PERSEVERANCE: The girls’ soccer team practices hard in order to become victorious on the field this year.
By Scott Field, Staff Writer
The Riverside Poly girls’ soccer team has always had a dominant and skilled roster. Most of the players played for club teams and were nationally ranked before joining the team. With the proper coaching and team chemistry, the team is nearly unstoppable on the field. This year, many of the returning players are anxious to get back to competing in the sport they love and are looking forward to a great season. “I want us to be league champions this year and go further than we ever have in CIF,” returning varsity captain Taylor Russell (12) said.
The team has a wide range of players from all grades; many of the upperclassmen serve as role models and teachers to the underclassmen. “We look up to the upperclassmen. They show a lot of leadership and are great teammates,” Kayla Valenzuela (10) said.
Many players on the starting lineup last year were seniors, leaving the team with an entirely new roster. Some of the new girls have never started or played on a varsity team before. “Losing so many starters will make for an interesting season, but I am excited for the challenges ahead,” Valenzuela said. The team’s skills continue to grow each day as they continue to put in effort during practice. No matter what challenges they may face, the team will tackle them head on. With a lot of new players bumped up to varsity and a change in the starting lineup, Coach Jaimianne Brewer wants to take her team to CIF and win. “We hope to win it all, but most importantly work as a team to make it all the way,” Emma Bauder (10) said.