Exeter vs. Andover, one of the oldest and most storied rivalries in the country, lived up to the hype once again as the two schools squared off on the Andover campus. A perfect fall day with a crisp chill and cool breeze set the stage for a rekindling of the Red and Blue rivalry where school pride, camaraderie, and celebration of tradition are the key ingredients to the fierce competition in between the lines.

Exeter earned victories in girls volleyball and capped the day with a win on the gridiron while Andover picked up wins in girls soccer and field hockey. Boys soccer settled in a 1-1 draw after an intense, spirited matchup.

In addition to the rivalry games on the Andover campus, there was plenty of exciting action to keep tabs on as boys and girls cross country and boys water polo programs kicked off their respective fall championship seasons.

The boys varsity cross country team continued their dominance with an unprecedented fifth straight New England title at the Division I championships this afternoon on the campus of the Hotchkiss School. Big Red placed their top five runners inside the top-25 and amassed 69 points, six points ahead of second place Andover to earn the title. Owen Welch '26 led the way as he finished seventh overall, covering the hilly 5k course in a speedy 16:09. Bo Howland-Vlahakis '28 (16:21) followed Welch, placing ninth overall while Lucien Gleiser '25 (16:34), Pearce Covert '25 (16:36), and Nathi Lomax '25 (16:58) rounded out Exeter's top-five. Exeter has now captured ten of the last 13 Division I championships.

The girls varsity cross country team also put forth a strong effort, placing third overall. This is the tenth straight season Big Red has finished with a top-three overall finish, a streak that includes five titles of their own. Ava Bullock '26 powered Big Red with a seventh-place finish, crossing with a time of 19:23. Bullock was followed by Leta Griffith '25 (19:48), who claimed 12^th overall, along with Annika Nystedt '28 (20:26), Emerson Seymour '26 (20:30), and Marley McMahon '26 (20:32). Exeter finished with 82 total points.

Boys varsity water polo entered the New England Championship Tournament as the second-seed in the eight team bracket. Big Red won their first matchup 18-7 over seventh-seed Williston before topping Greenwich Country Day 21-10 to advance to the title match on Sunday. James Faulhaber '26 powered the explosive Exeter offense as he scored eight goals in each matchup on the day. Exeter will square off against top-seeded Brunswick in what will be a repeat of last year's championship matchup. The game will be at 12:30pm and can be live streamed here.

Back at Andover, girls varsity volleyball capped off an undefeated regular season with a 3-0 victory over the Blue. Big Red used set scores of 25-14, 25-15, and 25-11 to secure the win. Ellie Ocampo '25 and Clare McCann '25 led the way for Big Red, igniting a powerful Exeter attack, while Liv Lang '26 and Melody Ma '27 helped set up the offense. This was Big Red's second win over the Blue this year, sweeping the season series. Exeter, who has not dropped a set all season, will continue their season in the Class A playoffs next week. Playoff seedings have yet to be announced.

Exeter football closed out their regular season with a resounding 42-21 victory over Andover, marking their fourth straight victory over the Blue dating back to the 2021 season. Big Red scored early and often, building a 35-0 lead at the half. JJ Bright '25 and Preston Otter '25 each found the end zone twice while Myles Craddock '25 and Junhyeok Jang '25 added a score of their own. The Big Red defense, led by Rand Shepard '25, Isaiah Reese '25, and Marek Jin '26, suffocated the Blue offense, causing multiple turnovers and keeping the hosts off the scoreboard until late in the game. Exeter will look to have their season continue into the postseason and await the announcement of a potential bowl game appearance.

Boys varsity soccer wrapped up their matchup with a 1-1 draw, but it was not without some fireworks. Big Red had two goals called off due to offside calls in the second half, including one with two minutes left in regulation. Andover had some tough luck of their own as they saw a penalty kick sail wide. In the waning seconds of regulation, the Blue created another scoring opportunity but Big Red keeper Sebastian Hiller '25 made an impressive stop to keep the score even at 1-1.

Andover secured wins on the pitch as the Blue girls soccer team posted a 3-0 decision. Riley Jernigan '26, Sylvia Guarracino '26, Annabel Jordan '28, and Ella Shea '26 anchored a strong effort from the Exeter backline while senior keeper Aubrey Silvestri '25 was excellent in between the pipes for the visitors.

Big Blue field hockey also captured a 6-0 victory despite an outstanding effort from Big Red goalie Josie Hilbert '27.