Scoring Goals and Chili BowlsBY JACOB SONNE ON OCTOBER 10, 2014
Bright lights, cheering crowds, intense rivalries, thrilling victories, soccer and chili. This is how many Rose students, teachers and parents spent their night on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Kicking back, relaxing and enjoying a classic soccer match between two local schools.
Every year the soccer program at Rose hosts a fundraiser which is commonly known as “Chili Night.” Unlike any other game of the year, chili is sold in an attempt to raise money for the program. The game always brings one of the highest fan turnouts of the year and showcases a rivalry game, usually against Conley. However, for this year’s game the Rampants hosted South Central, who players say is a less intense rival. “I don’t think [the game] is going to be as good, but I hope I’m wrong.” senior Joel Binzha said. With the game being against South Central, the crowd was not projected to be as big as a typical Conley game, but the players do not care. “The crowd honestly doesn’t bother me; a crowd is a crowd,” senior Chase Zabriskie said. “I could play in front of 1000 people or I could play in front of 10 people; it really doesn’t matter.” Also, Chili Night is not just any other game to the players. Zabriskie said that a loss would be embarrassing, and his teammates agreed. “I think there’s special preparation since people are watching,” Binzha said. “We just need to play at our best.” As well as feeling a need to play their best, the team seemed very confident heading into the match. “It should be pretty easy, considering South Central’s record,” sophomore Zach Evans said. All three players predicted shutouts with a margin of five or more, however this was not the case. The Rampants struggled in the first half, allowing one goal and only putting one in the back of the net. After halftime, however, they continued to put on a show and found a way to win the game with a convincing 4-1 score. “I was proud of us for sticking it out for 80 minutes,” head coach Jed Smith said. “We were not satisfied as a group with our first half effort, but we have to learn how to deal with adversity a little bit better.” Smith’s players felt the same way about their personal performances. “I felt like I could’ve played better, but it is what it is,” Evans said. Smith said that one area where he saw room for improvement was the team’s touches and finishes. He said they just needed to get the ball in the goal. “Communication wise, we lack,” Zabriskie said, “But we still put four in the back of the net.” It is all about moving forward and looking to the playoffs for the team now. “If we don’t bring our A-game every time against some of the tougher teams, we might lose some chances.” Zabriskie said. Evans said that the team just needs to play hard and see where they fall in the conference. Overall, the players and coaches agreed that Chili Night was a success. “Chili Night is always a success,” Smith said. “Because no matter how it turns out, the guys get to have a big bowl of chili at the end, and it’s all smiles.” |
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