Author Spotlight
Addy Newman
After a summer full of blazing hot kickarounds and a 10 a.m. soccer camp, the boys soccer players were ready for their first day of tryouts on Aug 19.
Typically, head soccer coach James Kelly takes four days to roster Varsity, JV and two C-teams. This year, Kelly spent an entire week observing players and creating potential rosters before making his final decision — adding an extra day to his tryout process.
“We’re so deep as a program,” Kelly said. “It’s so hard to make [cutting] decisions. I feel like we could try out for two weeks and we’d still have hard decisions to make.”
For the 2024 season, Kelly rostered 20 seniors, and only 3 juniors on varsity.
Because of the vast amount of seniors, 11 juniors who had not yet make varsity were placed on JV. Only three juniors were placed on the Varsity roster. Over 20 players were cut in total.
According to Kelly, the amount of seniors on the team is rare and hasn’t happened in over 10 years.
Although this supprised many players, newly appointed team captains George Hartman, Quinn McCarthy, and Lukas Lowry all support Kelly’s decision. Hartman is certain that the three varsity juniors Stephen Hlobik, Andrew Hastert, and Carter Santa will contribute just as much as any senior player to the team.
“[They are] getting more and more experience every game,” Hartman said. “I think they’ll all contribute a lot.”
Kelly confirmed the juniors on varsity will help the team step into their positions they play and bring the team to their highest level. He knows they can go out and play just as good as everyone else. The whole team is pushing for a 2024 state championship win.
First-year varsity member and senior Landon Romero plans to quit club soccer after this season. He hopes not only for a state title but to cherish every moment of his last year.
“I want to make it far in the playoffs, but my personal goal is just to have a good time doing it,” Romero said.
After losing in the quarterfinals two years in a row, the whole team believes they have the team to do it this year. According to Kelly, the talent found in the senior class this year was the reason for the senior-heavy team. They all believe in each other and are rooting for each other.
“Our motto for this year is focused practices because we’ve been really close in the last three years,” Romero said. “So he really wants to win it this year, and that’s why he has all the seniors.”
Their intense work and determination start from the practice field. Every practice the team has is crucial to the team’s success, starting with their first game against SM West on Aug. 31.
This was a special moment for the start of Lowry’s last high school season. The excitement of driving to the SMAC field and the countless drills the boys performed to be ready for the moment their cleats hit the turf on game day.
“Everyone was committed, everyone was engaged,” Hartman said. “It was fun. It was hard to get up in the morning for six days and practice, but once we did, it was fun, and I had a good time.”
McCarthy took in the first game of the season as a special moment to start his senior year season. Walking onto the field with the student section decked in all white cheering them on, he took in the moment.
“Just the energy of the first game was insane,” McCarthy said. “The first five minutes with all the students there, it was very exciting.”
Lowry sets the expectation for the team, as team captain he must lead the team to work at a high level and intensity and to make sure that he keeps everyone focused and working hard at practices and staying true to what they want this program to be.
“Be a leader and just keep working hard, keep doing what you’re doing, and it’ll show [off],” Lowry said.
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