Post Tagged with: "Middle School Soccer"

High School, Middle School Students Receive Awards for Athletic Participation, Leadership, and Team Success

Seniors who received the Billy Robinson Award and the Cougar Award.

High school and middle school students who played on an ACS sports team during the 2022-2023 school year received recognition for their participation, leadership, and athletic abilities at Athletic Awards Programs on June 2 and 5.

At the High School Athletics Awards event on June 2, it was a time to celebrate and reflect on a distinguished year of achievement as Athletic Director Pam Hitchner gave an overview of each team’s accomplishments. Hitchner also took time to thank and recognize ACS parents and volunteer Terry Vogel, and her husband, Paul, for their 28 years of service in support of ACS Athletics. In particular, Mrs. Vogel had overseen concession sales at home athletic games, helping raise thousands of dollars for ACS athletic programs.

Athletic Director Pam Hitchner recognized and thanked Paul and Terry Vogel for their 28 years of volunteer service to support ACS athletics.

The evening culminated with the announcement of special recognition awards. Seniors Cruz Lewis and Paige Noble were chosen by the Athletic Department to be the recipients of the 2023 Billy Robinson Award, which recognizes one high school boy and one high school girl for significant achievement, Christian testimony, and athletic ability. Robby Barberio, Maddie DeNick, and Reyna Lewis received the Cougar Award, which is given to seniors who have demonstrated outstanding Christian character, leadership, responsibility, and commitment in the area of athletics. The five athletes are pictured above.

There was a lot to celebrate in the achievements of the various Varsity teams. In the fall sports season, the Varsity Boys Soccer team, under head coach Chris Lopez, finished the regular season in second place and advanced to play in the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference Championship match against King’s Christian School. The game ended in a tie of 2-2, with goals scored by Chase Leach and Malachi Vasquez. The game then went into double overtime, with both teams still tied. King’s Christian won in penalty kicks 4-2 and ACS finished the season in second place.

The Lady Cougars Varsity Soccer Team, under head coach Carly Witherow, finished in 3rd place in the regular season and lost in the conference consolation game to Calvary Academy. Ten ACS soccer players were named TSCAC All-Stars. Witherow, in her 11th year as head coach, was recognized for being the longest serving soccer coach and most winning soccer coach, leading ACS teams to 5 TSCAC Championships and twice being named TSCAC Coach of the Year. She is stepping down as head coach this year.

In winter sports, both the Varsity Boys and Girls Basketball Teams were the TSCAC Champions, winning hard-fought battles in their February 25 championship games held in the ACS gym. The No. 1-seeded Lady Cougars had an undefeated season, and the No. 2-seeded Varsity Boys’ Team pulled off an upset, beating No. 1-seeded Pilgrim Academy 54-45, a team that had been undefeated all season. Eight ACS players were named TSCAC All-Stars, senior Paige Noble received the 2023 TSCAC MVP Varsity Girls’ Basketball Award, and Varsity Girls’ head coach Kaylee Breunig received the 2023 TSCAC Varsity Girls Basketball Coach of the Year Award.

In the spring, the Varsity Girls Softball Team was tied for first place in the regular season, and went on to win the TSCAC Championship Title on June 3, beating Pilgrim Academy. The Varsity Boys Baseball team finished in third place in the regular season and won their TSCAC consolation game, beating Calvary Academy, finishing the seasons in third place. For the second consecutive year, 11th grade shortstop Evangelina Kim received the conference MVP Award in softball and Varsity Girls Softball head coach Dara Kimmerley received the Softball Coach of the Year Award. Ten ACS Varsity Baseball and Softball players were named TSCAC All-Stars.

Cheer team head coach Morgan Gibson and assistant coach Michelle Wheeler with the team.

The Varsity Cheerleading Team, under head coach Morgan Gibson and assistant coach Michelle Wheeler, made history again this year. For the second consecutive year, the Cheer Team was named the  National Champions in The ONE Varsity Intermediate School Cheer Division. The ACS Cheer Team had earlier won first place in its category at The ONE Cheer and Dance Finals held April 1-2 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In both the April and Finals rounds of competition, the scoring was based on execution, technique and degree of difficulty, as well as the ability to inspire a crowd.

The track program continued to grow this year. The Cross Country Club, in its third year, competed in meets with King’s Christian School and at the Homecoming 5K Run. Over 90 middle school and high school students participated in the spring track program, with ACS high school boys’ and girls’ track teams winning first place at the TSCAC Track Meet hosted at ACS on May 11. The teams also competed at the Mid-Atlantic Christian School Association (MACSA) Invitational Track Meet at Messiah University.

During the program, the head coaches of the various teams presented certificates and special awards to their players, including the Coaches Award, Most Valuable Player, and Most Improved Player. The coaches participating in the program were: Girls Soccer — Carly Witherow; Boys Soccer — Chris Lopez; Girls Basketball — Kaylee Breunig and Dara Kimmerley; Boys Basketball — Drew Carney; Girls Softball — Dara Kimmerley; Boys Baseball — Carl Phillips; and Cheer — Morgan Gibson (head coach) and Michelle Wheeler (assistant coach).

The high school award recipients were:

Varsity Girls Soccer: Paige Noble (MVP); Maddie DeNick and Eden Wilson (co-Coaches Award); Alicia O’Donnell (Best All-Around Player)
Varsity Boys Soccer: David O’Donnell (MVP); Malachi Vasquez (Coaches Award); Chase Leach (Best Defensive Player); James Papanikolaou (Best All-Around Player)
Varsity Girls Basketball: Paige Noble and Evangelina Kim (co-MVP); Reyna Lewis (Championship Performance)
JV Girls Basketball: Skyler Shivers (MVP)
Varsity Boys Basketball: Noah Stokes (MVP); Charlie Costello (Coaches Award); Noah Gibbs and Caleb Vogel (Championship Performance)
JV Boys Basketball: Jericho Thomas (MVP); Caden Kim (Coaches Award); and Judah Dawkins (Most Improved)
Softball: Evangelina Kim and Taylor Sutton (co-MVP); Paige Noble (Coaches Award)
Baseball: Charlie Costello (MVP); Robby Barberio (Coaches Award); Josh Merlino (Most Improved)
Cheer: Haven Sanchez (MVP); Mackenzie Flynn (Coaches Award); Tara McCorkle (Most Improved)

Middle School Athletic Awards

At the Middle School Athletic Awards program on June 5, students who participated in soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, and track were recognized and honored. Athletic Director Pam Hitchner thanked the coaches for another outstanding year of competition in the Atlantic Cape Junior High League, of which ACS is a member. The middle school boys’ teams came in first place in soccer, basketball, and baseball and the middle school girls had winning records in soccer and softball. In the spring, the Middle School boys’ and girls’ track teams came in first place in the TSCAC Track Meet.

During the Middle School program, Hitchner also thanked and recognized four new first-year head coaches for their efforts — Becky Pineo (girls soccer), Silas Nixon (boys soccer), Jen Domsic and Sydney Pearson (girls basketball and softball). The other head coaches of Middle School teams, who presented certificates to their players and spoke about their accomplishments, were boys basketball coach Josh Clark and boys baseball coach Charlie Costello.

Middle School Girls Soccer Coach Becky Pineo and her team.

During his remarks, Middle School Boys Soccer Coach Nixon noted that coaching 25 players at different skill levels was the most difficult task he had ever undertaken, but they worked hard and came together as a team that ended up placing first in the league with an undefeated record. Coach Pineo emphasized the importance of displaying Christian character on the athletic field. “Playing sports doesn’t prove our character, but reveals our true character,” Pineo said.

Coaches Domsic and Pearson praised the athletes on both the Middle School Girls Basketball and Softball Teams for working hard to acquire new skills and abilities. “We started from scratch with some of our players, but we persevered and fought hard, and even in our losses we kept fighting,” Pearson said. She noted that the Middle School Girls Softball Team finished with a winning record of 7-3 with all new players.

The Middle School Boys Basketball Team had a remarkable season, with 23 straight victories and finishing in first place in the league. Coach Clark said the word “perseverance” best described the team. “This was a very special team that I was very proud to coach,” Clark said. “They never gave up and always showed up for every game and every practice.”

The Middle School Boys Baseball Team, under Coach Costello, finished the season tied for first place in the league. Coach Costello noted that while success on the athletic field is something to enjoy and be proud of, that the most important goal is to fear the Lord, quoting Proverbs 9:10 — “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

 

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.

 

Middle School Soccer Tryouts – Sept. 14-15 Final Two Days

Middle School Soccer tryouts for the boys’ and girls’ teams, which began today, will continue through next Tuesday, September 15.  Try-outs are held after school from 3:15-5:00  p.m. Please come prepared with cleats and shin guards.  The MS Boys’ coach is Brandon Stevens and the MS Girls’ coach is Casey Hopwood.

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.

Middle School Soccer Teams Excelling — Boys’ Team Undefeated, Girls’ Team 6-1

The Middle School Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer teams are making their mark this season in the Atlantic Cape Junior High League, which includes local area public and parochial schools. The 16-member Boys’ team is undefeated, with a 7-0 record to date, and five games left in the season that concludes October 30. The 23-member Girls’ team, led by Coach Casey Hopwood, is 6-1 and for the first time in school history defeated Linwood 3-2 on Thursday.

The Middle School Boys’ coach and ACS parent Tom Ellison said his team members were determined at the beginning of the season to do something special and had set a goal to go undefeated, a feat that has not happened in over a decade. Coach Ellison said the team has scored an astonishing 30 times on its opponents and has only given up 3 goals in the past seven games. The team is comprised of predominately 8th graders, most of whom have been playing together since fifth grade.

“The players genuinely care for one another on and off the field and play with a close-knit unity and a selfless attitude toward each another that can be clearly seen when you watch them play,” Ellison said. “These boys truly demonstrate what it means being all in for Jesus on the soccer field.” The middle school season ends on October 30. The boys’ and girls’ teams have home games next week — on October 23 and 25 starting around 3:45 pm. Come on out and cheer for our Cougars!