Bucks County's Holy Ghost Prep crew team ready for Stotesbury Cup Regatta
When you consider the age of the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, the Holy Ghost Prep crew team is relatively new.
The team was formed 10 years ago and is ready to compete in the 98th annual Stotesbury Cup Regatta, presented by Toyota. The oldest and largest high school rowing meet in the country takes over the Schuylkill River this year.
"Everything is locked and ready to go," said Patrick Phillips, the crew team's coxswain and a junior at Holy Ghost.
It's a dance of strength and grace where muscle and harmony drive the boat forward.
As coxswain, Phillips is responsible for keeping his crew in sync on the water.
"Kind of the brains of the boat. Rowers, while they're in their seats, cannot see where they're going," Phillips said. "I'm laying down, eyes looking straight. I need to multitask by creating a rhythm in the boat."
As a freshman, Phillips wanted to play soccer until his current head coach, Allison Boehm, introduced him to the sport.
"I wanted to play soccer and I couldn't because I had a cast on, and she walked up to me and said, 'Would you like to be a coxswain?'" said Phillips.
Boehm has coached the team for six out of its 10 seasons.
"It's not exactly common for a female to be the head coach of an all-boys school. When I got the job at Holy Ghost, I was really excited, because this is my dad's high school," she said.
At Stotesbury, Holy Ghost will race in the Boys' junior and senior 4 and a second senior 4.
"As a senior, it's my last year—my last shot at the Stotesbury," senior and team captain Anthony Marrero said.
He and Phillips are like bookends on the water: Phillips calling out commands while Marrero sets the rhythm and stroke rate.
"I can always trust him," Marrero said. "I can always know he's steering us in the best line, giving us the best calls. So I have a pretty close relationship with him."
They're hoping the team can make its mark at Stotes and bring home a medal.
"The goal is always to make it. Always to win and get that medal and leave a legacy for the rest of the underclassmen here," Marrero said.
"We're in this together," Phillips said. "Blood, sweat and tears and the amount of practices we put into this."
Boehm believes her team has a chance.
"We're definitely a smaller school and smaller crew, so we're really optimistic. So hopefully we get some hardware," she said.
