The Athens Drive men’s varsity soccer team has had a challenging season start, with a record of 2-6-1. While this might not seem promising, there’s still hope among the players and coaching staff as they prepare for the upcoming conference games.
“We didn’t start well,” said Abody Maozeb, junior. “But we’ve been working hard, meeting outside school to improve our team chemistry. I’m confident we’ll see improvements as we move forward.”
Senior Johnny Dedho-Amaya echoed Maozeb’s thoughts, mentioning that although the team’s performance wasn’t what they hoped for, he remains optimistic about the rest of the season.
The team has focused on identifying areas for growth, particularly in defense and midfield play. Dedho-Amaya highlighted how they’ve been working on improving their positioning and ball control in recent practices, which he believes will lead to better results moving forward.
“We’ve got our first conference game coming up, and I feel good about our chances,” said Dedho-Amaya. “It’s all about bouncing back.”
Assistant Coach Nicole Hooks also believes that despite the rocky start, the team is on the right track.
The team has been focusing on improving their communication and refining their tactics during practice. Players are committed to learning from their mistakes and putting in the extra effort to turn the season around.
“We didn’t have the best beginning, but the boys have been doing the work during practice. I’m confident we’ll perform better in the upcoming conference matches,” said Hooks.
Athens Drive has faced tough competition so far, and their standings reflect that, with the team not making it into the rankings for the 919 area code which belongs to NC such as Raleigh and Durham. However, this team is not one to give up easily. They’ve had some hard-fought losses against teams like Riverside-Durham (2-0), Apex Friendship (1-0), and Wakefield (2-1), but they’ve also secured key victories against Middle Creek (2-0) and Jordan (1-0). With upcoming games on the horizon, the players and coaches work together to turn things around.
Only time will tell how the season unfolds, but the dedication and spirit of the team remain strong.
“I’m confident we’ll perform better in the upcoming conference matches,” said Hooks.
