Students rushed out of Clayton High School’s doors over an hour before school was supposed to end. The occasion? A boys’ state soccer game against Marshall High School. The winner would take home third place in the 2010 state soccer competition.
After a 4-2 victory, the boys’ soccer team celebrated on the field. With a packed crowd watching, the Clayton soccer team had just capped off a thrilling state run.
As a captain, Monterusso tries to make sure the team has the right attitude.
“I just to try and keep the whole team positive,†Monterusso said. “As long as everyone has a good mindset, we are going to play well.â€
With a good mentality towards the game, the Greyhounds also have a very strong team. Over 10 seniors are returning, and the team has four underclassmen on the squad. Despite the return of many upperclassmen, there is always the annual struggle of adjusting to people graduating.
The 2011 squad was led by goalkeeper Charlie Harned, who now plays soccer for Knox College. Monterusso credits Harned for pulling out wins last year, but feels the team will be able to step up without him.
“I think that we have such a good, even amount of skill per player, that I think pretty much everyone can be like that,†he said.
Hadjri agrees, saying this year’s team is “more balanced.â€
Though the team has a lot of players who can score in clutch situations and an even amount of talent, Juhl still thinks the Greyhounds have a lot of room for improvement.
“I think we are not quite [to the state level], but I think we can work up there and possibly get passed where we were [my] sophomore year,†Juhl said.
Juhl described the varsity team in one word: potential, and feels the biggest question for the season is whether they can utilize their talent.
Though he knows it won’t be easy, Hadjri is confident about the team’s chances this year.
“It’s a really good group of players and I think we were ready for all the teams,†he said. “If we could do it two years ago, we can do it again.â€
