Boys Soccer: Freshmen Play Varsity As Team Builds A Culture Of Collaboration

The boys soccer pre-season opened with a home game against Summit Prep on a chilly evening at Rich Mayfield near RMS Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle school. The cheers from the crowd and the action in the game created a sense of warmth when players scored goals or made important interceptions.

Senior Eduardo Uribe hit the first two goals , while junior Angel Morales landed the third, bringing a 3-2 victory and a strong start to the season. The next game, against The King’s Academy at Piedmont Hills, ended in a 3-3 tie. The most recent game hosting San Jose High on Thursday, Dec.8 ended with a loss, 1-6.

The fall off from the strong opening game could be related to a new approach the team is taking this year. Coach and Microeconomics teacher  Steve O’Brien said one thing the team is doing differently this year is emphasizing rotating players and having earlier exposure for younger players, even though the Panthers have freshmen playing on the varsity team..

“It changes the way we perform, but we need to do that,” Steve said. “We have to have bench players that can take the field. That means we sacrifice a bit of competitiveness.”

Steve reflected on the PE class he has been hosting during 9th period and noticed that holding the class before the preseason allowed him to assess things earlier and see how players’ skills matched up with each other. Although it wasn’t a structured class with intense drills, he appreciated the early team bonding it facilitated for the players.

“It was good for the team to see how other players play and build a sense of camaraderie,” he said.

The official season starts on Jan. 4 with the opening  game against Harker School at Harker in San Jose.