Character vs. Adversity

On some days, everything seems to fall into place. On others, “things fall apart, the centre cannot hold”. Over the past 30 hours, it has been more the latter than the former for the Senior Boys Soccer team as they hosted the North Island Championships. In their opening game against Wellington, the boys fell behind 3-0 in the opening 10 minutes. It took them the next 60 to bounce back for a nail-biting 4-3 victory. Game two was the calm before the storm: a comfortable start-to-finish win over a talented Salt Spring Island squad. With these two wins the boys secured themselves a berth at next week’s Island Championships. Then it was back to more adversity. Friday morning dawned with the team composed of a just 11 players: injury, the university tour, and the midterm holiday had decimated the team. Eleven brave Brentwood souls took to the pitch against Powell River’s Brooks SS and battled hard in a 2-1 loss. No substitutions. This placed our eleven fatigued athletes in their fourth 70 minute game, on sodden fields, in 30 hours. And then it got worse! Towering centreback Jesse H went down with a concussion in the first five minutes of the Bronze medal game. The team would have to earn victory down a man. And that they did.  It took valiant efforts; it took overcomings exhaustion and frustration; it took the indefatigable efforts of these 10. A goal by Torren K forced the game to overtime where regular goalkeeper Juan NP netted two in overtime to secure a 3-1 victory. Isaac S patrolled the goal line. Who are the other impressive young men who will not read this article because they are already fallen into a Rip Van Winklesque stupor? Isaac S, Noah H, Will M, Captain Ben M, Ben O, Ope RA, Declan S, & Caden K. Character over adversity. Grit. Well done lads. See you in Campbell River.