Boys Aim for States: Latest Soccer News
After a successful season in which the boys' varsity soccer team fought all the way to the semifinals, everyone wondered if they could go even further this year. Leading the way is returning coach Colton Johnson to aim for the state championship with his boys. He’s running a very dedicated team, not just player-wise, but coaching-wise as well.
Senior Roan Borton expressed respect for the staff, saying “Our assistant coaches Ryan Whiting and Rolfe Behrje never miss a practice.” He also held head coach Colton Johnson in high esteem stating “He’s a very good coach…even though we may not be treated as a team sometimes.”
Despite going far last year, they’re being challenged early on in the season. The team's first game of the year against Loy Norrix yielded an unfortunate score of 5-0. Senior Christian Ynclan expressed a unanimous dislike for the 5-4-1 defensive formation they played, stating, “We’re just used to a more possession-based positioning.”
And with a challenging weekend at the David Ni Memorial Westside Shootout, players James Scothorn and Cullen McBride expressed confidence heading into their season despite the rough matches. The team went up against division one schools Kalamazoo Central and Edwardsburg. The first game against Edwardsburg yielded a score of 3-5 in which their opponent managed to score 4 goals off of set pieces. The following game against Kalamazoo Central went better for the boys with a loss of 2-0.
“We played well defensively during that second game. Kalamazoo only scored against us off of small mistakes. The game was helpful because it let us know that we need to work on cutting down those errors” states Ynclan.
Cullen McBride expressed the same sentiment, saying, “Playing against better schools like K. Central helps us to become better overall rather than playing average teams that don’t give us a challenge,” Sitting to his right, James nodded his head in agreement.
While confidence is a standing factor expressed by the varsity team, the overall mood is not one of excitement. Rather, it’s one of focus and concentration. For instance, Senior Liam Roth didn’t express much elation when asked about his personal feelings toward the beginning of the season. He simply stated, “I’m just locked in, that’s all”. Then when asked about the team's goals, he gave the expected answer, “To return to states and win.”
Students, teachers, and parents alike are excited to see the boys' team in action with their upcoming home match against Hillsdale today at 6:00. Make sure to show up to support these talented young athletes. Go, Irish!!!
