FALCON ATHLETICS For t
Wor th
Country
Day
Athletic
Wrap-up
Champions!
Fall
2016
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Football . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
What a season! Falcon football took top honors in the Southwest Preparatory Conference 3A division, boys’ volleyball won the consolation championship, and Whit Dennis ’20 placed in the top 10 at SPC cross country, earning all SPC Honors. The Falcons had a great fall season across the board. All their preparation and hard work paid off.
Cheerleading. . . . . . . . . . . 3
Football
Boys’ Volleyball. . . . . . . . . 5
Cross Country. . . . . . . . . . 4 Field Hockey. . . . . . . . . . . 4 Girls’ Volleyball. . . . . . . . . 5
By Allen Taylor ’18
Winter Coaches . . . . . . . . 6
For the first time in six years, Fort Worth Country Day’s football team won a Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) Championship. FWCD beat Cistercian Preparatory School 52-17 to cap off an incredible season.
Athletic Wall of Fame . . . 8
Coming into the season, the Falcons were favorites in the SPC 3A division, after making the playoffs in 2015. The Falcons had a strong offseason, entering the season with an injuryfree starting lineup. Head Coach Frank Gendusa scheduled the Falcons a challenging game to begin their season: the 2015 TAPPS Football Champions, the Fort Worth Christian (FWC) Cardinals. FWCD fell behind 25-0 and never recovered. Seniors Brodie Hyde and Ross Biggs won player-of-the-game accolades: Hyde recovered a fumble, and Biggs led the team in rushing. The final score was FWC 28, FWCD 18. Continued page 2
Save The Dates
Fall Sports Awards. . . . . . 7
US Pep Rally February 3 Winter SPC Houston February 9-11 Spring SPC DFW April 27-29
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After losing to FWC, the Falcons faced their down-the-street rivals, the Trinity Valley Trojans. Typically, the Battle of Bryant Irvin is the final game of the season, but with the SPC realignment, the Falcons and Trojans played September 2. Falcon quarterback and captain Brad Chilcoat ’17 led the team to victory, totaling 225 yards and scoring three touchdowns. The defense forced the Trojans to turn over the ball twice, one on a Spencer Pergande ’17 fumble recovery and another on a Brian Evans ’17 interception. The Falcons conquered: 27-15. The most anticipated home game of the season was September 16 against the Greenhill Hornets, who entered the game undefeated with the most points scored in the SPC. The Falcon running game steamrolled the Hornets’ defense, rushing for 247 yards. Biggs led the attack with 141 yards and two touchdowns. Defensive end Jack Stephens ’18 recovered a fumble, and defensive tackle Robert Todora ’17 forced a safety to highlight the defensive showing. This victory put the Falcons in prime position to qualify for the SPC 3A Championship.
Ross Biggs ’17
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The Falcons next traveled to Irving to take on the Cistercian Hawks. Brad dominated the contest, scoring four touchdowns and steering the Falcons to a 29-7 second-quarter lead. Cistercian responded, shutting out the Falcon offense in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, tight end Jack Mock ’17 caught the game-sealing touchdown pass to solidify the Falcons’ 36-23 victory. In the Homecoming game, FWCD dominated the Oakridge Owls. It was revenge for the Falcons, who lost to Oakridge in 2015’s Homecoming game. This was the best offensive game for the Falcons all year, rushing for 347 yards on 40 rushes. Brad totaled more than 350 yards and accounted for six touchdowns, four rushing and two passing. The Falcons were one win away from a championship berth. The team made the trip to Austin to face the St. Stephen’s Spartans. The Falcons routed the Spartans, 55-14. Biggs set a career high in rushing touchdowns with three, and Brad scored three touchdowns. Running
back Campbell Hyde ’20 scored his first career touchdown. That same night, FWCD clinched a playoff berth. The Falcons were either going to play Cistercian or Greenhill in the championship, and the winner of the game between the two, played on Greenhill’s home turf in Addison, would decide the Falcon’s opponent. Cistercian won, securing the Hawks an SPC 3A Championship berth against the Falcons. Still, the Falcons had two more regular season games to play. First, the team traveled to The Woodlands and destroyed John Cooper 54-10. They returned home for Senior Night against the Casady Cyclones, finishing off their regular season with a 35-14 victory. The championship game was a Battle of the Birds, the Falcons and the Hawks. This was the first championship game berth since the SPC Division II Champion team in 2010. FWCD is known for its success in championship games, winning its first eight title games without faltering. The game on November 4 at McNair Stadium on the All Saints’ Episcopal School campus did not begin as the Falcons hoped. The Hawks struck first with a 70-plus yard touchdown drive. The Falcons punted on their first drive, with Drew Chilcoat ’19 pinning Cistercian at its own four-yard line. Then defensive back Turner Symonds ’18 intercepted a pass. Running back Mack MacLean ’18 tied the game with a 10-yard touchdown run. On Cistercian’s next possession, defensive back Josh Tipton ’17 intercepted a midfield pass. The Falcon running game pushed the ball to the two-yard line, where Brad found wide receiver Joseph Breedlove ’17 for a touchdown. The first quarter ended with the Falcons leading 14-7. Cistercian responded with a 50-yard touchdown pass at the start of the second quarter to tie the game. On the ensuing Falcon drive, Brad found Breedlove for a 39-yard touchdown
pass, giving the Falcons a 21-14 lead. Cistercian kicked a field goal with seven minutes to go in the half to trim the Falcons’ lead to 21-17. FWCD punted on its next drive, and then Brodie Hyde ’17 recovered a fumble inside the Cistercian 40. The offensive took advantage of the turnover, as Brad scored a rushing touchdown to give FWCD a 10-point lead with less than a minute in the first half. The halftime score was FWCD 28, Cistercian 17. The Falcons began the second half with possession. Cistercian attempted a surprise onside kick, in hopes of changing momentum, but FWCD recovered. Though the Falcons began with great field position, they had to punt. Drew boomed another great punt, and Stephens downed the punt at the seven-yard line. Cistercian punted again, and the Falcons had the ball at the FWCD 35-yard line. On the second play of the drive, Biggs had the highlight play of the game. He broke into the clear and scored a 59-yard touchdown to give the Falcons a 35-17 lead. Symonds intercepted another pass, and Drew kicked another field goal to extend the Falcon lead, 38-17. Drew then intercepted a pass, returning it inside the Cistercian 30-yard line. Brad scored a rushing TD from 24 yards out, which put the nail in the coffin of Cistercian’s hopes of coming back. Cistercian got the ball back with under two minutes to play, proceeded to run the ball twice, threw the ball once, but was unable to gain a first down. Cistercian lined up in a punt formation, but faked the punt. A Hawk had the ball and was running toward the boundary, until defensive back Chris Cooper ’17 forced a fumble. Safety Brayden Bescher ’18 recovered the fumble and returned it 26 yards for a Falcon touchdown. Bescher’s touchdown capped off an incredible night for the Falcons, as they won the SPC 3A Championship with a dominant 52-17 victory.
Katherine Walters ’17
Cheerleading By Annie Beg ’17
The 2016 varsity and JV fall cheer season was very successful. At the beginning of August, both squads attended the UCA Cheer Camp at Great Wolf Lodge to learn new chants, cheers and stunts to perform at football games. The girls also received several ribbons and trophies for all their hard work during the four days. On September 2, a mini pep rally took place at the track to cheer on the varsity football team in support of the Battle of Bryant Irvin game against Trinity Valley. The exciting event consisted of lots of school spirit; great drone footage; and Assistant Head of Upper School Peggy Wakeland’s signature cheer, “Stop, Look and Listen!” The Mardi Gras themed all-School Homecoming Pep Rally on September 9 consisted of gold pompoms, bows and festive decorations by the junior moms. The varsity cheer squad traveled to Austin (St. Stephen’s) and Houston (John Cooper School) to support the varsity football team. Both games were Falcon victories. The Blackout Pep Rally on October 28 included a special performance from the senior boys, known as “Man Cheer”; a class contest trivia game; and a sevenminute dance routine performed by the JV and varsity squads. The fall season was amazing, and the team is excited to be cheering this winter.
Assistant Head of Upper School Peggy Wakeland 3
Cross Country
By Campbell Robinson ’19 This year’s cross country season ended with a universal sense of accomplishment for the team. Though it began to pour rain at the SPC Championship Meet at St. Stephen’s in Austin (for the second year in a row) each and every runner fought hard through the weather and completed the task at hand. The team finished one place away from being in the top 10 of SPC teams, but we will be back next year, stronger than ever. Seeing each person set new personal best times again and again throughout the season is what cross country is about, and that is exactly what our runners did this year. The faster times were not the only thing great about this season; there were also several committed athletes playing for other sports, such as football and field hockey, who decided they would come and run with us toward the end of the season in addition to their previous commitments. The dedication, unwillingness to give up, and the determination to complete a tough, lung-killing practice in the Texas heat is what sets the cross country team apart.
Megan Park ’18
Field Hockey
By Christina Kelly ’18 The field hockey season was truly amazing. Our seniors led us through the season with an undefeated start to the counter competition. Coach Paige Farris Chisholm ’87 and Coach Chloe Bade Anderson ’05 always had a positive take on every situation and ran us through drill after drill until we mastered the skills necessary to advance to the SPC Tournament. Team dinners and secret buddies united the team, composed of all upper classmen plus our star, goalie Lydia Barron ’19. Our last practice was run by the seniors and consisted of our favorite field hockey games and activities. Then, we were off to SPC with our 3-4 record. At SPC, we battled hard against Hockaday in our first game and barely lost to Episcopal High School the next day. The boys’ volleyball team made an appearance at our EHS game, and their support was greatly appreciated. Also, a big thank you to all of the parents, students and faculty who attended our games throughout the season. The Monday after SPC, we had our end-of-the-year party, where our secret buddies were revealed. The captains presented each player with a descriptive nickname or phrase, and we watched an inspirational slideshow recapping the year in photos, including a video of Mr. Sawyer yelling “Falcons, Falcons, Falcons!”
Solana Adedokun ’20 4
We are sad to see such a wonderful season come to an end, and we will feel Coach Anderson’s absence next year when she is no longer coaching. We will also miss our seniors: Carly Franks, Meredith Mallick, Kate Nolan, Brianna Ordoñez, Annie Phillips, Chloe Pyron, Sarah Sawyer and Olivia Woodson. For those of us not graduating, we look forward to next year and all that it has in store for us!
Girls’ Volleyball
By Savannah Grammer ’17 This season, the girls’ volleyball team finished with a record of 2-5 in conference play. We started off strong with an amazing preseason record and were ready for the competition of conference play. We knew we had our work cut out for us, but with the extraordinary leadership from Coach Sha’Dare McNeal and Coach Aimee Jenkins, we prevailed and grew exponentially as a team. Unfortunately, we did not qualify for SPC, but that did not stop us from finishing the season with a win. This season was not only about striving to qualify for SPC, but also about redefining what it means to be a team and work together. As a whole, this season could not have been any more memorable and exciting. The team would like to thank the coaches, the athletic program, and, most of all, our parents for all their love and support.
Boys’ Volleyball
SPC 2016 wrapped up a fantastic season for the boys’ volleyball team, which included a win over perennial powerhouse St Mark’s at our home tournament and a 3-0 sweep of TVS to earn fifth place at the SPC Tournament in Austin. This year caps off the careers of six special seniors: Matthew and Nicholas Aufiero, Brandon Bidwell, Jack Carvalho, Teddy Margo and Isaac Narrett. These players have contributed so much to the program over the last several years – we will miss their skills and their personalities. These seniors have set a high standard for work ethic, discipline, skill and passion for volleyball, in addition to SpongeBob trivia and triumphant karaoke ability … torches that they will pass to the returning core of the team for next year. We look back with fond memories of this season and look forward to the future! Good luck, seniors! Left: Harrison Sapienza ’18 Below: Conner Williams ’17, Campbell Robinson ’19, Diego Casanova ’19, Whit Dennis ’20
Ryleigh Rains ’17 sets Hannah Peeples ’18 5
Winter Season Coaches 2016-17
Teddy Margo ’17
Got Questions? Get Answers! If you have a question about the athletic program at FWCD, email Athletic Director Frank Gendusa at frank.gendusa@fwcd.com.
Join the Falcon Club Today! Membership form available at fwcd.org/falconclub 6
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL Varsity Head Coach: Shelley Rains* Assistant Coach: Aimee Jenkins JV Head Coach: Katie Jordan ’09 Middle School A Head Coach: John Polasko Middle School B Head Coach: DeAnn Hall Assistant Coach: Butch Traeder H’16 BOYS’ BASKETBALL Varsity Head Coach Boys: Joe Breedlove ’78* Assistant Coach: Chris Anderson Assistant Coach: Pepper Ackers ’92 Assistant Coach: Ken Crutcher Assistant Coach: Troy Bruening JV Red Red Head: Glenn Forbes Assistant Coach: Spencer Smith JV Blue Blue Head: Troy Bruening Assistant Coach: Spencer Smith Middle School A Head Coach: Stephen Blan Middle School B Head Coach: Chris Anderson Middle School B Red, White, Blue Head Coach: Austin Walton GIRLS’ SOCCER Varsity Head Coach: Rachel Pinckard ’07* Assistant Coach: Donavan Oliver JV Head Coach: Raphael Fernandes Assistant Coach: Taylor Smith ’12 Middle School A Head Coach: Aaron Hoover Middle School B Head Coach: Jamie Ringgenberg
BOYS’ SOCCER Varsity Head Coach: Mike Vincent* Assistant Coach: Jeff Rozanski JV Head Coach: Ivan Kovacevic Assistant Coach: Rob Napier Middle School A Head Coach: Frank Remmel Middle School B Head Coach: Rob Napier WRESTLING Varsity Head Coach: Hugo Munoz Middle School Head Coach: Matthew Handy SWIMMING Varsity Head Coach: Kathy Steinbrenner* CHEERLEADING Varsity Program Director : Anne-Lise Woods ’85 Head Coach: Sarah Stallard JV Head Coach: Tristan Luttrell Middle School Head Coach: Killian Philipson Assistant Coach: Angeles Casanova ATHLETIC TRAINER Head Athletic Trainer: Ed Chisholm Assistant Athletic Trainer: Chelsea Procter-Willman STRENGTH COACH Weight Room: Shane Jenke
*Program Director
2016 Fall Postseason Athletic Awards Boys’ Volleyball
Most Valuable: Nicholas Aufiero ’17 Heart & Hustle: Jack Carvalho ’17 Coaches Award: Isaac Narrett ’17 SPC All-Conference: Nicholas Aufiero ’17, Isaac Narrett ’17 SPC All-Zone: Nicholas Aufiero ’17, Teddy Margo ’17 SPC All-Conference Honorable Mention: Teddy Margo ’17
Cheerleading
LeBlanc Award: Colbi Jordan ’18 Cheer Spirit: Mia Pulido ’17 Coaches Award: CeCe Brants ’17
Cross Country
Most Valuable Boy: Whit Dennis ’20 Most Valuable Girl: Ainsley Hilliard ’20 Heart & Hustle Boy: Logan Harvison ’19 Heart & Hustle Girl: Solana Adedokun ’20 Coaches Award Boy: Campbell Robinson ’19 Coaches Award Girl: Katie Bynum ’20 SPC All-Conference: Whit Dennis ’20 SPC All-Zone: Whit Dennis ’20
Field Hockey
Most Valuable: Meredith Mallick ’17 Heart & Hustle: Sarah Sawyer ’17 Coaches Award: Helen Holloway ’18 SPC All-Conference: Megan Park ’18 SPC All-Conference Honorable Mention: Chloe Pyron ’17 SPC All-Zone: Kate Nolan ’17, Annie Phillips ’17
Football
Most Valuable: Brad Chilcoat ’17 Outstanding Offensive Player: Ross Biggs ’17 Outstanding Defensive Player: Turner Symonds ’18 Outstanding Lineman: Will Jones ’17 Outstanding Special Teams Player: Drew Chilcoat ’19 Coaches Award: Spencer Pergande ’17 SPC All-Conference: Ross Biggs ’17, Joseph Breedlove ’17, Brad Chilcoat ’17, Spencer Pergande ’17, Turner Symonds ’18, Robert Todora ’17 SPC All-Conference Honorable Mention: Colton Baird ’17, Ben Belton ’18, John Thomas Brookman ’18, Drew Chilcoat ’19, Will Jones ’17, Michael Manson ’17 SPC All-Zone: Brayden Bescher ’18, Brian Evans ’17, Max Gordon ’17, Mack MacLean ’18, Jack Mock ’17, Josh Tipton ’17
Girls’ Volleyball
Most Valuable: Savannah Grammer ’17 Heart & Hustle: Ryleigh Rains ’17 Coaches Award: Alexis Onuscheck ’18 SPC All-Conference: Savannah Grammer ’17 SPC All-Conference Honorable Mention: Alexis Onuscheck ’18 SPC All-Zone: Savannah Grammer ’17 Above: SPC All-Zone: Teddy Margo ’17, Nicholas Aufiero ’17, Savannah Grammer ’17, Annie Phillips ’17, Brian Evans ’17, Kate Nolan ’17, Brayden Bescher ’18, Whit Dennis ’20, Jack Mock ’17, Josh Tipton ’17, Mack MacLean ’18, Max Gordon ’17 7
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID FORT WORTH, TX PERMIT NO. 676
2015-16 Falcon Club Major Purchases • Noah Volleyball Setter • Falcon Nest Paint and New Logo • Game Ready Rehab Machine •
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(Training Groom) Technomad Speaker Repairs (Both Gyms) Hurdles Audio System for the Stadium Baseball Field Tarps Cheerleading Mats Soccer Stadium Bench Shelters FlashTiming Meet Manager (Track and Field Timer) Golf Cart (For New Tennis Center) Alert Electric Stimulator (Training Room) Generator (For Field Misting Fans) Visitor Bleacher Rental (For Stadium) Ice Chests (Team Use) Kubota Repairs (Trainer Cart)
FWCD Athletic Wall Of Fame Honorees from the Class of 2011 were inducted at half-time during the Homecoming football game on September 30, 2016. Pictured are: Courtney Reimer Arnold, Furman University Basketball Kyle Fraser, Stanford University Lacrosse Clifton Harlin, Texas A&M University Track and Field Shelby Stripling Harlin, McMurry University Basketball Not Pictured: Cody Bills, Washington and Lee University Golf Aaron Brown, Mount St. Mary’s University Basketball Christa Ratcliff, Tuskegee University Tennis
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