The Rams had no hardware to back up their fall seasons, yet it was a incredibly strong season for Spring-Ford sports teams. Starting with boys’ cross country, we will recap each of the team’s seasons.
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
Coming off the team’s best season in program history, losing five varsity seniors was always going to end in regression. Sophomore phenom Johnny Zawislak followed up his incredible freshman season with an appearance in the state tournament as an individual where he finished 78th. The team finished 3-2 in the PAC paced by sophomore Alex Fink, Zawislak and senior Joey Power. The team will return the majority of its competitive runners and should only improve on this year’s mark.
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
The girls also sent a lone representative to the state tournament in senior Emily Smith. The girls’ team finished 4-1 in a strong season in the PAC and will return strong runner Brooke Donoghue (Soph.) as they look to win a PAC title.
FOOTBALL
The football team came into the season with many people outside the team not giving them much of a chance. A team who lost an All-League QB and RB aren’t expected to do much the next year. The Rams proved that stigma wrong, paced by a dual-threat QB Ryan Engro (Jr.), and a three-headed monster running game headed by Stephen Brill (Sr.), with contributions from Andrew Yoon (Soph.) and Armante Haynes (Jr.). The team returns three quarters of that backfield, and will look to build upon their 8-3 mark.
VOLLEYBALL
The volleyball team had a very respectable 7-6 record in the PAC, dropping many close matches. Seniors Olivia Olsen and Gabrielle Hegedus completed their careers this season, as Hegedus recently announced she will be attending Sarah Lawrence College to continue her volleyball career. Olsen reached a monumental 1,000 kills for the Rams’ throughout her career and will forever be remembered in the lore of the Spring-Ford program.
BOYS GOLF
The Spring-Ford golf team seems to always be in the running. This year was no different for the Rams. Highlighted by senior Axel Kalbach and sophomore sensation Luke Watson, the team finished second in the PAC. Both players made appearances in regionals, where Watson narrowly missed a chance to participate in the state tournament. Kalbach, on the flip side, played in states and finished in a very respectable 32nd place.
GIRLS GOLF
The girls’ golf team finished the season 3-5 in the PAC. The team lost to Great Valley in a narrow one-point defeat, knocking the girls out of the PAC Final Four. Aleena Ghanta (Soph), Amelia Dichicco (Jr.), and Cassidy Landis (Sr.) all made districts appearances, but unfortunately did not make it to the second day. The team looks forward to next season as the PAC is losing multiple girls golf powerhouses, including Great Valley, Downingtown East, and Downingtown West.
FIELD HOCKEY
The field hockey team went 5-5 in the PAC. Carried by freshman Ashley Sessa, junior Katelyn Crist, and senior Caroline Todd, the team participated in the district tournament after a very respectable season. At the conclusion of the season, Sessa was selected as the second youngest player ever on the US Indoor Senior National Team.
BOYS SOCCER
History was made on McNelly field this fall. The soccer team beat Radnor in the district playoffs and made the program’s first appearance in states where they fell to Freedom in the first round. Paced by all-state player Collin Trainor and goalkeeper Ray Fortebuono, the team is definitely going to go down as the best in program history. The team returns five of its eleven starters and will look to build on such a strong season.
GIRLS SOCCER
In Mo Hadadi’s first season, the Rams’ had a steep challenge awaiting as they lost 18 seniors. The team surprised many as they got all the way to the PAC final, where they fell to area superpower Owen J Roberts. UMass commit Ella Curry (Jr.) had a really strong season for the Rams that was rewarded with a spot in the inaugural All-State All-American team. The team looks to next year with a strong core of GK Riley Wallace, Hope Flanegin, Molly Thomas, and the previously mentioned Curry.
GIRLS TENNIS
The girls tennis team had an incredibly strong season, going 10-1 within the PAC. The team was headlined by a very strong doubles team, Tori Alexander and Kathryn Alvarez. The duo made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the district tournament before falling to the top seeds of the tournament. Unfortunately, the team itself fell to Downingtown West in the first round of the tournament.