The 2023 men’s varsity soccer team had a season that can only be described as a building year. The team finished 1-20 overall and 0-14 in the conference. In the end, the team fought many hard battles and did their best to overcome the challenges they faced. More importantly, they had a lot of fun playing together and building team chemistry to strengthen throughout the coming years.
The team opened their season with a 0-2, non-conference, loss to the Starmount Rams. After several other non-conference losses, they went on to play their first conference game against the R.J. Reynolds Demons. They came up short of the victory in this game as well. A common theme for the boys throughout this season was improvement. Throughout all of their losses, they continued to strive to get better at the sport they love. “It was a tough season, but there was some definite improvement this season,” said junior Karson Yount.
The highlight of the season came on September 21 when the War Eagles were victorious over the Elkin Buckin’ Elks. Yount states “It was by far our best game.” Due to their previous losses, the War Eagles were not expecting the best going into this home match, but as always, they knew they would fight their hardest. The War Eagles ended up winning in spectacular fashion, beating one of the top teams in the Northwest 1A. The score was 2-1 with one goal each being scored by Juniors Karson Yount and Alex Tarbet. The boys were very excited about their success that night.
The team went on and did their best for the rest of the season. Despite keeping a losing record, the boys continued to have fun playing soccer with each other. In the end, a lot of chemistry was built and they were able to get a good grasp on what they need to do in future seasons. Over the next year, much improvement can be expected from the War Eagle men’s varsity soccer team. They closed their season with a 5-2 loss versus the conference rivals, Glenn Bobcats. The team ended up placing 8th in the conference rankings.
Even with the recent lack of success, the War Eagles have had many loyal seniors who have stayed with the team to do their part in order to progress the program. Junior Zachary Hill says “We are going to miss the seniors who have contributed a lot to the culture and have stuck with the program in times of struggle.” They have done their part to build chemistry and advance the younger members who will continue to strengthen the team.
In the end, the season was full of ups and downs, but one thing remained constant. The War Eagle men’s soccer team played hard, fought hard, and did it all while they enjoyed playing the sport they love.
