by Russell Clay
“The best is yet to come,” claims OHS boys soccer team head coach Aaron Foster about this spring season. The soccer team has been blessed with talented players, outstanding coaches and supportive parents who all hope this will be the year they make it to a region championship game.
Coming a long way over the past few years, the team had a good season in 2007 but struggled in 2008. In 2009, they opened up the season by winning important games against good teams. “The region we are in is pretty tough, but we are able to compete with the schools,” Foster says proudly of his team, adding that the boys have come a long way in their performance through their constant practice of soccer fundamentals. “Working on skills and doing little drills that really kind of build the technique, [the team has] started to understand, is what I feel is going to take us to the next level.”
The soccer team has set high goals for this season, one of which is a region championship. This goal is set high, but the boys soccer team believes that it is achievable for them this year. If they make it and win they will have a chance to compete in the state tournament. Getting that far will give them the right to be ranked among other top-performing teams, and that is what they are hoping for.
Scoring 46 goals last year, it is expected that if they play with a strong mindset, a region championship just may be in their sights. Although last year’s season went very well, the OHS boys soccer team must “keep the same composure and play on a high level,” according to Foster. “We seek success this year in all our players, but the way we play will determine how the season ends,” he notes.
So far, the seniors and juniors have been showing a great deal of dedication, commitment, hard work and leadership on the field and in the classroom. The soccer team understands that without these qualities it will be hard to be successful.
This year the boys soccer team has 13 seniors, each with at least one year of experience on the varsity squad. They are all well-qualified for scholarships and it is just a matter of who wants one more. They have put in time and effort during the summer and preseason to get ready for the upcoming season. Perhaps the thought of an impending scholarship offer will put these student-athletes in a confident mindset.
For senior Mohammed Dumbuya, a scholarship is just a matter of choice. He has received a couple of offers and Foster states that Dumbuya is debating on which school to attend. Foster has also recently taken four players to different schools in the South. “We are going to have a number of colleges come to watch us during the season, to see the guys play and see if they can help them out,” Foster explains. He anticipates that a few of his graduating seniors will be inspired to play harder for a potential scholarship offer.
This year is expected to be a great one from start to finish. From the seniors down to the freshmen, the soccer team will be a force to be reckoned with. So watch out, the OHS boys soccer team is ready and better than ever!
- Volume 4, Issue 1 -
