The Homewood Varsity Boys Soccer Team easily defeated the Gardendale Rockets on Thursday, May 2 punching their ticket to the state semi-final game in Huntsville on May 9. The Patriots scored an impressive six goals to the Rockets’ zero. 

The game was action-packed, and the stadium was energetic from whistle to whistle. The atmosphere was buzzing with the crowd, and the student section. Led by the Lettermen, consistent chants and chatter came from the student section. The players loved having the support from the fans, one of which being Amon Kaplelach.  

“[The fans] give us 100 percent of what they had so we had to give them 100 percent of what we had,” Kaplelach said. 

The Patriots’ underclassmen were a large factor in the success of the game, with three of the six goals coming from underclassmen. Amon Kaplelach and another sophomore, Giovanni Lopez, both got on the scoresheet. Freshman Andy Platt also scored. 

Alongside the outstanding underclassman performance, the usual stars shined for the home team. Will Jackson scored two goals and assisted a William Lewis header. The midfield also collectively had a great game and controlled the play.

Despite the scoreline, Gardendale battled hard. The opposing team showed grit throughout the game, and played to the whistle. Homewood Coach, Julian Kersh, spoke to the nature of the game. 

Kersh has stated multiple times that the team needs to move one game at a time. “It’s a difficult game, and we had to show up and play,” Kersh said, “We went out and did that.” Kersh emphasizes to his team the importance of not overlooking any game. 

The next game that the team has to focus on is the state semi-final in Huntsville against the Fort Payne Wildcats. The Wildcats knocked out the Patriots last season in the same round of the tournament in a seven-goal thriller. This game has been much anticipated by the players, especially the players from last year´s squad who are headed to Huntsville looking for revenge. 

The squad plans to enjoy the experience of playing in the final four. It’s a great opportunity and the facilities in Huntsville are some of the best in the state.

“We’re gonna enjoy it, and soak up all that there is to enjoy,” Kersh said.

Kersh and his team worked hard this week in order to control all that they can going into the much-anticipated semi-final.