Ending off the season with a 13- 5-2 record was a valiant effort but unfortunately did not take the team where it wanted to go. While the team was disappointed, that did not change the fact that the crowd, their supporters, parents, children, and many others looked up to the team and made sure to support the boys no matter how the game went. 

The team’s captain, senior Noah Burr, talked about the season saying how he was disappointed but proud of his team. Noah said, “The hardest part was probably that it was the end of the seniors’ careers and EGR is a rivalry and it was a bummer to lose to them.”

Even though it was a rough end and the season will be missed by all, it did not change the fact that soccer mom, Jessica Decker is so proud of both her son, senior Lance Decker, but also how close the team came, along with how they impacted everyone who came to watch. 

“This team never stopped trying. They always worked for one more goal, one more celebration, one more victory. They taught me to love the game,” Jessica Decker said. 

The boys are not the only people who are going to miss each cold practice, or the jokes and tough matches that each teammate helped each other through. Coach Paul Kramer developed a relationship with all of the boys on the team and will miss every senior dearly. 

“I will miss the camaraderie with the guys and fellow coaches. The end of the season is always the worst. You’re with each other 5-6 days a week for over two months,” coach Kramer said. “Sharing of laughter and emotions over wins, losses, jokes, stories, etc. It hurts when that abruptly comes to an end.”

Senior Kaylin Scheuneman has been going to as many of the games as she could to see the boys in action, the environment and the bonds she created during the season made the cold days accompanying some of the losses worth every second. 

“I’m so proud of how far they have come this season,” Kaylin said proudly. “They had a lot of ups and downs, and some days were harder than others, and it was so incredible to see them constantly pushing through and trying their best. They never gave up and they had such good sportsmanship and positive attitudes, and they always came off the field with a smile, even if they lost.”

It was a long challenging season with twists and turns, and so many other obstacles made the soccer team develop into a great team and even better players. Though the season did not end the way it was expected, the boys did what they could. A special thanks to all of the seniors. The hard work and dedication will be missed by all. Good luck next season.