Boys Soccer Kicks off the Year Driven to Win and Improve

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With about eight seniors returning, the team is excited to do great things this year.

— Midfielder Liam Maxwell

  The tough season that the UC High Boys Soccer Team had last year inspired the players to work harder and improve this season, as well as to try and finish with a winning record.
“With about eight seniors returning, the team is excited to do great things this year,” said Midfielder Liam Maxwell. “Our Seniors have bonded very well over the years.” Maxwell hopes that the bond they have shared off the field will transition to great on-field chemistry, which he says is very important in the sport of soccer.
The Centurions are excited to play in a new, easier league this year. “Our team is going to be the exact same strength as it was last year, but every single team that we are going to be playing is not as good,” said  Maxwell. The team looks forward to playing easier competition to improve on their two-win season they had last year.
Maxwell is also a captain this year, and he says that being a captain comes with great responsibility. “I must serve as a leader and role model to my subordinates,” said Maxwell. Being a captain is a very important role on the team and the team wouldn’t be able to win many games if they do not have a good group of captains, according to Maxwell.
The team is in the middle of heavy preparation for the season. “The team goes over field positioning, team work, and does a lot of running to get fit for the season,” explained Centerback Thomas Reasoner. Soccer is a sport that involves a lot of running and cardio, so it is very important to keep in good shape throughout the season, according to Reasoner.
The UC High Soccer Team has many rivals due to their geographical location and the way their games are played. “La Jolla and Clairemont are our biggest rivals,” said Defender Federico Pedrazzani. According to Pedrazzani, the La Jolla games are alway very competitive and come down to the final minutes.
Even though all opponents are equally as important to beat, Reasoner has a special mark on his calendar for when the team plays La Jolla Country Day. “I look forward to playing La Jolla Country Day the most, because that’s where my dad used to coach and teach while he was playing professional soccer,” said Reasoner. Since this game is still early on in the season, Reasoner said that this will be a great momentum builder if the team manages to win.
Many kids on the team also play club soccer, so the high school team is the second team they play on throughout the year. According to Pedrazzani, there are some kids he plays against in club season and then they are teammates throughout the school season.