The Roundup’s third edition marks the finale of Radnor’s fall season, and (hopefully) the last of the confusing weather fluctuations. Nature, please pick one; we’re all tired of daily shifts from the Sahara to the tundra.
To end with a serious bang, Radnor Boys Soccer reclaimed the state title for the first time in twenty years on Friday! The team was cheered on by what felt like the entirety of the RHS student body, thanks to Dr. Mac granting Excused Absences to all attendees – a true display of Radnor’s heart and spirit. The Roundup covers our Gents’ long overdue and well-deserved domination, alongside the remainder of autumn’s athletics.
— Kayla
Cheerleading – Abby Merschel
It’s no surprise that Radnor Cheerleading has been working exceptionally hard over the past few weeks! The girls have been practicing to perfect their competition routine, which was just performed this past weekend at UCA Regionals in Trenton, New Jersey. Radnor Cheerleading looks to compete again at Poconos Regionals on December 7, hoping to receive an invite to Nationals at Disney World. The team is also busy preparing for basketball season. Radcheer’s season has just begun – be on the lookout for more exciting things!
Crew (Boys) – Will Ledbetter and Arnav Sadashiv
Radnor Boys Crew concluded their season with a busy weekend racing in the Frostbite and Braxton Memorial Regattas. Keeping previous years’ traditions, RBCC once again brought home hardware: the V2x (Louis Martin-Labille, Hugo Rowbotham) won gold during the Frostbite Regatta against nineteen competitors coming from across the Philly tri-state and New York. There were solid placements across the whole team during both days, but Sunday’s Braxton Regatta saw promising results from the Novice 8, who placed 4th in their category and were merely four seconds from the podium. In all, this weekend was certainly an action-packed conclusion to the fall season. Looking forward, the rowers are gearing up for a revamped winter season, which plans to prepare the team for victory in springtime’s big races.
Crew (Girls) – Arielle Mims
The fall season for Radnor Girls Crew has officially ended. To conclude their season, RGCC’s freshman 8+ scrimmaged Gwynedd Mercy on November 3 (a series of 500m pieces), during which RGCC took the victory. The next weekend, RGCC traveled to New Jersey’s Mercer Lake for the Braxton Memorial Regatta. The V4+ placed 3rd in their flight, enabling their advancement to a petite final, where they finished 6th. The V8+ placed 1st in their flight, allowing them to advance to finals, and they placed 4th. Both the JV8+ and the freshman 8+ finished 6th in their respective heats. Overall, RGCC ended their fall season strong. Looking forward, the girls will be working hard this winter to train for spring, when they’ll be back in full swing!
Cross Country (Boys) – Harsh Kakkar
After a season of grit and dedication, Radnor Boys Cross Country put forth a valiant effort at the Districts Meet. Leading the charge was senior captain Joe Garzio, who has ran phenomenally all season. His hard work paid off when he qualified for the PIAA State Championships. At States, Joe raced an impressive 16:34 in the 5K, placing 30th in a highly competitive field. Radnor XC couldn’t be prouder of Joe’s remarkable performance and leadership this season. Congratulations to Joe and the rest of Radnor Cross Country on an outstanding fall!
Cross Country (Girls) – Nadia Dougherty
Radnor Girls Cross Country’s captain Emma Hyde finished her senior season incredibly, qualifying for the PIAA State Championships. Emma raced in the 3A 5000 meter, during which she ran a time of 19:51. She placed 36th out of a whopping 237 runners – an amazing feat. Emma continued her success by committing to Lehigh University, where she will further her athletic career and run cross country and track. Great job to Emma Hyde and the rest of RGXC!
Field Hockey – Nancy Wible
Radnor Field Hockey ended their season with a 13-5 regular season record and an overall record of 16-7. After losing in the district quarterfinals to Kennett, the team earned a spot in a playback tournament to claim a spot in the States tournament. They first beat Unionville 2-0, who they had previously played and beat in the regular season. On Friday, November 1st, the girls faced Wissahickon, who had been ranked the second seed when going into Districts. After an intense game, Radnor prevailed with a 3-2 victory, earning themselves a spot in States. In the first round of states, they suffered a tough 4-1 loss to Warwick, which ended their season. On a high note, the game was incredibly competitive. Highlights included Juliet Wildt stopping a stroke and Alex De Cain scoring the team’s sole goal. Although this conclusion was unfortunate, RGFH had a great run and grew as a team throughout their 2024 season.
Football – Ellis Margolies
Radnor finished their season with a great win versus Lower Merion. Tons of students traveled to LM to watch the Raptors play and show their school spirit; energy was high for the anticipated rival game. The first half was a battle with the Aces. After finding themselves down at halftime, RAFO flipped a switch and were able to dominate the rest of the game. Radnor’s offense ended the game with a total of 331 yards (227 passing and 104 rushing) and were able to put 35 points on the board. Their defense limited Lower Merion to 21 points and had a pick-six to give the Raptors a total of 42 points. The student section was electric after the win, thankful that RAFO had given them a half day on Monday. After an incredible season full of many ups and downs, Radnor was able to finish with a big win over our rivals. The Raptors showed resilience over the season and worked extremely hard in practice to bring the trophy back home. Radnor congratulates RAFO for a great season and eagerly awaits next year!
Soccer (Boys) – Commerce Fisk
20 years. It had been 20 years since Coaches Caruolo, Shilcock-Elliot, and McGrath had hoisted that rugged brown plaque in the air. 20 years since Radnor Boys Soccer wrote their name into the halls of Pennsylvania athletic history. On November 15, the Gents would again pick up the pen.
On their journey to Mechanicsburg, Radnor Boys Soccer first confronted Central League foe Marple Newton in the District 1 3A championship game at Upper Merion High School. Equipped with a business-minded mentality, the team instantly made their mark. Less than 3 minutes in, senior Dean Moon converted following a scrum on the 18-yard box, cushioning the ball into the net’s top right corner. Captain Roman Rivera doubled Radnor’s lead in the second half, providing a powerful header to Matt Santerian’s stunning free kick. Later, Santerian placed another cross into the heart of Marple’s defense, finding senior Andrew Marino to put away the third and final goal of Radnor’s 3-0 championship win, clinching back-to-back District 1 titles for the program. The celebrations were abound that Wednesday night, but as Coach Joseph Caruolo emphasized all season, their job was not yet finished.
After a weekend of intense preparation – physical and mental, the Gents’ PIAA state tournament run began on Encke Field on election night. The boys faced off against Kennard-Dale High School. Despite a dominant first-half in terms of shots on goal, Radnor went into the locker room scoreless at the half. Sticking to their mentality of intense pressure, the boys won two penalties in the second half, by junior Jagger Holt and senior Devin Karadagli. Sandwiched between the two PK’s, senior Connor Flynn scored off a Dean Moon cross. Stellar defense and goalkeeping ensured the game ended 3-0 in favor of the Gents, solidifying an undefeated campaign at home.
The following Saturday, round 2 of the state playoffs ensued at Norristown High – the site of the Gent’s 2023 District 1 win – pinning the boys against Archbishop Ryan. Karadagli struck early, converting on the ever-reliable Andrew Marino pass. At the end of the first half, sophomore Tyler Ferst added his name to the scoresheet, scoring on the roof of the net off a deflection by the Ryan goalkeeper. The second half belonged to Jagger Holt. With his two composed finishes from the right side of the box, aided by assists from Dean Moon and Roman Rivera, the Gents ended the game with a 4-1 win, giving up a penalty late in the match. This would be their only goal conceded in the entirety of the postseason.
The next Tuesday, the Gents embarked on their first true roadtrip, taking on the Mountaineers of Dallas High School in Whitehall in the state semi-final. What came next could only be described as utter dominance. 11 minutes into the match, Marino, still recovering from a painful ankle injury sustained in the quarter-final showdown, found himself in the perfect position following yet another scrum in the box. 1-0 Radnor. Early in the second half, Rivera tacked on another goal from a Dean Moon corner. And with 11 minutes to go, Tyler Ferst made it consecutive scoring affairs for the young wingback, converting off a clinical Matt Santerian through-ball. By the end of the 3-0 offensive soiree, the Gents outshot the Mountaineers 13-0, and won the corner battle 14-0. It was on to the final, but business continued as usual.
In 2018, Radnor Boys Soccer had found themselves in that same state final game. 6 years ago, tragedy struck in the final 30 seconds of that match, a memory that the coaches and the community still shudder to recall. On the Wednesday night before the Friday final, Gent alumni David Azzarano and Ben Verbofsky spoke to the team about their own experiences in the state final. They emphasized one thing: Do it for your brothers.
Friday morning, the Gents traveled two hours to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where the undefeated Tigers of Moon Area High School awaited them. With the pleasantries in flight, the PIAA 3A Championship began as hundreds of Radnor students faithfully packed the stands. Not 2 minutes after the whistle blew, Sophomore Aidan Haas emerged from a scrum in the box, tapping in a classic Dean Moon corner kick, and giving the Gents their vital 1-0 early lead. From there, it was a test of offensive and defensive stability. Late in the first half, Senior goalkeeper JD Ball made a miraculous diving save to safeguard Radnor’s lead going into the half. In addition to Matt Santerian and Andrew Marino’s duet of domination, Aiden Haas and Connor Flynn each had promising chances in the second half, but as the game came to a close, it was all about conservation. With 50 seconds remaining, Ball made one last crucial save and punted the ball as far as he could. It was over.
The Gents were state champions.
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Interested in writing about Radnor sports for the Roundup? Contact Kayla Cormier ([email protected], 215-821-4699) or stop by the next Radnorite meeting.
