The second year of middle school soccer was another promising year for seventh and eighth graders. The players were talented...challenging...enthusiastic...and, again,....absent their senior year. My count since these 17-18 years has weakened somewhat, but a coach's memory still hangs on...maybe feebly...but it tries...!

Granted....each individual player has his own varied talents, so this coach cannot be too judgmental. I do know that there may have been two-three of the middle school soccer players who eventually excelled in tennis by their sophomore year in high school. Baseball was another real competitor that provided a place for previous middle school soccer players. Recently, as more prevalent these last eight to ten years, track was a legitimate opponent to soccer also. That would be ironic because many up and coming varsity soccer players tended to have difficulty with extreme running...and, as it would turn out,...they may have turned to track..!!

This second year of middle school was a mix of talent...skill...and eager energy. The young men played excitedly and attacked; their talent was evident as they fought back against their skilled foe to come back and win in a tough away game. The last game of the season was away against a tough private school on a changed home field involving a loss of time and upset parents. If we win.....we complete the first perfect 12 and 0 season. A coach's key substitution in the last minute of the game allowed our talented and strong halfback to make a long , beautifully placed cross from the right tying the game at one and one...thus insuring an undefeated, but not perfect....11 - 0 - 1 season.