Déjà vu has struck once more in the happiest of ways – just as in 2023, Penn Charter emerged victorious from the 138th PC/GA Day, keeping the Competition Cup in East Falls for another year while punctuating the occasion with a football triumph in longtime head coach Tom Coyle’s final game. The only difference in 2024 was the setting, as this year’s iteration of PC/GA Day occurred on the campus of Germantown Academy in Fort Washington on Nov. 9. The Quakers won seven of the 10 events, tied two and lost just one to wrap up the fall sports season with one final fulfilling chapter.
FOOTBALL
The Quakers trailed a low-scoring, 7-6 contest at halftime, but a defensive slugfest turned into a back-and-forth affair in the second half. GA tied the contest at 24 with under a minute to play, but PC senior Eian Kilpatrick returned the ensuing kickoff deep into Patriots territory and later scored his second touchdown of the game on a run up the middle with 25 seconds remaining to give the Quakers a 30-24 advantage they would not relinquish. Kilpatrick’s heroics earned him the Geis Trophy as the game’s most outstanding player and allowed Coyle to win his final game as head coach of Penn Charter. After 12 seasons in charge at PC, Coyle is returning to Father Judge, his alma mater where he previously served as head football coach for over a decade, to become the school’s athletic director. In addition to his dozen years on the sideline at PC, Coyle also served the school as its assistant director of admissions. The 2024 Quakers finished with an overall record of 7-3, and Penn Charter increased its commanding lead in the all-time football series with GA to a record of 89 wins, 38 losses and 11 ties.
BOYS SOCCER
The Quakers and Patriots engaged in a thrilling, competitive battle on the pitch that failed to produce a winner in a scoreless draw. Penn Charter fell just short of an Inter-Ac title during the 2024 season, finishing in second place right behind Haverford School. PC junior Tiernan Perkins was the recipient of the James Rumpp OPC ’55 Trophy as the game’s Most Valuable Player. The Quakers, who finished with an overall record of 14-7-2 and a 7-2-1 mark in Inter-Ac games, will return a strong crop of upperclassmen in 2025 as the team will look to finish the job and hopefully find itself atop the league standings next autumn.
GIRLS SOCCER
Penn Charter ended its season with a satisfying 3-0 shutout of the Patriots to sweep the season-series with Germantown Academy. Sophomore Ally Bradby scored the game’s first tally on a header, and PC never looked back from there. The Quakers got additional scores from freshman Alexis Regan and senior Jul Toomey, with the latter being awarded game MVP. The victory capped a strong season overall for PC, which won its first seven games and finished with an overall mark of 14-5-2, good for a fourth-place finish in the Inter-Ac.
FIELD HOCKEY
In an intense and well-played game on both sides, Penn Charter secured its first PC/GA Day triumph in years as the Quakers nabbed a thrilling 1-0 decision. The game’s only goal was recorded by Evie Hassler on a penalty stroke in the first half. The victory allowed the Quakers to finish their season with three consecutive wins, also capturing a Commonwealth Cup championship on Nov. 6. Penn Charter finished its season with seven wins overall in head coach Giselle Cortes’ first year leading the program.
GIRLS TENNIS
Penn Charter picked up a dominant 6-1 win over GA to sweep the season series. The Quakers were paced by a strong senior class of Leila Feldman, Sarah Gross, Mariah Mays, Bridgitte Gold and Karya Karabucak, with the doubles tandem of Gold and Karabucak sharing the Most Valuable Player award. Penn Charter finished its season with an overall record of 9-7 and a 7-5 mark in league contests, good for fourth place in a very strong Inter-Ac League.
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
The Quakers ended their season with a resounding 17-43 win over the Patriots, as league MVP and PC senior T.J. Zwall won the boys’ race for the second consecutive year. Fellow all-league performers in senior Nate Johnson, junior Ben Berger, sophomore Matthew Dunn and eighth grader Nate Viands also turned in strong performances for the Quakers, who also added a PAISAA Championship to their late-season charge to the finish line.
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Eighth grader Mackenzie Skelly capped off an incredible inaugural varsity campaign by winning the girls’ race for PC and helping the Quakers earn a 19-40 win over GA. Skelly, who was also named Inter-Ac MVP in addition to being selected as the PC/GA Day most valuable player, led a strong list of Quaker performances that also included all-league honorees in senior Alli DeLisi, junior Gwen Hamilton, and sophomores Jackie Plastaras and Marlie Klein. The PC/GA Day victory delivered the triple crown of victories to the Quakers, who also won Inter-Ac and PAISAA championships in 2024.
GIRLS WATER POLO
The Quakers finished off one of the most successful seasons in program history with an exciting 10-7 win over the Patriots, headlined by three goals each from Lili DeMartinis and Zoe Page, the latter of whom was awarded game MVP honors. Chelsea Gadsden made 15 saves in goal, and it was the third win in three tries over Germantown Academy this season. Penn Charter finished 18-2 overall in the 2024 season.
GOLF
As is the case every PC/GA Day, the golf contingents kicked off the festivities a couple of days earlier on Nov. 6 at Bluestone Country Club in Blue Bell. The two eight-member teams competed in match play format and played to a 4-4 tie to each earn a half-point toward the Competition Cup standings.
BOYS WATER POLO
Penn Charter’s only PC/GA Day loss came in the pool for boys water polo, with the Quakers dropping an exciting, high-scoring contest 20-12. The Quakers fought hard for three quarters until GA’s depth overtook the team in the fourth quarter despite a plethora of amazing saves from PC goalie James Walters.