Post Tagged with: "High School Soccer"

Athletes, Family Members Honored at Varsity Soccer Senior Day on Oct. 25

ACS honored 13 seniors on the Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer teams and their family members in a special ceremony on October 25. Six senior players on the Varsity Girls’ team were honored — Maddie DeNick, Reyna Lewis, Alli Lushina, Paige Noble, Alli Schlundt, and Eden Wilson — and manager Daniella Ajayi. Six senior players on the Varsity Boys’ team were honored — Robby Barberio, Jake DeNick, Tommy Ellison, Sam Glancey, Moges Johnson, and Cruz Lewis.

Athletic Director Pam Hitchner introduced the team members and read notes of special thanks to each senior. Each player escorted their parents or other family members across the Varsity Boys’ Soccer field, with their fellow players lined up on either side of their pathway, cheering and applauding as they walked by.

The ceremony was held prior to the start of home games against Cumberland Christian School. The Varsity Girls won 10-0 and the Varsity Boys won 5-0.

“We’re so proud of the commitment and leadership that our seniors have given during their high school careers and the important contributions they have made to the success of both teams this season,” Hitchner said. “We’re going to miss them a lot next year.” Hitchner also thanked the parents and other family members for their encouragement and support.

Varsity Soccer Teams Lose Close Matches in TSCAC Championship Tournament; Nine Players Named Conference All-Stars

The ACS Varsity Soccer Teams fought hard in the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference Championship tournament on Saturday, November 6, but fell just shy of victory. The Varsity Boys lost 2-1 to Pilgrim Academy in the Boys’ Championship Final, finishing the season in 2nd place. It was the first time since 2012 that the Varsity Boys’ team had advanced to the Championship Game. The Varsity Girls lost their Consolation Game 3-2 to King’s Christian School, ending the season in 4th place.

In the Boys’ Championship game, Pilgrim Academy took an early lead, scoring its two goals in the first 13 minutes of the game. ACS answered in the first half with a goal by 12th grader Aaron Glancey, off an assist from 9th grader Chase Leach. The ACS defense fought hard in the second half, stopping any further goals by Pilgrim. On offense in the second half, ACS took the upper hand and had numerous shots on goal, but failed to score.

In the Girls’ Consolation Game, ACS was down 3-0 to King’s Christian School at half-time, but came back in the second half to score two goals, by 10th grader Alicia O’Donnell and 11th grader Eden Wilson. Strong defense by ACS in the second half prevented King’s Christian from scoring again, but ACS was unable to score as well.

A large group of enthusiastic fans cheered for our Cougars and showed their appreciation for the hard-working athletes during the tournament closing ceremony. Nine ACS players were named TSCAC All-Stars and received medals for their achievement — Aaron Glancey and Manny Johnson (1st team); Devin Tridente and Chase Leach (2nd team); Maddie DeNick, Paige Noble, and Eden Wilson (1st team); Reyna Lewis and Alicia O’Donnell (2nd team).

We’re proud of every ACS Varsity athlete who competed this fall and for the great memories of an exciting season. Thank you also to Coach Carly Witherow and Coach Andres Tortola for encouraging and training our athletes to do their best and to honor God both on and off the field.

Photo credits: Sue DeNick, Ruby Lewis.

High School Soccer Pre-Season Starts Aug. 23; Middle School Tryouts on Sept. 9

Our high school soccer pre-season will get underway next week — on Monday, August 23 — and will run for two weeks for the Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer Teams. Middle School Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer Try-outs will be on Thursday, September 9, starting at 3:30 p.m. Come on out and be a part of our outstanding and competitive soccer programs.

Any high school student interested in playing on an ACS team should come to the daily practices from Monday, August 23 to Friday, September 3. The Varsity Girls’ practice will be from 6:00-8:00 a.m. and the Varsity Boys’ practice will be from 8:00-10:00 a.m. We are pleased to welcome back our two Varsity Coaches — Boys’ Varsity Coach Andres Tortola and Girls’ Varsity Coach Carly Witherow.

Two high school scrimmage games are tentatively planned for both teams next week — away at Pleasantville High School on Thursday, August 26 and at home on Friday, August 27 against Lancaster Christian School.

Athletic Calendars with information on all upcoming soccer games are posted on the ACS website and are updated as needed. The calendars can be found on the “High School Athletic Calendar” and “Middle School Athletic Calendar” pages under the “Athletics” tab.

Please make sure that all your athletic participation forms are completed by the first day of practice. The packet of Athletic Forms is available in the school office and on the ACS website under the “Athletics” tab. An Athletic Fee of $250 for Varsity players and $150 for Middle School players will be due for all players who make the team rosters.

We’re looking forward to an exciting season. Go Cougars!

Students Wear Green-and-White, Show Support for ACS Soccer Teams at Nov. 4 Pep Rally

ACS students and staff wore green-and-white on Wednesday and the 6th-12th graders gathered outdoors near the Varsity Boys’ Soccer Field for a fun-filled Pep Rally to show their support for our middle school and high school soccer teams, one day before the Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ teams were set to compete in their semi-final playoff games in the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference.

To start off the Pep Rally, Athletic Director Pam Hitchner introduced the players on each team and congratulated them for their outstanding records this season. At the Middle School level, the Middle School Boys’ team was undefeated and the Middle School Girls’ lost just one game. The Varsity Girls’ team also was undefeated in the regular season, finishing in first place, with a 10-0 record, and the Varsity Boys’ team had an 8-2 record and tied for first place in the regular season.

As middle school and high school students and faculty members cheered them on, the players from the four teams faced off in some friendly competition in contests that showed off their individual soccer skills. After competing in three games — Keep Away, Juggling, and Nothing But Net — the Varsity Boys’ Soccer team finished in first place with the most points and won a free pizza party.

In individual competition, 10th grader Moges Johnson, a member of the Varsity Boys’ Soccer team, won first place in two of the games — Keep Away and Juggling. In an impressive display of juggling, which involved bouncing the soccer ball off of his foot, Moges achieved 214 total bounces in 2 minutes. 10th grader Eden Wilson, a member of the Varsity Girls’ Soccer team, came in a close second place, with 203 juggles. In Nothing But Net, 8th grader Taylor Murphy took first place, successfully kicking the soccer ball into the back of the soccer goal net without the ball hitting the ground, from the six-foot line, the 18-foot line, and finally from 24 feet out. All the individual winning players received Wawa Gift Cards for their efforts.

Varsity Soccer Teams Play Strong in First Scrimmage Games vs Lancaster County Christian

Coaches and fans got an exciting first look at our Varsity Soccer Teams on August 28 in pre-season scrimmage home games against Lancaster County Christian School, and they liked what they saw.

The Varsity Girls’ team, who were undefeated and the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference champions last year, won its game 7-0, led by head coach Carly Witherow in her 7th Varsity season.

The Varsity Boys’ team, under new head coach Andres Tortola, lost a hard-fought match 6-5. Athletic Director Pam Hitchner said the Varsity Boys’ showed a lot of grit and determination after being down 4-1 going into the second half. “They fought hard and tied up the game at 5-5 and then with just six minutes left in the end of the game, Lancaster Christian scored a goal,” Hitchner said. “We loved how our fans were rooting and cheering on our boys.”

Upcoming games include the Varsity Boys playing away at Life Center on September 4 and the Varsity Boys and Girls playing away against King’s Christian School on September 11. The first home games of the season for both teams will be on September 25 against Calvary Christian. Both games will begin at 4 p.m. We’re looking forward to a great season ahead!

See What’s New Around the 37-Acre ACS Campus

Work crews are converting our grass soccer field to an artificial turf field expected to be ready by mid-April.

With spring around the corner, we thank God for providing funding for a number of improvements now underway on our beautiful, spacious 37-acre campus, including new security fencing, an artificial turf soccer field, and a new outdoor toddler playground also covered with artificial turf.

“We are so excited about these new upgrades to some of our outdoor facilities that have been made possible through donations and grants,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “Our students from preschool to high school will be benefiting from these improvements for years to come.”

New security fencing will soon surround outdoor play areas, made possible by state security grant funding for non-public schools. Progressive Fence began installing the green support poles for the fencing in January. The height of the fencing will range from 6- to 10-feet high, and will include several lockable gates at entry points to the track. Oblen said additional new fencing is planned for the next school year to go along the property lines near the baseball and softball fields.

Several weeks ago, work crews from Clayton Companies began removing the grass on the main soccer field used by the Varsity Boys’ and Middle School Boys’ soccer field to replace it with artificial turf. The turf field and the labor is being donated by Clayton Companies and is expected to be ready by mid-April. Oblen said the turf field will have better drainage and will be significantly less costly to maintain than the grass field.

With the start of warmer weather this month, ACS students in toddler preschool classes have come outdoors to explore their new play area, which has been fenced in and covered with artificial turf. “The children were all smiles and the turf is a safe surface that is easy to keep clean,” said Elementary Principal and Early Education Director Gail Alford. Recently completed asphalt-covered walkways along the perimeters of the playgrounds are also providing easier access to the play areas and the track.