With the start of a new school year comes the beginning of a new fall athletic season. Several freshmen have taken up the job of playing a varsity sport their first year of high school. Joining them are the upperclassmen veterans, returning to the fields as their respective teams travel the road to the MIAA/IAAM championship.

Soccer:

In the realm of soccer, the women’s team is coming off a winning 13-3-3 season, losing in the semi-finals. The team is made up of six freshmen, with a third of the team having little to no varsity high school experience. The men’s soccer team started off the season strong with a current record of 5-0-1. Two-year coach social studies teacher Jim Fendryk has already led the team past their 3-12-1 record last year.

Cross Country:

For the first time in JC history, the men’s cross country team outran Calvert Hall. The women’s cross country team also started the season off head-strong, despite having lost key seniors like Elizabeth Tauber, class of ’11. Senior Holly Cook finished in first place. Following in second, fourth, and fifth were senior Kayla Stoots, senior Taylor Battaglia, and junior Rebecca Driver. In the Knight’s Invitational at Bay Brooks Park on Friday, Cook finished first again, and senior Ben Picket finished in third for the men’s team. There were twelve women’s teams and thirteen men’s teams.

Field Hockey:

The field hockey team will be returning to the field this year after having lost in the finals of the IAAM championship last year. This season, the team started off 0-2, but after blowing out The Institute of Notre Dame 6-0 in a recent game, the positive energy is coming back. Looking forward to making it to the championship once again, the girls will have to play their hardest for the remainder of the season.

Football:

Men’s varsity football has made a powerful start to their season, with two new freshmen, the team has managed to earn a 2-1 record. The first game, against Bo Manor, was a 35-0 shutout. However, this game was quickly balanced out when the team lost to Annapolis Area Christian. The next home game on Friday, September 29 is against St. Paul’s School for Boys and the Patriots’ previous coach, Keith Rawlings.

Cheerleading:

The women behind the men on the football field are also kicking it into high gear. The varsity cheerleading squad welcomes a few new fresh faces this season. As the cheerleaders root on their Patriots, they are also warming up for their indoor competition season this winter.

Tennis:

The women’s tennis team is also sporting a mix of freshmen and upperclassmen. The three seniors currently on the team will have to be leaders for their freshmen as they pair up for doubles, and cheer on their singles players to swing their way into the playoffs. With a 1-1 record, the team is already off to a solid start.

Volleyball:

Julian Maliszewski is continuing to contribute to JC as the head coach for men’s volleyball. It has been a rough start to the season, however. Losing 3-0 in their first three games, the team will need to pull together in order to improve their 0-3 record. Women’s volleyball, in spite of the loss of a few powerful seniors, is playing like nothing has changed. The team is leading off the season with a 5-0 winning streak. Having won the IAAM championship for the past two years, the team has high hopes of a three-peat.

Miranda Ripken is a Sports Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com