February 7, 2008 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

Local Sports

Patriots steal victory from Devils
by Justin Goldman

CHA junior  Gary Lawrence heads down court. (Photos by Pack Jr.)

For both Germantown Academy and Chestnut Hill Academy, it was a tale of two halves. In the first half of last Tuesday's (Jan. 29) pivotal basketball match, both teams had trouble stopping the other on offense which led to a 30-30 tie at the break.  But in the third quarter, GA came out focused and determined and opened up an eight-point lead behind the hot shooting of guard Joe Hill and forward Jeff Holton to propel the Patriots to a 69-51 win. The victory gives GA sole possession of first place in the Inter-Ac with three games left to play.

Though CHA had been playing well offensively, that was not the best sign for head coach Bill Dooley moving into the second half.

"The score at the half concerned me because it was too high for us," Dooley said. "We don't have as much offensive firepower as they do, so it is much more important for us to get stops on the defensive end which we could not do with any sort of consistency."

At the 6:10 mark of the fourth period, Holton nailed a three from the right wing to give the Patriots a 52-41 lead that all but sealed the contest.

"Coaches always say the first four minutes of the second half are really crucial and really important, especially in a tie game," Hill said. "We really came out with energy in the first four minutes and tried to take it to them then."

CHA wrestlers conquer Quakers, 51-15
by TOM UTESCHER

CHA senior Alex Blenheim pins Penn Charter’s Gene Pak. For more photos visit www.chlocalphotos.com. (Photos by Jimmy J. Pack Jr.)

Host Chestnut Hill Academy earned four pins and a decision out on the mat, and the Blue Devils also benefited from four forfeits by the visiting Penn Charter Quakers to win last Friday’s Inter-Ac League meet, 51-15.

It was the last home appearance for senior co-captains Alex Blenheim (135 lbs.) and Henry Gilbert (171 lbs.), who each pinned their opponents to help CHA level its league record at 2-2 while improving to 10-5 overall. The Devils will be on the road at Episcopal Academy for their final Inter-Ac dual meet.

Chestnut Hill Academy skates by Haverford JV
by TOM UTESCHER

A home ice victory last Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 30) kept the Chestnut Hill Academy hockey team unbeaten in the 2008 calendar year, as the Blue Devils attained a 5-2 mark on the season with a 4-2 win over the Haverford School junior varsity.