Boys’ Soccer Team Claims Division Title

by Alex Nnabue ’18

Sherwood boys’ varsity soccer is back. The team currently has an 9-1-1 record that accurately reflects the tremendous effort and talent the boys have put into the season so far.

The Warriors have racked up two very impressive wins within the past week, against both Magruder and Quince Orchard. On October 12, the team won their senior night home game 3-0 against Quince Orchard. Senior defensive midfielder Alhaji Turay scored his first career goal while senior winger Loic Ngnatho scored twice. On Monday, at Magruder, the Warrior were leading 2-0 by halftime and were able to get the job done by securing a 4-1 win.

“Against Magruder, we did not play well, but we managed to get the job done against our rivals. The Blair loss was definitely a wake-up call for the team and made us realize that we still have a lot of work to do to be the best.” says Turay.

Earlier, the boys won 3-1 at Clarksburg on October 9, who are ranked within the top 5 in the county. The game was tied 1-1 during the first half but the Warriors amped up their offense and scored two goals during the second half. These spectacular wins were clearly sparked by the newfound determination the boys found after their first loss against Blair.

The Warriors were undefeated up their 2-0 loss against Blair on October 3 due to the boys struggling to maintain focus and possession. Ultimately, the Blair game served as a wake-up call and reminder that other teams are out to beat them.

The boys responded to their only loss of the season season positively by winning a mustwin game against Springbrook. This crucial game won them the conference title for the first time since 2009. In one of the best games of their entire season, the Warriors were down 2-0 in the first ten minutes, but they quickly gained control of the game, and ended up winning 5-2 with three goals by senior Ronald Little, and others by sophomore Brian Nolasco and Ngnatho.

The Warriors started off their season strong with a 3-1 win against defending 4A state champions Walter Johnson and an outstanding 4-0 defeat against conference foe Blake. The team managed to stay undefeated afterwards as they tied Northwest on September 12 during a thrilling double overtime match.

Afterwards, the boys celebrated victories against Wheaton and in conference matches against Paint Branch and Northwood. The close and hard-fought 3-2 victory against Paint Branch was tough to secure as the Panthers were skillful and physical. Against Northwood on September 27, the boys were down 1-0 at halftime but persevered and came back with 3 goals scored during the second half.

As the Warriors progress to the playoffs, Mathew Parsons remains optimistic and confident in his team’s. “We have a very unselfish team who takes one game at a time. Our outlook on the season is to focus only on one day at a time. And give our best effort each day, with no regrets” said Parsons. The team will have their final regular season game tonight at Damascus.