Raven Soccer Season Thoughts

Recently, the soccer team had its final game against CBC in districts. CBC is a very strong opponent, one that Priory soccer has never beaten in its history. This year, the team played some of the best soccer Priory has ever played against CBC, as we improved from a 1-6 defeat to a 2-3 quarterfinal loss in double overtime. For the seniors, their season was drawing to a close, and they were playing for everything. Just watching them play was incredible. Every single player that stepped on the field gave everything they had and pushed themselves to the limit. I don’t think that there was one player out there who could say that he left something on the field. While our loss was quite literally heartbreaking, there were many good things about it that cannot be overlooked. I am not a senior, and I didn’t play the way they did, but just being there was amazing. Every single player on the bench was on the edge of their seat for the entire duration of the game. The energy in the air was almost palpable, and we could all feel it. Every time the ball went near either goal, everyone in the stadium tensed. When a solid play or touch was made the bench erupted with cheers. 

The effort we gave CBC was the buildup of an entire season of hard work and dedication, and though we had many setbacks, we overcame them and even won the Metro League. The leadership of the seniors and captains was one of the main factors for our success. Another one was our incredible fan section. I particularly remember In the freezing, icy rain at the league-determining game against Principia, a few students took off their shirts to celebrate a goal we scored. It was actually insane, and if you were there, you would understand that it wasn’t rational. But the dedication that they had just by showing up was incredible, and the stuff they said inspired us to play better. Sometimes they got a little rowdy, but they always came back. Another reason was obviously the coaching. We all came to appreciate how Coach Mohrmann, Coach Holmes, and Coach Waking really learned each player’s strengths and how to use these strengths for the better of the team. We noticed this when Coach Mohrmann moved the player’s position around to address the opposition’s strategy against Whitfield and Burroughs where the team really started to gel and play at a high level. To go from our rough start to taking CBC into double overtime is an awesome accomplishment. You have to give the coaching and the seniors the credit they deserve. All in all, it was an incredible season, and I will never forget it. I am grateful for having played with every player. Their dedication was unmatched, and they set an example for us all.