The Lafayette Boys Varsity Soccer team has had a very successful season after winning the regional championship and now making the state finals and getting the opportunity to play versus St. Xavier on Saturday night at Lafayette. These boys have been through a lot this season to get where they are and have improved greatly from the previous season. We will review the team’s regular season performances. Will the Generals be a powerhouse throughout Fayette County or maybe even the state?

The boys started their season with mixed performances per game, being inconsistent early in the season. One game, they would have a stellar performance; the next game, they would fall short of the other team. Within the first 7 games of the season, the team would only win three games and, in most of their losses, would lose after having a lead early on in the first half. But after losing against the Dunbar Bulldogs, the Generals would change their season. After this loss, an 8-goal blowout against the Beechwood Tigers showed fans that the Generals were back.
The Generals would go on to win their next 14 regular season games, remaining an undefeated streak, and within all of their matches, their defense would prove to be a significant part of the campaign. The Generals’ defense was the show’s star, only conceding 7 goals in their last 14 games, making their defensive game the best in the city. Despite few goals in the opponents’ final third, the defense would still hold off the other team. A big key on defense was our captain Sawyer Trowel, who would go on to win two awards, the Region Player of the Year and the City Player of the Year. He was able to lead our Generals on defense and be a key part of that back line.

Coach Grimm had this to say when reflecting on this season’s performances. “When we started this season, we kind of had some mixed results, which can go a lot of different ways, but we really hit our stride this September, and we’ve been on a roll ever since.” Their recent streak of success has proved this. Grimm also took the time to mention many key players who have improved from this previous season. Players like Alex Castro, who played a complementary role the previous season as a sophomore for the older players who dealt with a learning curve early on in the season, have now been a big part later on in the season and going into the postseason being a key offensive threat for the Generals. At the backline, Javier Torres has been an underrated player this season who doesn’t get enough of the spotlight but still plays a big role for the Generals, keeping the goal tidy for the team.

Coach Grimm has had a great season with the boys, making his deepest run as a coach yet. Comparing this season to the previous season, it’s been a huge jump for the Generals. “Our district and region is really hard and difficult, and a lot of good teams every year don’t make it out, so we are very fortunate to keep it going,” showing how hard the competition is in the district yet to possess such great talent to take them a long way into the season. If we were to compare this season to the boys’ previous seasons, they have come a long way to be where they are right now.

Experiencing two early exits in the two previous seasons to now making it as the regional champions is impressive.
The Generals lost to a strong St. Xavier Tigers team who have gone 25-3-3 this season. They made the final after facing the Ryle Raiders in the semis, taking a 1-0 lead early on in the first half, then giving away a goal in the second half. They eventually won 3-2 in the penalty shootout and then beat the Generals on Saturday after taking a 1-0 lead early in the first half and playing strong defense in the second half to claim the state title. Looking forward to next season, even with our seniors having to give up big roles in the starting lineup next season after they graduate, we have a lot of young varsity players who have proven themselves on the pitch and who will be a key asset in the upcoming season with Grimm claiming that they will “keep their expectations high again next season.”