“Go Blue!”, the phrase that echoed across Bishop Stadium last Thursday evening as the Manhattan Junior Varsity soccer team defeated Shawnee Heights 2-1 in the last game of the season. 

Despite facing hardships and difficulties this season, the J.V. players stayed confident.

“We didn’t necessarily play to their level, and even when we were not necessarily winning by a lot, we still got a couple of goals in,” freshman Skylard Buffington said. 

Even though the game may have not gone particularly well in certain aspects, there was an established feeling of accomplishment throughout the J.V. team once the clock stopped ticking. 

In the first half of the game, junior Kyle Klym scored the first goal of the game. Klym plays in both the J.V. and Varsity soccer teams. At around the 16-minute mark, sophomore Jonathan Bachmeier kicked the ball to freshman Skylard Buffington, who kicked the ball into the net. 

In the second half of the game, junior Javier Rodriguez scored a goal at the 27-minute mark, which brought the game 2-0 until the last few seconds of the game. Just before the clock stopped, Shawnee Heights scored a goal, making the final result of the game 2-1. 

“We didn’t let our past define our future,” Buffington said. 

As soon as the second half began, the team began to push themselves more than they had been in the first quarter. Both the defense and the offense strengthened their game. During the second quarter, J.V. players stepped up their game and communicated more to achieve better results in the game. Throughout the game there was a fair share of out-of-bounds instances; however, these instances proved helpful in the end. For better or for worse, the out-of-bounds instances cut time off of the clock. This pressured the J.V. players to give it their all. 

“We finished 11 and three. It’s always good to get to double digits,” Head Coach Marshall Adams said. “So that was the goal and you know we finished out on a high so that always helps.” 

The team’s perseverance through the game displayed their commitment to finish the season and continue to improve. 

“Just continuing at practice getting better, working on touches, passes, communication,” Klym said.