The Chandler Bowl for Changing Lives (CBCL) is an annual, charitable sporting event between Concord Academy and our rival, Pingree School. After a year-long hiatus due to COVID-19, the CBCL made a return! The Chandler Bowl was hosted at Pingree on October 23. During the event, ten fall sports teams competed against Pingree in hopes to take home the coveted trophy. CA, having won the event for the past four years, had to win at least five of the ten games to come home victorious. The teams did exactly that, delivering five victories, leading CA to win the bowl for the fifth time in a row!
During the CBCL, both communities came together to support a charity chosen by the host school. This year, Pingree chose to give proceeds from the event to the New England Innocence Project which identifies and helps victims of wrongful convictions in New England.
Much anticipation and excitement were leading up to the event, including a spirit week during which the whole school dressed according to a specific theme. The grades competed against each other to earn points based on who had the most engagement every day. On Monday, each grade was assigned a color. Seniors, Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen wore black, white, blue, and red, respectively. On Tuesday, everyone wore neon and bright-colored clothing. Wednesday attracted the most participation, as the theme was pajamas and comfy clothes. On Thursday, the theme was through the decades, and on Friday, the theme was CA gear. The senior class came out on top with the most points for the week, and won a 3D-printed chameleon trophy!
Concluding this week of fun was a pep rally on Friday evening. At seven o’clock, CA kicked off the night by serving Bedford Farms ice cream. Later, the teams headed into the Ransome Room to perform skits that they had been preparing throughout the week. Each team performed a skit where they joked about themselves, and sometimes, lightheartedly poked fun at Pingree. Girls Cross Country won a team dinner for having the best skit, during which they acted out a day in the life of a cross country runner, making hilarious jokes about their coaches and teammates. By the end of the night, the entire room had erupted with laughter and was feeling ready for their games the next day.
On Saturday, after an hour-long bus ride to Pingree, the teams worked as hard as they could to defend the title. Incredible wins from Boys Varsity Soccer, Boys Junior Varsity Soccer, Boys Cross Country, Girls Varsity Volleyball, and Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball gave CA the edge over Pingree on the spectacular fall afternoon. Boys JVS, Girls Varsity Volleyball, and Girls JV Volleyball had decisive 1-0, 3-0, and 2-1 victories respectively. Additionally, Tyler McGarry ’22 came in first place in the Boys Cross Country race, running the 3.1-mile course in an impressive nineteen minutes and four seconds, which greatly contributed to the team’s success. Spectators surrounded every field, court, and course, watching the highly anticipated games play out unforgettably.
Boys Varsity Soccer was the last game to finish up. The team needed to win the game to secure the fifth victory for CA. After a stunning goal by Audeep Cariens ’22 late in the second half, the boys won 1-0. It was for this dramatic win that CA was able to retain the Chandler Bowl!
Following this victory was a presentation of the bowl, awarded to the winning school, as a trophy of their success. The crowd was cheering wildly as the captains went up to accept the bowl. CA showed an incredible display of athletic prowess, resiliency, and determination throughout their games. The outpour of love and support throughout the day was a sight to be seen. Congratulations to all the sports teams that played in the Chandler Bowl and helped contribute to the 5 peat!
Photo courtesy of Concord Academy