Looking into the Soccer Season with Jack Suk By Saverio De Simone

As Washington State High Schools come to the end of winter sports, it opens a new season for the athletes. Spring sports is the biggest season for sports with the number of people participating. It includes 5 sports: Soccer, Baseball, Lacrosse, Tennis, and Track and Field. The first sport to ever win a state championship in O’Dea’s history was soccer in 1990. Ever since then O'Dea has not won a soccer state championship. Since the start of the new season this year the team has had a lot of fresh talent and the rest of the season looks in their favor.

"Having nine of eleven returners this year gives us a promising start for the new season,’’ Jack Suk stated this when mentioning the talent of the soccer team this year.

With 9 out of 11 starters returning means, there are fewer spots on the team this year, with having 15 out of 22 spots filled before the season even started, but the team also lost arguably their best player Marcos Figueroa, who graduated last year and is now playing at Wingate. Figueroa was able to control the mid-field and always knows where to play the ball. The teams feel like they will be competitors this year due to how many players are returning. The main competitors for this season will be Lakeside and Roosevelt because both teams always have good talent coming in.

The Forwards

· Elliot Spatz (Senior) Striker: has a nose for the goal and can receive and turn well with the ball.

· Favian Martinez (Junior) Striker/ Attacking Mid: very good on the ball and has a ton of speed with him.

· Julius Suber (Sophomore) Striker/ False 9: Very good at moving the ball around and finding it and always able to score.

Mid Fielders

· Peter Carriker (Senior) Attacking Mid: very calm and possessed on the ball and plays great throughs ball between defenders.

· Eugene Peltier (Senior) Outside Mid: Amazing speed on and off the ball, able to get around defenders with his skills.

· Connor Lofy (Junior) Center mid: has an amazing vision on the ball and always looking to receive it and find other outlets.

Defenders

· Sebastian Suber (Senior) Outside Back/ Center Back: Calm on the ball and knows where to play next.

· Saverio De Simone (Senior) Outside Back / Center Back: physical on the ball with his strength and can play good long balls.

· Keegan Fox (Senior) Center back: very physical and has amazing speed.

· Jack Suk (junior) Outside Back/ Outside mid: Able to move the ball up and down the sideline with his speed and skill, he is able always to find an open man.

· Logan Richardson (Junior) Outside back: is good on the ball and has a quick touch-and-play.

· Dylan Weinstein (Junior) Center Back: physical on the ball and knows when to challenge.

· Carter Gribble (Sophomore) Center Back/ Holding Mid: Physical on the ball and works to win the ball back.

Goalkeeper

· Ben Sollom (Junior): Makes a lot of athletic saves and has a good vision to find someone downfield.

Last Season

Last season due to covid, the Irish had a short season. In the season they finished 3-3-1 with losses to Chief Sealth, West Seattle, and Franklin. The team felt as if they didn’t play their best during the season due to no championship. The lack of chemistry was a major factor in the way the team played.

One of the players Jack Suk stated, ‘’ I think that the team struggled to play together because no one really knew each other and not experiencing playing with each other.”

With the team lacking experience playing with each other and playing on the varsity level of soccer. The players didn’t understand how to play with one another players which would cause turnovers on the ball and miscommunication.

This season, the Irish are looking forward to a team worthy of having a chance for the metro title and the State Championship. They play their first game against Nathan Hale on March 15.