Soccer tryouts for girls were Dec. 2-4, while tryouts for the boys were Dec. 2-5.
“I’m always excited to see the soccer season start back up,’’ boy’s soccer coach Samuel Burnside said. “The soccer kids that I get to coach are a big reason for that, because we work hard all year to prepare for soccer and talk soccer all year with the numerous professional matches going on all year.”
Burnside said when Thanksgiving break starts to approach, he sees the players get more and more excited because the season is about to start.
“This soccer season, I’m looking forward to seeing the leadership that’s been being built for the past few years come to fruition and help us ‘Take the Next Touch’ with an even more successful season,” Burnside said.
Burnside said their goal every day is to “Take the Next Touch” and improve with every opportunity they get whether it be a practice, scrimmage, match, tournament or District game.
Last year the boys soccer team reached the playoffs for the first time since Burnside has been a coach here.
“[Getting to the playoffs] has been a goal of my seniors since that match ended, to get back there,” Burnside said. “Not just to get there but to win a Play-Off match! However, we have to think short term before we get to the end of the season.”
Sophomore Alan Fuentes said he feels good about this year’s season because they have a good team with teammates that have good individual talents.
“I’m a goalkeeper floater which means I play for both varsity and JV,” Fuentes said. “I’m just rotating with the other goalies between playing JV and varsity, but I also play as a defender for JV . My goal for this season is to play to my full potential and to play with confidence, and we as a team accomplished our goal last season which was to make playoffs, and now our goal is to make it farther into playoffs.”
Girls who tried out for the soccer team received a letter to let them know what team they made Dec. 4.
“I’m looking forward to having JV soccer teams this year as part of growing our program,” girl’s soccer coach Stephanie Vanliew said. “I’m excited to see the girls showcase their hard work!”
Vanliew said tryouts were challenging and fun. They provided a great opportunity to see who is ready to compete.
“My goals for this year are to be a positive role model, make a meaningful difference in our soccer program and cheer on JV as they score their first goal,” Vanliew said.
Senior Hailey Palmer made varsity.
“This season I hope to grow and improve with my team and have a good winning season,” Palmer said. “I’m confident that we have improved a lot from last season, as we have most of our returners. I believe we will continue to get better throughout the season and win.”
