Crossroads Soccer and Basketball Teams Reclaim Cup at Sports Extravaganza

This month, the 21st Street Campus buzzed in anticipation of Sports Extravaganza, an annual athletics competition between Crossroads’ and Brentwood’s soccer and basketball teams, which compete in a series of matchups at the Norton Campus athletics complex. The winner of the Cup is determined by a points system—two points for a varsity win and one point for a junior varsity victory. The school with the most points at the end of the night is awarded the Cup. In the event of a tie, the Cup stays with the most recent winner. After relinquishing the Cup last year, the Roadrunners were geared up to reclaim the trophy at the Jan. 6 event. 

To celebrate Extravaganza, the Upper School hosted Spirit Week featuring a series of themed dress days including Pajama Day, Adam Sandler Day and Prep Day. On Friday, students wore their favorite School spirit wear and participated in a pep rally hosted by Student Council members featuring trivia, School cheers and a lip sync battle between the varsity basketball and soccer teams. The winner, the girls varsity soccer team, was determined by audience cheering and applause. At lunchtime, students gathered in the Alley to create posters and paint their faces ahead of the evening’s games. 

Due to the pandemic, there was no Extravaganza in 2020, and during the 21-22 season, the event was held on a smaller scale. Athletes were allowed to compete, but attendance was limited to parents and guardians of student-athletes. This year, fans returned to the stands with faculty, staff, parents, alumni and students filling the bleachers alongside the soccer field. The gym reached its capacity at 800 people. “Our juniors and seniors had not experienced the full event since they were freshman and sophomores,” said Director of Athletics Ira Smith. “Overall, the community’s impact definitely influenced our athletes to want to perform at a high level to bring the Cup back to Crossroads.”

Boys junior varsity soccer kicked things off with an overwhelming 9-0 victory in which they dominated possession on the field, with 11th graders Brody Abowitz and Ryan Kazerani and ninth grader Vahe Kassabian scoring two goals each to contribute to the win. Meanwhile in the gym, the boys junior varsity basketball team racked up points against the Eagles, taking a strong lead that was boosted by 10th grader Lucas Boze's team-high 31 points. The boys maintained their lead through the fourth quarter and finished the game in a resounding 78-53 win.

After two junior varsity victories, the Roadrunners headed into the final stretch of the evening. Despite Crossroads senior Lily Robinson’s 24-point contribution, the girls varsity basketball team couldn’t manage to overtake the Eagles strong offensive push and ended the game in a 82-47 loss. Outside on the field, the girls varsity soccer team took an early lead after 11th grader Avery Wilson scored in the first quarter. Strong defensive play and outstanding goaltending by 10th grader Lila Michael allowed the Roadrunners to hold on to the game, which ended in a 1-0 win. The boys varsity basketball team kept the Brentwood team on their toes, with seniors Nils Cooper and Zion Watts scoring 14 and 13 points respectively. But strong play by the Eagles and some timely 3-point shots allowed Brentwood to pull away, resulting in a 70-61 Roadrunners loss. 

With the Cup standings tied at four points apiece, the Roadrunners needed the boys varsity soccer team to win in order to reclaim the trophy. And win they did, with senior Gus Koven leading the scoreboard with two goals to contribute to a 5-1 victory. After the final whistle, Ira brought the Cup onto the field where it was presented to players, who held it aloft while fans and fellow athletes cheered and applauded. 

When school resumed on Monday, students, faculty and staff could still be heard chatting about Friday’s games and reliving the evening’s best moments. "Capturing The Cup was definitely the proudest moment of the event,” said Athletics Communications & Logistics Coordinator Amber Scott on behalf of the Athletics Department. “Being able to provide an enjoyable experience for both the Crossroads and Brentwood communities always makes us proud.”