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High School, a double-A school, which appeared to consist entirely of tenth grade boys. “When we shook hands after the game” Mr. Pace said wryly, “the kids (the opposing players) were all taller than me.”
“On the field they were big, strong and fast. I think we diverted them well for a while — they only scored omi goal in the first half— but then it (their age and size advantage) catches up with you.”’
This is the first year that RCHS has had a JV soccer team. Those who lobbied for it knew that it would spread Rappahannock thin to field two teams. Mr. Pace smiles at the idea that 36 people tried out for varsity and JV soccer at RCHS, and all 36 were accepted — which seems ludicrously few, until you realize that this represents almost 10 percent of Rappahannock’s entire student body, male and female, trying out for soccer.
The idea in starting JV soccer was to build a transition stage between the Rappahannock Soccer League for elementary-age soccer players and varsity soccer in high school.
Before this year, eighth-graders had to content themselves with practicing with the* varsity soccer team, but never getting to play in games.
Now they not only get to play, they are playing against huge schools, like Culpeper, which is now double A, but is slated to become a triple A school next year.
So when Rappahannock’s teams go up against Liberty and Culpeper and hold their own, as they did this week, the coaches are pleased. Says Kenny Rogers, the varsity coach: “Soccer is one of those things that if you have good players, you can play any size school, and I think we have good players and they’re getting better each year. -
“We have a pretty good program with the Rappahannock Soccer League, and many of our kids are active in travel leagues. Our kids do a lot ofpick-up soccer, the way kids at other schools may do pick-up baseball or football. I think soccer might be our niche.”
Of the 14 games varsity is scheduled to play, the first six are against double-A schools, but Mr. Rogers is not concerned. “I think it’s good for the kids. After going against stiff competition in the beginning, we’ll be stronger when we finish the season playing teams in our own single-A division.”
JV has a much shorter season — only eight games — and seven are against double-A schools, because no single-A school in our district fields a JV soccer team. The eighth game is with St. Luke’s.
At the novice end of Rappahannock’s soccer system, U-8 Coach Jim Lofton said he was not pleased that his team lost 3-2 against St. Luke’s I on Saturday. “We simply didn’t play well,” said Mr. Lofton. “I
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