By Luca Fusco’25
The boys’ varsity soccer season has officially begun, and the Highlanders are on the hunt for a significant season under Head Coach Tyler Sheikh. The Highlanders are coming off an underperforming year that ended with three wins, eight losses, and five ties, and they are looking to bounce back and have a winning season.
“This 2024 team has all of the right pieces and players to have an improved year,” explained Coach Sheikh. The squad is led by Captain Victor Pozuelos ’25, Ian Kuisis ’25, and Andrew Delouchry ’25. The star player Vico will be starting up top to lead the line along with senior Karl Hammer ’25. The team is returning a good amount of players from last year’s squad while adding a lot of impactful players from all over the world. Midfielder Alfie Blakley ’25, left back Justin Robinson ’27, and goalkeeper Omar Mangino ’26 are some notable newcomers who are going to be important members of the team this upcoming year.
Captain Andrew Delouchry recently sat down with the Highlander Sports Desk and answered a few questions about the upcoming season. “The big goal is to win the NEPSAC B championship definitely. In order to do this, we are going to have to make the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Other than that, my goal is to come together as a team, build up chemistry, and ultimately win as many games as possible.” Additionally, when asked about how the team is looking in the first weeks of practice, Mr. Delouchry stated, “We are looking great, new faces all around, along with returners, everyone is starting to come together as a team, and I am really excited for what the season holds.”
The team has some very big games this fall, including the home opener against King on September 18th. The biggest of them all is Canterbury Day, where the boys will face their biggest rival at home on November 9th at 1:00 PM. The squad is looking to do what they did to them last year: pure domination. Fans can expect a competitive season filled with exciting moments as the Highlanders strive for a deep run in the playoffs.
