The varsity white boys’ soccer team finished third in the PAC with a record of 8-3-1. Throughout the season, they developed into a team that played an attractive brand of soccer, showing a lot of promise for the future. Seven of the eleven starters were either freshmen or sophomores. Their ability to play well under pressure was developed with a dramatic come-from-behind draw on the road at Triway, in addition to edging out Manchester in final moments of that game. These performances resulted in individual PAC first-team honors for Michael Planz and Matthew Wallace, and honorable mentions for James Ortlip and Samuel Meszaros.

The varsity white boys’ team not only developed on the field as players, but also off the field as young men. When it comes to leadership, we often think only of people most visible or vocal. However, leadership runs much deeper than what is often seen or heard. A good leader is first a leader of himself and second a leader of others. On the team many players took steps forward in becoming leaders. Some players were able to reach a new level in their personal work rate. Other players began to take responsibility for the team, making sure that logistics were in order. The team’s seniors Michael Planz, Chris Karnadi, and Jordan Mancari were great examples of this type of leadership throughout the season. One particular example illustrates this. One of the players believed that the team was not training with the necessary attitude for practice. Consequently, he asked me if the team could run as a result. That type of moment reaches beyond the field, even beyond a coach, for one teammate to teach another, for iron to sharpen iron.