All the way in Gilmer County, the North Forsyth Junior Varsity boys soccer team won 1-0 on Monday, Feb. 3. They started their season out with a region win. The team has been practicing since Jan. 16 and have been conditioning for many months prior, so all their hard work has paid off.

The one goal was scored by Dylan Sanfilippo and assisted by Braydon Oakley. On the field, Dylan Sanfilippo’s number is three, and Braydon Oakley’s number is 50. This is freshman Braydon Oakley’s first season with Raider Soccer; however, Dylan Sanfilippo is returning for his second season. Last year, the Offensive MVP award was given to Dylan Sanfilippo.

Freshman Adrian Droze, the goalkeeper, saved seven shots. This means he started the season with a clean sheet. Making it even more impressive, Adrian Droze said that many Varsity Gilmore players were “called down to play” against our North Forsyth  soccer players. 

Coach Bell, the JV boys soccer coach, is an avid believer in how the way a team warms up affects the game. It is his belief that if his team warms up for the game confidently, then the score will correspond to the warm up. Soccer is a third skill, hard work and mentality. Looking like a powerful team during warmups will throw the other team off their game because they will become insecure. 

The keeper, Adrian Droze, believes that the one thing his team could work on is passing. He says that they are very good at “breakaway passes” and “long passes.” The team could benefit from making more, smaller passes. Coach Bell describes when a player needs to pass as, “Do you have 10 yards to dribble? Pass. Do you have 20 yards to dribble? Pass. Do you have 100 yards to dribble? Pass.” Soccer is not a selfish game. 

Even after a long bus ride full of nerves and anxieties, all the hard work that the JV Boys have been doing showed on the scoreboard. It is a great start of the season with a shutout win.