Saturday afternoon marked the second-to-last home game for the boys’ varsity soccer team and Senior Day.
The team finished the game with a 2-0 victory over the Lutheran West Longhorns.
Mooler Dar, Seth Hammersmith, Lawrence Moore, Moo Blue Soe, and Louis Van Der Kuil were the five seniors being celebrated.
The group of seniors has been playing together for most of their high school careers, building strong friendships along the way.
“Seth, he’s a very good captain, and also he’s just a great friend,” said sophomore varsity player Conner Klein.
The compassion, fun attitudes, and leadership skills have impacted the younger players, creating a strong bond and making this last season for the seniors very special. The JV players, along with friends and family in the stands, were all there to support the boys on their special day.
“They’re mentors. They’re not just soccer players now. They’re mentors. They’re teaching our culture, our identity,” head coach Andrew Toth said.
Along with the friendships made, the seniors have also set new records for Lakewood High School.
“I could rave about Louis,” Toth said. “He’s graduating with every goalkeeper record in school history, so it means that he’s probably…the best goalkeeper we’ve had.”
Toth has been coaching the seniors for their entire high school soccer careers, watching them grow from freshmen to senior leaders and captains.
“I’d say Coach Toth has had a big influence because…he pushes you, and like he can say stuff that sounds mean, but it’s not really mean. It just motivates you to become a better person, just a better player,” senior Moo Blue Soe said.
“Moo Blue, he just works so hard, and he’s got such a big heart and [is] an amazing human being, and always so kind to everybody,” Toth said.
Toth and his players have clearly made their time together worthwhile, and he had only positive things to say about them.
“Seth is amazing, you know, because he’s a quiet leader, and he always brings the example of how to play, how to behave on and off the field by his actions, not so much vocally. So I’m just impressed,” Toth said.
The leadership from the seniors is fundamental to the team’s success. When taking a group varsity picture, the seniors called all of the underclassmen together, showcasing just how close they all are.
Toth also gave credit to the parents of all the players for their part in a successful senior night.
“And obviously, the parents do all the hard and heavy lifting on preparing a beautiful little get-together after the game and all the little stuff that they do before the game,” said Toth.
The boys’ soccer team has shown that they don’t just depend on one person for success but rather on every player on both JV and varsity, as well as their families, for support.
Lakewood High School Principal Joy Morgan and Athletic Director Rob Slone also helped to organize their senior night.
“It’s kind of sad, but, like, also, amazing, because since this game is so special, there’s just…a lot you can take in. But since it’s the last home game, it’s…a bittersweet ending. Basically, just enjoy what you have right now,” Soe said.
Nearing the end of their season is an emotional time for the seniors leaving, their teammates, coaches, and their families. But the seniors will always carry the lessons learned with them.
“Coach Toth just teaches you so much—how to, like, grow as a person and just be a man, and just it really does shape you to be like a hardworking person,” Soe said. “I think I’ll miss just the people and just like the memories you make, and just like every year…a lot of new faces you can meet, and the friends that you make, including the freshmen, sophomores, all those people.”
In the end, Senior Day for the boys’ soccer team was a bittersweet milestone—marking both an end and the beginning of new paths ahead.
