On the night of October 25, a brisk wind whipped across the faces of the eleven Warriors who stood proudly opposed to the Stow Bulldogs. The teams brawled for all 80 minutes of the district-semifinal match but, unfortunately, the Warriors’ efforts went unrewarded. The final score favored the Bulldogs 3-1.

WJ’s team, led by captains Gabe Kornick, Bubba Franczek, and Noah Casenhiser, was “robust and full of energy” said senior Noah Miller. “And we’ve been that way since the beginning,” he added. The team’s season-long vigor can be attributed to the leadership of eleven seniors and Head Coach Scott Zackaroff, ’03.

The seniors stand out not only because of the golden crowns they sported around the halls before their senior night, but also through their hard work on the field. According to senior soccer fanatic Nick Tucci, “The seniors really took charge even when they were playing against the odds.” And, indeed, the Warriors were playing against the odds.While facing off against the third-seeded team, they were only seeded seventh overall despite having the second best record in the district.

Senior standout Cole Rico commanded the offense all season long, climaxing in the Warriors’ game against Solon. Rico scored the game winning goal in the first half of the sectional final.

The WJ defense had shut out seven teams, including St. V.M. and Padua. The backfield brick wall consisted of senior goalie Aydan Shepard and senior defenseman Noah Casenhiser. Describing his defense, Shepard said that “they have been solid and consistent all year at minimizing shots on goal.”

Although the season came to an abrupt and disappointing halt, the team boasts a winning record of 10-7 with two ties against CVCA and Lake Catholic. The eleven seniors made up roughly half of the varsity soccer team, so their legacy, talents and leadership will be difficult to replace.