01/16 – Andover: 7, Groton: 0
01/21 – Andover: 4, Tabor: 3
Boys Squash (6–1) continued its strong season with a comfortable 7–0 win against Groton before battling through a tense and hostile road environment with a 4–3 victory at Tabor Academy (Tabor). The two games proved that the team could maintain composure under pressure, as younger players gained valuable experience and delivered in crucial moments.
Playing against a comparatively weak team like Groton, Boys Squash was able to give younger members of the team play time, which gave them valuable experience in competitive matches. Philip Meng ’26 praised Wesley Pham ’29, who competed in the seventh-seeded position, for his grit in a tight match.
“I would like to shout out [Wesley], who played the [seventh seed]. It’s the highest that he’s played for the team, and he really showed up. He had a tough, five-game match, ending [the last game with a score of] 12-10,” said Meng.
On Wednesday, JJ Luo ’28 recalled how the crowd at Tabor was chanting, cheering, and trying to distract the players. Luo described the atmosphere and also how he handled the crowd’s attempts to distract him through his high level of play.
“Since the very first point, the entire place was just so loud. The crowd really caught me off guard, and I lost my first game 4-11. Every single point that I lost, you could hear the building shaking. I couldn’t even hear myself think, and we had to adjust to that. In the second game, I made sure that I had a good start to prevent the crowd from building momentum for the other kid. And after that good start, I was able to win the second game 13-11, and that shushed the crowd,” said Luo.
Despite further rowdy behavior from other Tabor athletes beyond the courts, Andover’s athletes stayed productive and patient, mentally preparing themselves for the game. Co-Captain Corey Shen ’26 described the mindset of the team when in a competitive and stressful environment.
“Everyone on the team is very mentally tough, and I don’t think heckling or talking bad about us is going to affect our mindset or how we plan our matches, but it was definitely something that we weren’t really used to. It started in the locker room, where there were hockey or baseball kids who were heckling. We obviously stood our ground. I was approached personally by a couple of them, and I just ignored them, brushed them off, knowing I had a bigger task to do, a bigger match to focus on. I just tried not to give them my attention, and when you don’t give them much to react to, you have more power than them,” said Shen.
Going into its matches on Wednesday, Boys Squash understood that its top three players were all facing unfavorable matchups, raising the stakes for the lower ladder. With the outcome hinging of the fourth- through seventh-seeded positions, the team rose to the challenge, securing the wins needed for a victory. Shen highlighted the overall effort in the matches, praising Co-Captain Ali Gamal ’26 for his important comeback win.
“Ali knew his match was going to be a decider just based on rating and previous experiences. We also knew that his match would be the closest. He actually went down 0-6 in the first game, but he came back and nearly went on an 11-0 run. He made one error and ended up winning 11-7, but I thought that showed a lot of grit. All the other matches in the lower ladder were very difficult and I was really proud that we got the job done,” said Shen.
Boys Squash looks to continue its momentum against Noble and Greenough (Nobles) on Friday and in its Saturday away match against Hotchkiss, Hopkins, and Phillips Academy Exeter (Exeter).Editor’s Note: Philip Meng ’26 is a Business Manager for The Phillipian, vol. CXLVIII.
