On February 19, the LFA Boys Varsity Squash Team travelled to Philadelphia to take part in the 2026 U.S. High School Team Championships. On Thursday, the boys had a very early flight to Philadelphia, and after they landed, they took some time to enjoy the city, getting lunch at the Reading Terminal Market. They then got a chance to practice at the Arlen Specter Squash Center, one of the best and most famous squash venues in the country. On the way to the Specter Center, the team walked along Walnut Street and through the beautiful campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Following this quick visit, Drexel University was next, where a fierce dragon statue was among the highlights as the team reached the Specter Center.
Friday began with an early wakeup, as the team was set to travel to Springside Chestnut Hill Academy to play their first match of the tournament against No. 3 Taft (CT). The Caxys had somewhat of an unfortunate draw, being placed in division three of eight, meaning they would face some of the toughest and strongest squash programs in the country. Schools like Berkshire headlined the division, with NCAA Division I commits on many of the teams. Despite a hard fought match, the Caxys fell to Taft 5-2, placing them in the consolation bracket. Taft’s No. 1 racket was a junior, and already committed to Princeton, which showed how tough this tournament would be. The lone wins from LFA would come from Astin Choi ‘27 and Dawson Ward ‘28, in his first tournament with the team. Choi, playing the No. 4 racket, would be the star of the tournament for the Caxys. Against Taft, he went down 2-1, before rebounding and taking the next two games. Ward breezed through 3-0 to give LFA an early lead, but Taft’s strength was just too much to overcome. Ward commented on his first match, saying “Playing and winning my first match was awesome especially as I felt I helped contribute to the team and gave me a lot of confidence for more squash matches in the future”, On Friday night, the team headed to a Mexican restaurant to engage in some bonding, creating memories off the court. They got back to their hotel around midnight, where they got some much needed rest.
Saturday saw LFA play No. 6 University School from Ohio. Originally, University School was supposed to come to LFA to play a tournament earlier in the season, but it was cancelled due to cold weather. The second match of the tournament was a very similar story, as LFA fell 5-2 once more. Choi won again, and the second win belonged to freshman Aarav Talati, who played the No. 2 racket. Choi stated, “In this tournament, I really saw the team bond together as we worked hard and cheered for one another. By facing challenges and stronger teams, we learned how to improve and what we need to do to play better. I believe there is great potential for this team in the future”. Talati’s match went to five games, and it was filled with controversy, as his opponent contested calls repeatedly. Talati played amazingly to secure his first win of the tournament. LFA had a break between games, where they decided to get lunch before taking a much needed nap. The Caxys returned to Chestnut Hill to play their third and final match of the tournament, and the season, against Horace Mann from New York. In repetitive fashion, LFA lost 5-2, ending the season on an unfortunate note. Hamza Jafri ‘26 and Talati scored wins for the Caxys, while Choi played an impressive match but lost in five. After the on-court season concluded, the team grabbed some dinner at an Italian place. Little did Ward know, captain Parker Pollak ‘26 and assistant coach Kedar Puvar went to grab a cake and surprise him for his birthday, which was the next morning. Pollak and Puvar left dinner early, found a bakery inside a mall, and reached the hotel just in time for the team to celebrate Ward’s birthday before they had to leave to go to the airport. Ward was pleasantly surprised, saying, “the birthday surprise caught me completely off guard and meant a lot that [they] were willing to do that for me, it definitely made the trip unforgettable.”. The Caxys had to get an earlier flight home, as originally, they were due to come home on Sunday, but weather concerns had them arrive the night before. Physics teacher Ed Shaughnessy picked up the squad and returned them to campus, finishing the trip to Philadelphia and concluding one of the most successful squash seasons in LFA history.