WGHS Soccer Makes History in State Playoffs (RECAP)

​Walnut Grove’s boys varsity soccer team made school history by making it all the way to the semifinal round of the state playoffs.
by Elly Croft and Harrison Smith

​Walnut Grove’s boys varsity soccer team made school history by making it all the way to the semifinal round of the state playoffs.

This season had many ups and downs for the varsity boys. There were a lot of rough games and skillful teams played this season. For Jean Franco (senior), the toughest team of them all was Clarkston. “I think the toughest school that we competed against was probably Clarkston, just due to the amount of chemistry and talent that they had. We overcame that by going out there and just giving our all until the end.”

Jean has been the goalie for the team since his freshman year, and he's seen what the team can look like at its best and its worst. To many of the players, including him, this has been the best season in school history. Part of what made them so dominant were the goals set by the team and players. “Some goals I set for the season were to make sure to limit my mistakes on the field, and also a big goal to build chemistry with the team.”

This season also had many impactful and memorable games. For Mike Eck (sophomore), the most memorable game was against Clarkston. “The game against Clarkston was challenging. We were down 1-0, and we found it in us to score a goal and score a second goal on a penalty kick.” Mike has been on the varsity team for two years, and this has been his most challenging but also rewarding game of all. However, Jean had a different memorable game this year. “A game that I remember would have to be the game against East Forsyth this year, where I saved the winning penalty and celebrated with all the fans.”

Something that has helped Mike and many other players on the team perform better is having a role model. “I look up to Jean Franco or Carter Dillard. They're both great guys, have great grades in class, and are great players on the field.” For Jean, his role model is personal. “One player that I look up to would probably have to be Keylor Navas from Costa Rica, due to him coming from a small country with not much opportunity and being able to change his family's life for the better.”

Without a doubt, this year has been one of best years for Walnut Grove soccer. We as a school are excited to see how the soccer team will train in the off-season and perform next year.