Tag Archives: ohs boys soccer

Athletics

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. 

Members of the varsity boys soccer team celebrate a goal

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.

Features

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.

Athletics, Features

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.