Seniors Finish Out Season On A High Note

On Friday, October 30th, the Nash Central Bulldogs were hoping to close out the 2015 season with a win over conference-foe Northern Nash. While the Bulldogs would have loved to claim victory on Friday afternoon, there is still much to celebrate after a 2-2 draw over the Knights.

Nash Central started Friday’s game a bit slow. The Bulldogs were down 2-0 in the first half, but Nash Central was resilient and persevered. The Bulldogs came to came back to score twice while shutting down the Knights offense. During this time period, Nash Central played incredible defense, and a rhythmic pattern developed as the Bulldogs continued their beautiful work on the defensive end. Sophomore goalkeeper Colby Carter was essential in this defensive battle as Carter made multiple breathtaking saves. Nash Central’s goals were scored by senior Jacob Wolf and freshman Chandler Padgett. Junior Jared Sanchez was the set-up man for Wolf, and a well-timed and on-target pass by Sanchez allowed Wolf to successfully execute the scoring play.Also, Nash Central’s second goal would not have been possible without the speed of John Michael Kelly. Kelly was able to swiftly rush down the field, and the senior’s well-maneuvered pass to Padgett was key in knotting up the score with Northern Nash. Lastly, the Bulldogs offense came close to scoring on several occasions during the overtime period, but the pesky Knights defense just wouldn’t let up.

This well-deserved and hard-fought draw over Northern Nash was a phenomenal way for the Bulldogs to properly send out its seniors. The 2015 Nash Central boys soccer team was home to eleven seniors, and Christian ***, Angel Rios, Tyler Gunnels, Jacob Wolf, Tripp Turner, Jorge Vasquez, Allen Cooper, Cameron Flora, Stephen Turner, Turner Ward, and John Michael Kelly were honored individually in a post-game ceremony, which was conducted by Nash Central head coach Ryan Ruiz. Ruiz shared his personal sentiments regarding each senior, which certainly made for an extremely heart-rendering and poignant affair. This class of 2016 is the first class that Ruiz has had to work with from start to finish. Ruiz has helped developed these seniors from their freshman days, and this definitely creates an emotional attachment to this exceptional class of seniors.

All in all, Nash Central’s boy’s soccer program may not be the most decorated program in the state, but there’s just something that the Bulldogs have that cannot be found in even the greatest of teams. This would undeniably have to be an unparallel and unmatched level of heart, and thanks to the limitless efforts of John Michael Kelly, Turner Ward, Stephen Turner, Allen Cooper, Jorge Vasquez, Tripp Turner, Cameron Flora, Jacob Wolf, Tyler Gunnels, Angel Rios, and Christian ***, Nash Central soccer has come a long way and is headed in the right direction.