The boys Varsity soccer team has been at the top of the county for what seems to be ages. Year in and year out, the boys find themselves winning the Conference championships and excelling in States. It’s not just one class of athletes that has been carrying this team for so many years, as each year brings in new talent to help the team flourish. Even with the pandemic shortening their season and making practice 10x harder, EB Boys Soccer has still been able to perform and work hard in hopes of ruling the GMC once again.

With the addition of Covid-19 to their schedule, it has not been an easy couple of weeks. “We’ve realized that we are lucky to even have a season to begin with,” said Captain Seth Oppong-Dwamena. “But it’s a group effort to push through these difficult times.” And this is no simple task. Having powerhouses like Monroe, New Brunswick, and Old Bridge in the Red Division, it’s extremely hard to stand out. But EB always finds a way.

The class of 2020 was filled with superb athletes that were a huge part of last year’s success. With that class graduated, the remaining athletes have been pushed to the front lines. Ben Lipman, Senior, has had a lot more put on his plate this year because of it. “We lost a lot of offensive talent last year. A lot of those guys made our team the winners that we are. But no big deal. This just forces a couple of us to step up when the team needs it the most.” And the team as a whole has needed to step up to the cause as injuries have plagued their roster. Oppong-Dwamena has been out with some medical issues and has not been able to play the minutes he should for almost all of the season. It’s hurt the team as he is one of the pillars of EB’s stronghold defense. But he still manages to help the team off the turf. “What I could do is continue captaining this team. I may not be able to dictate what happens on the field, but off it, I do everything I can to make sure everyone on the roster feels confident in their own ability.”

With only a few games left in the season, the boys are pumping out all they can. Practicing numerous hours a day, the boys hope to yet again repeat the domination that they have been striding for. This is the last year for the Class of 2021 and the class as a whole is trying to go out with a bang. I asked Nasset Derilhhome how he felt with his high school soccer career coming to an end. All he said was “It’ll be interesting.”