Rye Country Day’s glory days continued last fall, with Fairchester Athletic Association regular season and tournament championships added to the school’s already hefty collection. The Athletic Department should start making room for more, because 2011’s crop of teams look just as talented as their predecessors.
By Andrew Farber
Rye Country Day’s glory days continued last fall, with Fairchester Athletic Association regular season and tournament championships added to the school’s already hefty collection. The Athletic Department should start making room for more, because 2011’s crop of teams look just as talented as their predecessors.
Boys’ Soccer
The Wildcats steamrolled through the 2010 season, not even taking a moment to pause in the FAA tournament championship, where they motored over King 4-0 for their fifth league crown in seven years. As much as they won it for themselves, the team also did it for head coach Cristiano Pereira, who lost his father prior to the season’s start.
Rye Country Day doesn’t intend on easing off the pedal this season, but if they’re to win another title they will have to do it without four-year standout Taylor Washington, who now plays for Boston University. He scored 13 goals and assisted on another 13 last season. The Wildcats do, however, return a solid core led by senior captains Michael Walsh, Matt Stevens, and Jon Karp, the goalkeeper.
“I think that we have a very promising season in store because of our potential, and I believe we have a very good chance at being the first recent RCDS soccer team to win the FAA title two years in a row,” said Stevens. “We can use all the support we can get.”
Stevens also said to look out for exceptional midfield play from Andreas Soto and Ignacio de Lera.
The Wildcats will be tested early this year. They play Rye High School in their season-opener September 13 at home.
Field Hockey
Don’t expect last year’s 7-0 defeat to Greenwich Academy in the FAA Championship to haunt Rye Country Day. The Wildcats understand that GA is on another planet when it comes to the sport, and will use the defeat as motivation to one-up their 2010 season.
Led by senior captains Carly Lovejoy, Kate Moelis, who was FAA All-League last season, and Sammy Stavis, an FAA Honorable Mention, the team began practicing back in June and attended a camp at Deerfield to prepare for 2011. The early training has given the veterans an edge, and allowed the freshmen on the team to mesh with the returnees.
“We are fast and we have an experienced defensive unit that includes two senior goalkeepers,” said head coach Georgette Summers.
The team graduated six players who played critical roles, but Summers was more thrilled about the fact that three will be playing field hockey in college than she was worried about filling the void they left.
The Wildcats open on the road September 15 at cross-town rival Holy Child.
Football
Rye Country Day is coming off arguably their best season ever on the gridiron. Coached by John Calandros, the team surprised the league by going 7-1 during the regular season and winning the FAA title. They also earned a NEPSAC Bowl Game berth, and, despite losing 35-14 to Buckingham Browne and Nichols, it was a year to celebrate.
The team graduated 16 seniors the prior year, but Calandros refused to use that as an excuse – in the end it was motivation for his charges. Now, however, the expectations are high, as the Wildcats are already being hyped as a potential juggernaut.
Led by the dynamic running back duo of senior captains Sam Stern and Andrew Miller, along with talented senior captain and quarterback/free safety Garrett Washington, RCDS has one of, if not the most versatile teams in the FAA. Stern was selected by MSG Varsity to be a preseason Hudson Valley All-Star and received a myriad of accolades last season, Washington was All-FAA in 2010, and Miller earned All-FAA along with All-Section Honorable Mention.
Stern, Miller, and Washington came in second, fifth, and seventh, respectively, in the league in rushing, but there are doubts about this team as well. Four of the graduating seniors were starting lineman and those holes need to be filled. The team also lost two of its starting linebackers in Yawer Amir and Jamie Mazur.
The Wildcats will have to rely on the remainder of their talented returning senior class to get them back to the top. Two-way All-FAA lineman Chibueze Nwakeze, the 6’5″, 250-pound lineman Daniel Alderson-Smith, center William Kissell, cornerback/running back Michael Thomas, who averaged six tackles per game last year, and the 6’1″ speedy receiver William Chavers are all expected to be impact players.
“Speed, experience, and coaching will most likely be the three biggest contributors to our success this year,” said Thomas. “We have 11 seniors, most of whom have been together for four years, and we expect to build on last season’s success, but we will take it one game at a time.”
The Wildcats begin their quest for another NEPSAC bowl bid on the road September 16 against St. Dominic.
— With additional reporting by Nathaniel Cooney
Girls’ Tennis
Led by senior captains Charlotte Grant and Nina Stoupnitzky, the Wildcats will look to climb the ladder in the FAA while contending with the loss of three important seniors.
“They have done a good job of bringing a lighthearted and cheerful presence to this year’s preseason,” said head coach Gary Solem of the captains. “In order for us to be successful this fall, hard work from top to bottom needs to take place.”
Though the Wildcats will not have sophomore Avery Wagman, who played a crucial role on their team last season, they get eighth grader Jamine Kitahara. Solem believes she will have a very positive impact on the team.
RCDS volleys into action September 14 on the road at Fieldston.
Cross-Country
The Wildcats had an excellent 2010 season, but while the girls return their top runners from last year, the boys are without top-10 league finishers Brandyn Dougan and Paul Fanto. Don’t for a minute think they’re going to let that fact slow them down.
Led by senior captain Charlie Krause and junior captain Matthew Crowley, the boys are running over 7.5 miles on even some of the easiest days of practice to make up for the graduation of their top talent.
On the girls’ side, Skye Aresty is a captain along with fellow senior Ashley Wolitzer, who finished in the top-20 in the FAA championships and earned Honorable Mention. The girls’ X-C team will also be bolstered by some “Dougan Blood” this season, with the addition of Brandyn’s younger sister, Acacia.
“Our strength is certainly our closeness,” said Aresty. “A lot of us have been running together for a long time, and we are all very good friends. All of the new kids that have come in are fitting in really well – it’s kind of like they have always been a part of the team. Running races together will make us even closer, which we are all looking forward to.”
Rye Country Day’s first meet is September 21 at Sherwood Island against Greens Farms Academy.
Girls’ Soccer
Rye Country Day could be in line for a spectacular year, as they return a strong, young unit ready to improve on their 2010 campaign.
All-WWNEPSSA standout Liz Judd is back for her junior season, and has been named captain along with talented fellow junior Sammy Friedwald.
The duo are joined by an even younger player, sophomore Stephanie Sabatini, to form a trio of captains who should not be underestimated because of their age.
Alin Andrei takes over the helm for the Wildcats, replacing longtime head coach Dick Pike. Andrei inherits a ton of young, promising talent that appears to have a bright future, and the first-year coach couldn’t be more excited.
Rye Country Day’s season begins on the road September 14 at Hamden Hall.
