HAVERFORD, PA - Before entering a season with championship aspirations, programs try to schedule games against the best of the best.
One of those contests occurred April 5 when heavyweights Haverford School and St. Joseph’s Prep met in an early-spring, non-league headliner. While the Fords were undefeated and the top-ranked team in the entire country last year, the visiting Prep had snared the Catholic League title.
Final score: Haverford School 14, St. Joseph’s Prep 10.
“In the beginning of the second quarter, we had a lot of energy, which kinda fueled everything,” said star senior midfielder Dox Aitken. “Energy in general is kind of what makes things tick. If we have the energy, then we get the opportunities we want. We get the goals and get the stops that we need.”
The Fords (5-2 overall) fell behind, 1-0, but quickly rebounded with five unanswered goals. Although the Prep (2-2) stayed relatively close, the Fords, behind five goals apiece from Aitken and senior Forry Smith, imposed their will against a Hawks team that, like them, is enduring growing pains.
According to Aitken, that’s simply part of the process.
“We have a lot of younger guys that still need to learn how to go about things, especially tactical things,” said Aitken. “They’re coming around. It just takes some time. With a lack of experience there comes a lot of holes, and we have to fill them up as we go along. Today was a step in the right direction.”
Prep junior defender Alex Boyce was disappointed with the loss, but kept everything in proper perspective.
“I think we played pretty well,” said Boyce. “We were nervous in the beginning. It was Haverford. We played good at the end and kept our focus and were getting after the ball.”
Boyce expects the Hawks to play much better moving forward.
“We got the jitters out,” he said. “It was one of our first big games of the season.”
(John Knebels can be reached at jknebels@gmail.com.)