Through the sunny days of summer to a leaf-laden campus as the daylight hours grew shorter, our fall sports traversed, both athletically and physically, into a season of change, resolution, and victory. Victories on the field aside, our student-athletes developed as people, flourishing as they develop in sportsmanship.
Bre Brawn ’25, a senior golfer, reflects on this past season and how the sport affected her development: “If you’re a beginner, it’s so easy to join the team. But if you are a girl who does want to train and get better, we have the support available for you to improve. It’s your practice – what you put in; you get out. So, even though our team didn’t go very far, if you individually put in the work, you can train and you can get a lot better. I started my junior year, so I’ve only been playing for two years, and I got so much better after just one season: I improved so much.”
The results of this fall’s competitions, in total, were impressive. Beginning in the CHSL championships, boys’ tennis became the fall champions, and our girls’ field hockey secured their fourth consecutive CHSL title.
District appearances were also aplenty for our Irish. Boys’ soccer and football teams each were finalists in their respective District Championship. For football, the win was their first district championship since 2012!
Special moments from the fall season, aside from the wins and losses, were the moments spent together, as described by tennis senior Joseph DiFranco ’25. “I’m going to be honest – probably the bus rides to matches, specifically the time we played in Dearborn [were my favorite memories]. All of the guys… we were just having a great moment, and we were all singing on the bus ride there and back. It was just a lot of fun. We ended up winning that match.”
As for who inspired him the most during the season, DiFranco looked to his two captains. “Joey Stout ’25 and Liam Leitzinger ’25… they are two of my closest friends. They made a goal at the beginning of the season that ‘we have to make it to States’. We’d never done that, and it was kind of like a pipe dream in the beginning… but we ended up making it to States. They’re probably the two biggest inspirations.”
And that inspiration definitely paid off. Our boys’ tennis team, as well as our equestrian team, girls’ cross-country team, and field hockey won their way to placement in their respective regionals, fighting their way against bigger schools and bigger competition. Some teams, such as cross country, tennis, and field hockey next made the trip to States, where they showcased more Irish spirit and determination. Senior equestrian Shea Lenhard ’25 reflects on her personal favorite moment during that phase of the season. “Winning the stake race after I had fallen at regionals… winning it at States.”
Highlights for the season, according to cross-country senior Jane Cousino ’25, began with reuniting with her teammates. “Honestly, just being with my teammates, having one last season to be with all the people – that’s why I joined cross-country, it’s why I stuck through it. Going back to my favorite places and running each course for the last time, which felt good. It’s good to be done,” she laughed. “It was a lot of fun just to see all of the juniors and sophomores really stepping up, taking varsity positions, and just leading the team. We had a really good team this year.”
One piece of advice she’d give to the cross-country freshmen becoming sophomores is simple: “Just stick with it. It’s hard, and you’ll look back from this year and you’ll remember all of the times that it hurt… but actually, it’s worthwhile to stick with it.”
As the winter season moves into its second half, we look back at the fall as a guidepost for our athletes. We continue to build relationships, skills, and prowess in our student-athletes and programs. We continue to build up our athletes to be well-rounded, faithful, and dedicated throughout all the seasons.
Go Irish!