Mount runs record to 10-1 in AACA hoops
by Tom Utescher

The Mount’s Haley Hendel hoists a lay-up in a win over Sacred Heart.

The Mount St. Joseph Magic remained tied for the top spot in the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies with a pair of league victories last week, one over a perennial playoff team, and the other over one of the weaker franchises in the AACA.

As expected, Country Day School of the Sacred Heart fell to the visiting Magic on Tuesday, 43-19. Two days later a more formidable foe, Nazareth Academy, paid a visit to Mount St. Joe’s.

When they attained a 41-23 advantage with less than three minutes to go in the third quarter, it appeared that the Magic were going to coast to their second win over the Pandas this winter. Instead, the home fans were brought to the edge of their seats as Nazareth closed the gap to 46-37 in the fourth round before the hosts pulled away again to win, 53-39.

The outcome sent the Mounties (17-1 overall) into double-digits in league victories, at 10-1. Their only loss of the season came in December against AACA rival St. Basil, which later lost to Merion Mercy and gave up sole possession of first place.

Hillyard Nichols of GFS (top) didn’t get a pin, but he did win a 15-14 decision over Perkiomen School’s Dennis Zhang during last Friday’s tri-meet. (Photo by Devon Grieb)

Germantown Friends probably set a new speed record in completing its portion of a wrestling tri-meet at Abington Friends last Friday afternoon. In close losses to the Kangaroos of host AFS (28-33) and the Indians of Perkiomen School (25-27), a total of just six matches (of a possible 28) were decided by wrestlers on the mat.

Forfeits have been the bane of the Tigers’ season, and Friday’s results gave GFS a record of 0-10 overall, and 0-4 against Friends Schools League opponents. Fellow FSL member Abington Friends improved to 1-3 in the league, and in the concluding match of Friday’s tripleheader, the Kangaroos also won their non-league encounter with Perkiomen, 27-18.

Germantown Friends started off against AFS with a pin by junior Jim Hall, who scored a takedown almost immediately and then pinned the Kangaroos’ Hayden Samak 47 seconds into the bout. The home team quickly overtook the Tigers in the team scoring, as GFS gave up 24 points in a row by forfeiting matches at 160, 171, 189, and 215 lbs.

The best high school squash players in the region assembled last Saturday at Episcopal Academy, where the host Churchmen won the team title and Chestnut Hill Academy finished a close second at the 2010 Mid-Atlantic Squash Association (MASA) Championships.

Episcopal amassed 50 team points to win the event and CHA finished with 47. After third-place Haverford (26 points) came two area schools, Penn Charter, which was fourth with 15 points, and Germantown Friends, which was fifth, with 12. Next, in order of finish, came Lawrenceville (11.5 points), Shipley (11), Malvern (seven), Hill School (six), Conestoga High School (five-and-one-half). The 11th-place team, with four points, was HLM, a combined squad from Harriton and Lower Merion High Schools.