On Thursday, November 21, an elegant event took place at the Pines Manor Banquet Hall: the boys’ soccer banquet. It closed off a great season for the freshman, JV, and Varsity soccer teams at John P. Stevens. It was packed with numerous emotions, recollections, and awards.
The annual JP Stevens soccer banquet is often regarded as coordinated and inclusive. For many, it is a time to not only reflect upon the season, but to bond with friends and have a good time. Freshman Shrest Kummarapurugu said, “It’s the first time I’ve been with my team off the pitch, at an event where we can be together as friends, as family.”
The banquet began with speeches from Ms. Shah, President of the Back of the Net Club, and Mr. McMullen, the Varsity team’s head coach. They both voiced their gratitude to the players, volunteers, parents, and coaches who helped produce such a successful season at JP Stevens.
Mr. Sieczkowski, the freshman coach, gave a speech about his freshman players. He congratulated award winners Akshit Arya, Akshay Murali, Inderveer Singh, and Collin Casey. When asked about the banquet, Coach Sieczkowski emphasized, “The end-of-season banquet was a fantastic occasion that showcased the accomplishments of all three teams. It was a great way to conclude the season.”
Shortly after, dinner was served to the hungry attendees. One could start with salads, melons, grapes, and watermelon slices. The main course included bread rolls, marinara pasta, french fries, chicken tenders, and meatballs. All this was enjoyed as the coach of Junior Varsity, Mr. Yates, gave his reflective speech. When asked about the speech and banquet in retrospect, Sophomore Roshan Srinivasan (Junior Varsity) asserted, “This banquet was very entertaining and well-organized by the Back of the Net Club, as everyone there had a great time.”
Coach Yates announced award winners Akram Razak, Niraj Matieda, Mikita Shaikouski, Dev Patel, and Eshan Jagdale. He also later remarked “The banquet was a beautiful way to end a hard-fought and memorable season. It was great to see everyone enjoy a nice meal together and it was a well-deserved send-off for the senior class.” And a well-deserved send-off was just what the seniors had gotten.
Around two hours into the ceremony, Coach McMullen gave his modest speech. With every Varsity player called up, he gave an anecdote of a fond memory with them. Awards were handed to seven Varsity players: Ronald Achachi, Lucas Wang, Talha Syed, Abhishek Narkhede, Ishaan Manu, Tanish Chanthan, and Ryan George. These awards illustrated the soccer players’ hard work throughout high school.
Finally, Varsity captains Ryan George and Tanish Chanthan ended the event with two impactful speeches. They spread nostalgia and pride through their Varsity peers and parents. Applause concluded the event, and friends and families huddled for pictures. To conclude, the boys’ soccer banquet was a major success and a captivating ending to the 2024 soccer season.
