It all came down to the last five minutes of over time for the South Men’s Varsity team in the game against Southwest last Saturday. The first two goals scored by seniors Hussein Adbulahi and Nahom Kebede didn’t seem to matter, since Southwest had scored twice as well and kept it tied for the remainder of normal time.
Two minutes had gone by in over time before senior Jovan Gorman-Carter scored and brought South ahead once again, but it wasn’t over yet.
As Coach Tamba Johnson said, the Tigers had a “mental lapse.” The Lakers scored twice in the few minutes that were left in over time, making the score 4-3. With a minute and a half left on the clock, South didn’t come back.
“We relaxed,” said junior and captain Elliot Cassutt, “they’re a good team, they put pressure on us.” Cassutt went on to compliment Southwest’s strategy, they have a player that can throw it in 30 yards, and “they use it to their advantage.”
Goalkeeper and senior Taylor Schertler explains the goals let in, saying that sometimes the ball “goes a little off,” and that it’s all in the mindset. “[South] played well, said Schertler, “unfortunately, they did too.”
The South Men’s Varsity is now ranked fourth in the state, with Southwest at seventh.
However the slight drop in ranking doesn’t phase Schertler. “I wouldn’t want to play for any other team,” he said, “I love each and every one of them.”
The Women’s Varsity team also went into over time against Southwest on Saturday, but the game still ended 0-0.
Shot after shot on both sides made no difference. with rising talent freshman Maggie Fisher in goal for South and for Southwest a keeper that Coach Lawrence Tsoi said he warned the girls before the game that she was Division I material.
Tsoi said that we were “showing we were here to compete” in the second half, but that we “only played half a game.”
Because it was Super Soccer Saturday of the year, the seniors were disappointed. Senior Erin Wallin said “we put in so much work, and there was no output.” Senior Brianna DiMartino echoed her saying “we put our heart into over time, and we didn’t get what we wanted out of it.”
Tsoi wasn’t so let down, “we never gave up a goal.”
![The South adapted soccer team has faced recent injustice, but nobody seems to acknowledge it. Due to snow being plowed into handicapped parking spots, many parents and players are angry because safety became a major issue when trying to get into the gym for their game. Many people are starting to think that this could be a part of a bigger issue, an issue of injustice and unacceptance within the disability community. “I agree that we [South] are really diverse but when it comes to kids with disabilities, we don’t get much of a chance because people use our disabilities against us and say that we can’t do certain stuff because of what we’re able and not able to do,” said Lamawn Saul, a sophomore on the team.](https://www.shsoutherner.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Adapted-Soccer.jpg)
![South’s main rival is Southwest and occasionally Washburn, but when it comes to hockey, the Holy Angels lead the pack as their main enemy. According to hockey player Maddy Helmstetter, rivalries are an important motivator. “I think a lot of our girls build off of [the rivalries] and it makes them want to do better,” said Helmstetter.](https://www.shsoutherner.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/sports-rivalries.jpg)
![Senior Ingrid Noren heads to school in February. She recommends winter biking, saying that “it’s better for your health [and] better for the planet.”](https://www.shsoutherner.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Winter-biking-900x675.jpg)
