The girl’s soccer team has begun its preseason, and the players are hitting it hard. This year is looking promising for the girls, especially since the team is one of the bigger Barstow sports teams.
“I think it will be a great season since there are a ton of girls with a lot of potential. I am excited, I think it will be great. I think the biggest thing the team will need to work on is working together and also brushing up on skills,” Kiley Bourke (‘24) said. She plays defensive middle.
The first practice of the season was on February 27, and their first game will be March 28, after Spring Break. Their full month of practice will prepare them to give it their all during their first game and be ready for anything.
Coach Huppe is the head coach of the boys and girls soccer teams, and he is sure to push the team to reach their greatest potential. The former boys soccer captain, Cayden Williams (‘20), also returned as the assistant coach for the girl’s team along with Dom Bandera, the other assistant coach. All of these coaches are going to help the team thrive.
Many players have been preparing throughout the offseason though. Some of the returning players have participated in club teams and practiced outside of Barstow. This preparation is sure to pay off in the official season.
“To prepare for the season, I have been doing PT exercises, so I do not dislocate my knee again. I have also been playing with an indoor team,” Rian Jacobs ‘24 explained. Jacobs is the goalie for the team.
The season is full of exciting games. There is the KC Cup Tournament at Van Horn starting on April 24th and ending on the 28th. As always, the most important part of any sports team season is state. The soccer season’s quarterfinal and state game will go past the end of the school year. The quarterfinal is on May 27 and state is on June 2-3, way past the last day of school.
As always, the problem for every team is filling in the spots the seniors left. Last year, a fair amount of the team was made up of seniors, 7 out of the 24 players last year were seniors. So the biggest challenge this year is having new players fill those roles.
“It’s going to be an interesting season, especially since all the seniors that graduated last year were the starters. We’re going to have Varsity and reserve teams, and I think it is going to be okay,” Rian Jacobs (‘24) said.
This year, more seniors joined the team. 9 out of the 30 players are seniors, they are focused on bringing the team together and promote a tight-knit dynamic. This start will benefit the team for the season since a close team makes everything easier.
Make sure to support the team throughout their season because they are sure to do spectacular this year.
