Words: Sandy Eichhorn
Though graduation may be a few months away, some Centennial seniors will be saying farewell before winter begins. For many athletes, the fall sports season ends in mid November, and resumes the following August. For these seniors, however, once the fall season ends, they won’t be returning next year. The end of the fall season means saying goodbye to a team, coach, sport, and program.
Senior Alana Morgante has played four years on the Centennial field hockey team. Over the course of her high school career, Morgante has made many memories and friends that she will carry with her entering college.
Going into this year, Morgante was excited for the season. “I’d played with all the girls before and knew that we connect well on and off the field so I knew the season was going to be a blast,” said Morgante. During her four years playing for Centennial, Morgante said she has learned how important communication is. “Good communication among teammates and coaches makes the difference in a functional, honest team,” Morgante said. Next fall, Morgante is looking to continue her field hockey career in college by playing on an intramural or recreational team.
During his four years at Centennial, Bobby Nasafi has been a part of the boys’ soccer team. Nasafi had high hopes going into his last year playing for Centennial. Nasafi said, “We felt confident going into the season because [the team] knew what our strengths and weaknesses were.” The team has had an extremely successful season, giving Nasafi a strong ending to his high school career.
Now that Nasafi’s time playing at Centennial has ended, he reflected on the memories and lessons he learned while wearing a Centennial uniform. “Playing a sport at Centennial has taught me that for a team to be successful, it has to be united and have players that trust each other,” said Nasafi. Even during hard practices, Nasafi appreciated the guys that surrounded him. Nasafi said his favorite part of playing for Centennial was “struggling with my teammates at every practice. The bonds formed when running hills or sprints will last a lifetime.” Though Nasafi hopes to continue playing soccer in college, he said he will miss the friendly banter between his Centennial teammates during practice and scrimmages.
As she entered into her senior year, Ally Rice prepared to play her first and last season on Centennial’s varsity volleyball team. With the potential of a great season, Rice wanted to meet the high expectations for this year’s team.
“‘Every Play Every Day’ is our team motto this year, it reminds us that every little thing we do is important to be successful as a team,” said Rice. During the season, Rice said, “I’ve had so many good memories at Centennial…it’s hard to pick a favorite.” The volleyball team has had an excellent run and beat rival Mt. Hebron during the regular season.
Next year, Rice is interested in playing volleyball as well as other sports at either the club or intramural level. Though excited about college, Rice said, “I’ve made some of my best friends through volleyball and I’m going to miss being on a team with them.”
Playing a sport at Centennial has allowed multiple athletes to learn many lessons that are important on and off the field, like communication and trust. The graduating seniors will carry their favorite memories from practices and games with them to college in the fall. Even though the seniors will not be returning to Centennial, they will always remember their time spent playing in a Centennial jersey.
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