On Friday, February 7, AFS Varsity Wrestling made history as the Roos knocked off George School and Germantown Friends in the Friends Schools League Wrestling Championship playoffs to claim the program’s first-ever FSL title. Qualifying for the FSL postseason for just the third time since the founding of the League in 1982, the Roos entered the playoffs at Academy of the New Church as the #3 seed behind George School (#2) and ANC (#1).
In the afternoon’s first match against George, the Roos prevailed 45-30 behind pins from Maxwell Berthier ’27 and Cole Rodgers ’28 (each worth 6 team points), a technical fall from Myles Griffin ’26 (worth 5 team points) and a major decision from Sam-Calandra-Jayne ’26 (worth 4 points). Kemper Bramblett ’26, Branden Wylie ’28, Jackson McWilliams ’25 and Dean Sadowski ’27 also earned 6 team points via forfeits for the final margin.
The victory over George, AFS’s first postseason win in program history, propelled the Roos into the FSL finals against GFS who had upset ANC in the other semifinal. Against the Tigers, Kemper Bramblett, Sam Calandra-Jayne, Branden Wylie, Myles Griffin, Maxwell Berthier, and Dean Sadowski all earned points for the Roos in the 41-27 championship claiming victory.
This FSL championship is the 35th in AFS history in all sports and serves as a fitting cap to a historic season for the Rasslin’ Roos on the mat. To note:
- the team’s 14 wins shatters the program’s previous best mark of 8.
- the 37-36 win versus Westtown in January marked the program’s first-ever over the 28-time FSL champions.
- Myles Griffin reached 75 career victories.
- Sam Calandra-Jayne recorded his 50th career win.
- Brandon Wylie became just the 2nd AFS wrestler to earn 30 victories in a single season.
The Roos now enter the Pennsylvania Independent Schools State Championship Tournament this weekend at Germantown Academy. Interested fans can follow the Roos HERE and searching PAISWT.
Congrats to all involved in this momentous accomplishment: coaches Matt Mooney and David Robinson; team members Kemper Bramblett ’26, Sam Calandra-Jayne ’26, Branden Wylie ’28, Khalil Jimenez ’27, Cole Rodgers ’28, Cormac Linehan ’28, Myles Griffin ’26, Maxwell Berthier ’27, Jackson McWilliams ’25, Quincy Willis ’26, and Dean Sadowski ’27; and team managers Matthew Velazquez ’26 and Brandon Green ’25.
AFS Varsity Swimming wrapped up the Friends Schools League portion of their season last Monday at George School in the FSL Swimming Championship Meet with the girls’ team placing 5th overall and the boys’ team 6th. The Roos turned in a host of noteworthy performances highlighted by Roger Chen’s ’28 new school record in the 100 Yard Breaststroke in 1:15.92 good for 6th place overall in the race. Lilly Davatzes ’27 sped to two impressive finishes at the meet in the 50 Yard Freestyle in 28.17 (6th place) and the 100 Yard Freestyle in 1:02.95 (7th place). Aryana Patel ’27 matched Lilly with a 5th place in the 100 Yard Butterfly in 1:09.54 and 7th place in the 100 Yard Backstroke in 1:12.41. AFS’s 200 Yard Freestyle Relay squad of Leila Wang ’27, Sophia Schwartz ’26, Kylie Firmin ’26 and Lilly Davatzes claimed 4th place with a time of 2:05.35. A contingent of Roos head out to Franklin and Marshall College this weekend to participate in the 2025 Easterns Swimming Championships. Info about Easterns, including livestream options, is available HERE.
Go Roos!
– J.B.
Jeff Bond
Director of Athletics
