Emma Weill-Jones (286)
Staff Writer

Central is not only known for its prestigious classes and academics, but also for its strong sports teams. With fall rolling in, Central’s fall sports are kicking off the season with some incredible performances that have continued to make Central proud. It is that time of the year again, where students begin bringing out their crimson and gold to show Philadelphia who the Lancers are. You may know of the field hockey, cross country, soccer, volleyball, football, and tennis teams, but do you really know them? This article will explore three fall sports at Central, including: tennis, football, and volleyball!

When most people think of fall sports, they think of football, and Central’s football team does not disappoint. The Lancers football team is currently ranked 329th in Pennsylvania, with five wins and four losses. Just to give a brief summary, our head coach is Coach Drayton. We play in District 12 Class 6A, and we are in the Philadelphia Public League Liberty. This means that we play schools like Thomas Edison, Olney Charter, George Washington, and Boys’ Latin Charter School. The Lancers football team has also made some massive comebacks, and has been able to defeat schools they lost to in previous years, displaying their grit and hardwork. You can find photos of players jumping for joy after touchdowns and levitating in the air as they run with the ball. The junior varsity and varsity team are made up of strong, vigilant, and committed players, who not only work hard, but play hard.

The girls’ volleyball team has been on fire to say the least. With a 5-3 record, they have continued to dominate and play hard in their games. The team is coached by Mr. Leong and Coach Jen, who doesn’t work at Central but still plays a pivotal role in the training of these athletes. One really huge accomplishment of this team is their win against Northeast, our biggest rival. The game against Northeast was described as lively, loud, and full of so much Lancer energy. The varsity team happens to have no seniors, and only four juniors, with the underclassmen really proving themselves despite going against athletes up to three years older. Aside from statistics and the sport itself, the varsity team has become a tight knit group with so much support and encouragement amongst one another. Make sure to wish them lots of luck for the playoffs!

Finally, we simply cannot forget to mention the girls’ tennis team. This team is doing absolutely incredible, with players preparing and training for public league Semifinals and the Championship match. They have been killing it, not only this year, but many years before this as well. The girls’ tennis team are 10x consecutive Public League Champions and 3x consecutive District XII Champions. They’ve played games against schools like Masterman, Carver, Little Flower, and George Washington High School, securing wins left and right. The team is coached by Mr. Graham, and has members ranging from freshmen to seniors. Through the practices and games, many connections have been formed and friendships have blossomed along the way despite grade gaps.

Woah, that was a lot of Lancer goodness. Beyond these three teams, every fall sport at Central has been working tirelessly to make our school proud. Shout out to the field hockey team for being Public League champs, and good luck to the volleyball team in their championship game!