Boys soccer: a season to remember

Aisha Hill, Reporter

The Varsity boys soccer team has undergone a record breaking season, ending a 13-year losing streak against their toughest competitors, Boylan, on Wednesday, September 27, putting them first in conference. The win over Belvidere earned them their first conference title since 2004 and a perfect 9-0 season.

Joseph Battel, senior captain, transferred this year from Boylan, where he played on the varsity soccer team last year.

“It feels great being first in Nic-10,” said Battel. “But I was a Nic-10 champ last year when I played for Boylan, so now I’m just trying to look beyond that and focus on our upcoming tournaments for sectionals and regionals.”

The team has an undefeated record; however, they’ve overcome quite a few obstacles throughout the season.

“It was definitely rough adjusting to the new players on the team,” said Chase Nickols, senior.      “Every player has a different playing style. Some of us play for different club teams, but eventually you just learn to adapt to one another.”

Another tough game was against Jefferson High School, where the boys were down two players; nevertheless, they won with a score of 2 – 1.

“That game was really challenging for us because we were short two essential players on the team due to red-cards,” said Chad Blackburn, senior. “But we were able to push through and overcome.”

Some seniors are looking to advance on to the next level and play college soccer, while others will be making this season their last.

“I will be going to college next year, but right now, playing soccer isn’t something I will keep pursuing,” said Battel. “I enjoyed it all of high school, but once you reach collegiate level, it’s too big of a commitment that I don’t want.”

As soccer comes to an end, seniors are moving forward with school and their futures, leaving the rest of the team with memories of an unforgettable season.

“All of us on the team were really close, even though we didn’t always get along very well,” said Diego Bolanos, junior. “The seniors taught me to never lose my head during a game; it definitely won’t be the same without them next year.”