By Harrison Simeon ’22, Staf Writer

 A Year of Highs and Higher Highs

The Blue Jay soccer team is a usual winner of district and contender for the state championship, but something about this year feels different. With no losses and just three draws on the season so far and carrying into the playoffs, the varsity team has been utterly dominant in every aspect of the game this season.

A major result of this excellent play has been being ranked nationally. At the moment this article is being written, the Jays sit at number one in the state and number two in the country, just behind Brandon High School in Mississippi.

“It feels awesome,” said senior defender and captain Maxx Hanemann “but it doesn’t mean anything without a state championship.” The team has shown their hunger and higher aspirations into the playoffs, dominating Ruston in a 7-0 victory to open the bracket following their undefeated regular season and district championship-winning effort against Archbishop Rummel. The Jays also had an impressive 4-0 victory over St. Amant to advance to the semifinals.

The team’s secret in such an unconventional season? Unity, compassion, and work ethic were the most common answers from who I talked to. It has been a complete team effort from the Jays this season, with almost every member of the team getting significant involvement and the wealth of goals being spread thoroughly.

Another aspect of the season that has made the undefeated record so impressive is the coronavirus, which has caused two games for the Jays to be cancelled. But how has it affected the team? “It hasn’t affected us too much,” said junior defender John Wimberly. “We’ve been smart to limit our social gatherings to avoid our whole team getting contact traced.” The Jays have proven and are proving that even, during pandemic, a state championship may be on the horizon, and they have proved this with a perfect regular season and the desire to go all the way.