By Jonah Casel ‘27 (Reporter)
Of all the sporting events at Friends’ Central, Spirit Night is easily the most attended by Friends’ Central’s students, parents, teachers, and friends, and it always generates remarkable excitement for everyone involved. In 2025, Spirit Night was on January 31, and four different FCS sports teams took the court or mat in front of the white-out crowd. The evening of athletics began at 3:30 pm in the Shimada Gym when the junior varsity boys basketball team took on Hill School in the Shimada Gym. The two teams played back and forth for the duration of the game, but after fighting hard and playing well, Friends’ Central sadly finished the game with a six-point loss.
The following game took place under the basketball court, i.e., in the wrestling room, where Friends’ Central’s varsity wrestling team played against Westtown School in front of the students wearing all white that began to fill Shimada's basement at 4:00 pm. The spectators could feel the tension as the teams warmed up and began the match. The intensity only increased as the match began, but Friends’ Central stormed to a huge lead immediately and never gave it back. The crowd roared with each takedown as Friends’ Central dominated the match in what would become their biggest win of the season. The final score was 54-30. The Phoenix did not lose a head-to-head wrestling matchup in the whole match. It was a perfect senior night for the wrestling team, and the big win only energized the crowd for the following games.
After the wrestling match finished, the crowd filed back into the Shimada Gym for the girls varsity basketball game, which was also their senior night. The team took the court against Audenried High School at 5:30 pm and played a great game, overall. The fans brought great energy in the student section, and Friends’ Central won their final regular season game, ending the season on a fantastic note. It was a close game, but the Phoenix put another win on the board, 56-50. Seniors Logyn Greer and Nal’La Bennett led the team in scoring on senior night with sixteen and fifteen points, respectively. The varsity girls basketball team had an outstanding season, with a 25-10 record. Congratulations!
At 7:00 pm, the Shimada Gym was filled to the brim with people excited to see a game between the Friends’ Central varsity boys basketball team, who had won their first round matchup of the FSL playoffs just the day before, and Audenried High School’s team. The student section stood up, the players took the court, the ball was tipped off, and the game was on. Although the game was fast-paced from the start, everyone noticed that there was something awry. Specifically, the floor was too slippery after having been used for two games that evening. Eventually it became evident that the game should be ended early due to the injury risk, especially with important games for both teams upcoming. It was disappointing, but ultimately the right decision was made. Oben Mokonchu ‘27, a player on the team, stated that he knew it would only be a matter of time before the game would be cut short since the players could not get traction on the slippery floors, not even in warmups. About the night as a whole, Oben said, “It was an amazing atmosphere. I was kinda bummed out that the game had to end with the biggest crowd we played in front of the whole year. I was really excited for the seniors and for the whole game.” It is unfortunate that the event had to end with a truncated game, but the several games that were completed, and even the part of the boys varsity game that was played, were fantastic and had an atmosphere electrified by the white-out crowd.
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