JV soccer team closes out season

The Outlaws boys JV soccer team closed out their season last week with a 4-1 win over Sweet Home, which brought their overall season record to 9-1. Their only loss was a 0-4 defeat by non-league rival and state champion Stayton High School.

Offensive standouts for the Outlaws were junior Cody Lane and sophomore Devon Calvin, both with six goals each.

Midfield standouts were sophomore Landon Prescott and sophomore Trevor Standen, who won balls and distributed passes from the center of the field.

Defense was anchored by sophomore Trenton Marks, who had a knack for anticipating the passes of attackers and clearing the ball out of harm's way.

Though many players took a turn at goalkeeper over the course of the season, freshman Logan Calmettes stood out as the keeper who could be trusted with the most difficult games. He would slide bravely into the feet of opponents to retrieve the ball. He would take knocks to the head and stomach. And he had a strong punt, which sent the ball far up the field to the Outlaws' offense.

A highlight game of the season: 4-2 victory over Summit JV2, in which the Outlaws battled from a 2-2 draw in the first half to score two more and hold Summit scoreless in the second half. Credit for that win goes to sophomore Jesse Larimore, who chased down every attempt on the Outlaws' goal with lightning speed. "Jesse was the fastest player in our entire league, which made him a great asset for us. In any given game, when it became apparent that the opposition was breaking through in a certain spot, the solution was Jesse Larimore. He was the plug we needed when our boat was leaking."

Another highlight game: 5-0 win at Cottage Grove. It was special because as always, Cottage Grove's turf field creates a faster, less controlled game. Fortunately, the Outlaws actually controlled the ball very well and Cottage Grove did not, which led to the victory. This game also included the prettiest goal of the season for the Outlaws, which was a blast from the top of the eighteen by German exchange student Lukas Netscher. Cottage Grove was trying to clear out a corner kick by freshman Billy Biggers, but Lukas had other ideas. His shot was rippling the back of the net before Cottage Grove had fully turned to face upfield.

The Outlaws outscored their opponents 58-9 over the course of the season; four of those nine goals against were scored by Stayton in the first preseason game.

"The Outlaws' success was due in a large part to the big involvement of the freshman class in soccer," said Coach Thomas Draxler. "We had 15 freshman come out at the beginning of the season, which is enough for a whole team, without the returning sophomores. With all these boys still playing soccer as they grow to become young men, the Outlaws boys varsity soccer team should continue to dominate the SkyEm league for years to come."