As the fall sports season has come to a close, the success of the Junior Varsity sports teams at Centennial High School is not something to overlook.
The JV Girls Soccer team sustained a record of 10-1 with their only loss coming against River Hill by a single goal. Freshman captain Elise Rudy, describes the connection that led to their team dominance.
“We became so successful because everyone genuinely trusted each other and put the team first,” Rudy stated. “I tried to lead by example– working hard, staying positive, and always communicating on the field.”
Sophomore captain Sarasa Nauen, with already a year of experience under her belt, remarked on the JV team’s success. “We had a really strong team chemistry, which was evident from the first day of tryouts, that allowed us to work as a cohesive unit.”
The JV Boys Soccer program nearly matched the girls’ record, going 9-0-1 with their only tie against Mt. Hebron. Goalie and sophomore captain Drew Gajewski describes, “As a captain, I held all of my teammates accountable and made sure everyone had a responsibility on and off the field.”
Another leader, sophomore captain, Alex Fritz, explains how their success came from the countless hours of practice and dedication put into the season. “After a tie and a hard loss in preseason games, we realized that there could be no room for anything but hard work, and that we would need to always go 100% to be great,” Fritz says.
Both the girls and boys Junior Varsity soccer teams are County Champions and are undoubtedly one of top teams each of these programs has seen.
While JV Volleyball concluded this season with a 5-5-1 record, their hard work and support for one another was prevalent throughout the entire year. Sophomore captain Evy Armstead had a mindset going into each game to play together and as a team. “As a captain, I always tried to be positive,” Armstead says.
Also in the volleyball program, the Freshman Volleyball team went 6-2-2, dominant in their division.
It’s no secret that the JV Football program has faced its fair share of adversity with injuries and low roster numbers. Despite this adversity, the program won their first regular season game since 2017 against Poolesville, winning in dominant fashion with a score of 20-0.
Freshman captain Jack Yeager remarked, “We all worked hard over the season, tired of losing and tired of our bad reputation.” “With the help of our coaches we got better every day, our chemistry got stronger, and we fought in every game,” Yeager said.
The JV Field Hockey team did not concede a single goal this season and had a record of 9-0-1. From not even having a Junior Varsity program in 2020, and losing every game in 2021, this program has grown significantly under new supportive leadership.
One of the leaders, sophomore captain Aly Fishman, noted how the team “always lifted each other up, and never yelled at each other if something was going wrong.” It was clear the chemistry of this program truly made them very successful.
The powerhouse of the Cross Country program is undeniably successful. The girls JV Cross Country Team won the County Championship yet again, as they have the last four years. Becky Kuhn, member of the JV squad, describes how the mentality of the team is different than any other high school. “We give it our all 100% of the time” and “We give the same amount of effort as anyone else on the team,” Kuhn says.
Even though the Boys JV Cross Country team fell short of County victory, they still were able to win the Open Heat, competition open to any Cross Country members, at the Eagle Invite.
These newcomers are slowly building Centennial’s athletic programs to even further success. They will no doubt be on watch as they continue to develop and bring success to the school. JV sports are the foundation of the strong athletic programs that Centennial bolsters and these young athletes are ready to take the next step.
