Overcoming difficult field conditions, the Rockbridge County High School boys soccer team started the season with a 3-1 road win over Page County on Tuesday of last week in Shenandoah.
Following rain, the teams played on a sloppy field in the nondistrict contest. RC head coach Michael Kelly said the conditions “were absolutely terrible, some of the worst I can recall. At no point could the ball roll in a straight line.”
Despite these conditions, Kelly said, “Overall, I was thrilled with the team’s effort, as they were dialed in.”
Kelly, in his second year as RC’s head coach, said the poor field conditions also led to several injuries, with RC losing four starters, four for an extended period of time. There were several yellow cards, with the Wildcats receiving five.
In his first varsity game, RC sophomore forward Cooper Fox scored two goals in the first half, one on a rebound of a missed shot and the second on a good run.
In the second half, RC junior defensive standout Gêne Kähler, a German exchange student, went through Page County’s defense on his own to score the Wildcats’ final goal.
The Panthers (1-1-0) scored one goal on RC senior Eliot McDonald, who played in goal for the entire game.
The Wildcats are coming off a 2-14-0 season, during which they went 2-10-0 in the Valley District, defeating district rival Broadway twice.
RC graduated four players from last year’s team: forward Maddox Jordan, goalkeeper John Lindberg and defenders David Castillo-Romero and Micah Mayr.
The Wildcats have more experience this year, with nine players returning. RC has nine seniors, seven juniors and two sophomores.
RC’s co-captains are Mc-Donald and a pair of other seniors: defender Paul Drumbl and Noah Carroll, who is both a forward and midfielder.
Kelly said the Wildcats “are focused on fundamentals and positional responsibility. My hopes are we become a tough opponent to play against while at the same time discovering a faster offense.”
In addition to the co-captains, the Wildcats seniors are Bryce Bell – who plays as a defender, midfielder and forward – along with defenders Yusuf Aliyef and Oscar Kosky and midfielders Noah Carroll, Juan Rodriguez and Ethen Camden.
The junior class consists of Kähler; midfielders John David, Carlos Reynolds and Edwin Martinez; forward Edison Bunker; and goalkeepers Patrick De Marcellius and Corey Wallace. RC’s sophomores are Fox and midfielder Jonathan Roy, who saw varsity action last year. The Wildcats’ manager is Brunson Wines.
The Wildcats will begin Valley District action on Friday at William Monroe and will play host to district rival Spotswood on Tuesday. Friday’s action will start with the junior varsity game at 6 p.m., following by varsity at 7:30, while the JV game is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, with the varsity game scheduled to follow at 7.
