After a demonstrative week one 42-6 victory over The John Dickinson School, St. Andrew’s football lost to Tower Hill, 38-8, under the big lights on Friday, September 12. The defeat didn’t stop six buses worth of St. Andrew’s students from screaming and stomping for their beloved red and white until the clock ran out.

The first “spirit bus” game of the fall athletic season, Saints, equipped with megaphones, face paint, and posters to celebrate their favorite Saints athletes, brought a taste of the SAS community to the home turf of their Wilmington rivals. Quarterback Toby Nix ’26 says he not only felt the love, but was fueled by it. “The under-the-lights game is always one of my favorite sporting events of the year,” he says. “The energy being emitted from the stands means a lot to us as a team, and even when we struggled on the field, the Saints in the stands showed incredible support.”

Standout performances included Austin McEachin ’27 on defense, who led the team with eight tackles. Alex Kernistant ’27 added seven more, including one tackle for loss. Offensively, Burke Donovan ’26 scored the lone touchdown, which whipped the Saints contingent into a frenzy. Roberto Buccini ’26 then converted for two points on the ground.

“Losing is never something that’s even considered, not until the very end of a game, and that’s what I saw,” Nix says. “I saw a drive to keep moving forward. Even through a difficult loss, we continued to fight. I think that speaks a lot to the character of this team.”

Next Saturday, September 20, the 1-1 Saints march into Charter School of Wilmington to face an 0-2 team. Nix says he’ll be coming in to that matchup with better focus, borne of elevated practices and intense film study. “I want to further my studies of my opponent to get better knowledge of their defense,” he says. “I’ll also be looking to do something to get better while on the field, even in my downtime. Practice time is limited, so maximizing the way we work during practice will continue to make or break our team.”

If you think the Saints are daunted by the loss, think again. “I’m amped,” Nix says. “Week two was a wakeup call that’s going to force us to adapt the way we think about ourselves. I believe that this team has the ability to bounce back and really take it to Wilmington Charter.”

You can find the football schedule, roster, and updated scores at sas-saints.com.