Blazers Look To Build From Last Season in Search of Elusive District Championship

By Stephanie Fonseca

The Boca Christian High School soccer team has been on the rise in the past year.

Coming off of a losing 2014-15 season, and having a coaching change at the close of that season, the 2015-16 season was a step in the right direction in the Blazers’ program. Last season, the team had the best record in school history, Forward Stefan Kneffel shattered the scoring record and Caeden Hood came just a bit shy of beating the assist record, a record currently held by Head Coach David Weil. To many, it may seem like there might not be much left on the list. For one, Coach Weil wants to see his player shatter his assist record. But the main goal for this season is a District Championship, a mark that the team has yet to reach.

Leaving off of last season on a sour 2-1 loss to Dona Klein in the District Semifinal, the team lost some key seniors but gained in number and talents. The season comes with a couple firsts early on. For the first time in the history of the program, they will field a JV squad.

“Pure talent wise, this is the most talented squad we’ve ever had,” said Coach Weil.

But his main focus is seeing how these separate talents could come together to make a winning team battling through challenges that the team might face. But throughout the season Coach Weil wants to know if through those challenges, “ they rely on each other and become a team or are they a bunch of individuals.” Which Weil believes can determine whether they will be a good team or a force to be reckoned with.

The returning team has a lot of familiar faces. The Blazers’ strong back four are returning as well as their leading goal scorer, two leading assists players and two goalies with the addition to another two to the team. With the familiar faces returning they also have more talent which Coach Weil hopes will lead to more scoring players he can count on.

But looking at the peaks from last season, like their first win ever over Yeshiva, in an emphatic 5-0 fashion, they also look at their district semifinal loss which pushed them in the offseason.

“I’ve seen teams get disappointed,” added Coach Weil. “The emotion that was in their face and the pain and heartbreak from that loss is really pushing them and giving them a drive in the offseason.”

Coach Weil also acknowledged that this team is the first that collectively went out during summer conditioning and has been preparing themselves for the next season.

The main goal this season, says Coach Weil, is that elusive district title. “I look up and Boys soccer is the only one that doesn’t have a banner, and I don’t like that at all,” expressed Weil. With the group of young talents that he has, he’s excited to see how the new players fit into the puzzle and is expecting great things for the season.