Last season the basketball team had a successful season, finishing with a 6-4 record in the Inter-Ac, earning them second place in the league. One of the standout players from the previous season was Fourth Former Silas Graham, who was first-team all-league and an All-American player in the Third Form class.
This season, Fifth Former Manny Butts and Sixth Former Duke Cloran are both back, having missed last season due to torn ACLs.
“Physically on the court, I felt a little bit behind at first. I felt like guys were just faster and in much better shape than me,” Butts said. “As we continued throughout early practices and scrimmages I learned it was just a matter of getting used to putting my body through what it was used to prior to the injury. Now I feel like I can keep up with my teammates and compete to the best of my abilities with them.”
Cloran had a similar response.
“On the court, I feel great, my first couple of times playing I didn’t feel as good and was out of shape but each time I play I feel I’m getting better and I feel one hundred percent,” he said.
Both players are determined to win an Inter-Ac title and have aspirations to have a strong performance in the PAISAA tournament at the end of the basketball season.
The Inter-Ac appears to be extremely competitive this year, especially last year’s champions Penn Charter who have three returning senior starters who are all committed to Division-I programs. The Three players include: Kai Shinholster, committed to the University of Minnesota, Jake West, committed to Northwestern University, and last year’s Inter-Ac MVP Mathew Gilhool, committed to Lousiana State University. As well as Germantown Academy which also bolsters a strong roster, and Malvern Prep.
“Penn Charter is really talented, with three high-profile players, but if we keep on building from our positive off-season, we believe that we have the ability to beat anybody.”
Coach Bernie Rogers
Although outsiders believe that Penn Charter is the overwhelming favorite to win the league, Coach Rogers remains optimistic.
“Penn Charter is really talented, with three high-profile players, but if we keep on building from our positive off-season, we believe that we have the ability to beat anybody,” he asserted.
The Fords will play Penn Charter in the Inter-Ac opener on January 9th, 2025, on the Fords’ home court, and is anticipated as a must-watch game. Despite the talent that Penn Charter possesses, The Fords basketball team plays with great chemistry in an unselfish manner that has led the team to great success. This success is seen as they began the season with a 7-0 start, including an impressive victory over the Hill School to win the McBride Classic tournament. With the momentum on their side, a future Inter-Ac title seems to be very possible.
