Woodford County soccer has been a tradition in Woodford country for many years. According to Max Preps, the Woodford team hasn’t had a losing season since at least 2010. That leaves high expectations for the team going into this year and they are living up to it so far. As of August 29, 2023, the team is undefeated. However, they did lose many seniors last year. That leaves room for many players to step up and fill a role. Freshman Keiran Towe says his motivations are to do his part on the team to help win as many games as possible. Although Towe said he might not get much playing time at the varsity level he wants to help his team any way possible. Towe embodies the spirit of Woodford County soccer. The selflessness of the team results in more goals and in turn more wins for the team. They’re going to need a lot of wins if they’re going to achieve their goal of winning the state championship as stated by senior Jack Gibson.

Gibson further stated that being a senior is a big deal and has forced him to step up as a leader. Jack wanted all of the underclassmen to make the most of the opportunities they were given because it might be the only one they get. Two underclassmen that have stepped up this year are Earl Sitwell and Issac Howard. Many upperclassmen have praised these two for all the work they’ve put in and it shows on the pitch.

One thing that can’t be understated is the defense. Sawyer Gribble and Woodrow Morris keep opposing strikers and wingers from getting close to the goal, but even if they do goalies Paul Quintero and Micheal Nickels leave goals to a minimum. Defense is a big part of Woodford County’s games. They are able to shift momentum very quickly with a swift stop and pass to the offense. Woodford is in for a big season this year, especially after tying with Dunbar. Dunbar is ranked 15th in the whole nation. Woodford was able to go toe to toe with them the whole entire game and shows that the boys could be in for a state championship-level season if they keep playing the way they are. I encourage everyone to go out and watch some soccer games this year.