As summer break comes to a close and the Fords re-enter campus, fall sports jump into action immediately. While many have been away on vacation, enjoying their time sleeping in and resting during the hot summer days, the Ford’s soccer team has been practicing twice a day. At just 8 in the morning, the boys go out on the field, scrimmaging and running drills while building strong team chemistry for their upcoming matches. After their multi-hour morning practice, the boys go home, eat and rest, and return to campus at 3 p.m. for a second practice—this time at the hottest part of the day.
“A lot of guys on the team don’t like two practices a day because of how much time it takes away from the end of their summer, but I actually enjoy it because it sets a tone for the season and prepares us well,” Sixth Former Avery Paul said. “It gets us in shape and helps us learn how we work as a team.”
Soccer is a sport of endurance and technique, both of which can only be built through countless hours of practice. Their hard work this preseason has been paying off.
The Fords’ first game was against Conwell Egan, where they won 2-1 in a hard-fought, close game. Fifth Former Brody Collins scored the first goal to tie the game, and Fourth Former Haven Hoilett scored the second, game-winning goal. With the momentum on their side, the team heads into the regular season looking to dominate both inside and outside of the Inter-Ac league.
Most recently, the team played Downingtown East in an intense and close game. The Fords went down 1-0 early in the first half and had a rough first 45 minutes.
“The momentum was clearly with Downingtown going into halftime,” Paul said. “I knew we needed a spark early on in the second to have a chance at winning.”
At the very beginning of the second half, Fourth Former Jose Hernandez scored a jaw-dropping goal to tie the game at 1-1. Then, in the last five minutes of the half, the Fords drew a penalty. Fifth Former Finn French kicked in the game-winning goal, and the Fords won 2-1.
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