DEC. 29
Pics -- Click here for boys JV/varsity basketball vs. Friends' Central.

EVENTS OF DEC. 28
Pics -- Click here for boys basketball vs. Cherokee (NJ) in Wildwood, NJ.

EVENTS OF DEC. 27
Pics -- Click here for boys basketball vs. Shawnee (NJ) in Wildwood, NJ.

EVENTS OF DEC. 23
Pics -- Click here for JV and varsity boys basketball vs. Freire Charter.

EVENTS OF DEC. 21
Pics -- Click here for 3rd team, JV and varsity boys basketball vs. Bonner-Prendergast.

EVENTS OF DEC. 19
Pics -- Click here for 3rd team, JV and varsity boys basketball vs. Ryan.

EVENTS OF DEC. 16
Pics -- Click here for basketball: JV girls vs. Gtn. Academy; girls varsity vs. Pennington, NJ; boys varsity vs. Palumbo.

EVENTS OF DEC. 15 (Evening)
Pics -- Click here for showcase basketball at Gtn. Academy; girls vs. Ryan, boys vs. West Catholic

EVENTS OF DEC. 15 (Morning)

  The names of four Penn Charter players can be found on the 2017 Daily News All-City Football Team, as selected by 1998 PC grad Aaron "Ace" Carter.
  Junior running back Edward Saydee earned first team honors as the multi-purpose position due to his exploits as a running back and receiver (1,579 yards, 14 touchdowns).
  Senior receiver John Washington (448 yards, seven TDs) was named to the second team while senior quarterback Will Samuel (1,361 passing yards, 12 TDs) and junior defensive back Terence Thompson (15.5 tackles behind the line) were placed on the third team.

EVENTS OF DEC. 14
Pics -- Click here for girls varsity squash vs. Baldwin; boys JV/3rd team basketball vs. Roman Catholic.

  By the end of Thursday's boys squash road match vs. SCH Academy, hardly any skin was left on Penn Charter's teeth.
  The Quakers edged the Blue Devils' B Team, 5-4, and the closest win went to eighth grader Oliver Leedale-Brown by a 3-2 score.
  And it wasn't captured in back-and-forth fashion. L-B dropped the first two games and won No. 3 by the minimum two points. He was again pushed hard in the fourth game, but won by 11-8. Game No. 5? Comparatively easy at 11-6.
  PC's other victories went to seniors Marco Rodriguez and Marker Angelakis at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, and to juniorsTom Bradbeer and Rohan Bhambhani at Nos. 6 and 7. Rodriguez, Angelakis and Bradbeer executed three-game sweeps.
  The girls squash team hosted Baldwin and dropped an 8-1 decision. PC coach Damon Leedale-Brown says Baldwin might be the No. 2 team in the country.
  PC's win was posted at the No. 1 slot by junior Elisabeth Ross. Her opponent was likewise a nationally ranked player and the two are known for having eye-popping battles.
  The Quakers' best losing effort was made by junior Alexa Lenfest at No. 4. She extended her match to five games.
   

EVENTS OF DEC. 13
Pics -- Click here for middle school boys varsity/JV basketball vs. Friends' Central.

EVENTS OF DEC. 12
Pics -- Click here for JV/varsity boys basketball vs. Shipley.

EVENTS OF DEC. 11
Pic -- Click here for a pic from 2012.

  In 2012, Penn Charter's football captains were seniors Daryl Worley and Mike McGlinchey.
  In case you're wondering how their grid lives have unfolded since then . . .
  Worley played three years of college ball at West Virginia, then was selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers. Now he's a starting cornerback.
  McGlinchey is playing his final season for Notre Dame as a graduate student (did not see action in 2013) and Monday was named a first team All-American tackle by Associated Press.
  Yes, first team All-American!
  Mike's first cousin, 2003 PC grad Matt Ryan, is the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback.

EVENTS OF DEC. 9
Pics --  Click here for: girls/boys basketball tourney finals vs. Westtown/SJ Prep

EVENTS OF DEC. 8
Pics -- Click here for: girls/boys basketball tourney semifinals vs. King's Christian (NJ).

EVENTS OF DEC. 7
Pics -- Click here for: boys JV squash vs. La Salle; boys 3rd team/JV basketball vs. Tacony Charter.

  Not even contests on consecutive days, with No. 2 on the road, could prevent Penn Charter's boys squash team from turning heads.
  After blanking visiting Malvern Prep Wednesday, the Quakers took the short trek to Germantown Friends School Thursday and posted an 8-1 victory.
  Coach Damon Leedale-Brown was especially happy that two players toughed out five-game victories.
  Senior Ben Swanson triumphed after dropping the second and third games. Eighth-grader Oliver Leedale-Brown, the coach's son, lost the third and fourth before regrouping just in time.
  The other winners needed just three games. They were: seniors Marco Rodriguez and Marker Angelakis, junior Tom Bradbeer, soph Jack Kennedy, freshman Ryan Yeatman and eighth-grader Hyun-Su Price.
  Rodriguez yielded just eight points. Yeatman was next at 11.
  "We put up an impressive performance against a fired up GFS team," coach Leedale-Brown said.

EVENTS OF DEC. 6
Pics -- Click here for: middle school squash vs. Shipley (boys) and Germantown Friends (girls); varsity boys vs. Malvern.

  Penn Charter's boys squash squad continues not to skip a beat.
  In Wednesday's Inter-Ac opener, the Quakers blanked visiting Malvern Prep, 9-0, and eight matches featured three-game sweeps.
  "Overall a very solid and professional performance by the boys; working well on the areas we have been developing in practice over the last week," noted coach Damon Leedale-Brown.
Junior Max Lubowitz, usually the No. 3 performer, was unavailable due to injury, so six players moved up one notch and soph Jack Kennedy turned a promotion from the junior varsity into a triumph in the No. 9 slot.
  The most dominant winners were senior Marker Angelaikis (six points allowed), freshman Ryan Yeatman (seven) and eighth graders Hyun-Su Price and Oliver Leedale-Brown (10 apiece).
  Other winners: seniors Marco Rodriguez and Ben Swanson; juniors Rohan Bhambhani and Tom Bradbeer.

EVENTS OF DEC. 5
Pics -- Click here for boys varsity/JV basketball vs. Abington Friends

  You miss your first eight shots and allow your opponent to score the first 10 points.
  Later, you lead by as many as 18.
  Not all basketball games unfold in normal fashion and Exhibit A was on display Tuesday as Penn Charter's boys squad bested visiting Abington Friends, 60-46.
  Among other things, the teams combined to shoot just ONE free throw over the first 21 1/2 minutes. Anyone have access to the world's offbeat basketball records?
  Anyway, senior Mason Williams (18) and junior Dylan Topaz (12) led PC in scoring while junior Ryan "Zingy" Maloney fell just short of double digits with nine. Williams also led the Quakers in rebounds (six) and steals (four).
  On the road, the hoop girls also played Abington Friends.
  Soph Kait Carter tallied 10 points in a 44-31 setback.

EVENTS OF DEC. 4
  Penn Charter's girls squash team again has taken a trip to Dominationville.
  Monday, the visiting Quakers bested Harriton, 8-1.
  The most compelling matches featured senior captain Meredith Bernstein and junior Lexie Kaiser. Five games were required in each and the final scores were 3-2. Junior Hatti Specter needed four games to win her match.
  Also victorious were seniors Charlotte Murray and Chloe Master and juniors Elisabeth Ross, Alexa Lenfest and Mia Bezar.
  Bezar yielded just four points. The total for Murray was eight.

EVENTS OF DEC. 2
  In Day 2 of a showcase event at Shipley, Penn Charter's girls basketball team met the host and suffered a 47-29 defeat.
  No Quakers reached double digits. Soph Hayley Hunt (nine) and junior Emma Maley (eight) came close.

EVENTS OF DEC. 1
Pics -- Click here for JV/varsity boys basketball vs. Academy of the New Church.

EVENTS OF NOV. 30
Pics -- Click here for: boys squash, middle school practice and varsity vs. Conestoga.

EVENTS OF NOV. 28
Pics -- Click here for boys basketball vs. Germantown Friends/girls basketball vs. Friends' Central.

  Because Williams is a common surname, you can't assume a guy and gal are brother and sister.
  But Penn Charter's respective basketball squads DO feature siblings in Mason and Carmen Williams and Tuesday they fueled opening day victories.
  Mason, a senior, drilled four treys en route to 22 points as the boys bested visiting Germantown Friends, 58-32. Then it was Carmen's turn. In the second game of a Dooney Field House doubleheader, the soph totaled 15 points, five rebounds and four assists in a 57-40 triumph over Friends' Central.
  Meanwhile, remember the Hnatkowsky brother-sister hoops duo (Mike "Neeko"/Lexi) from last year? Their sister, a ninth grader named Kait, added 10 points.
  For the boys, soph Ryan "Pooch" Holmes had 12 points and three assists while junior sub Brendan Thomas hustled for four steals.
  Other contributors for the girls: Soph Kait Carter had nine points, five boards and three assists; junior Emma Maley had three assists and five steals; and soph Hayley Hunt mixed eight points with five boards.
  Girls squash needed to wait until nighttime to open its season and the result was a 6-3 win over Conestoga.
  The score was 2-2 through the first four matches with PC's wins going to junior Mia Bezar and senior Meredith Bernstein by 3-0 scores. The Quakers then roared to 4-1 domination thanks to junior Alexa Lenfest and senior Elisabeth Ross by 3-0 and seniors Chloe Master/Charlotte Murray by 3-1.

EVENTS OF NOV. 20
Pics -- Clickhere for: practice for girls basketball, boys/girls swimming, boys basketball, wrestling.
---
  No games yet for winter sports.

EVENTS OF NOV. 11
Pics -- Football vs. Gtn. Academy: pregame, halftime and postgame pics here. Game/crowd pics here. And click here for boys soccer and boys/girls cross country, also vs. GA.
---
  Fake news: The last time Penn Charter's football team won nine games, the players traveled to games in trains or horse and buggies.
  Wait, that might be legit news because the year was 1905.
  YOU can research that one, folks (smile). We'll stick with this year's nine-win season.
  Saturday, the grid Quakers (9-1) highlighted PC-GA Day by posting a 26-17 victory over visiting Germantown Academy, thus upping their outrageous advantage in the series to 84-36-11.
  After falling into a 14-0 cavern, PC rallied hard as senior Will Samuel passed 17-for-31 for 234 yards and three touchdowns -- one apiece to classmate John Washington (6-85) and juniors Brendan Thomas (5-35) and Edward Saydee (4-78). Soph Ryan Bradby mixed two field goals with two PAT while Saydee carried 22 times for 103 yards.
  Washington, who also forced a fumble and made the game-clinching interception, was awarded the Geis MVP Trophy. JuniorGavin Tygh, with three TFL, was also a defensive stalwart.
  PC and GA tied for Competition Cup honors at 5-5.
  Boys golf triumphed a while back. Saturday's other winners were boys cross country (27-28), girls soccer (4-0) and girls water polo (9-6).
  Eighth grader Oliver Leedale-Brown, breaking his PR by more than a minute, paced the XC guys with a second-place finish. The other scorers: frosh Drew Gillespie (4th), junior Alex Turner (6th), senior Blaise Ciarrocchi (7th) and soph Luke Jaspan (8th).
  The major girls scorers were senior Giovanna "Gi" DeMarco in soccer (three goals) and soph Hayley Hunt (eight) in water polo.
  Boys soccer, boys water polo, girls tennis, girls cross country and field hockey were bested.
  Frosh Emma Zwall provided the highlight for the losing teams by placing first in XC. Also, senior Connor Sullivan won the Rumpp Award for being named PC's MVP in the game vs. GA.

EVENTS OF NOV. 9
Pics -- Click here for: Girls soccer at Episcopal in a PAISAA semifinal.
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  What's the deal with the goalie gods? Why are they mad at Penn Charter?
  Not too long ago, senior Mack Listman was lost to the girls soccer team due to concussion issues.
  Monday, the boys visited SCH Academy for a PAISAA quarterfinal and junior Kyle Earley became unavailable after suffering a broken finger during warmups.
  Thursday, the girls visited Episcopal Academy for a tourney semifinal and Listman's successor, junior Riley McDade, broke a finger not long into the first half . . . though she toughed things out and a diagnosis wasn't made until halftime.
  The Quakers lost both contests by 1-0 scores.
  In this game, soph Kait Carter pitched a shutout beyond intermission.
  Both teams will end their seasons Saturday as part of PC-GA Day.

EVENTS OF NOV. 7
Pics -- Click here for: PAISAA soccer tournament, girls vs. Baldwin & boys vs. SCH Academy.
---
  Giovanna DeMarco, the senior headliner of Penn Charter's girls soccer team, is called "Gi" by friends and teammates.
  Tuesday, the spelling of that nickname could have changed to "Geeeee!" As she was truly amazing.
  DeMarco has earned national accolades and she showed why Tuesday while leading the Quakers past visiting Baldwin, 3-1, in the quarterfinal round of the PAISAA Tournament.
  Thanks to impressive individual moves and perfect shots, Gi scored the first two goals about 90 seconds apart a shade before the halfway point of the first half. Later, she had a marvelous assist on a goal by soph Sara Shipon.
  Soph Riley McDade was the goalie for coach Darci Spencer's squad.
  The boys, at SCH Academy, also competed in a PAISAA quarterfinal. The result was a 1-0 loss.
  In the post-game gathering, coach Bob DiBenedetto's first move was to heap praise upon soph goalie Chase Williams.
  Williams is a backup. But he was forced into action for this one after junior Kyle Earley, the starter, broke a finger while stopping a shot in warmups.

EVENTS OF NOV. 5
  Penn Charter hosted the water polo championships for Eastern private schools Sunday and performed well while compiling a 1-1 record.
  In fact, coach Brian Hecker feels his gals lately "have been playing their best polo of the season" and that has him excited for Saturday's game vs. Germantown Academy.
  PC's results: a 16-15 win over Lawrenceville School (NJ) and a 9-7 loss to Hill School.
  The Lawrenceville game featured a 9-6 edge in the second half. Soph Hayley Hunt turned six shots into five goals and classmate Sally Foley went 4-for-4 in her most noteworthy varsity outing. Junior Molly Visco added three goals. All six starters had at least one steal.
  Hill was the No. 1 seed and PC spent some time in Feelin' Giddy Land, thanks to a 6-3, third-quarter lead. But Hill, the eventual champ, responded with five consecutive goals and wound up surviving. Hunt (three) and Visco (two) finished the game as PC's top scorers.
  In the boys version of the tournament, played over two days, the Quakers dropped verdicts to Hill, Pingry School (NJ) and St. Benedict's (NJ).
  In those last two games, frosh Zach Kaplan totaled nine nine apiece of goals/steals. Senior Alex Koenig added four scores vs. SB and soph Bret Brogan had six steals.

EVENTS OF NOV. 4
Pics -- Click here for: football vs. Episcopal.
---
  Episcopal was missing its franchise rusher and starting quarterback due to injuries, but as Saturday's football game at Penn Charter reached intermission, the Churchmen owned a 17-14 lead.
  Second half? Glad you asked.
  The Quakers roared to four touchdowns on six possessions and claimed a 42-17 victory, notching an eighth win for the first time since 2006 and giving them a chance to finish with nine for the first time since 1905 if archrival Germantown Academy can be conquered next Saturday.
  Headliners were numerous.
  Senior John Washington made four catches for 122 yards and two TDs and added a third score on a 1-yard run. Junior Edward Saydee netted 141 yards and two scores on 23 rushes while senior Will Samuel passed 7-for-11 for 153 yards and the two scores to "Wash." On the defense, junior ends Gavin Tygh and Ryan Maloney, counting sacks and TFL, were in on seven stops for losses.
  A cool moment occurred right before the game when Dan Rosania, the special needs son of former PC star Bob Rosania (Class of 1982), served as an honorary captain for the coin toss via the Athletes Helping Athletes program.

EVENTS OF NOV. 3
Pics -- Click here for: boys soccer vs. Shipley in first round of PAISAA Tournament.
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  Despite the date (Nov. 3), the weather was still balmy Friday as Penn Charter's boys soccer team hosted Shipley in the first round of the PAISAA Tournament.
  How the game unfolded certainly was different, however.
  In many contests this season, the first half has offered no goals . . . and often nothing even close to a goal.
  But this time, the Quakers tallied just 90-odd seconds into the game and that counter stood up in a 1-0 victory.
  Sophomore Jude Shorr-Parks was the first guy to make it possible. He made an all-out dash toward the back line, a shade outside the right post, and impressively kept the ball from going out of play. He also fired a sharp-angle pass toward the middle and senior Andrew Morris, thank you very much, pounded it past the goalie.
  Morris and many other Quakers then ran over to the far-side stands, so they could celebrate with roughly 30 student rooters. Later, that portion of the crowd surpassed 40.
  With plenty of help from Morris, senior Connor Sullivan and soph Ryan "Pooch" Holmes, junior Kyle Earley earned a shutout.
  Field hockey also met Shipley, on the road, in the first round of the PAISAA Tournament.
  The result was a 3-2 loss, in two overtimes. Senior Catherine "Catmac" McInerney, off a corner, scored PC's first goal. Junior Elisabeth "ER" Ross also tallied.

EVENTS OF NOV. 2
Pics -- Click here for MS football vs. SCH Academy.
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  No varsity events today.

EVENTS OF NOV. 1
Pics -- Click here for: MS girls tennis vs. Shipley MS boys JV/varsity soccer vs. Malvern.
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  No varsity events today.

EVENTS OF OCT. 31
Pics -- Click here for: Golf vs. Germantown Academy.
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 Competition in the annual PC-GA Day commenced Tuesday at Huntingdon Valley Country Club and coach Travis Larrabee's linksters rolled past Germantown Academy by 7 1/2 to 1/2 in a match play event.
  The other contests will take place on the actual PC-GA Day -- Saturday Nov. 11
  Seniors Brian Isztwan and Archie Filshill led the way by winning their matches with identical 4 and 2 performances. (Meaning: They were up four holes with two remaining. Thus, the match was over.) PC's 3 and 2 winners were frosh Patrick Isztwan (Brian's brother) and seniors Noah Schwartz and Dante DiStefano. Three more seniors also participated. Blake Target and Marker Angelakis collected wins and Matt Barkann was part of a tie.
  "I was particularly pleased that all seven seniors got to be part of the eight-man lineup, and so were they," Larrabee said. "Nice wayto finish up. This was a well played match for us. Since we've gone to this match-play format vs. GA, this is our most lopsided victory."
  Boys soccer bested Malvern, 1-0, in a home game and coach Bobby DiBenedetto found it impossible to contain his excitement.
  "We've been trying this play for 30 years!" he said. "And it NEVER worked until today."
  He was referring to himself and assistant Tom Ciolko. Tom began coaching Bobby, then 14 years old, with the Juniata Express club team. In the 1989 season, Tom was North Catholic's coach and Bobby was a senior player for the Falcons. Now, Tom is Bobby's long-time assistant.
  The play, a free kick, began roughly 22 yards out. Junior Billy Melnick chipped the ball over the defensive wall and soph Jude Shorr-Parks, having run around that wall, pumped the ball home from a spot near the right post. He was no more than six yards out.
  "It was so cool to see it work, perfectly," DiBenedetto said.
  Junior Kyle Earley earned the shutout.
  "We played an excellent game." DiBenedetto said. "We were the dominant team."
  Boys water polo hosted Malvern and fell, 15-7.
  Senior Sean McLafferty scored twice while junior Will Tanner and soph Bret Brogan halved six steals.
  Field hockey made the trek to Notre Dame and lost by a 10-1 score.

EVENTS OF OCT. 30
Pics -- Click here for: girls JV soccer vs. Notre Dame, girls/boys water polo vs. Friends' Central.
---
 Only in the Charter (smile).
  Monday, the Boyes cousins helped two girls teams claim victories.
  In water polo, played at home against Friends' Central, soph Samantha Boyes totaled four goals and three steals to spark a 7-5 victory.
  In soccer, Maggie Boyes, also a soph, scored a goal in the Quakers' 4-0 triumph at Notre Dame.
  WP's other primary contributors were soph Sally Foley (two goals), junior Stella Singer (one) and classmate Annika Murray (two assists).
  Soccer was fueled primarily by senior all-timer Giovanna "Gi" DeMarco, who owns a national profile. She scored the second and fourth goals and eighth grader Kayla Bradby earned a nice assist on the latter. Frosh Kait Haughey took care of the first counter. Soph Riley McDade recorded the shutout.
  Boys water polo also hosted undermanned Friends' Central and substituted freely while rolling, 15-7.
  Seven players scored. The leaders were soph Lance Rainer (five) and frosh Zachary Kaplan (three).

EVENTS OF OCT. 28
Pics -- Click here for: Football vs. SCH Academy.
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  The cross country state championships for independent schools were held Saturday at Belmont Plateau, in Fairmount Park, and PC's girls claimed third among 12 schools with 70 points.
  Frosh Emma Zwall continued her eye-popping success by winning the race with a meet record of 19:00.70. The mark previously belonged to 2013 PC grad Catie Skinner, who set it as a soph in 2010 with a time of 19:10.07.
  Also finishing in the Top 20 for coach Andy Zuccotti were juniors Mary McDavid (15, 21:15.50) and Abby Zwall (Emma's sister, 16, 21:19.20), and sophs Alicia Newman (18, 21:26.70) and Sophia Solomon (20, 21:34.00).
  The boys placed 11th among 14 schools with 269 points. PC's top runner was frosh Drew Gillespie (39, 18:52.50).
  Meanwhile, the football team has put itself into position to sniff very rare air.
  Though this squad includes just four returning starters, its overall record now stands at 7-1 following a 28-7 win over visiting SCH Academy.
  Two games remain -- the next two Saturdays vs. Episcopal Academy, then Germantown Academy -- and coach Tommy Coyle's squad has a chance to become PC's first eight-game winner since 2006 and nine-game winner since 1905.
  In this one, junior Edward Saydee carried 21 times for 153 yards and two TDs while senior John "Johnny Wash" Washington scored twice thanks to four catches for 115 yards. Their longest six-pointers covered 70 and 60 yards, respectively.
  A strong defensive performance was highlighted by frosh Matthew Marshall (two sacks, fumble recovery) and juniors Ryan Maloney (two sacks, one TFL) and Terence Thompson (two TFL). 

EVENTS OF OCT. 27
Pics -- Click here for: Field hockey/girls soccer vs. Baldwin.
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  It was only one win. But it probably felt like three, or even four, to a young, inexperienced team that has often experienced rough moments this fall.
  Friday, Penn Charter's field hockey squad hosted Baldwin in an Inter-Ac game and stormed to a 10-0 victory.
  Senior Ava Nicolucci and soph Avery Myers paced the jubilant Quakers with four and three goals, respectively. Myers notched hers on just five shots. Goals by freshman Kaylee Dyer and seniors Lily Carpenter and Catherine "Catmac" McInerney completed the scoring.
  Shortly into the second half, Nicolucci tallied after accepting a long right-side feed from Dyer. Only two minutes later, off a corner pass from Nicolucci, McInerney sent a rocket past Baldwin's goalie from maybe 20 yards out. Soon, Myers was converting a backhand slap.
  Impressive goals ruled the day.
  All along, PC's defense, keyed primarily by McInerney, played so well that frosh goalie Zora Johnson needed to make just two saves to record the shutout.
  Girls soccer also played Baldwin at home and lost, 3-1. Soph Kait Haughey's goal prevented a shutout.
  Boys soccer visited Episcopal and fell by the same score. Soph Ryan Bradby tallied for PC. Also at EA, boys water polo went down to defeat.

EVENTS OF OCT. 26
  Ending a drought is always fun. When accomplishing that feat occurs in exciting fashion, it pretty much feels like New Year's Eve.
  Brian Hecker is in his fourth year as Penn Charter's girls water polo coach and, prior to Thursday, his crew had never beaten Episcopal Academy.
  This score was 14-13, thanks to a 9-4 advantage in the second half.
  The winning goal was scored by senior Bela Metz on what Hecker termed "a beautiful pass" from classmate Greer Guyer.
  Soph Hayley Hunt fired seven shots and converted each and every one. Freshman Sally Foley and senior Ellen O'Malley added two goals apiece while junior Natalie Driscoll and soph Molly Visco added singletons. Foley, Guyer and Hunt thirded nine steals. Plus, junior Zoe Tierno packed nine saves (of 12 total) into the second half.
  Hecker was especially pleased by his team's steal/turnover ratio, 16 to 12. Wednesday, in a loss to Lawrenceville School (NJ), the team's 10 thefts were dwarfed by 22 cough-ups.
  In that game, Hunt notched six goals. Guyer and O'Malley had two apiece.
  Both contests were played in PC's pool.