The JPS Boys Soccer team’s season is approaching its end, with five pivotal matches remaining. This season, the Hawks have remained vigilant, currently hosting a winning record of 7-6-3, with a lineup consisting of eleven seniors, ten juniors, and four sophomores.
Led by captains Ritam Chaudhari and Talha Syed, the Hawks excitedly entered the season with confidence, knowing that their effort over the offseason would pay off. During the summer, the boys competed against each other in practice and other teams, diligently working in preparation for the season.
Remarking their work over the summer, Ritam claimed, “Over the summer, each practice and each game shaped our chemistry as a team, and all of our skills. We had a real sense of confidence, as we all had a sense of closeness and an ability to assess each other and keep each other accountable.”
Even with this confidence, the question remained whether their effort would be enough for the Hawks to defeat crosstown rival Edison High in their second match; this victory did not seem particularly possible in the first thirty minutes of playtime. In the heat of rivalry, the Hawks conceded a goal in the first sixteen minutes, and then conceded another just at the thirty-one minute mark. Down 2-0, any other team would give up. Facing adversity, the boys knew they would have to capitalize on any given opportunity. At the thirty-three minute mark, the Hawks received their first opportunity of the match – a strong assist from senior Sid Barui to sophomore Shrest Kummarapurugu.
“As a team, we felt really frustrated, so seeing that we could score was a pivotal moment that really allowed everyone to pick their heads up,” said Shrest, discussing how the morale of the match changed with this first goal.
When the second period began, the Hawks utilized this momentum, immediately scoring their second goal, tying the match. Junior Arnesh Banerjee, with an assist from captain Ritam, scored this goal, further adding to the ongoing momentum of the match.
“To be honest, I’m just fortunate that I was able to play a part in coming back from this deficit and scoring the second goal. Our team works extremely hard to give it our best, and we really showed it in this moment,” noted Arnesh, discussing his
This momentum would not die down, as seven minutes later, senior Nathan Sekar scored his first of many goals this season, giving the Hawks the lead. They had done it, they had completed their comeback. Yet, the game was not over; with thirty minutes remaining, it was up to every defender and goalkeepers Eshaan Basavaraj and Vibhat Puchalapalli to remain vigilant. Despite oncoming goal attempts from Edison High, the two goalies shined, with Eshaan hosting three saves, and Vibhat hosting two. When the final whistle blew, the boys completed their comeback, showing the fruition of their hard work over the summer.
“It truly feels incredible to come back and beat a team like Edison High like that. Two quick goals and we were down 2-0, yet we managed to pull through and stay composed as a team, something that we worked on over the summer. Momentum shifted with each new goal, and each showed how much fight our team has,” said captain Talha Syed, describing the team’s victory, an inspirational message that goes beyond just soccer.
Truly, the team’s ability to work together, remain composed in their efforts, and keep on fighting, no matter the opposition, is what allowed them to succeed.
