Blue skies, green grass, a ball, and a player—this is what we began the school year with. Now, after a grueling and enlight- ening few months, we are left with so much more. Back in August, the Prep varsity soccer team saw a coming together of new faces (from all grades) and some familiar ones. This group of players would soon become a family of talented and hardworking young men.
Although we were looking at one of the strongest teams in recent memory, we struggled against tough opponents throughout the preseason, playing in scorching temperatures, and on unfamiliar fields. But whether we lost or won, we did it together. So by the time the IAC season appeared on the horizon, we had grown closer and developed a bond we would cherish forever.
As the leaves began to fall and shrivel, our spirits only rose and enlivened. Prep had not won the IAC championship for varsity soccer in over 18 years, but we all knew we had the talent to bring home the trophy. Prepared to fight an uphill battle, we trained hard, incorporating new drills and improving upon old ones. And it was an uphill battle. As a matter of fact–We were the underdogs, and we embraced this label throughout our season. Despite our well-earned win against St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes and our shutout against Bullis, our record early in the season was less than promising, having tied our three biggest rivals: Episcopal, St. Albans, and Landon. But the actual gameplay suggested that we were on the verge of evolving into the ultimate team.
And yet, you can’t win if you don’t score. We learned that the hard way against Episcopal and St. Albans in the second round. Two 3-1 losses were like a blow to the face that we just couldn’t ignore. But after some re-eval- uation of our methods, strengths, and weak- nesses, we plunged back into the fray. After running over SSSA and Bullis, we found ourselves presented with an opponent upon whom we could release our frustrations— Landon.
On their home field, we engaged in what was possibly the most intense match of the season. However, captain Jack Mundy ’25 gave us the motivation we needed in his halftime speech: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” Both teams fought like caged animals, clawing, tearing, and giving it everything, until, going into the second half of overtime, Jack Mundy—dis- tinguished senior and team captain—scored a beautiful header off a corner kick from Patrick O’Connor—another distinguished senior and team captain. We stormed the field and dogpiled like there was no tomorrow.
Victory against Landon did little to improve our position for the IAC playoffs, but it boosted morale and renewed our hopes for a trophy. Unfortunately, after crushing Bullis for the third and final time, we faced defeat on Episcopal’s field. To say that the game was close would be an under- statement. Skill, even; possession, even; opportunities, even; score, even. Every person on the sideline—from the bench players to the coaches—was on their feet, screaming their lungs out. In the end, it came down to luck. Seconds before overtime would have begun, an Episcopal fullback passed the ball straight through our defense. As our goalkeeper went up for the ball, it curved from the spin and deflected down to the feet of Episcopal’s number eight. He tapped it in for the game-winning goal.
Our varsity head coach, Mr. Danver, said, “The 2024 soccer team was one of the most complete teams I have coached in my fifteen years with GP Soccer. The senior class showed great leadership throughout the year by showing up ready to practice and play regularly. I am excited that multiple seniors in this class want to play soccer in college, and I wish the entire senior class the best in college and beyond. I also know we have plenty of talented and dedicated athletes returning, and, in time, I will be excited for next season.”
It was a terrible, heartbreaking way to go, and it hurt us deeply because we were so close to reaching our goal. But on behalf of the team, I want to thank every one of the seniors for the incredible effort they put into this season. They will be remembered, they will be missed, and they shall be avenged.
