By Courtney Taylor

With the clock ticking, and a spot in districts on the line, the varsity boys soccer team scores a goal against the close rival, Hopewell. With a score of 1-0, the team took home a win in their first district game.

At the start of the season the team put in extensive work at practices as they trained to make their season a success. They also have bonded as a team.

“We have learned to get along great and work together,” junior Matthew Schneck said.

According to head coach Tommy Harrison in early May, the team was having their best season in about four years.

“In terms of record, we are much [more] successful than we were,” Harrison said. “We face the same teams and have more success at this point in the season and have better positioning.”

The team faced some difficulties this season, however. They had to move players around several times as they faced injuries throughout the lineup.

“We have had several injuries, with the most significant to Travis Taylor,” Harrison said. “He was our starting goalkeeper and has been for a couple years.”

Injuries have also occurred to Schneck, senior Logan Browning, senior Chris Beaudet, junior

Matt Jones, and senior Lee Smith. As of now, all players, with the exception of Jones, are healthy and back playing.

“The season would be different without the injuries, because they happened to our leaders,” Schneck said. “When our leaders are back we are more effective.”

Senior Travis Taylor separated his shoulder at the beginning of the season. He is back playing now, however is limited to field play.

The success this season was a change for the players that have been playing the past couple years, because of their past unsuccessful seasons.

“The hardest part of the season has been convincing the players that we are a much better team this year and are capable of doing things that they have not been able to do in the past,” Harrison said.

Although the team did better at the beginning of this season than in the past, they felt like they had room for improvement.

“We think we could still be better, we let a couple games slip through our fingers,” Harrison said. “We thought we would beat Matoaca, and we lost.”

In the end, the team suffered four straight losses to end the season and will miss the Central District tournament. The team finishes with a record of 8-6-2 overall and 6-6-2 in the Central District.