Earlier this week, the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams played Countryside High School. Both teams won by one goal and had no goals scored against them. That was one of the last games before districts! The girls’ team will have their first district game next Thursday. “I’m super excited but also nervous for districts,” said Hayden Wicks a defender for the girls’ soccer team. “Districts is super important, and we must keep our focus.” Hayden is a sophomore and was in Districts last year as a freshman. Districts are a nerve racking and intense time for the soccer teams.

On the boys’ team, the players are preparing for their upcoming games as well. “We have been working hard every day and practicing outside of school to prepare for districts,” Owen Foster explained. “We are in this to win it, and the extra practice will take us all the way.” Owen is a sophomore on the boys’ team. He always tries to motivate his team and help them to work harder. They played Gibbs on Wednesday, January 18th, and had a 9-1 victory! Out of those 9 goals, Aron Martinaj scored 3! “I thought we played well against Gibbs, but there was room for improvement.” Aron is also a sophomore. He is confident in his team’s abilities and loves playing with them. “I am 100% sure my team is prepared for districts. We are a talented team and will go far.” There is a lot of preparation the soccer teams must do for districts.

The coaches and the captains of the soccer teams are helping their teams and showing them what they need to do to play at their best. One of the captains of the team, a senior, has been working with her team to improve focus, skill, and strength. “Districts aren’t easy,” she said. “We have to train harder and stay focused if we want to beat these teams. We all want to win, but to win we have to go above and beyond.” The captains of the soccer teams are chosen with careful consideration.  She keeps her team in check, but most importantly, makes sure everyone is getting along. Making sure the team has chemistry and trust each other is essential when playing a team sport such as soccer. Presley Kauffman, a sophomore on the team, agrees with needing trust in soccer. “I think we should all be able to trust each other in order to win a game,” Presley explains,