Soccer Season Preview
By Ryan Navrot
It’s almost time. There’s less than ten days to cross out on the calendar. It’s as exciting as that moment where you realize that you’re no longer a boy, you’re a man.
Homer High School’s soccer season.
Preseason has already begun, for soccer; players are already starting to get ready for the eventful season that awaits them. There are at least two big trips already planned: their first game, where the varsity boys plays Palmer in the Dome in Anchorage is a rematch against the team they lost against in a PK shootout in regions, and a trip up north against Chugiak.
There are new faces on Homer’s team this year, so many new faces that coaches Warren Waldorf and Sue Rennolds might be forced to find another coach for a C team. However, if budgets will not allow another coach, the team might be cut from 45+ players down to thirty six.
Many of this year’s freshmen are trying out for soccer, freshmen who “have high expectations for themselves,” said Coach Waldorf. One of his concerns was whether or not the underclassmen can live up to their reputation. He stated that he was excited to meet all the new players, and was curious to see if they have what it takes to “make their dreams come true.”
One of the new faces, Porter Livingston, seems to, as Warren said, “have what it takes.” He actually taught soccer to younger kids over the summer. But freshmen aren’t the only new faces. Dan Adickes, senior, said that he might try out for soccer for the first time since middle school. Our exchange students, Lennart von Schlichting and Vegard Unhje, from Germany and Norway respectively, will also be going out for the team.
Dedicated soccer fanatic, Pedro Ochoa, who jumps at the chance to even kick any sort of ball around, is among one of other familiar faces. Pedro claims to have been training for soccer all summer, also participating in sports such as wrestling to get into shape for his upcoming soccer season. He says he plans to take more shots during games and be a real team player. Pedro said to all potential players “Just go for it, it doesn’t hurt to try!”