This past Monday, the boys varsity soccer team played their first district game against the Crossroads Currents. They pulled out a 5-0 victory and then did it again just two days later against Elsberry on Nov. 6th At the Wednesday game, senior Ege Alanoglu, juniors Tyler Nelson and Johannes Mortsiefer, and sophomore Jack Kildea scored the goals — Nelson scoring two of them.
This Friday, the team will take on Missouri Military Academy for the district championship 5 p.m. at home. In celebration of the boys’ season, The Nest wanted to highlight the many seniors on the team. Read below to hear about this year’s seniors as they reflect on their experiences playing soccer.
Ege Alanoglu is a right-wing and central midfield player. After playing four years of soccer, he expressed that playing has taught him about both teamwork and communication. Alanoglu remembers winning districts two years in a row and claims it to be his favorite soccer memory. He considers sophomore Max Torres a part of his dynamic duo and credits him for teaching him some cool celebrations.
Luca Bostick-Valero is a left/right winger. After playing all four years of high school, he recalls his favorite memory of soccer as being a freshman watching the varsity team play in amazement and striving to be like them. When asked what he’s learned from playing he stated, “It takes a lot of teamwork, communication, vision, and endurance.” He has also learned from teammates, ”not to overthink and just play.”
Zachary Nelson is a midfielder and has played four years of soccer. He enjoys that soccer helps him to keep in shape. His favorite memory from being on the team was the bus rides to and from games. Nelson takes pride in the skills he has learned not only from playing but from some of his teammates. An example of this is that he was taught by a teammate how to watch the offside line when playing.
William Reeds is a striker and after playing four years of soccer for Brentwood, he recalls that his favorite memory was scoring the game-winning goal with 40 seconds left against DeSoto. His biggest takeaway is: “Soccer has taught me to try and go beyond what is expected of you and try to be resilient.” He has not only learned important lessons from just playing but also from his teammates. “Communicating is an important part of playing any team sport,” he said. “It always remains important.”
Joshua Jackson is one of the team’s goalkeepers. He has played soccer all four years and has learned: “To be confident and don’t be scared, chase your goals.” Though he’s made many memories over the years, Josh remembers his favorite being “playing music, being loud, and making funny jokes” in the back of the bus while riding home after a win during both his freshman and sophomore years. He also recalls a memorable lesson his fellow teammate junior Tyler Nelson taught him, which was, “Don’t be afraid to come off your line, come out strong.”
Lucas Kelley is a center midfielder. He has been playing soccer since his freshman year, and it was that year he scored his first varsity goal against the Bayless Bronchos and, afterward, was picked up by the team in celebration. He has learned teamwork and leadership over his years of playing and considers fellow senior Jackson Curd to be the other half of his dynamic duo. When Kelley was an underclassman, he had the pleasure of playing alongside his brother, who taught him “to play my hardest even in the toughest situations.”
David Wallace is a left-back defensive player. Although this is his first year playing, Wallace has learned many things in just one season. He stated that soccer had taught him “to get more physical” and that fellow senior Ege Alanoglu taught him how to even kick a soccer ball. He deems junior Johannes Mortsiefer to be the second half of his dynamic soccer duo. His favorite memory from this season was scoring on the Principia Panthers.
Jackson Curd is a center midfielder and this is his fourth year playing soccer here at Brentwood. When asked about his favorite memory over the years, he shared the same memory as Ege Alanoglu, which was winning districts during their freshman and sophomore years. Curd’s biggest takeaway from playing soccer? “How important it is to communicate with your team,” he said. “If you don’t talk, you won’t understand what each person is trying to do.” Curd also added that he learned from Ege that, “kicking the ball over the goal is not beneficial.”
Varsity’s starting goalie, Noam Still, has been playing soccer for 12 years but just started goalkeeping last year. As a kid, he played soccer at the YMCA with his friends due to his parent’s encouragement. He still looks back on the experience fondly, for it started his soccer career. He then started playing with a lot of his current teammates. “It’s like a big group of friends,” he said. When in the goal, Still observes the field and communicates with his team. After playing for such a long time, he found that soccer has taught him that, “a strong mindset is the most important factor in succeeding.”
Nick Reeds plays the left midfield position and has been playing soccer for Brentwood since his freshman year. Much like many of his fellow seniors, his favorite memory from playing was winning districts during his freshman and sophomore years. After playing alongside junior Tyler Nelson for three years, he’s learned from him: “It is important to put your body on the line but also to be careful when doing so.”
Logan Hawkins is a sweeper and has been playing soccer for the past three years at Brentwood. In his years of playing soccer, he has learned perseverance, grit, and teamwork. The two people he most considers to be a part of his dynamic duo are senior Ege Alanoglu and sophomore Will Spencer. Logan’s best memories from playing soccer are, “Winning districts sophomore year and all our fun bus rides.”
