Following the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX win, Deptford High School students Hunter Thomas and Dominic Alia made an Instagram fan page for then-rookie edge rusher Jalyx Hunt, who played a key role in wrecking Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ night.
Just over a year later, Hunt showed up to the high school graduation of the “Jalyx Hunt enthusiasts.”
On Thursday, while waiting to receive his diploma, Thomas received a text from his mother. Hunt, whom Thomas invited, was sitting in the away stands of Deptford’s football stadium. He waved to the Eagle, who signaled right back at Thomas and his friend, Antoine Sims.
“After that, my head starts spinning,” Thomas told The Inquirer. “There’s no freaking way that he actually came.”
Thomas first met Hunt at last year’s Eagles Autism Challenge. There, he showed the edge rusher the fan page called @jalyxhunt_enthusiast. Hunt loved it and followed the account back. Since then, Thomas and Alia have exchanged direct messages with Hunt, wishing him happy birthday and sending him messages throughout the season.
Before the Eagles’ final regular-season game this past season, a 24-17 loss to the Washington Commanders, Hunt met Thomas and Alia above the tunnel to sign Thomas’ jersey. “Always love,” Hunt, who recognized the pair, signed. “Go birds!”
When graduation came around, Thomas had an extra ticket, so he thought to text his favorite player first. To his surprise, Hunt responded that he would be able to come. Immediately, Thomas employed his sister to decorate his graduation cap, complete with Hunt’s No. 58 and a throwback Eagles logo.
In a post to his Instagram story on Thursday, Hunt shared a photo of his view from the Deptford stands. “I’m locked,” he wrote, tagging the fan account which now sits at roughly 1,000 followers.
“I get my diploma, and my mom, because she’s a teacher, she gives it to me,” Thomas said. “I hug her, and when I walk back to my seat, I point out to Jalyx. He points back. When I did it, I was just thinking, ‘I got to show him some love.’”
Jalyx Hunt with Hunter Thomas at Thomas’ high school graduation.Courtesy of Hunter Thomas
After all his classmates’ names were called and his cap was thrown, Thomas made his way over to Hunt, who was now sitting with Thomas’ father. Hunt caught up with Thomas, telling him that he was cheering loudly when Thomas received his diploma. Eventually, Thomas found Alia on the field and the three posed for photographs.
“There’s a lot of NFL players with all this clout, and their heads are so big, and then he’s just the most down-to-earth [person],” Thomas said. “He’s like, ‘Yes I play football, but I’m still a normal guy at the end of the day.’
“He’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life. Me and Dom said, after we were like, ‘This is like a memory that we’re going to have forever.’”
West Chester Henderson girls’ lacrosse goalie Grace Rongaus tries to think like a goldfish in the net.
“Goldfish are supposed to be not the smartest animals, and they have no memory, so being a goalie, you’re supposed to just ignore all the bad things that happen and move on,” Rongaus said. “Fun fact: Goldfish actually are really incredibly smart, and they can remember faces. So I don’t know how true it is, but that’s what we all say.
On Saturday, Rongaus’ mantra paid off in the PIAA Class 3A girls’ lacrosse championship at Penn State’s Panzer Stadium. Forgetting any mistakes that could have plagued her psyche, the junior goalkeeper came away with nine saves — eight of which came in the second half — to will the Warriors to a 11-6 victory over Conestoga (21-3). All three of Conestoga’s losses were to the hands of Henderson.
The title marks the first in program history and comes a year after Henderson made the PIAA tournament for the first time. Last season, Henderson was eliminated by Springfield, 10-4, in the first round. This year, the Warriors played the Cougars in the semifinals. This time, they defeated the Cougars, 9-7.
Four days after that semifinal win, Rongaus walked off the field as a state champion. Unlike a goldfish, she plans to hold on to that memory.
“It still [does not feel] totally real, at the same time,” said Rongaus, who is committed to St. Joseph’s. “We work so hard as a team to get to this point. Every day, you go to practice with these girls, and then just one day after, you don’t see them at all anymore. We’re so astonished that we won.”
Added Henderson coach Robin Keevan: “I’m incredibly proud of my girls, what they’ve accomplished this year, and all the hard work they put in. It paid off, and I think that’s a huge reward for the girls. It was definitely their goal all season.”
Rongaus was far from the only star on Saturday. Along with the goalkeeper’s heroics, Henderson’s offense shined. The Warriors’ scoring effort was led by four goals from senior midfielder Mary Cate Killoran, who’s committed to Florida State. Seniors Bailey Schalleur (Notre Dame) and Rayne Harkins (James Madison) also logged two goals each.
“This is just a huge historic moment for the girls’ lacrosse program,” Keevan said. “We’re going to keep on doing what we did the last couple years, and I know the younger girls are already raring to go.”
In the 2A championship, Twin Valley (25-2) beat Wyomissing Area (24-3) to win its first title. Senior Ellie Kaplan (Michigan) scored four goals and tallied two assists in the Raiders’ 11-5 win.
‘Screwed our heads on straight’
Henderson was a game shy of a perfect season, ending its championship campaign at 24-1. The players say their title run would not have been possible, however, without the Warriors’ 8-7 loss to Great Valley on April 21.
“We did not play as a team [against Great Valley]; we were arguing and bickering,” Rongaus said. “And that’s how it goes. Teams are going to fight. After losing that game, we were like, ‘OK, this is actually the real deal. Anybody can beat us. We are a beatable team.’”
After the loss, Keevan and assistant coach Mia Ciancio told the team that they had become complacent.
“You could see it through our energy at practice, like we were getting cocky,” Schalleur said. “We weren’t 100% focused and we weren’t putting in all our efforts throughout every little drill.
“The one loss to Great Valley — that completely screwed our heads on straight. We would not have won [the title] if we did not have our loss. It was at the perfect part of the season, and we needed it.”
After falling to Great Valley, the Warriors won 12 straight games en route to the championship. However, it will be hard to replicate the team’s success next season.
The Warriors had 13 seniors, who received their diplomas about a week before competing the title game. Schalleur has already moved to South Bend, Ind., for Notre Dame’s summer sessions.
“We won the state championship, and then the next morning, I was on a flight,” Schalleur said, laughing.
Even though her location has changed, her Henderson family will always be a part of her.
“[After] the championship on Saturday, when the buzzer rang, we all just hugged each other,” Shaelleur said. “I think it’s just super sentimental the fact that I’ve been playing with those girls, a couple of them, for over a decade. Getting to experience that with them is so unreal.”
If you ask some Philadelphia fans, Taylor Swift’s claim to the city should be revoked.
On Wednesday, Swift sat on Madison Square Garden’s celebrity row to watch the New York Knicks, who swept the Sixers out of the playoffs last month, claw back from a 29-point deficit against the San Antonio Spurs to take a three-games-to-one series lead in the NBA Finals. Swift, who’s from Reading and spent her childhood summers in Stone Harbor, N.J., cheered on New York despite her strong ties to the Philadelphia area.
The pop star wore a blue T-shirt with “Stevie Knicks” — a nod to Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks — printed in Knicks orange. She was seated between friends and fellow musicians Este and Alana Haim, who sported “Knickole Kidman” and “Knickelback” shirts, and Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay, whose character, Olivia Benson, inspired one of Swift’s cats’ names.
So, what’s actually going on? Did Swift ever rep the Sixers or has she always been a big Knicks fan?
In April 2002, a 12-year old Swift performed the national anthem before the Sixers tipped off against the Detroit Pistons at the First Union Center (now Xfinity Mobile Arena). Sixers public address announcer Matt Cord, who retired after this past season, introduced the future global star as “Taylor Swift from Reading, Pa.”
Swift, who also performed the anthem before Game 3 of the 2008 World Series at Citizens Bank Park, recently reflected on singing at her hometown NBA team’s arena during a December appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but she did not mention where her NBA fandom lies. She instead focused on the American flag-themed attire she wore.
“You know, when you’re like 11 and you’ve got that one outfit that you just know goes so hard,” Swift said. “You just know that when you put this on, you’re like, ‘I’m sorry, I’m unstoppable today.’”
In 2014, Swift told Time magazine that she began to root for New York earlier that year when she moved to the Big Apple. That year, the “Process Sixers” went 19-63, but the Knicks were not worldbeaters either, finishing 37-45. Her reason for embracing the Knicks evidently was not because of how the team was playing. Instead, it was because of a friendship she formed with New York big man Amar’e Stoudemire.
“So you run into a bunch of different, interesting types of people at the Met Ball,” Swift told Time. “I’ve gone the last four years. And the most normal people at that event, every single time, are Amar’e Stoudemire and his wife Alexis. I talk with them and hang with them every time I’m there. So I’ve always had this sort of love of the Knicks, just because Amar’e is so cool.”
It also seems the Sixers did not claim a special place in Swift’s heart because they invited her to sing, either. In fact, as she told Time, she also performed at Madison Square Garden as a child. The Mecca seemed to leave a greater impression on her than the Sixers’ South Philly arena.
“And also I performed at the Knicks’ — at Madison Square Garden’s kids talent competition at halftime when I was 12 or 13,” Swift said. “And ever since then, I’ve had this kind of sparkly, magical opinion of Madison Square Garden and the Knicks, since they let me sing when I was a little kid.”
As some on social media have pointed out, Swift also attended Game 3 of the Knicks’ Eastern Conference finals matchup at the Cleveland Cavaliers. At that game, seated next to her fiancé and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, she appeared to root for the Cavaliers — not the Knicks. Kelce and his brother, retired Eagles great Jason Kelce, are from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and have been public in their support for the Cavs.
Am I tripping or was she not just rooting for the Cavs against the Knicks in the last series lmaoo https://t.co/aCoFWt359F
Swift’s relationship with the Eagles does not leave many clues to where her loyalty lies, either. Despite previously performing in Eagles jerseys and mentioning the team in her 2020 song “gold rush,” Swift seemingly ditched the Birds after she began to date Kelce. Since then, she has supported Kansas City.
This is a very important reminder to everyone that Taylor Swift is an Eagles fan. 🦅 pic.twitter.com/Sw4viIt8MV
It seems that Swift will have to correct the record on her favorite teams. Until then, a small sect of Philadelphia Swifties will likely hold out hope. The rest? They seem to have given up.
No matter what social media tells you, Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts are still pretty popular.
For the second year in a row, the Eagles’ offensive duo ranked in the top 10 in jersey and merchandise sales, according to the NFL Players Association’s year-end list. Barkley’s jersey was the third highest-selling overall, while Hurts finished seventh. In fact, this year marked the third straight that a pair of Eagles appeared in the top 10 — in 2024, Hurts and Jason Kelce placed first and second, respectively.
The list took into account all officially licensed player products purchased from March 2025 through February 2026. The merchandise, which sold for more than $1.9 billion across more than 50 countries, according to the NFLPA, includes jerseys, drinkware, bobbleheads, accessories, and more.
“Fans have more choices than ever when it comes to the players they follow and support, and the Year-End Top 50 gives us a real look at who they’re showing up for,” president of NFL Players Inc. Matt Curtin said in a release.
After surpassing 2,000 rushing yards during the Eagles’ 2024 Super Bowl season, Barkley finished with 1,140 and seven touchdowns last season. The running back’s drop in production coincided with a slight dip in popularity. Barkley was ranked the top-selling player a year prior, but he still topped all running backs in total merchandise sold for the second straight year.
Barkley also finished in the top five in almost nearly every other listed category, including jersey sales, FOCO bobbleheads, Fathead wall decals, and shirts from BreakingT and 500 LEVEL.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts ranked seventh in jersey sales last seasonJose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Hurts, who passed for 3,224 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2025, suffered a dip in sales as well, falling from third to seventh overall. In terms of quarterbacks, Hurts trailed Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen (No. 1), Patriots’ Drake Maye (No. 2), Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels (No. 5), and Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes (No. 6).
The Eagles quarterback did prove to be especially popular with the next generation of rabid fans. He ranked second in youth apparel sales, trailing just Mahomes. Barkley was fourth in the category.
The only other team to boast two players in the top 10 overall was the Green Bay Packers. Quarterback Jordan Love ranked ninth overall while linebacker Micah Parsons, who the team acquired last season from the Dallas Cowboys, rounded out the top 10.
But Barkley and Hurts weren’t alone. Two more Eagles also made the NFLPA’s top-50 highest sellers list.
Cooper DeJean topped all NFL defensive backs in total merchandise sold last season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
At No. 22, Cooper DeJean topped all NFL defensive backs in total merchandise sold. After a breakout rookie year, DeJean logged 93 total tackles and two interceptions during his sophomore season, which also resulted in his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections. DeJean climbed 20 spots from No. 42 last year.
Former Eagles receiver A.J. Brown, on the other hand, fell 26 spots and just made the list at No. 50. There is also likely a bit of buyer’s remorse for Birds fans who recently bought the wideout’s gear. Last week, Brown was traded to the New England Patriots. He caught 78 passes for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns during his final season with Philadelphia.
But now that he’s playing in a new team’s uniform, there’s a good chance Brown skyrockets back up this list next season. Perhaps his departure will have a similar effect on new Eagles No. 1 wideout, DeVonta Smith, who was 29th last June but fell off this year’s list.
Penn will be well represented at the NCAA outdoor track and field championship this week.
Four members qualified to compete in Eugene, Ore., from Wednesday to Friday: junior sprinter and hurdler Ryan Matulonis, freshman thrower Jessica Oji, senior long distance runner Lily Murphy, and senior high jumper Kampton Kam.
“We’re representing distance running, sprinting, jumping, and throwing,” Murphy said. “We have a pretty wide variety of personalities and grades going on this trip, but I think it’s very representative of the diverse community that Penn track is.”
Added Matulonis: “It’s definitely super motivating. We may all be from different training groups, and we don’t practice together. But at the end of the day, we’re all able to unite because of the fact that we all wear the Penn stripes. I think it just kind of goes to show how deep our program goes.”
All track events will air on ESPN or ESPN2, while field and combined events will be available to stream on ESPN+. Here’s what to know about each Penn athlete and the journey they took to get to outdoor track and field’s biggest stage:
Ryan Matulonis, 400-meter hurdles
Matulonis, a three-time Ivy League champion, was the only male Penn track athlete to advance past the NCAA’s East first round in Lexington, Ky. In the quarterfinals of the 400-meter hurdles, Matulonis achieved a personal-best of 49.25 seconds to place second and punch his ticket to Eugene.
Although he qualified for the championship, Matulonis was hoping to break the Ivy League 400-meter hurdles record — held by former Quaker Bruce Collins — in the first round in Lexington.
“It was great to make the national meet, but I missed the record by a 100th of a second,” Matulonis said. “[The Ivy League] record is 49.24, and I ran 49.25. So that one stung a little bit, but I still got another shot to race it.
“Winning was definitely very motivating. That competitive spirit really helped me get to where I am today, and obviously that never goes away. But as you start to get closer to some of these numbers — that when you’re a freshman, they’re not as in reach — and then you start to creep closer to them, and those are things that you start to have in the back of your mind as well that you’re going for.”
Ryan Matulonis set a personal record in the 400-meter hurdlers in the NCAA’s East first round.Penn Athletics
Matulonis will likely need to break the conference record to finish first in the 400-meter hurdles finals, which are held on Friday (at 6:27 p.m.). The national champion in the event has finished faster than his personal-record every year since 1996. First, he will have to advance past the semifinals, which are slated to begin Wednesday (7:14 p.m.).
Jessica Oji, shot put
In December, at her first collegiate meet, Oji broke the Ivy League indoor shot put record. During the indoor season, she broke her own record two more times. Then, in the outdoor season, she broke the Ivy’s shot put record.
Oji was the only Quaker to qualify for both indoor and outdoor NCAA championships this year. At the indoor championships, she placed seventh in the shot put.
Penn freshman Jessica Oji qualified for the indoor and outdoor NCAA championships this year.Penn Athletics
After placing first at the Penn Relays, Oji said her dominant start is just the beginning.
“I’ve always wanted to win [the Penn Relays] while wearing the Penn stripes,” Oji said in April. “It’s been a huge goal for me. When I committed here, I was like, ‘I have to win this meet all four years.’ This is just the start of it.”
She will have a chance for a championship finish in the women’s shot put final on Thursday (7:15 p.m.).
Lily Murphy, 10,000 meter
Last season, Murphy was injured and unable to compete in the East First Round. So, when it was her turn in Lexington, the senior had more nerves than usual.
“I was really nervous going into the regional meet, but once I got out there, once the gun went off, I was like a different person,” Murphy said. “I was just so happy to be back there … A switch kind of flipped, and I was just trying to enjoy it.”
Lily Murphy qualified for the NCAA track and field outdoor championship in the 10,000 meter event.Courtesy of Penn Athletics
Murphy finished fifth overall in the 10,000 meter with a time of 32 minutes, 53.30 seconds.
Now, she is back at the championship meet. She will race in the 10,000 meter final on Thursday (7:56 p.m.) in a competitive heat. New Mexico sophomore Pamela Kosgei, the defending national champion in the event, qualified for this year’s race and is looking to defend her title.
But Murphy, who is running her final meet as a Quaker, is not letting her nerves get the best of her.
“I’ve surprised myself before,” Murphy said. “I think just being able to test the waters but also just go out there and give it my all and see how far I can go against this competition — there’s something uniquely exciting about that.”
Kampton Kam, high jump
Unless Matulonis advances to the final, Kam will be the last Quaker to compete in Eugene. The high jump final is slated for Friday (4:30 p.m.).
Like Murphy, the meet will mark Kam’s last at Penn. The six-time Singapore national high jump record holder graduated from the Wharton School three weeks ago. With the majority of his teammates and friends leaving campus, Kam has been looking for new motivation leading up to the national championship.
Over four years at Penn, Kampton Kam has qualified for three NCAA outdoor championships in the high jump.Penn Athletics
“It’s been four good years, and just to see some of my friends leave it kind of like — not drains you, but it just makes you feel … how can I keep going [if] I don’t see them anymore? It does affect you a little bit that way. But definitely super happy to make it to finals after regionals, and just have one last dance with the team.”
In Lexington, Kam defied projections. Clearing a 2.16-meter bar, he finished fifth overall despite being ranked 11th in the region going into the meet.
Friday will mark his third consecutive appearance in the meet, but he has yet to win a championship.
During his introductory press conference, new 76ers president basketball of operations Mike Gansey detailed his journey to Philly, explaining the role he played in the Cleveland Cavaliers front office for more than a decade as he climbed up the organization’s ranks.
Gansey most recently served as Cleveland’s general manager, but he has worked in a number of roles since joining the organization in 2011. A native of Olmsted Falls, Ohio, Gansey took some time to thank the franchise on Monday.
“Cleveland has been home for me, and leaving that special group was not an easy decision at all,” Gansey said on Monday. “I have nothing but gratitude and admiration for the Gilbert family [majority owners], [president of basketball operations] Koby Altman, [coach] Kenny Atkinson, the players and everyone with that organization that have helped me personally and professionally.”
Promoted to general manager in 2022, Gansey helped build the Cavaliers into a contender. The team traded for franchise cornerstone Donovan Mitchell during Gansey’s first season as the team’s GM. Then, after finding minor playoff success despite impressive regular-season finishes, the Cavaliers made another splashy move. Cleveland traded two-time All-Star Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers for James Harden, forming a new backcourt between the former MVP and Mitchell.
After winning 52 games this season, the Cavaliers were swept by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.
On Monday, Gansey explained his role with the Cavaliers and the part he played in major moves: “I did all the day-to-day. Talking to players, the agents, collaborating with any coach. I mean, me and Kenny [Atkinson] had a great relationship, we talked every day. … I haven’t been the number one guy, but right there with Koby, and Koby put a lot on my plate. I was very fortunate to be able to work as much as I did.”
The Harden move, in particular, has given some Sixers fans and analysts pause. Harden, who played two seasons in Philadelphia before requesting a trade, struggled against the Knicks in the playoffs, averaging just 16 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists in the four-game series. On Monday, Gansey did not offer much insight about the team’s acquisition of the 36-year old.
“Obviously I was in those conversations,” Gansey said. “I was involved, but you know, James is with another team now. So you know, 10 days ago I could have answered every question you had on James, but he was great for us.”
Mike Gansey makes his first appearance as Sixers president of basketball operations during a press conference on Monday.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
When asked further about his major responsibilities in Cleveland, Gansey shared that he “ran the draft,” playing a major role in “player personnel and evaluation.” Since 2022, when he took over as the team’s GM, the Cavaliers have drafted a few key role players. Namely, Cleveland selected guards Jaylon Tyson in 2024 and Tyrese Proctor in 2025, who both contributed to the team’s success this past season. The Sixers have the 22nd pick in this year’s draft. Bob Myers, president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, told reporters that while he did not know Gansey personally before the interview process began, he was more than familiar with his resumé.
“[Gansey is] a great guy, he’s well-respected,” said Myers, who led the search. “I [did not] know if he’d leave Cleveland, the only place he’s ever been. I think Cleveland’s done a good job, obviously, in the LeBron [James] era and then climbing back up out of that. They made a lot of good decisions.”
After playing basketball professionally overseas, Gansey’s first role with Cleveland was as a basketball operations seasonal assistant. From there, he willed his way up the organization via the team’s G League affiliate. He served in a multitude of roles with the Cleveland Charge, being named the 2016-17 G League Executive of the Year prior to being named Cavaliers assistant GM the following year.
“I was there for 15 years, worked my way up: intern to GM, and I give Koby all the credit and the Gilbert family,” Gansey said. “They let me do my thing, I had a ton of responsibilities. Nowadays, when people can be a G League GM, I think that’s a huge stepping stone in their career, and I was able to do that. And it helped me when I became assistant GM all the way to GM.”
Gansey said he maintained an “open-door policy,” meaning he was available to anyone in the organization. He noted he built relationships “all the way from our star player to the janitor,” and he hopes to do the same in Philly.
“We’re going to have alignment throughout the whole building. You know, me and Nick [Nurse] are going to collaborate every day, Jameer [Nelson], Prosper [Karangwa] — our whole staff, all the coaches, players. It’s going to be a great environment to be in Philly. I’m big on having fountains, not drains in the building.”
