SLOHS Boys Varsity Soccer plans its victory on Holt Field before the new turf installation. Photo courtesy of sophomore Beckett Woods.
San Luis Obispo Boys Varsity Soccer is off to a great start. The team played their first game against Templeton High School and came away with a 2-0 victory, starting their season off with a bang.
“Girls and Boys Varsity Soccer have not let up a single goal and have not lost a game yet this season,” said Athletic Director Adam Basch.
Not only have they won their first and second games, but they are currently 5-2, still with no goals allowed. To maintain their winning streak, the team puts in a tremendous amount of work during the offseason.
One of the team’s biggest scorers, senior Aiden Dellinger, scored the first goal of the season.
“Soccer is not only a school sport, but it’s also a club sport. People play outside, and so it affects how much we’re able to do, especially in the fall, in the off-season. But there’s still training involved, and still more weight room and strength-focused activities,” said Dellinger.
As the season progresses, the team only grows closer and gets better as a fun and hard-working group.
“The team looks pretty good, and we’ve got a fun squad. I mean, like everyone’s having fun. We look good. Everyone’s working hard, so I feel like its a good start,” said soccer captain senior Zee Malama.
Throughout the season, the team will play over twenty games over three months, traveling last week as far as three and a half hours away to play De La Salle High School in Concord.
“We play a lot of games. We have two, three, if you go to a tournament, sometimes four games in a week. Being able to maintain a high level and not burning out would be the biggest struggle this year,” said Dellinger.
Getting through all these games is only possible with good leadership. The team is full of natural leaders, but one especially stands out on the field.
“Zee Malama is our captain. He’s been a really big vocal point of leadership on the team. He gets people going at practice, and he leads on the field as our captain,” said Dellinger.
Boys Soccer is having an amazing season this year, and the future looks bright for the team.
“Solid players, even freshmen, they’re actually really good for being on JV,” said Malama.
On Friday, January 16, the boys will play their next home game. Come watch SLOHS take on Santa Maria High School. Go Tigers!
