Since 1980, Hotchkiss and Taft have engaged in a spirited rivalry every fall. Throughout the week leading up to Taft Day, on Saturday, November 8, school spirit was on display every day—from All-School Olympian & Pythian games to the pep rally in Fowle Gym, as students awaited the 45th anniversary weekend.
This year the Bearcats triumphed over the Rhinos with a 10-2-2 record across all sports.
Girls’ teams went undefeated across the board. Varsity Field Hockey contributed with a 2-1 win. With a 12-3-1 overall record, the team earned a spot in the New England Class A playoffs as the 6th seed.
JV Field Hockey capped off a successful season with a hard-fought 1-1 tie.
In the Field House, Varsity and JV Volleyball both came out with easy wins. Varsity won 3-1 and JV swept with a final score of three sets to none.
On Hoyt Field, Girls Varsity Soccer managed to score a screamer outside the box with less than a minute left on the clock to tie the game 1-1. Center mid Rose Morlock ’28 said, “After fighting really hard all game it felt so rewarding to tie up the score.” Girls JV Soccer earned a tight 2-1 victory.
The girls’ teams continued their undefeated Taft Day performance in enemy territory, as Girls Varsity and JV Cross Country won 224-325 and 323-324 respectively at Taft in the New England Division I Championships.
Boys Varsity and JV Cross Country teams emerged victorious as well, with scores of 190-345 and 286-291, respectively.
On Centennial Field, Boys Varsity Soccer fell short, losing 3-0. Taft later went on to become the Founders League Champions. Despite the loss to end their season, this year’s Boys Varsity Soccer team finished with the most wins, goals scored, and lowest goals against in the last decade along with an 11-5-3 record.
JV Boys Soccer came out with their 15th victory of the year, winning 3-2. This result ended their 15-1-2 season with a six-game win streak.
Boys Thirds soccer team defeated Taft 3-1. This victory left the team undefeated across 12 games, with a 10-0-2 final record. Co-captain Alex Gish ’26 said, “It was awesome to cap off my Senior and fourth season on Thirds Soccer with a win against our biggest rival. Our hard work all season, consisting of countless Taylor Field and hill sprints, culminated in a victory that felt deserved for our team.”
To round out the weekend, Varsity Football put forth a strong showing in a closely contested matchup on Sprole Field but fell short, 42-27. Despite the loss, a supportive home crowd showed up to cheer on the players for the team’s Senior Day.
Throughout the day, the Blue Mob, coordinated by the Blue and White heads, traveled between the games to cheer on every team. Food trucks spread across campus served beef brisket, grilled cheese, pizza, boba, coffee and more.
