With time running down in the semi-finals of the Coronado Tournament, the boys varsity team rushed to score a goal against archrival Poway, in a 0-0 tie. But these two teams playing at the top of their game only made the task harder.
The Sundevils were given a great opportunity when a throw-in was rewarded to them by the Titans’ side of the field.
As junior Chad Eckman hurled the ball in the air you could see the determination on the players’ faces, knowing that this very throw-in could decide the outcome of the game.
The ball just barely sneaked by both teams, until senior Andy Bolin fought to get ahead on the ball and put it in the back of the net, giving MC the dramatic 1-0 win.
“I’ve never beaten Poway before in any sport,” Bolin said. “So to be the one to score the winning goal against them was a great feeling.”
MC would later go on to tie the number one ranked team in the county, RB, in the finals with the goal scored by senior Aohdan Quinn, but would later lose the penalty kick shootout after double overtime.
“It was a hard loss,” Quinn said. “But they’re a really good team so for us to play this well against them is pretty good.”
With a 6-0-2 record as of Dec. 14 the boys varsity team started off the season strong.
They have already gotten further in the Coronado Tournament than they did last year and they look forward to continuing to do well in the San Diego Tournament as they started off the first game with a 2-1 win over Crawford.
But the team says that their main goal is to not just win league, but to win CIF.
Last year they started out with a first round bye and home field advantage, reaching the semi-final CIF game against Vahalla for a close 2-1 loss.
“We should’ve won that game,” senior Blair Love said. “But we need to focus on our games now so that we get a chance to go further when the time comes.”
But for some, being on varsity is already a victory.
Freshman Michael Griswold enjoys being on varsity so early in his high school career.
“Everybody on the team is really chill and funny,” Griswold said. “They don’t really treat me any differently because I’m a freshman so it feels almost natural to be on the team.”
Being a freshman on varsity is already a great accomplishment for Griswold, but to be able to start alongside his fellow teammates only makes his varsity experience better.
“At first I was a little nervous being on the field with a bunch of people that were older than me,” Griswold said. “But everybody on the team was really supportive and helped me gain my confidence to play at such a high level.”
With athletes from each grade, the boys varsity soccer team looks to have a promising future.
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