On this week’s episode of The Hall Hub, Marcello talks with the new boys varsity soccer coach, Upper School teacher Andy Westfall!
Tag Archives: boys soccer
Varsity Boys Soccer Team Off to Impressive Start
By Aiden Wacksman
Going into the 2021-22 season, the Oak Hall boys varsity soccer team had a combined five wins in the last two years. This year, however, the team has a 5-1 record and its first winning start to a season since 2017.
First year Head Soccer Coach Edwin McTureous, who also coaches Oak Hall’s cross country and track and field teams, attributes part of the team’s success to its larger roster compared to previous years. “I enjoy being around the boys and getting to know some boys that I’ve never coached before,” he said.
The team defeated the likes of University Christian, Trenton, Dunnellon, and Bell this season; it lost to three of those four teams last year. The Eagles are also on pace for one of the winningest seasons in program history.
Senior Asher Dobrin has been especially impacted by McTureous’ coaching. “Coach McTureous gives us really good instruction and reinforcement, which we didn’t have much of in the last two years,” he explained. Dobrin added that the majority of the team members are returning players, which has strengthened the team’s chemistry. “We’re able to play with so much more focus and energy this season,” he said.
Some players had low expectations for this season but have been pleasantly surprised by the team’s success. “I think we have a lot of skilled players on the team,” said Senior Ryland Kane. He believes that the team’s mindset is just as important as its gameplay and is a key instrument to its success. “We hope to continue to improve during practice so we can show that our team is more capable than some may think,” he stated.
Senior Spotlight: Victor Chiu
In an effort to make this year special for Oak Hall’s senior athletes, we created A-Z questions for them to answer. We hope you enjoy!
Victor Chiu is a member of Oak Hall’s varsity boys soccer team!
By Jenna Poppell
A – Advice you’d give your freshman-self? Do your homework on time.
B – Best pre-game meal? A sandwich.
C – Coach’s best words of advice? Don’t be bad.
D – Favorite dessert? Souffle.
E – Most entertaining practice? Film with Adam.
F – Favorite high school athletic moment? I don’t know, I play defense!
G – Goals for your senior season? To win a game.
H – Hoping to attend (which college)? UPenn (University of Pennsylvania).
I – Interesting thing about you away from soccer? I did fencing for a few years.
J – Favorite joke? No.
K – Keys to maintaining homework? Just do it when you get home.
L – Least favorite practice drill? Four-line drill. Everyone stands in a square and you just pass [the ball] in circles.
M – Music you listen to? Musicals.
N – Netflix or Hulu? Netflix.
O – Outside hobbies (other than soccer)? Reading.
P – Preparations for a big game include? Drinking water.
Q – Question you would ask your future-self? Was [soccer] worth it? Like, time-wise.
R – Most relaxing part of your day? Sleeping.
S – What would your senior superlative be? “Least likely to get dress coded”.
T – Favorite TV show? Criminal Minds.
U – Most underrated pet? A fish.
V – Favorite vacation spot? Japan.
W – What does it mean to you to be an Eagle? Go to Oak Hall.
X – Any X-rays? No.Y – Your impact to the younger athletes on the team? I tell them what to do!
Z – Favorite zoo animal? A wolf, I don’t know if that’s in a zoo.
MS Soccer Players Leave Mark on Varsity Teams
By Mac Fogler
For the 2019-20 soccer season, Oak Hall was not able to field Middle School soccer teams, forcing the middle school players to play on the varsity level. This can be very difficult since the Upper School players can be bigger, faster, and stronger. Oak Hall, however, has some very talented youngsters who were very successful on the soccer field this season. Maggie Fogler, Bilal Al-Takrouri, and Jamie Robinson Wilmott, all eighth graders, consistently started for the varsity teams and all made a big impact throughout the season. Robinson Wilmott was a stalwart on the back line for the boys, while Al-Takrouri moved all over the field, a true jack of all trades. Fogler was very successful at forward for the girls. These Eagles will be an integral part of Oak Hall’s future in the sport.
While the boys season was not as successful as they would have hoped, the future is bright with these young stars leading the way. Both Al-Takrouri and Robinson Wilmott feel that the opportunity to play up was great for their development as players. “It was hard at first, but then it got better when I got used to it,” said Al-Takrouri. “I think it made me a better player in the long run because it made me tougher when I had to go against bigger stronger guys,” he continued.
Robinson Wilmott agrees that playing on varsity has helped him become a better player. “If I played middle school [soccer] I don’t know if I would have gotten as strong,” he explained. Playing on the same team as older kids was scary, as it was hard to know if they would fully be accepted. “When I first started, I thought that I was gonna be just that one guy that nobody talked to, [which] turned out not to be true,” said Robinson Wilmott. “My favorite part of the season was playing with the seniors because all the seniors are hilarious,” he continued.
Al-Takrouri and Robinson Wilmott, as well as the other middle schoolers on the team, are beloved by their Upper School teammates, and the success of the future of the program looks promising as these athletes continue to grow athletically.
The girls varsity soccer team won a district championship this season, thanks in no small part to Fogler’s contributions. The eighth grader was a big-time player for the Eagles this season, scoring and assisting on many goals. “I knew coming in that it would be a challenge, but it was so much fun…everybody was so nice,” she said. “I loved the girls so much and Coach Wharton was great!”
Congratulations to these young Eagles on their fantastic seasons and we will all be looking forward to what they do in the future!
Varsity Boys Soccer Team Welcomes New Coach
By Antony Stark
With more than 15 years of soccer experience, the Oak Hall boys varsity soccer team has welcomed its new head coach, Adam Christensen. Christensen coached soccer at The Rock School last season and led the team to an impressive undefeated record, and a trip to the state tournament.
Christensen’s first soccer experiences occurred at five years old in Palm Harbor, Fla. “At the time, I hated soccer because I got stung by a bee and wanted to quit because soccer was ‘dangerous’,” stated Christensen. He continued to play though and played through middle school, high school and eventually into college.
Christensen moved to Indianapolis for high school and attended Covenant Christian High School (CCH) which, even seven years later, is notorious for its soccer program. When Christensen attended, schools around the area knew about CCH’s soccer talent on the field, but the athletes were also known for their intense summer workouts. “There were days we ran 6 miles with 50-pound sandbags,” he explained. “To play on the team you had to run 2 miles in under 12 minutes and 30 seconds,” Christensen continued. At CCH, Christensen was a consistent striker, and by his senior year he was one of the leading goal-scorers in Indiana.
Soccer wasn’t Christensen’s only sport, as he participated in cross country and track and field, where he also excelled. After graduating from CCH, Christensen attended Lee University, a Division II program in Cleveland, Tenn., where he ran cross country, and track and field. This was Christensen’s favorite school out of the three he attended. “It was absolutely beautiful, the location was great, and the athletic teams are and were phenomenal,” he reminisced.
Christensen transferred to Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville to run track and play soccer. After Trevecca, Christensen transferred to Hampden-Sydney in Virginia to play for its Division II soccer team. By the end of his collegiate career, Christensen played for seven head coaches in six semesters, graduating in four years with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry.
Christensen believes in fundamentals, and how the beginning of the year should focus on improving basic fundamentals so players can then go straight into tactics and other types of skills. “If you don’t build from a base of fundamentals, you are never going to reach your potential,” Christensen explained. “I can’t begin to teach the game of soccer until my players are physically fit enough to do what I need them to,” he continued.
Christensen is excited to make the boys soccer program his own and is looking forward to the many changes he will implement. “I think that anyone who comes out to our games or watches our practices are going to see something different and exciting happening here are Oak Hall when it comes to men’s soccer,” emitted Christensen. This year is definitely a year of change for Oak Hall’s boys soccer program and Christensen is excited to share his extended knowledge of the game to the players.