Footy Cup Recap

This year’s tournament was defined by passionate spectators, shady refereeing, and barn-burner matches.

By Marc Lewin ’26

Over the past three years, the GFS Footy Cup has been a beloved tournament marking the beginning of the downhill sprint toward the end of the school year. The much-anticipated tournament brings Upper School students together for spirited competition, memorable moments, and just a little bit of chaos.

Organizers Brady Clayton ’25 and Nate Henderson ’25 divided this year’s tournament into three groups of three teams, where teams played two games within their group and two games outside. The top two teams in each group qualified for the playoffs, a week of single-elimination matches, crowning a champion by week’s end.

The competition proved steep this year, with a three-way tie for the second seed, and many of the games going to overtime and penalty kicks. Bustiers FC, a team entirely composed of seniors, was able to emerge victorious over Burgers FC, a majority freshman team, amid some shady refereeing. Bustiers was part of the aforementioned three-way tie for the second seed, being rewarded with the second seed itself and a first-round bye via tiebreaker. They capped off their Upper School tenure in triumphant fashion, winning 3-1 in regulation.

What truly defines the Footy Cup experience for players and onlookers is its atmosphere. This year's tournament was characterized by constant rain and the dumping of water bottles on players by spectators throughout the week of the playoffs. Fans of either side would show up at the Commons with water bottles and set up in spots to drench the players. Teams like Bustiers FC and Zimbabwe Youth Nationals even went so far as to bring ponchos and a change of clothes to play in.  

Another hallmark of this year's tournament was some questionable refereeing. As Connor Cusack ’26, a player for the Zimbabwe Youth Nationals, put it, “The refereeing got worse as the tournament went on. It was heavily based on the desires of the spectators.” The prime example of this involved Cusack’s team in the first round of the playoffs. The third-seed Zimbabwe Youth Nationals were taking on the sixth-seed Underdogs. Taking into account Zimbabwe’s tie for the second seed, and the Underdogs’ bottom-seed ranking, it seemed as though referee Brady Clayton ’25 was making some controversial decisions to make the game closer, going so far as to call off two Zimbabwe goals. In Clayton’s defense, he did appear to be supported and coerced into some of these calls. In the end, Zimbabwe Youth Nationals came out victorious, winning 2-1 in overtime.

The Footy Cup has become a vibrant springtime tradition at GFS, marked by spirited competition and the enthusiastic chaos of fan interference. According to spectator and referee Joseph Helfrich ’25, the tournament “brings team building and community to a whole new level of excitement,” a perfect reflection of the energy and unity that define the event. Whether it’s for glory, bragging rights, or just an excuse to be late for class after lunch, the Footy Cup brings a unique brand of fun to GFS that you can’t find anywhere else.