Starting the regular season with a shutout win against Bowie High School on Dec. 20, the boy’s varsity soccer team improves as flaws and hindering factors from previous seasons are corrected.
“Keeping our heads up is my biggest [role as a captain],” junior Alexander Dozier said. “Making sure that a loss didn’t defeat us completely, and making sure that we can bounce back and still play to our best abilities.”
In previous years, the team faced roadblocks that posed physical and mental challenges. The team’s struggle to work through challenges such as negative mindsets, and player eligibility is reflected in their season’s record. Despite the lack of performance in previous years, new leadership on the team contributes to the team’s evident improvement. Dozier earned a captain position for the 2025 season and leads his team by reminding them of the importance of keeping a positive mindset throughout the season, regardless of the score.
“We want to be better than last year,” Dozier said. “We started off strong but ended poorly and simply couldn’t meet expectations.”
On Jan. 4, the team won the Rockwall tournament consolation bracket, further displaying the team’s improvement.
“We started off [the tournament] rough,” Dozier said. “But we eventually picked it up, and we expected to win the majority of the games, and that’s what we did. I’m glad we were able to meet expectations.”
The team’s development gives players a positive outlook on the season, in contrast to previous years when losses brought the team’s morale down. As the team improves, they carry out momentum throughout the season to continue their pursuit of a playoff spot.
“In the beginning of the season I had low expectations,” senior Saffi Babar said, “but seeing how well we do in practice and games, my expectations grow higher for our team.”
With a solid foundation of sophomore and junior players, the team expects to develop continuously throughout the coming years. As time passes, the team continues to improve from mistakes made in previous years which brought the team down. Captains and coaches reinforce the importance of maintaining eligibility and maintaining a positive mindset throughout the season.
“Coach Danner was a big part of showing the team our full potential,” Dozier said. “As a result, [players] who have failed in the past are realizing the importance of being there for the team [and maintaining their eligibility.]”
