A bright red face glares at the scoreboard. The numbers aren’t what you hoped for. You push harder than you ever have because the outcome of the game depends on it. You don’t want the season to end- you aren’t ready to leave your teammates. But, the final whistle blows and the reality hits you.

Tears run down your face and sweat drips off your body. Your season is officially over. Disbelief and heart break sink in.

This was the feeling of many teams after playing the George Rogers Clark girls’ soccer team.

However, all good things must come to an end and the team eventually had to face defeat as well. “You never want the season to end and you never know when it will,” says junior Shannon Ramey adding, “I wanted this season to continue as long as possible so we would have more games to play with this senior class.”

While this loss is not a taste the team would like to savor, the team can’t dwell on one loss after their overall performance this season. “I’ve learned soccer can be as fun as you make it, so you don’t need to take everything so seriously,” says senior Sydney Melvin.

After all, who can complain about a 16-5 record, an end-of-season ranking of 23rd in the state, district and regional championship trophies, and a trip to state.

The players contribute this success to the bond they share with their teammates. “Being close with your team is what makes the season more fun and everyone more successful,” says senior Avery Skillern.

Melvin concurs, adding, “I wouldn’t have met some of my best friends if I didn’t play soccer.”

Many of the girls have been teammates since they were young, so parting ways for the first time will be difficult. “I’ve been playing soccer with some of these seniors since I was eight and many of them were on my first club team,” Ramey says. “Over the past year especially, we all became really close and this team meant a lot to me because we had amazing team chemistry.”

Sophomore Brooklyn Johnson agrees. “The seniors made us a family,” she says. “Each girl brought a certain element to the team that made us who we are.”