Spring Sports are on the horizon! The spring season is time for a variety of our Varsity and JV teams to showcase their hard work over the offseason. Athletics dead week has surpassed; tryouts and pre-season work are now in full swing!
Softball
The softball season is here and the diamond is not ready for the wrath of the Lady Raptors. The team has begun practice this week, putting in work to prepare for the season. The team returns four seasoned veteran seniors in Aislynn Piihl, Embre Slack, Elaina Seymour, and Abby Brauchle. Aislynn Piihl, renowned slugger, third-basemen, and captain, has mixed feelings about the upcoming season. She is optimistic that it is “dinger season” but is worried about the inexperience of the roster, saying they are quite young. She is confident in an improvement from last year’s winless season saying that the team will win at least one game. Abby and Aislynn are confident in the team’s infield strength. Their predicted success comes partly from the addition of a new assistant coach who has upped the conditioning routine, Aislynn wa shocked from that the coach made them run. It seems the softball team has taken lots of steps in the right direction and are only headed upward!
It’s dinger season
— Aislynn Piihl
Baseball
The Baseball team is coming off an 8-10 and playoff berth season. The team is returning only three seniors in 4-year players Thomas Martin, Beatty Cummings, and Connor Sawall. Star catcher and certified slugger, Thomas Martin, predicts to finish 12-8 but more importantly the school’s home run record will be beaten. He comments that the program’s depth is looking better for years to come due to the inaugural season for a JV squad. This will surely develop talent for years to come. Thomas says the team is powered by the “stout starting 9 and a great set of arms on the bench.” Pitcher Connor Sawall predicts a 13-7 season, further adding that “we’re very young, but it’s ring season.” The team hopes to see you in attendance at Shipyard Park to see some home runs launched into the river.
Girls Soccer
A traditionally victorious program of Academic Magnet Athletics, the girls soccer team looks to build off years of past success. Last year the team was unfortunately knocked off by rivals Bishop England in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Left winger Chloe Carlsten predicts a win in every single game this upcoming season due to their abundance of luck on the field. Cliffie Manuel predicts a winning season, not to the same extent as Chloe. She says this because they are “good every year.” Charlie Zaifert, captain and midfielder, predicts a more mild season ahead. She believes the team will be competitive but might not see the success that the team normally has. The team has a large number of newcomers and underclassmen. The three seniors highlighted that the roster only has one goalkeeper when the team normally has multiple. Be sure to go out to see the team play at the Ravenel Stadium!
Boys Soccer
Similarly to the girls, an abundance of wins are expected from the men on the pitch. Last year the team was an impressive 16-7-1 in regular season play but were sent home by regional rivals, Oceanside Collegiate. Another team with a really young roster, there will likely only be 3 seniors on the whole squad. Lukey Sutherland, who plays a key role to the team’s bench camaraderie and fills water for starting players, predicts the team will finish with a record similar to last year’s 16-7-1. The boldness comes from his prediction that the team will defeat both regional rivals: Oceanside and Bishop England. Upon this Lukey sees a ring in the team’s future. Benjamin Brock comments to predict that Elliot Brady will be the recipient of the “Alec Early Award.” Be sure to go out to see the team play at the Ravenel Stadium!
Boys Tennis
The boys tennis team is coming off an incredibly impressive season last year, finishing as the state runner-ups. This is a traditionally strong program at the school, with 2 state championships in the past 7 years. Senior star Rutledge Sander predicts another run to the state championship match where they will run into Oceanside. This was the same story as last year but the team should “plaster” any other team in their way of a state championship. Rutledge furthers that Bishop England specifically stands no chance against the hard-hitting Raptors tennis players. Look out for this powerhouse team on the courts this season as they are sure to create some noise!
Boys Lacrosse
The team is coming off a rough season last year and lost a large group of seniors but the team is fresh with new blood and young talent. The team is also led by a new coach with years of experience. Isaac Chery, II, nonchalant lax bro, predicts that the team will finish around .500, a great improvement from last year. He feels the team has a more serious and motivated vibe this year which will lead to some more victories. Ford Martin, a tough long pole defender, thinks the sky is the limit for this squad. He predicts a state championship is in the team’s future. Both players note a wise decision from the athletic department to schedule easier opponents for the regular season. This will cause the need for some long travels to away games but the team is excited for this due to the camaraderie of bus rides. Coach Cosgrove states a 7-7 record is the goal for the team due to its young nature but believes every game will be competitive and will be rewarded with a playoff berth. Everyone believes in the strength of the defense to lead this team. This team could be dangerous, look out for some wins from this team!
If the predictions from these athletes come true it could be quite the historic year for Academic Magnet athletics with the abundance of state championships on the horizon!
