CA Fall Teams Claim Chandler Bowl Victory

On the idyllic autumn afternoon of October 19, Concord Academy’s 10 fall sports teams secured the needed six wins to earn the Chandler Bowl victory over league rival Pingree School. Facing stiff competition, they competed well and avenged their 2023 defeat. The 2024 victory marks the seventh time in eight years that CA has claimed the coveted bowl trophy. Once again the outcome of the event was decided in the final game of the day.
The boys thirds soccer team kicked off first at 11:00 a.m. and earned CA the first point of the day in the overall competition in convincing fashion with a 5–1 win. Eight of the remaining nine contests tipped off at 1:00 p.m. CA quickly jumped to a 3–0 overall lead following commanding victories in boys varsity cross-country and girls junior varsity volleyball. Pingree charged back to knot the overall score with wins in girls varsity cross-country, girls junior varsity soccer, and girls varsity field hockey. The CA boys junior varsity soccer team then pushed the score back to CA’s favor, 4–3, with a strong second half, posting a 3-1 win.
With three games heading into the final minutes, CA clung to a one-point overall lead. CA’s girls varsity soccer team could not overcome Pingree’s league-leading squad despite battling valiantly. On the adjacent field at the Moriarty Athletic Campus, boys varsity soccer blew open their game in the second half after a 1–1 tie at halftime. With a barrage of goals, the team ran away with a 4–1 win, giving CA a 5–4 edge on the day.
All eyes then turned to the gym, where the varsity volleyball team was engaged in the only remaining contest. CA held a 2–0 lead in the best-of-five match, and the third set was a back-and-forth affair. The team had to win the match for CA to secure the bowl. A 5–5 overall tie would send the bowl back to Pingree since that school had earned the win in 2023. The bleachers were overflowing with a fired-up CA fan base. Much to the delight of the teeming fan section, the varsity volleyball team held off Pingree’s late rally and secured the final point in the match and the event. The bleachers emptied as CA fans rushed the court to celebrate the Chandler Bowl victory!
Each year, the Chandler Bowl for Changing Lives is also an opportunity to raise funds for a charity chosen by the host school. This year, CA elected to support Dana Farber Cancer Institute and raised over $1,200 for the cause. This annual competition is a highlight of the fall for the community and couldn’t take place without the contributions of many. “CA Athletics would like to thank all those behind the scenes who helped to support the event,” says Athletics Director Sue Johnson P20, “including but not limited to the Operations staff, dining hall staff, team parent liaisons, Student Athletic Council leaders, fall captains, and Advancement and Engagement team.”
Go Green!